| December 2017 News |
Drivers Compete on TV Show
Dec 8 - IndyCar drivers and long-time friends,
Conor Daly and Alexander Rossi, announced
they will compete on the CBS reality competition
TV show "The Amazing Race."
They’ll compete as Team INDYCAR in the field
of 11 two-person teams competing for $1 million.
The show premieres at 8 p.m. on Jan. 3.
The race is generally split into twelve legs, with
each leg requiring teams to deduce clues, navigate
themselves in foreign areas, interact with locals,
perform physical and mental challenges, and vie
for airplane, boat, taxi, and other public transport-
ation options on a limited budget provided by the
show.
Teams are progressively eliminated at the end of
most legs. Each leg is in a different country and makes
up one episode.
Recently, the Indy Speedway played host to a leg on
the show.
Dec 8 - IndyCar drivers and long-time friends,
Conor Daly and Alexander Rossi, announced
they will compete on the CBS reality competition
TV show "The Amazing Race."
They’ll compete as Team INDYCAR in the field
of 11 two-person teams competing for $1 million.
The show premieres at 8 p.m. on Jan. 3.
The race is generally split into twelve legs, with
each leg requiring teams to deduce clues, navigate
themselves in foreign areas, interact with locals,
perform physical and mental challenges, and vie
for airplane, boat, taxi, and other public transport-
ation options on a limited budget provided by the
show.
Teams are progressively eliminated at the end of
most legs. Each leg is in a different country and makes
up one episode.
Recently, the Indy Speedway played host to a leg on
the show.
| RACE NEWS & VIEWS |
| Most recent news is at bottom of page. |
| Alex Rossi & Conor Daly |
Sports Car Team Starts IndyCar Team
Dec 8 - Michael Shank Racing has hired Jack Harvey
and plans to compete in at least six IndyCar races next
season including the Indianapolis 500.
They have formed a technical partnership with Schmidt
Peterson Motorsports, similar to what they had with
Andretti Motorsport last year when they competed in
the Indy 500.
A highly successful and regarded team owner in the
IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, Shank
has been pushing for the “end goal” of his own full-time
team in the Verizon IndyCar Series. He cautioned that
the process is gradual, as they ease into it.
The team will operate out of his shop in Columbus,
Ohio, with visits to SPM’s base in Indianapolis for
technical assistance.
Dec 8 - Michael Shank Racing has hired Jack Harvey
and plans to compete in at least six IndyCar races next
season including the Indianapolis 500.
They have formed a technical partnership with Schmidt
Peterson Motorsports, similar to what they had with
Andretti Motorsport last year when they competed in
the Indy 500.
A highly successful and regarded team owner in the
IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, Shank
has been pushing for the “end goal” of his own full-time
team in the Verizon IndyCar Series. He cautioned that
the process is gradual, as they ease into it.
The team will operate out of his shop in Columbus,
Ohio, with visits to SPM’s base in Indianapolis for
technical assistance.
For Harvey, the deal for six races is the next step in his
journey to become a full-time Verizon IndyCar Series
driver after his career nearly stalled. Now 24, the native
of Bassingham, Lincolnshire, England, was runner-up in
back-to-back seasons driving for SPM in Indy Lights
presented by Cooper Tires – losing the title in the top
rung of the Mazda Road to Indy development ladder on
a tiebreaker to Gabby Chaves in 2014 and finishing a
close second to Spencer Pigot the following year.
Unable to land a Verizon IndyCar Series ride in 2016,
Harvey cobbled together the three races this season,
with a best finish of 14th in the IndyCar Grand Prix
at The Glen. His 2018 goal is to be competitive with his
SPM teammates, James Hinchcliffe and fellow rookie
Robert Wickens.
journey to become a full-time Verizon IndyCar Series
driver after his career nearly stalled. Now 24, the native
of Bassingham, Lincolnshire, England, was runner-up in
back-to-back seasons driving for SPM in Indy Lights
presented by Cooper Tires – losing the title in the top
rung of the Mazda Road to Indy development ladder on
a tiebreaker to Gabby Chaves in 2014 and finishing a
close second to Spencer Pigot the following year.
Unable to land a Verizon IndyCar Series ride in 2016,
Harvey cobbled together the three races this season,
with a best finish of 14th in the IndyCar Grand Prix
at The Glen. His 2018 goal is to be competitive with his
SPM teammates, James Hinchcliffe and fellow rookie
Robert Wickens.
Another New IndyCar Team for 2018
Dec 13 - Carlin Racing formed twenty years ago, racing in
various open-wheel series in Europe. In 2015 they started
racing in Indy Lights.
Carlin announced they will be running the full IndyCar
season next year.
They have picked up the two drivers and their sponsors
whom Ganassi released at the end of this season, whom
still did not have rides - Max Chilton and Charlie Kimball.
Interestingly, both drivers have driven for Carlin Racing
earlier in their careers.
Dec 13 - Carlin Racing formed twenty years ago, racing in
various open-wheel series in Europe. In 2015 they started
racing in Indy Lights.
Carlin announced they will be running the full IndyCar
season next year.
They have picked up the two drivers and their sponsors
whom Ganassi released at the end of this season, whom
still did not have rides - Max Chilton and Charlie Kimball.
Interestingly, both drivers have driven for Carlin Racing
earlier in their careers.
| Max Chilton and Charlie Kimball, still team-mates |
Dec 19 - I normally avoid rumors or gossip.... unless it's a
chance to post another sexy Danica photo!
Danica Breaks Up with Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
Stenhouse attended NASCAR's annual awards ceremony
alone and a spokesperson for Danica Patrick confirmed the
split to the Associated Press Monday morning.
Patrick and Stenhouse dated for nearly five years and
competed against each other in the NASCAR Cup Series.
Stenhouse, 30 had a breakthrough 2017 season, winning for
the first time at Talladega Superspeedway and following it
up with another victory at Daytona International Speedway
in July.
Patrick, 35, recently announced she was retiring from full-
time Cup competition, but hoped to make one final start in
the 2018 Daytona 500 before returning to IndyCar for one
last Indy 500 bid. She never won while driving for
Stewart-Haas Racing, finishing as high as sixth at Atlanta
Motor Speedway in 2014.
She also has a book coming out on December 26th, titled
'Pretty Intense: The 90-Day Mind, Body and Food Plan that
will Absolutely Change Your Life.'
chance to post another sexy Danica photo!
Danica Breaks Up with Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
Stenhouse attended NASCAR's annual awards ceremony
alone and a spokesperson for Danica Patrick confirmed the
split to the Associated Press Monday morning.
Patrick and Stenhouse dated for nearly five years and
competed against each other in the NASCAR Cup Series.
Stenhouse, 30 had a breakthrough 2017 season, winning for
the first time at Talladega Superspeedway and following it
up with another victory at Daytona International Speedway
in July.
Patrick, 35, recently announced she was retiring from full-
time Cup competition, but hoped to make one final start in
the 2018 Daytona 500 before returning to IndyCar for one
last Indy 500 bid. She never won while driving for
Stewart-Haas Racing, finishing as high as sixth at Atlanta
Motor Speedway in 2014.
She also has a book coming out on December 26th, titled
'Pretty Intense: The 90-Day Mind, Body and Food Plan that
will Absolutely Change Your Life.'
Lights at the Brickyard
A drive-through holiday display that debuted last year at
the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, returned this year and
ran from Nov 17 through Saturday, Dec. 30 this year with
a longer route and over 2.5 million bright lights illuminating
an expanded lineup of colorful displays.
The Lights at the Brickyard course was expanded to more
than 2 miles from last year’s 1.7-mile layout. As in 2016,
the route—which travels through the IMS infield and
along the front stretch of the historic oval—crosses the
world-famous Yard of Bricks start-finish line.
Dozens of new displays could be seen along the route,
with more than 500,000 additional lights this year.
A drive-through holiday display that debuted last year at
the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, returned this year and
ran from Nov 17 through Saturday, Dec. 30 this year with
a longer route and over 2.5 million bright lights illuminating
an expanded lineup of colorful displays.
The Lights at the Brickyard course was expanded to more
than 2 miles from last year’s 1.7-mile layout. As in 2016,
the route—which travels through the IMS infield and
along the front stretch of the historic oval—crosses the
world-famous Yard of Bricks start-finish line.
Dozens of new displays could be seen along the route,
with more than 500,000 additional lights this year.
