| August 2016 News |
Josef Newgarden Likes All Racing
Aug 7 - Josef Newgarden was at Watkins Glen to
promote IndyCar returning. NASCAR was
running there this weekend also.
Newgarden spoke of how he would like to do
some stock car racing, maybe at a short track or
a road course.
He would like to see the day when driver's from
both series could cross back and forth.
He said he knew Sprint Cup drivers who would
like to try out IndyCar, especially the Indy 500
and that there are several that might even do it
next year.
"I think there's a lot of interest for guys to check
it off their bucket list and not just run it, but win
it," Newarden said.
Aug 7 - Josef Newgarden was at Watkins Glen to
promote IndyCar returning. NASCAR was
running there this weekend also.
Newgarden spoke of how he would like to do
some stock car racing, maybe at a short track or
a road course.
He would like to see the day when driver's from
both series could cross back and forth.
He said he knew Sprint Cup drivers who would
like to try out IndyCar, especially the Indy 500
and that there are several that might even do it
next year.
"I think there's a lot of interest for guys to check
it off their bucket list and not just run it, but win
it," Newarden said.
| RACE NEWS & VIEWS |
| Most recent news is at bottom of page. |
"I get to race in these different events in front of different
fan bases in different parts of the country," Clauson said.
"It's a lot of fun for me."
Clauson is survived by his parents, Tim and Di, his sister
Taylor and fiancée Lauren Stewart. Funeral arrangements
are pending. A memorial service in his honor will take
place at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway at a date soon
to be announced.
In lieu of flowers, or to make a donation, people may
direct their contributions to the USAC Benevolent Fund.
fan bases in different parts of the country," Clauson said.
"It's a lot of fun for me."
Clauson is survived by his parents, Tim and Di, his sister
Taylor and fiancée Lauren Stewart. Funeral arrangements
are pending. A memorial service in his honor will take
place at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway at a date soon
to be announced.
In lieu of flowers, or to make a donation, people may
direct their contributions to the USAC Benevolent Fund.
Sprint Car Star Bryan Clauson Dies at 27
Aug 8 - Bryan Clauson crashed Saturday night during a
USAC midget car race at the Belleville High Banks, a
half-mile dirt track in Belleville, Kansas. Amateur video
showed his open-wheel sprint car flipping in Turn 4,
where it was struck by another vehicle.
Clauson was airlifted to a hospital in Lincoln, Nebraska,
where he was pronounced dead late Sunday. His death
was confirmed on Monday morning at Indianapolis Motor
Speedway.
Clauson was a Californian who moved to Noblesville
Indiana, a town just north of Indianapolis, as a kid.
He was considered the nation's top short-track dirt-car
driver with four U.S. Auto Club national championships -
two in sprint cars and two in midgets - as well as wins in
prestigious events the likes of the Chili Bowl, Turkey
Night Grand Prix and Belleville Nationals.
He climbed the natural racing ladder, karting led into 26
starts in the NASCAR Xfinity Series in 2007-08 followed
by four USAC National Drivers championships.
Two years of Indy Lights saw him edge ever closer to
the top rung of American open-wheel racing.
His first Indy 500 was in 2012. At this year's 500, he
led some laps! The weekend before the start of practice
for the 500, Clauson raced in a pair of World of Outlaws
races and a midget race in Kokomo and he also
competed in the Hoosier 100 at the Indiana State
Fairgrounds a few days before the Indy 500.
Clauson set a goal in 2016 of competing in 200 races.
He accumulated 27 wins in 116 races this season.
"The goal was always to be a pro race car driver,
whether it was on the NASCAR side or open-wheel,"
said Clauson.
Aug 8 - Bryan Clauson crashed Saturday night during a
USAC midget car race at the Belleville High Banks, a
half-mile dirt track in Belleville, Kansas. Amateur video
showed his open-wheel sprint car flipping in Turn 4,
where it was struck by another vehicle.
Clauson was airlifted to a hospital in Lincoln, Nebraska,
where he was pronounced dead late Sunday. His death
was confirmed on Monday morning at Indianapolis Motor
Speedway.
Clauson was a Californian who moved to Noblesville
Indiana, a town just north of Indianapolis, as a kid.
He was considered the nation's top short-track dirt-car
driver with four U.S. Auto Club national championships -
two in sprint cars and two in midgets - as well as wins in
prestigious events the likes of the Chili Bowl, Turkey
Night Grand Prix and Belleville Nationals.
He climbed the natural racing ladder, karting led into 26
starts in the NASCAR Xfinity Series in 2007-08 followed
by four USAC National Drivers championships.
Two years of Indy Lights saw him edge ever closer to
the top rung of American open-wheel racing.
His first Indy 500 was in 2012. At this year's 500, he
led some laps! The weekend before the start of practice
for the 500, Clauson raced in a pair of World of Outlaws
races and a midget race in Kokomo and he also
competed in the Hoosier 100 at the Indiana State
Fairgrounds a few days before the Indy 500.
Clauson set a goal in 2016 of competing in 200 races.
He accumulated 27 wins in 116 races this season.
"The goal was always to be a pro race car driver,
whether it was on the NASCAR side or open-wheel,"
said Clauson.
| Bryan Clauson 1989 - 2016 |
IndyCar and Pocono Raceway Ink 2-Year
Deal
Aug 12 - Pocono Raceway President & CEO Brandon
Igdalsky announced that the Verizon IndyCar Series will
visit ‘The Tricky Triangle’ in both 2017 and 2018. Exact
race dates will be announced in the near future.
The ABC Supply 500 is scheduled for August 21 at
Pocono Raceway and 2018 will mark the sixth
consecutive year with an INDYCAR race at Pocono
Raceway.
Igdalsky said, “Our track was originally designed for
open-wheel cars and our fans really enjoy the action on
the track. When you see these cars going six- and seven-
wide it is incredible. We also received positive feedback
from teams and drivers and worked together with
IndyCar to make sure Pocono Raceway stays on the
schedule. ”
Deal
Aug 12 - Pocono Raceway President & CEO Brandon
Igdalsky announced that the Verizon IndyCar Series will
visit ‘The Tricky Triangle’ in both 2017 and 2018. Exact
race dates will be announced in the near future.
The ABC Supply 500 is scheduled for August 21 at
Pocono Raceway and 2018 will mark the sixth
consecutive year with an INDYCAR race at Pocono
Raceway.
Igdalsky said, “Our track was originally designed for
open-wheel cars and our fans really enjoy the action on
the track. When you see these cars going six- and seven-
wide it is incredible. We also received positive feedback
from teams and drivers and worked together with
IndyCar to make sure Pocono Raceway stays on the
schedule. ”
Pocono Raceway is in Pennsylvania and is 2.5 miles
around. IndyCar raced there from 1971 - 1989 and
from 2013 - present.
IndyCars used to race three 500-mile races a year on
2.5-mile oval tracks. It was known as the triple crown
of IndyCar racing. These three tracks were Pocono,
Indianapolis and the Ontario Motor Speedway in CA.
around. IndyCar raced there from 1971 - 1989 and
from 2013 - present.
IndyCars used to race three 500-mile races a year on
2.5-mile oval tracks. It was known as the triple crown
of IndyCar racing. These three tracks were Pocono,
Indianapolis and the Ontario Motor Speedway in CA.
| Mark Donohue and team owner Roger Penske after they won the first IndyCar race at Pocono in 1971. |
John Cooper Died
Aug 18 - John Cooper, IMS president from 1979-82,
died at age 83. He was also president of Daytona
International Speedway from 1987-1990.
In 1972 he became the president of the ill-fated Ontario
Speedway in California, which hosted IndyCar races
from 1970-1980. Interestingly, that facility's 800 acres
of land had risen in value from $7,500/acre to
$150,000/acre, unbeknown to the stockholders, who sold
their stock at 30-cents on the dollar to Chevron, who
then made a killing on land development.
Doug Boles, IMS President, said, "John helped lead a
new thought process in track promotions, while
balancing the importance of history to IMS and the
Indianapolis 500. His many experiences in racing
and business made him one of the most knowledgeable
and thoughtful resources in our sport, and I enjoyed
and appreciated the time he would take to offer advice
and counsel related to the operations of a race track."
John always maintained his love of racing, especially
the Indianapolis 500, and is respected throughout the
industry. Here at IMS, his influence is still felt today
and our thoughts and prayers are with his family."
Aug 18 - John Cooper, IMS president from 1979-82,
died at age 83. He was also president of Daytona
International Speedway from 1987-1990.
In 1972 he became the president of the ill-fated Ontario
Speedway in California, which hosted IndyCar races
from 1970-1980. Interestingly, that facility's 800 acres
of land had risen in value from $7,500/acre to
$150,000/acre, unbeknown to the stockholders, who sold
their stock at 30-cents on the dollar to Chevron, who
then made a killing on land development.
Doug Boles, IMS President, said, "John helped lead a
new thought process in track promotions, while
balancing the importance of history to IMS and the
Indianapolis 500. His many experiences in racing
and business made him one of the most knowledgeable
and thoughtful resources in our sport, and I enjoyed
and appreciated the time he would take to offer advice
and counsel related to the operations of a race track."
John always maintained his love of racing, especially
the Indianapolis 500, and is respected throughout the
industry. Here at IMS, his influence is still felt today
and our thoughts and prayers are with his family."
Jenny Nickell Died
Aug 18 - Affectionally known as Miss Jenny, she was
the IndyCar pit producer for NBC. She died
unexpectedly after the IndyCar Toronto race that she
was covering.
She first got started in racing news when she joined
ESPN in the 80s. She went on to work for NBC, ABC,
FOX, and multiple cable networks.
For much of her career, she worked for and with her
longtime mentor and friend, Terry Lingner, of Lingner
Group Productions in Indianapolis.
She lived in Indianapolis for most of her adult life,
before returning to her hometown of Middletown Ohio
in 2011.
Her enthusiasm for racing and knowledge of the sport
garnered her many friends and admirers in the racing
community.
A four-time Emmy Award winner and three-time
Olympics producer for NBC, Jenny produced all forms
of sport, but her favorite sport was always IndyCar
racing.
Aug 18 - Affectionally known as Miss Jenny, she was
the IndyCar pit producer for NBC. She died
unexpectedly after the IndyCar Toronto race that she
was covering.
She first got started in racing news when she joined
ESPN in the 80s. She went on to work for NBC, ABC,
FOX, and multiple cable networks.
For much of her career, she worked for and with her
longtime mentor and friend, Terry Lingner, of Lingner
Group Productions in Indianapolis.
She lived in Indianapolis for most of her adult life,
before returning to her hometown of Middletown Ohio
in 2011.
Her enthusiasm for racing and knowledge of the sport
garnered her many friends and admirers in the racing
community.
A four-time Emmy Award winner and three-time
Olympics producer for NBC, Jenny produced all forms
of sport, but her favorite sport was always IndyCar
racing.
IndyCar Pocono Race
Aug 22 - IndyCar did not practice Friday, but Saturday.
Juan Montoya, Ryan Hunter-Reay and Charlie
Kimball all broke their cars against the walls during
practice, but they were all ok and would race. Hunter-
Reay chose to not even try and qualify and started in
last place.
Mikhail Aleshin won the pole Saturday for the ABC
Supply 500, becoming the first Russian to win an
IndyCar pole.
Rain washed out Sunday's race and it was held on
Monday.
Aleshin got passed by Josef Newgarden on the first
lap, when a caution came out as Takuma Sato
crashed on cold tires.
Hunter-Reay, Scott Dixon and Marco Andretti made
early strides getting up front after having poor starting
positions.
By lap 39, Hunter-Reay was chasing Aleshin for the
lead, followed by Newgarden, Carlos Munoz,
Alexander Rossi, Helio Castroneves, Tony Kanaan,
Will Power and Andretti.
On Lap 63, Rossi pulled out of his pit box and collided
with Kimball who was coming in. Rossi's car shot into
the air and landed on Castroneves, who was just exiting
his pit box. Castroneves and Rossi were both out.
Kimball went a lap down.
By Lap 134, Hunter-Reay was just behind Aleshin,
who led. Further back was Newgarden, Power,
Munoz, Dixon, Pagenaud and Kanaan.
Just before three-quarter distance, Power passed
Newgarden and started hitting 218mph laps.
On Lap 157, Championship leader Pagenaud smacked
the wall on the exit of Turn 1, having bottomed out
and slid high.
The Lap 163 restart saw Hunter-Reay draft past Power
for the lead when suddenly his car lost power, cruised
down pitlane and had to reboot his electrics, rejoining
a lap down having not needed to stop at his pitbox.
Hunter-Reay would finish in 3rd though, but he was
still very disappointed as he felt he had the car to win.
Newgarden moved past Aleshin into second, as Kanaan
and then Munoz passed Dixon to take fourth and and
fifth respectively.
Power gained a new rival on Lap 171, as Aleshin
passed Newgarden for second, and the lead pair then
set about thrashing out 217mph laps.
Then the yellows flew on lap 176 as debris – the
winglet off the left-rear wheelpod of Kanaan’s car –
was spotted at the bottom of Turn 1.
The pits opened on Lap 177 for the crucial final stops,
and Power’s appeared flawless as he re-emerged in the
lead. His closest pursuer was now Sebastien
Bourdais, who chose not to take tires, and was
followed by Newgarden, Kanaan, Alehsin, Dixon,
Montoya, Munoz, and Hinchcliffe.
At the lap 180 restart , Kanaan vaulted straight from
fourth into second by Turn 1, yet both Newgarden
and Aleshin repassed him at the end of the lap.
Hunter-Reay, got back on the lead lap thanks to the
yellow. He passed Bourdais for fourth on Lap 194,
and started trying to close the 1.2sec gap to
Newgarden, something he set about doing with relish
and after some stumbles, completed the job on the
penultimate lap.
Up front, Power completed the 200 laps 1.15sec ahead
of Aleshin, with Hunter-Reay just 4.7sec behind,
followed by Newgarden.
Power's 29th career win – which draws him level with
Castroneves and Rick Mears in the all-time list – drew
him to within 20 points of Pagenaud, who retains the
IndyCar points lead, 477-497.
The IndyCar race next weekend in Texas is a make-up
race that was cancelled due to rain. Unfortunately for
Josef Newgarden, who is sitting in third in the
standings, he cannot race as he wrecked during the 71
Laps that was run back in June and was out of the race.
Aug 22 - IndyCar did not practice Friday, but Saturday.
Juan Montoya, Ryan Hunter-Reay and Charlie
Kimball all broke their cars against the walls during
practice, but they were all ok and would race. Hunter-
Reay chose to not even try and qualify and started in
last place.
Mikhail Aleshin won the pole Saturday for the ABC
Supply 500, becoming the first Russian to win an
IndyCar pole.
Rain washed out Sunday's race and it was held on
Monday.
Aleshin got passed by Josef Newgarden on the first
lap, when a caution came out as Takuma Sato
crashed on cold tires.
Hunter-Reay, Scott Dixon and Marco Andretti made
early strides getting up front after having poor starting
positions.
By lap 39, Hunter-Reay was chasing Aleshin for the
lead, followed by Newgarden, Carlos Munoz,
Alexander Rossi, Helio Castroneves, Tony Kanaan,
Will Power and Andretti.
On Lap 63, Rossi pulled out of his pit box and collided
with Kimball who was coming in. Rossi's car shot into
the air and landed on Castroneves, who was just exiting
his pit box. Castroneves and Rossi were both out.
Kimball went a lap down.
By Lap 134, Hunter-Reay was just behind Aleshin,
who led. Further back was Newgarden, Power,
Munoz, Dixon, Pagenaud and Kanaan.
Just before three-quarter distance, Power passed
Newgarden and started hitting 218mph laps.
On Lap 157, Championship leader Pagenaud smacked
the wall on the exit of Turn 1, having bottomed out
and slid high.
The Lap 163 restart saw Hunter-Reay draft past Power
for the lead when suddenly his car lost power, cruised
down pitlane and had to reboot his electrics, rejoining
a lap down having not needed to stop at his pitbox.
Hunter-Reay would finish in 3rd though, but he was
still very disappointed as he felt he had the car to win.
Newgarden moved past Aleshin into second, as Kanaan
and then Munoz passed Dixon to take fourth and and
fifth respectively.
Power gained a new rival on Lap 171, as Aleshin
passed Newgarden for second, and the lead pair then
set about thrashing out 217mph laps.
Then the yellows flew on lap 176 as debris – the
winglet off the left-rear wheelpod of Kanaan’s car –
was spotted at the bottom of Turn 1.
The pits opened on Lap 177 for the crucial final stops,
and Power’s appeared flawless as he re-emerged in the
lead. His closest pursuer was now Sebastien
Bourdais, who chose not to take tires, and was
followed by Newgarden, Kanaan, Alehsin, Dixon,
Montoya, Munoz, and Hinchcliffe.
At the lap 180 restart , Kanaan vaulted straight from
fourth into second by Turn 1, yet both Newgarden
and Aleshin repassed him at the end of the lap.
Hunter-Reay, got back on the lead lap thanks to the
yellow. He passed Bourdais for fourth on Lap 194,
and started trying to close the 1.2sec gap to
Newgarden, something he set about doing with relish
and after some stumbles, completed the job on the
penultimate lap.
Up front, Power completed the 200 laps 1.15sec ahead
of Aleshin, with Hunter-Reay just 4.7sec behind,
followed by Newgarden.
Power's 29th career win – which draws him level with
Castroneves and Rick Mears in the all-time list – drew
him to within 20 points of Pagenaud, who retains the
IndyCar points lead, 477-497.
The IndyCar race next weekend in Texas is a make-up
race that was cancelled due to rain. Unfortunately for
Josef Newgarden, who is sitting in third in the
standings, he cannot race as he wrecked during the 71
Laps that was run back in June and was out of the race.
| Rossi runs over Castroneves car in pit lane |
| Takuma Sata Wrecked on First Lap |
| Series Points Leader Hit Wall |
| Will Power Won |
The only driver to win all three in the
same year is Al Unser, in 1978. The
Ontario track was demolished in
1981. The 2-Mile Michigan speedway
replaced Ontario in the triple crown
from 1981-1989. The 2-mile Fontana
track replaced Michigan in the triple
crown from 2013-2015 .
Factoid:
The Triple Crown of Motorsport
includes the Indianapolis 500, the 24
Hours of Le Mans and the Monaco
Grand Prix. The only driver to have
won all three was Graham Hill.
same year is Al Unser, in 1978. The
Ontario track was demolished in
1981. The 2-Mile Michigan speedway
replaced Ontario in the triple crown
from 1981-1989. The 2-mile Fontana
track replaced Michigan in the triple
crown from 2013-2015 .
Factoid:
The Triple Crown of Motorsport
includes the Indianapolis 500, the 24
Hours of Le Mans and the Monaco
Grand Prix. The only driver to have
won all three was Graham Hill.
IndyCar Releases 2017 Schedule
Aug 25 - IndyCar released their 2017 schedule and will
be returning to all race tracks on the 2016 schedule.
The new Boston race deal fell through this year and is
being replaced on the 2016 schedule with Watkins Glen
on Sept 4th. IndyCar has signed a multi-year contract
with them. The CART series raced there from
1997-2000 and the IRL series raced there from
2005-2010
Next year IndyCar will also race at Gateway Motorsports
Park in August 2017. It is a 1.25-mile oval located near
St. Louis. The CART series raced there from 1979-81
and the IRL series raced there from 2001-03.
2017 IndyCar Schedule
Aug 25 - IndyCar released their 2017 schedule and will
be returning to all race tracks on the 2016 schedule.
The new Boston race deal fell through this year and is
being replaced on the 2016 schedule with Watkins Glen
on Sept 4th. IndyCar has signed a multi-year contract
with them. The CART series raced there from
1997-2000 and the IRL series raced there from
2005-2010
Next year IndyCar will also race at Gateway Motorsports
Park in August 2017. It is a 1.25-mile oval located near
St. Louis. The CART series raced there from 1979-81
and the IRL series raced there from 2001-03.
2017 IndyCar Schedule
| 2017 IndyCar Schedule 6 Ovals 7 Road Courses 3 Street Courses |
Aug 26 - My Red Bull Air Race tickets arrived today!
They will race at the Speedway October 1-2.
They will race at the Speedway October 1-2.
It Was A Nail Biter In Texas
Aug 28 - The IndyCar race returned to the Texas Motor
Speedway after their June race was rained out on lap 72
with James Hinchcliffe leading.
It was a Saturday night race and the sparks flying from
the bottom of Hinch's car demonstrated his car was
sitting lower than everyone elses. None the less, starting
from the pole, he led every lap... except for the last.
He had the race in hand easily until crashes late in the
race brought out multiple cautions. As his competitors
dove into the pits for new rubber, Hinch stayed out and
in the lead. When IndyCars pit with less than 20 laps to
go, the cars that are on the lead lap are allowed to
restart the race in front of all lapped cars. This allowed
some fast, hungry-for-a-win drivers to restart right
behind the Mayor of Hinchtown. These drivers
included Graham Rahal, Tony Kanaan and Helio
Castroneves, along with series point leader Simon
Pagenaud.
At one point, as these drivers tried to get around Hinch,
Rahal, Kanaan and Pagenaud ran beside him 4 wide.
Only 3 cars can get through the turn and Pagenaud
wisely decided it was better to back off and protect his
points lead over Will Power who was several spots
back.
As the cars approached the last turn, Rahal
unexpectedly dove to the low line instead of the high, in
an attempt to get by Hinch. It worked and as he
approached the finish line, he held his right arm up in
victory, only to see Hinch right beside him! Luckily for
Rahal, he finished a nose in front of Hinchcliffe,
securing his 4th career IndyCar victory and his first in
2016. This margin of victory was only .008 of a
second.
The race was exciting, but not good for Scott Dixon,
who collided with Ed Carpenter while trying to pass
on the inside of a turn. Dixon was furious at first.
Soon, Carpenter too was gone after spinning out. He
had been up to 2nd place and looked to have the
greatest chance of beating Hinchcliffe, if anyone could.
Aug 28 - The IndyCar race returned to the Texas Motor
Speedway after their June race was rained out on lap 72
with James Hinchcliffe leading.
It was a Saturday night race and the sparks flying from
the bottom of Hinch's car demonstrated his car was
sitting lower than everyone elses. None the less, starting
from the pole, he led every lap... except for the last.
He had the race in hand easily until crashes late in the
race brought out multiple cautions. As his competitors
dove into the pits for new rubber, Hinch stayed out and
in the lead. When IndyCars pit with less than 20 laps to
go, the cars that are on the lead lap are allowed to
restart the race in front of all lapped cars. This allowed
some fast, hungry-for-a-win drivers to restart right
behind the Mayor of Hinchtown. These drivers
included Graham Rahal, Tony Kanaan and Helio
Castroneves, along with series point leader Simon
Pagenaud.
At one point, as these drivers tried to get around Hinch,
Rahal, Kanaan and Pagenaud ran beside him 4 wide.
Only 3 cars can get through the turn and Pagenaud
wisely decided it was better to back off and protect his
points lead over Will Power who was several spots
back.
As the cars approached the last turn, Rahal
unexpectedly dove to the low line instead of the high, in
an attempt to get by Hinch. It worked and as he
approached the finish line, he held his right arm up in
victory, only to see Hinch right beside him! Luckily for
Rahal, he finished a nose in front of Hinchcliffe,
securing his 4th career IndyCar victory and his first in
2016. This margin of victory was only .008 of a
second.
The race was exciting, but not good for Scott Dixon,
who collided with Ed Carpenter while trying to pass
on the inside of a turn. Dixon was furious at first.
Soon, Carpenter too was gone after spinning out. He
had been up to 2nd place and looked to have the
greatest chance of beating Hinchcliffe, if anyone could.
| Graham Rahal won race by .008 seconds. |
| James Hinchcliffe's sparking car led the race. |
| Courtney Force and Graham Rahal |
It's It's a Ballroom Blitz
Aug 30 - Canadian IndyCar driver James Hinchcliffe
has decided to follow in Helio Castroneves's footsteps,
or, rather dance steps.
Hinch is going to be a participant on the television show
"Dancing With The Stars."
Castroneves, a Brazillian IndyCar driver, won the dance
contest in 2007. Ever since, he has been referred to as
"Twinkle Toes" by my friends and I.
Will Hinchcliffe become the Mayor of Boogie Town?
Aug 30 - Canadian IndyCar driver James Hinchcliffe
has decided to follow in Helio Castroneves's footsteps,
or, rather dance steps.
Hinch is going to be a participant on the television show
"Dancing With The Stars."
Castroneves, a Brazillian IndyCar driver, won the dance
contest in 2007. Ever since, he has been referred to as
"Twinkle Toes" by my friends and I.
Will Hinchcliffe become the Mayor of Boogie Town?
| "Twinkle Toes" |
