| March 2011 |
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Danica Patrick Finishes Well At Las Vegas
Mar 7 - Danica Patrick, 28, had a fourth-place finish in the Nationwide race last Saturday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. It was the highest
a woman has finished in any of NASCAR's three national series. While Patrick is showing progress in stock cars, JR Motorsports probably
laments the fact that she won't be in a stock car each week. In fact she'll only race in 8 more races this year due to her full-time schedule in
IndyCar. She is under contract there until at least 2012. Before Vegas this year, she finished 14th at Daytona and 17th at Phoenix.
Mar 7 - Danica Patrick, 28, had a fourth-place finish in the Nationwide race last Saturday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. It was the highest
a woman has finished in any of NASCAR's three national series. While Patrick is showing progress in stock cars, JR Motorsports probably
laments the fact that she won't be in a stock car each week. In fact she'll only race in 8 more races this year due to her full-time schedule in
IndyCar. She is under contract there until at least 2012. Before Vegas this year, she finished 14th at Daytona and 17th at Phoenix.
IndyCar Tests in Alabama
Mar 15 - The 2011 IZOD IndyCar Series season officially got
underway this week at Barber Motorsports Park with an open
2-day testing session with 25 drivers participating and
preparing for next weekend's season opener on the Streets of
St. Petersberg.
Team Penske's Will Power had the fastest lap of 1 minute
11.9636 seconds (115.058) on the 2.38-mile natural-terrain
course.
Power holds the track record for fastest lap; in March 2009, he
clocked a 1 minute 09.455 second lap (119.23 mph).
Ana Beatriz's fastest lap of 1 minute 14.7046 seconds (110.837
mph) was the slowest of all drivers.
The Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama is the second race of
the 2011 season taking place on April 10. Race promoter and
event manager for Barber Motorsports Park ZOOM Motorsports
is expecting a sellout.
Mar 15 - The 2011 IZOD IndyCar Series season officially got
underway this week at Barber Motorsports Park with an open
2-day testing session with 25 drivers participating and
preparing for next weekend's season opener on the Streets of
St. Petersberg.
Team Penske's Will Power had the fastest lap of 1 minute
11.9636 seconds (115.058) on the 2.38-mile natural-terrain
course.
Power holds the track record for fastest lap; in March 2009, he
clocked a 1 minute 09.455 second lap (119.23 mph).
Ana Beatriz's fastest lap of 1 minute 14.7046 seconds (110.837
mph) was the slowest of all drivers.
The Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama is the second race of
the 2011 season taking place on April 10. Race promoter and
event manager for Barber Motorsports Park ZOOM Motorsports
is expecting a sellout.
| Scott Dixon |
Alex Tagliani Driving for Sam Schmidt
Mar 16 - FAZZT Race team and driver Alex Tagliani merged
with Sam Schmidt Motorsports before the IndyCar season kicks
off next weekend at St Petersburg, FL.
While SSM has entered cars in the Indy 500 before, they have
concentrated on Indy Lights where they have 37 race wins and
four championships.
They had already decided to run Wade Cunningham in
IndyCar for 4 races this year. Now they will have a full-time
IndyCar team too.
Mar 16 - FAZZT Race team and driver Alex Tagliani merged
with Sam Schmidt Motorsports before the IndyCar season kicks
off next weekend at St Petersburg, FL.
While SSM has entered cars in the Indy 500 before, they have
concentrated on Indy Lights where they have 37 race wins and
four championships.
They had already decided to run Wade Cunningham in
IndyCar for 4 races this year. Now they will have a full-time
IndyCar team too.
| Alex Tagliani |
Indy 500 Winner's Ring
Mar 19 - NBA legend Larry Bird presented Dario Franchitti
with the Champion of Champions ring for winning the Indy 500
last year.
Mar 19 - NBA legend Larry Bird presented Dario Franchitti
with the Champion of Champions ring for winning the Indy 500
last year.
New Exhibit At Museum
Mar 20 - A new exhibit opens today and will run through May.
67 race cars that have won the Indy 500 will be on display.
Mar 20 - A new exhibit opens today and will run through May.
67 race cars that have won the Indy 500 will be on display.
Paul Tracy Getting a Crack at Indy 500
Mar 21 - Dreyer & Reinbold Racing along with main sponsor
WIX filters is going to make many race fans happy by giving
popular driver Paul Tracy a chance to compete in the 100th
anniversary of the Indianapolis 500 Mile-race.
Tracy, the 2003 Champ Car World Series champion, will be
competing with DRR for the 4th time. Now in his 21st season,
has had a storied career that has made him one of the top
drivers in open-wheel racing and the 'winning-est active driver'
in the Series to date. He is among the top-10 in almost every
Champ Car career statistical category including wins, 31 (tied
for seventh all-time), poles, 25 (ninth all-time), and laps led,
4,238 (sixth all-time).
Over the last 20 years, Tracy has earned 75 career podium
performances, 102 top-five finishes and 144 top-10 showings in
273 starts (262 in Champ Car and 11 in IZOD IndyCar, tied for
seventh all-time). In the 15 seasons in which Tracy has
competed in over 80 percent of the races, he has finished in
the top-10 in the championship standings 10 times including
eight times in the top-five, four in the top-three and captured
the championship in 2003.
Mar 21 - Dreyer & Reinbold Racing along with main sponsor
WIX filters is going to make many race fans happy by giving
popular driver Paul Tracy a chance to compete in the 100th
anniversary of the Indianapolis 500 Mile-race.
Tracy, the 2003 Champ Car World Series champion, will be
competing with DRR for the 4th time. Now in his 21st season,
has had a storied career that has made him one of the top
drivers in open-wheel racing and the 'winning-est active driver'
in the Series to date. He is among the top-10 in almost every
Champ Car career statistical category including wins, 31 (tied
for seventh all-time), poles, 25 (ninth all-time), and laps led,
4,238 (sixth all-time).
Over the last 20 years, Tracy has earned 75 career podium
performances, 102 top-five finishes and 144 top-10 showings in
273 starts (262 in Champ Car and 11 in IZOD IndyCar, tied for
seventh all-time). In the 15 seasons in which Tracy has
competed in over 80 percent of the races, he has finished in
the top-10 in the championship standings 10 times including
eight times in the top-five, four in the top-three and captured
the championship in 2003.
Tony Kanaan Lands Ride
Mar 21- KV Racing Technology – Lotus announced today that
IndyCar star Tony Kanaan will contest the 2011 IZOD IndyCar
Series season for the team.
Kanaan, with primary support from GEICO, will pilot the No. 82
GEICO – KV Racing Technology – Lotus
Honda/Dallara/Firestone entry. He joins Takuma Sato and E.
J. Viso in a three-car effort for the team in 2011.
Kanaan, the 2004 IndyCar Series Champion, who completed
every lap of every race in route to the championship, is known
as a consistent and fearless competitor. The 36-year-old
native of Brazil is entering his 14th season of major U. S. based
open–wheel competition and 10th in the IndyCar Series (ran
one IndyCar race in 2002). A perennial championship
contender, Kanaan has made 225 career open-wheel starts
earning 150 top-10 finishes including 94 top-five showings with
15 wins and 14 pole positions. His IndyCar record is even more
impressive. In 132 starts, Kanaan has finished in the top-10 a
remarkable 102 times, including 78 top-five performances, 14
wins and 10 poles.
Mar 21- KV Racing Technology – Lotus announced today that
IndyCar star Tony Kanaan will contest the 2011 IZOD IndyCar
Series season for the team.
Kanaan, with primary support from GEICO, will pilot the No. 82
GEICO – KV Racing Technology – Lotus
Honda/Dallara/Firestone entry. He joins Takuma Sato and E.
J. Viso in a three-car effort for the team in 2011.
Kanaan, the 2004 IndyCar Series Champion, who completed
every lap of every race in route to the championship, is known
as a consistent and fearless competitor. The 36-year-old
native of Brazil is entering his 14th season of major U. S. based
open–wheel competition and 10th in the IndyCar Series (ran
one IndyCar race in 2002). A perennial championship
contender, Kanaan has made 225 career open-wheel starts
earning 150 top-10 finishes including 94 top-five showings with
15 wins and 14 pole positions. His IndyCar record is even more
impressive. In 132 starts, Kanaan has finished in the top-10 a
remarkable 102 times, including 78 top-five performances, 14
wins and 10 poles.
Commenting on his signing with KVRT – Lotus, Kanaan said,
“Jimmy Vasser and I started talking about joining forces at the
end of last season, but the timing was not ideal and I ended up
signing with Gil de Ferran. When I became a free agent in
mid-February, calling Vasser seemed like a natural thing to do
since KVRT was one of the top teams still looking for a driver.
Jimmy and I go back a long way, we were rivals during the
CART days, but more than that, we have always been good
friends, which helped a lot with our negotiations.
“I want to thank GEICO for their help in making it possible for
me to join KVRT - Lotus. I would also like to thank all of my
fans and supporters that stuck with me during this extra-long
offseason and invite them to stay tuned on the 2011 IZOD
IndyCar Series. I can assure you it will be a very exciting one. I
can’t forget to mention that my son Leo is very thankful that I
kept my car green, he was having a hard time accepting any
other color.”
“Jimmy Vasser and I started talking about joining forces at the
end of last season, but the timing was not ideal and I ended up
signing with Gil de Ferran. When I became a free agent in
mid-February, calling Vasser seemed like a natural thing to do
since KVRT was one of the top teams still looking for a driver.
Jimmy and I go back a long way, we were rivals during the
CART days, but more than that, we have always been good
friends, which helped a lot with our negotiations.
“I want to thank GEICO for their help in making it possible for
me to join KVRT - Lotus. I would also like to thank all of my
fans and supporters that stuck with me during this extra-long
offseason and invite them to stay tuned on the 2011 IZOD
IndyCar Series. I can assure you it will be a very exciting one. I
can’t forget to mention that my son Leo is very thankful that I
kept my car green, he was having a hard time accepting any
other color.”
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