| January 2016 News |
New F1 Race in 2016
Jan 7 - Formula 1 has added a race to their 2016
schedule, increasing it to 21 races.
The new race will be a street circuit in Baku, the
capital city of Azerbaijan.
The track will incorporate its medieval old city,
modern skyline and a view across the Caspian Sea.
The pits and start-finish straight will be at the Azadliq
Square (Freedom Square). The driving direction is
counter-clockwise.
Jan 7 - Formula 1 has added a race to their 2016
schedule, increasing it to 21 races.
The new race will be a street circuit in Baku, the
capital city of Azerbaijan.
The track will incorporate its medieval old city,
modern skyline and a view across the Caspian Sea.
The pits and start-finish straight will be at the Azadliq
Square (Freedom Square). The driving direction is
counter-clockwise.
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The city circuit is 6 kilometers
long and features 20 turns, 8
turns to right and 12 to left.
A 2.2 kilometers stretch along
Neftchilar Avenue will be the
longest straight on the F1
calendar.
long and features 20 turns, 8
turns to right and 12 to left.
A 2.2 kilometers stretch along
Neftchilar Avenue will be the
longest straight on the F1
calendar.
The track is expected to be very fast with an estimated
average speed of 200 km/h and a top speed of 340
km/h.
There will be an extremely narrow uphill section at the
old town wall that will reward pinpoint accuracy and
courage.
average speed of 200 km/h and a top speed of 340
km/h.
There will be an extremely narrow uphill section at the
old town wall that will reward pinpoint accuracy and
courage.
Mercedes Opt Out of Tire Test
Jan 18 - Reigning F1 world champions Mercedes will be
absent when Italian manufacturer Pirelli conducts a
two-day wet weather tire test at the Paul Ricard Circuit
in France January 25-26. The Brackley based squad
have opted to miss the test as they prepare their 2016
car for the first scheduled winter test of the season at the
Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona February 22-25.
The other three manufacturers, however, will be present
with their 2015-spec cars at the French circuit for the wet
weather tire test. Ferrari, the Renault powered Red Bull
and McLaren-Honda will take part in a Pirelli controlled
test, which will see them do limited running.
According to the Daily Mail, the sole F1 tire
manufacturer was keen on limiting the number of cars,
as they cannot run more than three cars at a time on an
artificially watered track. Drivers for the three teams are
yet to be confirmed.
The two-day test will be focusing just on wet tires, no
intermediates. Different wet prototypes will be tested.
Three teams will take part in the test: Ferrari, Red Bull
and McLaren.
All the teams and cars are expected to be present when
the official pre-season winter test begins. The first test
will be held February 22-25 at the Circuit de Catalunya
in Barcelona, while the second and final test will be
March 1-4 at the same venue. The 2016 F1 season gets
underway at the Albert Park circuit in Melbourne,
Australia on March 20.
Jan 18 - Reigning F1 world champions Mercedes will be
absent when Italian manufacturer Pirelli conducts a
two-day wet weather tire test at the Paul Ricard Circuit
in France January 25-26. The Brackley based squad
have opted to miss the test as they prepare their 2016
car for the first scheduled winter test of the season at the
Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona February 22-25.
The other three manufacturers, however, will be present
with their 2015-spec cars at the French circuit for the wet
weather tire test. Ferrari, the Renault powered Red Bull
and McLaren-Honda will take part in a Pirelli controlled
test, which will see them do limited running.
According to the Daily Mail, the sole F1 tire
manufacturer was keen on limiting the number of cars,
as they cannot run more than three cars at a time on an
artificially watered track. Drivers for the three teams are
yet to be confirmed.
The two-day test will be focusing just on wet tires, no
intermediates. Different wet prototypes will be tested.
Three teams will take part in the test: Ferrari, Red Bull
and McLaren.
All the teams and cars are expected to be present when
the official pre-season winter test begins. The first test
will be held February 22-25 at the Circuit de Catalunya
in Barcelona, while the second and final test will be
March 1-4 at the same venue. The 2016 F1 season gets
underway at the Albert Park circuit in Melbourne,
Australia on March 20.
New Format For Xfinity Indy Race
Jan 19 - The NASCAR XFINITY Series is making format
changes in a handful of races this season, and the Lilly
Diabetes 250 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on July
23 is a beneficiary.
The four-race "Dash 4 Cash" program will now feature
two heats and a main in each of four events, offering
more racing action and spurring memories.
"Many of our fans in Indiana and throughout the Midwest
are big supporters of short-track racing, where Saturday
night programs always feature heats leading up to the
main event," Indianapolis Motor Speedway president
Doug Boles said. "Now we'll get some of that flat-out,
all-or-nothing flavor for our Saturday afternoon Lilly
Diabetes 250, one of the spotlight races on the
NASCAR XFINITY schedule."
Jan 19 - The NASCAR XFINITY Series is making format
changes in a handful of races this season, and the Lilly
Diabetes 250 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on July
23 is a beneficiary.
The four-race "Dash 4 Cash" program will now feature
two heats and a main in each of four events, offering
more racing action and spurring memories.
"Many of our fans in Indiana and throughout the Midwest
are big supporters of short-track racing, where Saturday
night programs always feature heats leading up to the
main event," Indianapolis Motor Speedway president
Doug Boles said. "Now we'll get some of that flat-out,
all-or-nothing flavor for our Saturday afternoon Lilly
Diabetes 250, one of the spotlight races on the
NASCAR XFINITY schedule."
Qualifying for each Dash 4 Cash event will set the 40-car
field and the starting positions for the two heats, with the
fastest qualifier awarded the Coors Light Pole Award.
Odd-numbered qualifiers (first, third, fifth, etc.) will start
in the first heat in respective order, while even-numbered
qualifiers (second, fourth, sixth, etc.) will start the second
heat in respective order. The two heats will set the
starting positions for the main with the top two NASCAR
XFINITY Series regulars in each heat becoming eligible
for the Dash 4 Cash bonus. The highest finishing driver
among the four Dash 4 Cash eligible drivers will be
awarded a $100,000 bonus.
The other Dash 4 Cash races will be held at Bristol,
Richmond and Dover speedways
field and the starting positions for the two heats, with the
fastest qualifier awarded the Coors Light Pole Award.
Odd-numbered qualifiers (first, third, fifth, etc.) will start
in the first heat in respective order, while even-numbered
qualifiers (second, fourth, sixth, etc.) will start the second
heat in respective order. The two heats will set the
starting positions for the main with the top two NASCAR
XFINITY Series regulars in each heat becoming eligible
for the Dash 4 Cash bonus. The highest finishing driver
among the four Dash 4 Cash eligible drivers will be
awarded a $100,000 bonus.
The other Dash 4 Cash races will be held at Bristol,
Richmond and Dover speedways
New Years Eve - Indy Style
Jan 1 - In Indianapolis, people venture
out into the cold on New Years Eve to
celebrate with music and drink.
But unlike the revelers in New York
City, Hoosiers drop an Indy car instead
of a ball at midnight.
IndyCar team owner Sarah Fisher
was on hand.
Jan 1 - In Indianapolis, people venture
out into the cold on New Years Eve to
celebrate with music and drink.
But unlike the revelers in New York
City, Hoosiers drop an Indy car instead
of a ball at midnight.
IndyCar team owner Sarah Fisher
was on hand.
Indy 500 Sells Out
Jan 21 - No, there are still tickets available for sale.
It's the Hulmans who have sold out the great race by
attaching a sponsor name to the event. Isn't anything
sacred?
The media will now be calling the Indy 500 this year the
"100th Running of the Indianapolis 500 brought to you by
Penngrade1."
This is the first and last time that you will hear the race
referred to as that on this web site.
Jan 21 - No, there are still tickets available for sale.
It's the Hulmans who have sold out the great race by
attaching a sponsor name to the event. Isn't anything
sacred?
The media will now be calling the Indy 500 this year the
"100th Running of the Indianapolis 500 brought to you by
Penngrade1."
This is the first and last time that you will hear the race
referred to as that on this web site.
Have a Merry Walmart Christmas, brought to you by
Whamco.
Whamco.
Sarah Fisher Leaves IndyCar
Jan 28 - The Carpenter Fisher Hartman Racing IndyCar
team was officially rebranded to Ed Carpenter Racing
Thursday as team co-owner Wink Hartman divested
himself from the team citing financial concerns with his
oil business. Sarah Fisher will not retain an ownership
stake but will continue to assist ECR with sponsorship
development. Tony George and Stuart Reed join
Carpenter as co-owners.
CFHR was formed before last season as a merger
between Fisher and Hartman’s jointly owned
organization — Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing (SFHR) -
and ECR. The combined entity fielded two full-time cars
in 2015, including a Chevrolet for promising American
Josef Newgarden, who won two races for the
organization.
Driver/owner Carpenter, who is scheduled to contest five
oval races in a part-time program in the No. 20 Chevrolet
said the only organizational changes were November crew
reductions to reflect the partial schedule needs of his car.
Newgarden, 25, is slated to contest the entire IndyCar
season in the No. 21 Chevrolet after finishing seventh in
points last season. Therefore, Carpenter insisted, ECR’s
2016 campaign is more about recasting than rebuilding.
Jan 28 - The Carpenter Fisher Hartman Racing IndyCar
team was officially rebranded to Ed Carpenter Racing
Thursday as team co-owner Wink Hartman divested
himself from the team citing financial concerns with his
oil business. Sarah Fisher will not retain an ownership
stake but will continue to assist ECR with sponsorship
development. Tony George and Stuart Reed join
Carpenter as co-owners.
CFHR was formed before last season as a merger
between Fisher and Hartman’s jointly owned
organization — Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing (SFHR) -
and ECR. The combined entity fielded two full-time cars
in 2015, including a Chevrolet for promising American
Josef Newgarden, who won two races for the
organization.
Driver/owner Carpenter, who is scheduled to contest five
oval races in a part-time program in the No. 20 Chevrolet
said the only organizational changes were November crew
reductions to reflect the partial schedule needs of his car.
Newgarden, 25, is slated to contest the entire IndyCar
season in the No. 21 Chevrolet after finishing seventh in
points last season. Therefore, Carpenter insisted, ECR’s
2016 campaign is more about recasting than rebuilding.
| Josef Newgarden will continue to drive full-time for Ed Carpenter Racing |
