| February 2013 |
| Latest news is at the bottom |
Danica on Pole for Daytona 500
Feb 17 - Danica Patrick is the first female
driver to capture the pole position in a
NASCAR Cup race.
Her qualifying speed on a cool windy day was
196.434 mph and she is joined in the front row
for the Daytona 500 by Jeff Gordon, who
clocked a lap speed of 196.292 mph
She has been running in the Nationwide
series since she left IndyCar. In fact, she won
the pole at Daytona last year in that series.
This year will be her first full-time participation
in the upper level Sprint Cup series. She
drives for Tony Stewart's team.
The last time a rookie won a NASCAR Cup
pole was Jimmie Johnson in 2002.
Feb 17 - Danica Patrick is the first female
driver to capture the pole position in a
NASCAR Cup race.
Her qualifying speed on a cool windy day was
196.434 mph and she is joined in the front row
for the Daytona 500 by Jeff Gordon, who
clocked a lap speed of 196.292 mph
She has been running in the Nationwide
series since she left IndyCar. In fact, she won
the pole at Daytona last year in that series.
This year will be her first full-time participation
in the upper level Sprint Cup series. She
drives for Tony Stewart's team.
The last time a rookie won a NASCAR Cup
pole was Jimmie Johnson in 2002.
| RACE NEWS & VIEWS |
2013 IndyCar Driver Changes
Feb 15 - IndyCar driver Katherine Legge has been
replaced at Dragon Racing by Colombian Sebastian
Saavedra to partner Frenchman Sebastien
Bourdais in the No. 6 TrueCar.
Disgraced NASCAR driver A.J. Almendinger did
some IndyCar testing at Sebring for Penske Racing.
A.J. was a CART driver before he entered NASCAR
in 2007. He was fired by Penske in 2012 after he
was found to be doping on Adderall. It appears
Ryan Briscoe has been let go by Penske.
Andretti Autosport has signed Venezuela driver E.J.
Viso to pilot a fourth entry in the 2013 IZOD IndyCar
Series, joining drivers Ryan Hunter-Reay, James
Hinchcliffe and Marco Andretti.
Takuma Sato has left the Rahal team to replace
Mike Conway at AJ Foyt Racing. Conway will race
at Long Beach for Rahal Letterman Lanigan.
2012 Firestone Indy Lights champion Tristan
Vautier will step up to IndyCar this year, joining
fellow Frenchman Simon Pagenaud at Schmidt
Hamilton Motorsports.
Brit James Jakes will be driving for Rahal Letterman
Lanigan Racing this year. Graham Rahal has also
(finally) joined his father's team, leaving Team Penske
behind.
Feb 15 - IndyCar driver Katherine Legge has been
replaced at Dragon Racing by Colombian Sebastian
Saavedra to partner Frenchman Sebastien
Bourdais in the No. 6 TrueCar.
Disgraced NASCAR driver A.J. Almendinger did
some IndyCar testing at Sebring for Penske Racing.
A.J. was a CART driver before he entered NASCAR
in 2007. He was fired by Penske in 2012 after he
was found to be doping on Adderall. It appears
Ryan Briscoe has been let go by Penske.
Andretti Autosport has signed Venezuela driver E.J.
Viso to pilot a fourth entry in the 2013 IZOD IndyCar
Series, joining drivers Ryan Hunter-Reay, James
Hinchcliffe and Marco Andretti.
Takuma Sato has left the Rahal team to replace
Mike Conway at AJ Foyt Racing. Conway will race
at Long Beach for Rahal Letterman Lanigan.
2012 Firestone Indy Lights champion Tristan
Vautier will step up to IndyCar this year, joining
fellow Frenchman Simon Pagenaud at Schmidt
Hamilton Motorsports.
Brit James Jakes will be driving for Rahal Letterman
Lanigan Racing this year. Graham Rahal has also
(finally) joined his father's team, leaving Team Penske
behind.
The French Connection - Simon Pagenaud and Tristan Vautier
Sebastian Saavedra
| Josef Newgarden and the Sarah Fisher Racing team filmed their own Harlem Shake video! AWESOME!!! |
Doubleheaders and Standing Starts for IndyCar
Feb 22 - IndyCar will feature more doubleheader race
weekends this year, debuting at Belle Isle, Toronto and
Houston.
Qualifications for the first race of the doubleheader
weekend will take place on Friday and follow the three
rounds of eliminations, culminating in the Firestone Fast
Six. The first segment, however, has been reduced from
15 minutes to 10 minutes to match subsequent segments.
Firestone tire usage during the three segments of
road/street qualifying will be determined by the entrant
instead of a mandatory allocation. One set of tires was
allowed during each of the three segments in 2012. The
change further opens up strategy, allowing the teams the
choice of saving a new set of tires for the race or to use
during qualifying.
Feb 22 - IndyCar will feature more doubleheader race
weekends this year, debuting at Belle Isle, Toronto and
Houston.
Qualifications for the first race of the doubleheader
weekend will take place on Friday and follow the three
rounds of eliminations, culminating in the Firestone Fast
Six. The first segment, however, has been reduced from
15 minutes to 10 minutes to match subsequent segments.
Firestone tire usage during the three segments of
road/street qualifying will be determined by the entrant
instead of a mandatory allocation. One set of tires was
allowed during each of the three segments in 2012. The
change further opens up strategy, allowing the teams the
choice of saving a new set of tires for the race or to use
during qualifying.
Qualifications for the second race will be held on
Saturday morning and consist of a 30-minute session for
all cars, with the starting order set by lap time.
Standing starts will be implemented for Race 1 at both
Toronto in July and Houston in October. Race 2 at the
venues will have a traditional North American rolling start
following a few pace laps.
For races featuring standing starts, cars will be staged
on the street courses with the start controlled by a
trackside lighting system.
Both races at each of the three doubleheader venues will
be full distance with equal points.Pit location for both
races of a doubleheader weekend will be determined by
the entrant's qualifications result at the previous race
event. Qualifications for Race 2 will determine pit
location for the next event.
Saturday morning and consist of a 30-minute session for
all cars, with the starting order set by lap time.
Standing starts will be implemented for Race 1 at both
Toronto in July and Houston in October. Race 2 at the
venues will have a traditional North American rolling start
following a few pace laps.
For races featuring standing starts, cars will be staged
on the street courses with the start controlled by a
trackside lighting system.
Both races at each of the three doubleheader venues will
be full distance with equal points.Pit location for both
races of a doubleheader weekend will be determined by
the entrant's qualifications result at the previous race
event. Qualifications for Race 2 will determine pit
location for the next event.
3 Heat Races for Iowa IndyCar Race
Feb 22 - Three 50-lap heat races, including transfers to
Race 3 for the top-two finishers in the first two qualifying
races, will determine the starting grid for the seventh
Iowa Corn Indy 250 on Sunday, June 23, at Iowa
Speedway.
The format for heat race qualifications on Saturday, June
22, also will reward 12 starters with points - from nine
points for the pole winner and descending by one point
each position to one point for 11th and 12th. Other IZOD
IndyCar Series events, outside of the Indianapolis 500,
pay one point to the pole winner.
Three heat races of 30 laps each replaced single-car
qualifications for the Iowa event in 2012.
Race 3 consisted of drivers ranked one through eight by
combined practice times and race results determined the
first four rows.
Positions in the three heat races will be determined by
single-car, single-lap qualifications on the .875-mile,
variably-banked oval. A blind draw will determine the
qualifying order.
Feb 22 - Three 50-lap heat races, including transfers to
Race 3 for the top-two finishers in the first two qualifying
races, will determine the starting grid for the seventh
Iowa Corn Indy 250 on Sunday, June 23, at Iowa
Speedway.
The format for heat race qualifications on Saturday, June
22, also will reward 12 starters with points - from nine
points for the pole winner and descending by one point
each position to one point for 11th and 12th. Other IZOD
IndyCar Series events, outside of the Indianapolis 500,
pay one point to the pole winner.
Three heat races of 30 laps each replaced single-car
qualifications for the Iowa event in 2012.
Race 3 consisted of drivers ranked one through eight by
combined practice times and race results determined the
first four rows.
Positions in the three heat races will be determined by
single-car, single-lap qualifications on the .875-mile,
variably-banked oval. A blind draw will determine the
qualifying order.
Qualifying Heat Race 1 -- Will consist of the
even-numbered positions, starting with position 8 from
single-car qualifying. The results of Race 1 shall
determine the even- numbered positions in the starting
field, starting with position 12. The top two finishers will
transfer to Race 3 and start in positions 8 and 10.
Qualifying Heat Race 2 -- Will consist of the
odd-numbered positions, starting with position 7 from
single-car qualifying. The results of Race 2 shall
determine the odd- numbered positions in the starting
field, starting with position 11. The top two finishers will
transfer to Race 3 and start in positions 7 and 9.
Qualifying Heat Race 3 -- Will consist of positions 1
through 6 from single-car qualifying plus the first- and
second-place finishers from Races 1 and 2 to determine
the pole winner and the first five rows of the starting grid.
even-numbered positions, starting with position 8 from
single-car qualifying. The results of Race 1 shall
determine the even- numbered positions in the starting
field, starting with position 12. The top two finishers will
transfer to Race 3 and start in positions 8 and 10.
Qualifying Heat Race 2 -- Will consist of the
odd-numbered positions, starting with position 7 from
single-car qualifying. The results of Race 2 shall
determine the odd- numbered positions in the starting
field, starting with position 11. The top two finishers will
transfer to Race 3 and start in positions 7 and 9.
Qualifying Heat Race 3 -- Will consist of positions 1
through 6 from single-car qualifying plus the first- and
second-place finishers from Races 1 and 2 to determine
the pole winner and the first five rows of the starting grid.
IndyCar Race Distances Changed
Four events -- St. Petersburg, Long Beach, Milwaukee
and Mid-Ohio - will feature new race distances this
season to discourage fuel-mileage racing. The new
distances better match traditional fuel windows at each
circuit.
The races with new distances:
St. Petersburg: Increase of 10 laps to 110 (198 miles
total)
Long Beach: Decrease of five laps to 80 (157.4 miles)
Milwaukee: Increase of 25 laps to 250 (250 miles)
Mid-Ohio: Increase of five laps to 90 (203 miles)
Four events -- St. Petersburg, Long Beach, Milwaukee
and Mid-Ohio - will feature new race distances this
season to discourage fuel-mileage racing. The new
distances better match traditional fuel windows at each
circuit.
The races with new distances:
St. Petersburg: Increase of 10 laps to 110 (198 miles
total)
Long Beach: Decrease of five laps to 80 (157.4 miles)
Milwaukee: Increase of 25 laps to 250 (250 miles)
Mid-Ohio: Increase of five laps to 90 (203 miles)
"Changing the distances at these races will hopefully
eliminate the strategy of saving fuel from the drop of the
green flag," said Beaux Barfield, IZOD IndyCar Series
race director. "That will enable our teams and drivers to
race hard for the full distance and improve the event's
entertainment value for the fans."
eliminate the strategy of saving fuel from the drop of the
green flag," said Beaux Barfield, IZOD IndyCar Series
race director. "That will enable our teams and drivers to
race hard for the full distance and improve the event's
entertainment value for the fans."
Fans Injured at Daytona NASCAR Race
Feb 23 - On the last lap of the NASCAR Nationwide
Series race at the Daytona Motor Speedway,a 12-car
crash started just short of the finish line when Brad
Keselowski and leader Regan Smith got into it.
Kyle Larson's car flew up into the fence and broke apart
including a fiery engine. Some of the debris flew into the
stands, including an entire wheel.
28 fans were injured including 2 that were critical.
Tony Stewart somehow emerged unscathed and
finished by winning the race. Due to the tragedy, he
skipped the victory celebration.
Feb 23 - On the last lap of the NASCAR Nationwide
Series race at the Daytona Motor Speedway,a 12-car
crash started just short of the finish line when Brad
Keselowski and leader Regan Smith got into it.
Kyle Larson's car flew up into the fence and broke apart
including a fiery engine. Some of the debris flew into the
stands, including an entire wheel.
28 fans were injured including 2 that were critical.
Tony Stewart somehow emerged unscathed and
finished by winning the race. Due to the tragedy, he
skipped the victory celebration.
Be sure and watch the entertaining Josef Newgarden Incognito videos too after this video is finished.
