LA Auto Show 2020 Porsche Taycan EV Reveal At AutoMobility LA Press Day

Pre-Reveal of the Porsche Taycan 4S at the Petree Hall stand of the LA Auto Show. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2019)

LA Auto Show 2020 Porsche Taycan EV Reveal At AutoMobility LA Press Day

Press Conference - Wednesday November 20, 2019: Porsche
10:50 AM – 11:15 AM (Petree Hall)

At the Los Angeles Auto Show Wednesday, the company debuted a third variant, the "entry level" Taycan 4S, scheduled for release in 2020.

INTRODUCTION

Porsche announced the Taycan as its first all-electric vehicle in September, but since that time, the German automaker has already unveiled two variations on its four-door sports sedan.

REVEAL

The Taycan 4S has a shorter range than the Taycan Turbo, with an estimated 253 miles per charge compared to up to 280 miles. (Although the 4S can get even more mileage with an extended battery pack, but that comes at an additional cost.) It also has a relatively cheaper starting price: $103,800. For comparison, the Taycan Turbo and Turbo S start at $150,000 and $185,000, respectively.
[ht: mashable]

TURNTABLE

The Porsche Taycan 4S as introduced here on the AutoMobility LA 2019 Press Day Petree Hall floor wore a stunning Frozen Blue Metallic Paint job (an $800 option) and featured 21-inch Taycan Exclusive Design Wheels with Carbon Fiber Aeroblades (an $8,770 option).
[ht: motor1]

At a time when EV leader TESLA is working to reduce the market price of its offerings, Porsche, with power and extended battery packs, is upping the pricing game ... but this is an EV from a true established manufacturer. It's only a matter of time that this model may become a Rennsport gathering fave!

... notes from the EDJE




TAGS: #PorscheTaycan, #SoulElectrified, AutoMobilityLA, #AutoMobilityLA, #LAAutoShow2019, #LAAutoShow, #Porsche, #Introduction, #Reveal, #Turntable, The EDJE

Air Taxis Are 'A Thing' To Be A Mobility Option Soon

Lilium, which is partly financed by Chinese tech giant Tencent, made the debut flight of its two-seat aircraft in 2017. Further, has performed over 100 vertical take off and landing test with great success with their latest 5 passenger model. Image Credit: China Daily

Air Taxis Are 'A Thing' To Be A Real Mobility Option Soon

Priority transportation landscape will be changing sooner than most prognosticators think.

Electric-powered air platform concepts from several manufactures are beginning to prove themselves in testing through a wide variety of design platforms. Many that take their lead from traditional drone configurations to multi-engine fan jets that will achieve their flight lift through airplane wing style solutions.

EHang claims its new vehicle, dubbed the 184, is the world’s first electric, personal autonomous aerial vehicle (AAV) that will “achieve humanity’s long-standing dream of easy, everyday flight” for short-to-medium distances. Image Credit: CGStudio

This excerpted and edited from China Daily -

Market for air taxis set to take off
By Angus McNeice in London | China Daily Global | Updated: 2019-10-15 21:07

For a show that first aired almost 60 years ago, The Jetsons was impressively prophetic about future technology.

The cartoon about a family living in 2062 predicted jetpacks, holograms, smartphones and 3-D printing — and now approximations of the Jetson family's nifty "aerocar" can be added to the list.

Several major transportation businesses, including Boeing, Airbus and Uber, are conducting test flights of all-electric flying machines that promise to revolutionize urban travel through ride-sharing air taxi services.

A handful of startups populate the increasingly crowded market, including Volocopter and Lilium, two German companies backed by Chinese investment.

Hangzhou-based automaker Geely led a $55 million funding round for Volocopter, which held a demonstration flight for its dronelike passenger carrier in Stuttgart in late September.

Lilium, which is partly financed by Chinese tech giant Tencent, made the debut flight in 2017 of its two-seat aircraft, which looks more like a small plane than a helicopter. The company also recently completed a test take-off and landing for a five-seat prototype.

The technology is in such an advanced stage that most air taxi companies are predicting commercial launches between 2022 and 2025.
----
Regulation, costs and public acceptance stand in the way of widespread use of air taxis, according to Tim Schwanen, director of the Transport Studies Unit at Oxford University.

"It's not only about the technology, and in some ways, technology is the easy part," Schwanen said. "There are issues around regulation, there are issues around markets. Do we want these services? Do we need them?

"Visions like The Jetsons where people are flying everywhere, an explosion of flying taxis — that won't happen for a very long time. We're talking decades."

Volocopter GmbH is a German aircraft manufacturer based in Bruchsal and founded by Alexander Zosel and Stephan Wolf. The company specializes in the design of electric multirotor helicopters in the form of ready-to-fly aircraft, designed for air taxi use. Image Credit: Volocopter GmbH

If and how existing air traffic control systems will incorporate air taxis is also a sticking point, as is the limited availability of landing pads in many major cities.

A recent report from London-based industry analysts L.E.K. Consulting predicted that a substantial uptake in air taxi services will not occur within the next 10 to 15 years.

Whatever the time scale, governments seem to be getting on board with the idea. This year, the United States Federal Aviation Administration expressed support for trials, and the European Union Air Safety Agency published guidelines for manufacturers of electric vertical takeoff and landing, or eVTOL, aircraft.

In China, Guangzhou-based air taxi company Ehang began conducting supervised tests with the Civil Aviation Administration of China this year, while Geely's and Tencent's investments suggest they believe there is an appetite for the technology in China.

Veteran car designer Frank Stephenson, who designs Lilium's aircraft, said companies must make safety their top priority.

"The moment one of these things has an issue, you're going to lose a lot of public confidence and trust," he said.

Lilium said its service will be affordable, and it expects that early routes will run between airports and city centers.

"The intention is absolutely not to make it for the elite," said Stephenson. "It's mobility for everyone — from the student or the teenager who needs to visit his grandma ... all the way up to the VIP."

Uber predicts its service Uber Air will initially cost $3.60 per passenger kilometer, and the company aims to get this down to $0.27 per passenger kilometer, making it competitive with car ownership.

But Schwanen of Oxford University doubts that such low prices will be achievable early on, even in today's business environment replete with money-losing companies that value growth over profit.

Schwanen said he thinks service will be "on a limited scale for the super-rich. It's going to be people who are able to afford this, and who may have properties where they can land."

Removing pilots from the equation will help drive down costs, and the majority of companies say they will eventually switch to automation.

With more than a dozen companies working on air taxis, determining which operators emerge as market leaders will largely come down to design, efficiency and range, according to Stephenson, who believes Lilium is ahead of the pack on all three counts.

Lilium says its aircraft will have a range of 300 kilometers, around double the distance offered by most of its competitors.

The company also says its planes will use around 90 percent less energy than drone-style aircraft, due in part to wing-assisted flight.

The wings on the Lilium plane contain rows of ducted fans mounted in flaps that swivel 90 degrees, pushing air down during takeoff and landing and backward while cruising.

"Wings give you lift, so it's a lot more energy efficient," Stephenson said.

"You need a lot of electrical power to go up and down, but not that much to go horizontally."

Lilium aims to have people in the air by 2025 — outdoing the Jetson family by a generation.
[Reference Here]

So, maybe the vision of the cartoon future world of The Jetson's isn't here,  but the conceptual vision of priority transportation for select applications and markets is really just around the corner.

This timeframe of 15+ years will become telescoped once the safety and autonomy issues get locked down and being able to hop onto one of these platforms, to travel 150 miles in about an hour, all made possible with non-airport requirement electric vertical takeoff and landing, or eVTOL, personal capability (1 to 5 passenger) aircraft.

... notes from The EDJE




TAGS: electric vertical takeoff and landing, eVTOL, aircraft, Lilium, Ehang, Volocopter, L.E.K. Consulting, Frank Stephenson, Geely, Boeing, Airbus, Uber, Tim Schwanen, China Daily, The EDJE

Latest 'Letric Lambo As Previewed By Supercar Blondie

Lamborghini Terzo Millennio develops through 4 pillars - Energy, Innovation in Materials, Powertrain & Vehicle Architecture, Sound & Emotion. 

Latest 'Letric Lambo As Previewed By Supercar Blondie

Pioneer and innovative by tradition, Automobili Lamborghini looks into the future with a visionary approach, bringing its own DNA’s values in the extreme.

To plan its path through the electric super sports car, Lamborghini defines the requirements of the third millennium in terms of energy storage and innovative materials to secure the most emotional and ultimate driving experience.

Lamborghini Terzo Millennio >>>

THE SPORTS CAR OF THE FUTURE

... notes from The EDJE

James Dyson Backs Away From Becoming A Mobility Solutions Manufacturer

Our undergraduate accommodation is as cutting edge as our technology. The Dyson Village is home to our undergraduate engineers in Malmesbury, UK. Each 'pod' comes with inventive Dyson technology as well as bespoke furniture and fittings designed by James Dyson. Image Credit: DYSON via Facebook (2019)

James Dyson Backs Away From Becoming A Mobility Solutions Manufacturer

Back in May of this year, when patents for an electric car applied for by the British technology company, Dyson (known for its innovative vacuum cleaner and air movement solutions), became public knowledge, CEO James Dyson showed some real interest in having his company become a inventor and manufacturer of cars powered with electricity.

At the time, James Dyson said that even though this was the beginning of a long and serious process, he was realistic about the potentials for this agenda's success.

Cover art for vehicle patents submitted by Dyson. Image Credit: MobileSyrup (2019)

This excerpted and edited from MobilSyrup -

Dyson is thinking beyond the vacuum with electric car ambitions
By: Brad Bennett - MAY 9, 20194:33 PM EDT

Now that its vehicle patents are public the company is quick to point out that its vehicle might never see the light of day, but beyond that, it seems confident and excited about the EV technology it’s working on. In an email from the company’s CEO James Dyson to its employees, he says “developing new technology is an energizing and exciting experience: our vehicle project is just that. It will be entirely designed by Dyson, manufactured by Dyson, and sold by Dyson.”
[Reference Here]

Fast forward to mid-October 2019 and the seriousness of this project hits the wall of economic reality.  British inventor Sir James Dyson, said its engineers had developed a "fantastic electric car" but that it would not hit the roads because it was not "commercially viable".

Reported in May 2019 - The U.K. team is working at the secretive Dyson Hullavington Airfield, and the CEO says, “Hangar 181 is now complete with testing facilities including climatic chambers and a rolling road, and Hangar 85 is where we will construct vehicles for the latest phase of testing, starting next month.” In addition to this space, the company is about to break ground on another testing facility in Singapore. Image & Caption Credit: MobileSyrup (2019)

This excerpted and edited from a press release posted at BusinessWire -

Dyson has scrapped its electric car project
BBC.com - 11 October 2019

In October 2018 Dyson revealed plans to build the car at a new plant in Singapore. It was expected to be completed next year, with the first vehicles due to roll off the production line in 2021.

Dyson wanted to make something revolutionary - but also needed to make it pay. And the sums simply didn't add up.

In terms of wheels, Inventor James Dyson says that “the patents show a car with very large wheels, giving a low rolling resistance and high ground clearance. This makes a vehicle suited to city life and rough terrain but could also contribute to increased range and efficiency — vital in a vehicle where every joule of power must be used wisely.” Image & Caption Credit: MobileSyrup (2019)

Sales of electric cars are climbing rapidly. Yet they still cost more to make than conventional cars, and generate much lower profits - if any.

Major manufacturers like VW can afford to plough tens of billions into the EV industry - on the basis that economies of scale will ultimately make the technology cheaper and generate returns.

Even the upstart Tesla, widely credited with showing everyone else just how good electric cars could be, has burnt through mountains of cash and had to go cap in hand to investors [and Governments].

Dyson has concluded it simply can't afford to play with the big boys - although its efforts to make a quantum leap in battery technology will continue.
[Reference Here]

Until the verifiable case for commercial viability can be made for something more than a Golf Cart, real electric-powered car manufacturing will operate under the dual cloud of true advancements of "Clean & Green Mobility" and Commercial Viability once government subsidies run out.

... notes from The EDJE

James Dyson Backs Away From Becoming A Mobility Solutions Manufacturer | electriccarstechtalk.com from r/cars

TAGS: James Dyson, Singapore, UK, Battery Technology, Mobility, Clean & Green Mobility, commercial viability, The EDJE

Firestone GP Of Monterey Locks Down A Make American Great Again NTT IndyCar 2019 Season Finale

Checkered Flag from the WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca Start/Finish Line tower ends a winning weekend American-style for the NTT IndyCar Series 17 race season in history making fashion. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2019) 

Firestone GP Of Monterey Locks Down A Make American Great Again NTT IndyCar 2019 Season Finale

Really, how good can a season finale in American open-wheel racing get? The sanctioning history of the top professional racing series season if rife with agendas and policies to promote the development of winning American-born race car drivers.

To be honest, this was one of the main reasons for the split-up of the extrodinaridly successful CART into ChampCar and the Indy Racing League. Now, eleven years after the re-unification announcement of American professional open-wheel racing, IndyCar has a final race of the season that all Amerifiles can be proud of, and over-the-moon about, because not only did an American rookie win the P1 Pole Award and race ... an American driver secured the IndyCar Series championship.

Josef Newgarden wins the 2019 NTT IndyCar Series Championship - Celebrates with Team Penske - Kisses the Astor Cup. Images Credit: Ken Manfred (2019)

Colton Herta wins the race in a perfect weekend for team Harding Steinbrenner Honda after beating out the four season points leaders for the NTT P1 Pole Award at the end of the "Firestone Fast Six" third round Knock-Out qualifications format.

Colton Herta as he guides his Honda-powered Dallara DW-12 with modern aerodynamic road course body work through Turn 8a toward 8b, also known as the Corkscrew. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2019)

What placed a cherry on top of this innaugral Firestone Grand Prix Of Monterey at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca (WRLS), the first top level professional open-wheel race at this iconic track in 15 years, was Team Penske Chevrolet American-born driver Josef Newgarden matching his 2017 season performance at Sonoma Raceway by finishing with a 25 point margin over teammate Simon Pagenaud for the 2019 Championship honors in the form of the Astor Cup.

Andretti Autosport's INDY500 winner Alexander Rossi as he felt great about his chances in the race qualifying withing a good striking distance of NTT P1 Pole winning Colton Herta. Image Credit: Brandon O'Brien - Motor Driven Images (2019)

Adding just a touch more Make American Great Again to the mix, Andretti Autosport Honda driver Alexander Rossi entered the race one point ahead of Pagenaud for second most points garnered in the championship race - this, after losing out in 2018 to Ganassi Racing Honda driver Scott Dixon.

“It is the way it goes,” said Rossi on the team's race strategy. “We started on the used Firestone reds. We knew ultimately the guys [to beat] were Scott [Dixon] and Colton [Herta] because we knew we needed to win the race. We went opposite of them on tire choice on the grid. It was a gamble. We made the decision this morning if we were going to go for it, we would rather finish third [in points on the season championship] than second and be complacent. It is the way the chips fell."

Rookie NTT P1 Pole Award winner Colton Herta leads out the rest of the field at the start of the Firestone Grand Prix Of Monterey contested at the WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca for the first time since 2004 [recap here]. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2019)

Monterey Speed Week's Firestone Grand Prix Of Monterey season finale logged in the following numbers - 90 Laps for 201.43 miles - Seven changes for the lead, Time of race: 1:53:57 - Average speed:106.057mph - Pole speed: 114.867mph.

This excerpted and edited from IndyCar-State-Of-The-Sport season-ending press conference held at WRLS -

Mark Miles - IndyCar CEO:
I'd start by saying we believe IndyCar is the most compelling form of motorsport on the planet, and I think that's more true, more defensible every year. Under Jay's [Jay Frye - IndyCar President] direction, with the combined expertise and experience of our teams of Dallara, Honda, Chevy and all of our suppliers, we just keep getting better, the racing improves, it's more competitive, and it's all done while being very attentive to managing costs for the team.

Firestone Grand Prix Of Monterey 2019 Start - Polesitter and Rookie Colton Herta leads the field through the short chute between Turn 3 to Turn a - Firestone Banners stack up and act as a photo tunnel and back drop - Ken Manfred (2019)

----
So on the track, what can you say? We do believe it's great competition, probably the most competitive form of racing. The number of cars, as you know, if you follow the sport, has been solid on the grid for IndyCar races, 22 here to 24 throughout the year, and at the Indianapolis 500-mile race, we continue to add to the number of entrants. 36 this year trying to get in, and from my perspective, Bump Day is back, and I think the fans loved it.

Looking beyond that, we have had seven winners so far, seven pole winners and seven wins for Honda and nine wins for Chevy so far, a great balance in terms of the result between the manufacturers.

And for the 14th consecutive year, I'm sure most of you have written this, the championship has come down to the finale, and we're thrilled about that.

Team Penske's Will Power had designs on breaking up the all-American Pole/Race Win/ Season Championship by challenging Colton Herta in the final laps of the Firestone GP Of Monterey. Rookie Herta did not place a foot wrong while under pressur to win his second race of the 2019 season. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2019)

Jay Frye - IndyCar President:
Thank you, Mark. So we've been working on this aero screen since 2016, so I guess you'd call this an overnight sensation. But the real game-changer for us this past year was when we partnered with Red Bull Advanced Technologies.

There's been no stone unturned on this program, this project, from driver cooling, driver expectation, clarity, glare, impact.
----
We believe this is an industry-changing total safety solution for driver cockpit protection. We're very excited to get it on the track because we always say the data doesn't drive, drivers drive, so the next step in the process is to get it on track and see where we're at.

The first test will be coming up at IMS on October 2nd. We'll go to Barber on October 7 and Richmond on 10/15. So it's a very aggressive schedule, but the ball is in motion for a 2020 implementation.
----
In regards to the hybrid piece, it's very important that we remain true to our DNA, and our DNA is fast, loud, authentic and unapologetic, so when we put together this product or put together an RFP for this product, that had to meet all those criteria. A couple of things we're working on with this piece is one is for safety so the cars will have electric starters, so the driver spins, they stall the car, they'll be able to start the car into 1 so the driver is not exposed. Another will be our AMR guys out there with an umbilical cord having to start the car, so they won't be exposed. Another thing that's really a byproduct of the whole system is hopefully we'll keep the pace of the race going, so there won't be as many yellows, so that will help, too.

But one of the bigger parts, the biggest part in our opinion is horsepower, so our goal, our stated goal is to get over 900 horsepower. This product will give us at least 50 of that, so we remain true, again, to our DNA. We want to have less downforce but have more horsepower. We're excited about this. We've got 10 current RFP's out, so the plan is to have a chosen partner in the first quarter of next year for a 2022 implementation.

These projects are big. I think they're game changers for the sport ... we've got to be who we are, and that's fast, live and authentic.
[ht: NICS]
ENDS

Marco Andretti, Team RC Cola Chevrolet, No. 26 beats out Ryan Briscoe for the pole position by a mere 2/1,000th of a second. Andretti won his second career IndyCar pole position today for the season-ending MAVTV 500. Andretti last won a pole at Milwaukee in 2008. He turned two laps at an average speed of 216.069 mph on the 2-mile Auto Club Speedway. This is the second pole position of the 2012 season for Andretti Autosport. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2012)

Not since the 15th race of a 15 race 2012 IZOD IndyCar Series season, in the MAVTV 500 at Auto Club Speedway when we saw American Marco Andretti in a Andretti Autosport Honda take the P1 Pole Award, American Ed Carpenter in a Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet cross the Start/Finish Line first after 500 miles, and have American Ryan Hunter-Reay in his Andretti Autosport Honda finish P4 with a lead in the IndyCar Series championship points of 3 points over Will Power, have we been witness to a Make American Great Again triple (Pole, Race Win, Championship) be captured in the final race of the season.

The end of the 2012 season for Andretti Autosport's Ryan Hunter-Reay (RHR). RHR jumps out of his #28 DW12 as he comes home to win the IZOD IndyCar Series Championship, A.J. Foyt Oval Course Trophy, and first MavTV 500 Auto Club Speedway night time race! Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2012)

Twenty-nine changes for the lead, Time of race: 2:57:34 - Average speed: 168.939 mph - Pole speed: 216.069 mph, run under the lights at night.

The Firestone Grand Prix Of Monterey was historic and a grand contest for a finale, but that race above, right there - the season-ender at Fontana? That was a finale that actually was Fast, Live, and Authentic!

MAGA baby, with a larger than 17 race season and a season-ender on the record-holding Fontana, California superspeedway with date-equity in October! It is time to make American open-wheel racing great again - MAOWRGA ... maybe we will just stick with the simple branding that can, at least, be pronounced - as in IndyCar MAGA.

... notes from The EDJE




TAGS: NTT IndyCar Series, Open-Wheel, Professional, MAGA, American drivers, Make America Great Again, WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, Firestone Grand Prix Of Monterey, Josrf Newgarden, Colton Herta, Alexander Rossi, The EDJE

NTT IndyCar Series Championship Predictions Four Races Out

Beginning of the last race of the 2017 season with Josef Newgarden in command as the field gets ready - 2 by 2 - entering Turn 11 at Sonoma Raceway for race start. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2017)

NTT IndyCar Series Championship Predictions Four Races Out

Predictions are a tricky business since this is always about placing odds on human outcomes. Variables are all over the map from driver talent and mistake performance involvement, equipment preparation and in-race support performance, track layout combined with prevailing weather, to the old adage of past performance is the best predictor of future performance and outcomes.

That being stated, there is a great portal for information about future chances that allow predictions to hit their mark much better than not. This portal is titled The Single Seater and the reason they are so good at what they do, they eliminate emotion as much as they can through mathematics ... statistics ... all that include the adage stated above.

Winner's Circle celebration as caught by NBCSN at 2:01:05 - from left to right is GoPro Grand Prix Of Sonoma race winner Simon Pagenaud being congratulated by 2017 NTT IndyCar Series Championship winner Josef Newgarden, Motorsports Journal Managing Editor Edmund Jenks, and NBCSN's Broadcaster Jon Beekhuis. Image Credit: NBCSN telecast via screengrab (2017)

This excerpted and edited from Single Seater -

State of the Championship: Assessing Newgarden’s Weak Spot
By: Drew Bennison - Aug. 8th, 2019

There are four races left in the IndyCar season. The finale at Laguna Seca has double points on offer, meaning there are at most 266 points available to any one driver. The Single Seater model currently has Newgarden in control of the championship with a 66.4% chance of winning the series title. Rossi has around a 30.9% chance of winning as he sits 16 points behind Newgarden, and Dixon and Pagenaud both hold a 1.3% chance of pulling off a late-season upset.

The helmet, gloves, and HANS device of Josef Newgarden just a minute before J-New puts them on for the final practice at the 2019 Acura Grand Prix Of Long Beach. The Team Penske driver finished this fourth race of the season P2 at about 20 seconds behind Alexander Rossi, his chief rival going into these final four races. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2019)

Newgarden holds the lead
Newgarden has led the points standings for most of the year thanks in no small part to his qualifying efforts. He has the second-best average starting position this year (5.8) just behind Rossi (5.5) and was the fifth most consistent qualifier as judged by average starting deviation. Newgarden qualifies for races incredibly well, but he doesn’t start races well at all. On average he loses -0.9 places in the first two laps of the race and has only retained his starting position on 54% of race starts. Ryan Hunter-Reay is the only driver in the top-10 of the points who retains his starting position at a worse rate. This could pose a threat in the final quarter of the season as two of the last four races are on road/street courses where passing is tougher. Giving up a good qualifying effort in the opening laps puts Newgarden at greater risk of getting involved in a crash or simply being unable to pass a championship rival back. Even on the ovals where it’s traditionally easier to overtake, giving up free track position obviously isn’t an ideal way to close out a tight championship battle.

Andretti Autosport celebrates its 200th win as a racing organization in the Long Beach Grand Prix Victory Circle. This mark was secured by Alexander Rossi as he won his second consecutive Acura Grand Prix Of Long Beach (2018 & 2019). Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2019)

Rossi’s advantage
Rossi has been an even better qualifier than Newgarden with two pole positions and retains his starting position at a much higher rate than Newgarden — doing so 85% of the time. Attacking Newgarden’s weakness on the start is going to be a solid approach for Rossi to claw back the 16 point deficit. Newgarden is not a driver that makes a ton of mistakes in the race — his overly optimistic dive to Hunter-Reay’s inside on the last lap at Mid Ohio is not a move you’ll see him go for again — so being in front of him early is so important. All drivers are aggressive at the start of the race, but Rossi can be more tactfully aggressive since he knows Newgarden struggles in the first two laps. And what might be an even bigger advantage for Rossi is if Newgarden knows he struggles on starts, leading to out-of-character driving in an effort to retain his position that could cause him to make a mistake. Winning a championship is as much a mental game of keeping your concentration high as it is a physical battle on track.

So what could Newgarden do to improve this weakness in his profile? I’m not a driver coach, but I would think that taking some time in practice to simulate the start and running on cold tires could only serve to benefit him. His teammates both retain their starting position more than 75% of the time, so maybe they have some advice for their fellow driver too. With only four races left, it would do more harm than good to try to do much more and risk psyching himself out at race starts. It’ll be a problem to deal with in the off-season.

Chip Ganassi Racing's 5-time IndyCar Racing Series Champion takes the pre-race fan greet ride just as every other driver. Here Scott rides around with sunglasses and his PNC Bank hat on backwards as her tracks around infamous Turn 9 at the Acura Grand Prix Of Long Beach circuit. Vantage thanks to Doug Mockett, from his special trackside suite sponsored by Doug Mockett & Company - Fine Architectural Hardware. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2019) 

Pagenaud, Dixon round out the top-four
Pagenaud and Dixon are both longshots to win the title as they sit 47 and 62 points out of the championship lead. Their success in the title hunt is going to come down more to what mistakes Newgarden and Rossi make more than anything they can do. 

INDY 500 winner for 2019 had a hot hand at IMS winning everything the track had to offer - IndyCar Grand Prix and the INDY 500. Image Credit: Shawn Gritzmacher - NTT IndyCar Series (2019)

Pagenaud has actually been the luckiest driver this season already according to Expected Points. He is outperforming his xPoints through Mid Ohio by +72. That means he’s scored 72 more points than we would have expected him to as judged by his average track position in races. For example, in the Indy GP Pagenaud had an ATP of 6.6, led only five laps, and was in the top-five for just 41% of the race. We would have expected him to score 28.5 points that race (about a sixth-place finish) but instead he scored 51. We see drivers who overperform compared to their expected points for a stretch of time eventually regress back to the mean. This could be over the next couple of races or next season, we don’t know exactly. But if Pagenaud is really riding a somewhat lucky sequence of races, it could mean Dixon has a good shot of at least overtaking him in the points in these last four races if Pagenaud’s results start to line up with how he has been driving. Right now, our model has Pagenaud with an expected championship finishing position of 3.3 compared to Dixon’s 3.4.

Pocono is up next
In the 50,000 simulations we did of the last races of the IndyCar season, no other driver won the championship besides these four. Newgarden and Rossi head into Pocono with a combined 97% chance of winning the title. There have been just three oval races so far this year, but Newgarden has the edge over Rossi in average starting (6) and finishing (2) position on these types of tracks. He also scores better in ATP (4.2) and ATP25 (1.9). A good weekend at Pocono could give him some breathing room in the points, but it won’t be easy. Rossi has had a good start to his career at Pocono with two podiums including a win in three races there. Newgarden has two podiums and no wins in six attempts.

These aren’t huge sample sizes, and I’d say these guys are about even. Newgarden with the advantage at ovals this season and Rossi with the advantage at Pocono the past few years. A DNF from either Rossi or Newgarden would probably flip the championship odds from “lean Newgarden” to “likely Newgarden” or to “lean Rossi” depending on who DNFs, so Rossi has more to lose than Newgarden does when it comes to a strategy gamble or risky overtake opportunities. I expect both of these guys to play it relatively safe (no high-risk-low-reward moves like we saw with Newgarden at Mid Ohio) at Pocono with three races still to go after. Pagenaud and Dixon might try to shake up the race a bit with alternative strategies given their longshot status too.

The Current Championship Odds

“Expected Championship Position”
The Expected Championship Position for each driver is the average championship finishing position we would “expect” from a driver if the end of the season were repeated infinite times. It is useful to get a point estimate forecast for each driver.

Statistical Information & Image Credit: TheSingleSeater.com (2019)

[Reference Here]

Sitting on the sidelines is only fun when one is engaged and informed.

So, with four races remaining in the 2019 season - ABC Supply 500 at Pocono Raceway - Long Pond Pennsylvania, Bommarito Automotive Group 500 at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway - Madison Illinois, Grand Prix Of Portland at Portland International Raceway - Portland Oregon, Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca - Monterey California it's GREEN, GREEN, GREEN and may the best of outcomes prevail for all, even if the odds strongly favor Team Penske's 2017 NTT Series Champion to chalk-up a number two for his career in the double-points race at Monterey.

... notes from The EDJE




TAGS: INDYCAR, POCONO, GATEWAY, PORTLAND, LAGUNA SECA, POINTS CHAMPIONSHIP, Newgarden, Rossi Dixon, Pagenaud, The EDJE 

Historic Formula Atlantic Cars To Race 2020 Acura Grand Prix Of Long Beach Weekend

No. 75 Al Lader - Brabham BT40 followed by No. 2 Craig Hill - BT40 No. 91 Archie Snider - BT29 at FBRace-Spdwy-73-4. Image Credit: Mike G. Adams via FB Page, ‎An appreciation of Formula Atlantic

Historic Formula Atlantic Cars To Race 2020 Acura Grand Prix Of Long Beach Weekend

Next April 18-19, Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach fans will get a double dose of nostalgia when the Historic Formula Atlantic Challenge, featuring open-wheel race cars from the 1970s and 1980s, lights up the track for a doubleheader weekend.

The twin 20-minute races will run Saturday, April 18 along with the IMSA WeatherTech Championship race and Sunday, April 19, the same day as the NTT IndyCar Series race, with practice and qualifying on Friday.

The Formula Atlantic series ran at Long Beach from 1978-82 and 1989-2008 as one of the premier “feeder” series to top-level open-wheel racing. Drivers such as Bobby Rahal, Michael Andretti, Willy T. Ribbs, Danny Sullivan, Al Unser Jr., Jimmy Vasser and Jacques Villeneuve all raced at Long Beach as they worked their way up through the Formula Atlantic ranks. Two former Formula Atlantic drivers, Keke Rosberg and Villeneuve, became Formula One World Champions, while 1979 Long Beach Grand Prix winner Gilles Villeneuve was also a Formula Atlantic graduate. Several other Atlantic drivers were Indy Car champions over the years. The Rosberg, Villeneuve and Rahal cars – along with many others – are expected to be in the race field at Long Beach.

The historic event at Long Beach will be sanctioned by the Historic Motor Sports Association (HMSA)

“Hosting the historic Formula Atlantic cars are a natural at Long Beach,” said Cris Vandagriff, president of the HMSA. “Many of the ‘movers and shakers’ in IndyCar today got their start in Formula Atlantic. It will be so exciting to see these cars on the Streets of Long Beach again and have many of the former drivers attend the Formula Atlantic autograph session. All the cars will be authentic in every detail including the livery they ran in-period.”

“We are excited to be able to showcase these vintage Atlantic cars to our fans in a doubleheader format,” said Jim Michaelian, president and CEO of the Grand Prix Association of Long Beach. “This will give our fans more on-track action and that added race will be a big part of an enhanced Sunday schedule that we are putting together for the 2020 Acura Grand Prix.”

Off the track, the Acura Grand Prix will have evening concerts, free to Friday and Saturday race ticket holders, along with the popular Lifestyle Expo and Family Fun Zone, the Food Truck Experience, Mothers Exotic Car Paddock (Sunday only) and driver autograph sessions from all race series. Fans will also see lower beer prices and healthier food options throughout the venue.

Tickets will go on public sale beginning Oct. 21, with fans able to renew their 2019 seats beginning Aug. 19. Ticket prices range from $34 for a Friday General Admission ticket to $155 for a three-day ticket that includes Sat./Sun. reserved seating in grandstand upper levels. Pre-paid parking packages are also available, along with handicapped seating, NTT IndyCar Series Paddock passes, Super Photo tickets and a wide variety of hospitality packages.

Fans can also follow the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach on Facebook (GrandPrixLB), Twitter @GPLongBeach (#AGPLB) and Instagram @GPLongBeach.
[ht: AGPLB]

... notes from The EDJE




TAGS: Formula Atlantic, HMSA, Acura Grand Prix Of Long Beach, #AGPLB, Cris Vandagriff, Jim Michaelian, The EDJE