Takuma Sato (Photo Credit: Indycar)

Ex-Formula One driver Takuma Sato has signed a deal with Rahal-Letterman Lanigan for the 2012 season.

The Japanese driver will drive the team’s no.15 Honda.

“We anticipate having a very strong season together,” said team co-owner Bobby Rahal. “While we were determined to have an experienced driver for this season, we also needed someone that knew how to get to the front and Takuma has shown that he can do that, and we expect to have a great opportunity to win races this year. He has made great strides through the last two seasons in IndyCar and I have no doubt that we can produce a strong effort with him leading the team.”

Sato joined the IndyCar series in 2010 after making 91 starts in Formula One. He made great strides in 2011 and the two-time pole winner hopes to build on this success.

“I’m very proud, motivated and excited to be chosen by Bobby to join his big project,” Sato said. “This team I feel has got huge potential. Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing has got a great history and record of winning so my motivation is ever so high and I am extremely thrilled to start the new season. With a new car for everybody, I am confident that we’ll be up to speed very quickly.”

Rahal Letterman Lanigan are returning for a full campaign for the first time since 2008. The Indianapolis-based team expect to participate in the open test at Sebring in March.

The team is also looking to finalize its plans for a second car, which is set to be announced in the near future.

Rubens Barrichello (Photo Credit: Lorenzo Bellanca/LAT Photographic)

Rubens Barrichello has said he has an ‘open mind’ about his future after testing a KV Racing  Technology IndyCar at Sebring.

The Brazilian enjoyed testing the car so much he canceled prior arrangements back in his homeland to test a further half day, before handing the car over to friend Tony Kanaan who invited him to the test.

“It’s been a really good morning,” said Barrichello, who totaled 334 miles over the three days. ”I was able to do a lot of laps in Tony’s car and very happy to be in the No. 11. It’s been my favorite number all my life. My feedback I think will be very beneficial to Tony and the whole team and I am satisfied with what we have achieved. I leave Sebring now with a good taste in my mouth.”

Barrichello left Sebring with an open invitation to compete in the 2012 IndyCar season with the KV Racing Technology team, and insisted that oval racing wasn’t a deal breaker.

“I never thought I could come over to this side because I thought I would race 25 years in Formula One and I should be over and couldn’t come this way,” said Barrichello, who has made 332 F1 starts.  “I did say that. It came out of my mouth. It is a not a big issue. It is not a problem. There are so many different situations that I could run. I could run on the road tracks; I could run Indy. There are so many options available, and I’m thankful for the choices at age 39 and still going fast in the car. That’s all I could pray for when I was a kid.”

“(He and wife Silvana) I’m sure we’ll be talking about it. I’m not putting pressure on it; I have to think it through. If you go purely from joy, it wouldn’t be a problem. I still have so much passion for the speed and I’m quite young in my mind and I’m not up to my top level of fitness. I’m just getting better and better.”

“I have an open mind,” said Barrichello, who broke into F1 with the Jordan team. “I’ve been living there for 19 years and have been a fan of the Indy series for a long period as well. I’ve been to Indy, Milwaukee, Sao Paulo and many tracks. I like what I saw always; it’s a great atmosphere with great racing.”

Dale Coyne Racing's no.19 during the 2011 season (Photo Credit: Indycar)

Dale Coyne Racing announced today that its two-car effort will be powered by Honda engines in 2012.

Under the terms of the agreement, Honda Performance Development (HPD) will provide all Dale Coyne Racing entries with its 2.2l Honda Indy V6 for the entire 2012 IZOD IndyCar campaign and Indianapolis 500.

“Dale Coyne Racing has been one of IndyCar’s most durable teams, with a history that extends for nearly 30 years.” said Erik Berkman, president of Honda Performance Development and vice president, corporate planning and logistics, for American Honda. “It’s great to have them racing with us in 2012. Dale’s team has made great strides in recent seasons, and he has made moves this off-season to further improve. We’re looking forward to continuing our association with him in 2012.”

Dale Coyne Racing joins Chip Ganassi Racing, A.J. Foyt Racing, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing and Sam Schmidt Motorsports as the Honda-powered teams in 2012.

“We have felt a part of the Honda family from their first days in CART back in the early 1990s till today,” commented DCR team owner Dale Coyne. “We are very pleased to enter this next stage of IndyCar history with a company so dedicated to winning and rich in successful motorsports heritage like Honda. Together we hope to accomplish great things in 2012.”

Rubens Barrichello (Photo Credit: Lorenzo Bellanca/LAT Photographic)

Former Formula One racer Rubens Barrichello is set to test an IndyCar next week, according to The Associated Press.

Rumours started when IndyCar driver Tony Kanaan tweeted a picture of a bare KV Racing car to Rubens Barrichello a week ago saying, ‘It’s ready for you my friend. Come on in.@rubarrichello‘

Although saying in the past that he promised his wife he would not take part in the IndyCar series sources close to The Association Press believe Barrichello will arrive in Sebring on Monday for a two day test with the KV Racing team.

Reigning IndyCar champion Dario Franchitti later tweeted that the 39-year-old “would be a welcome addition to the series”.

The eleven-time F1 race winner is believed to have no plans beyond the test itself.

Dallara DW12 in testing (Photo Credit: Walt Kuhn)

INDYCAR vice president Will Phillips believes the Dallara DW12 is up to task on ovals after a two-day wind tunnel test last week.

Questions about the chassis arose during a November test session at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, when it only achieved an average lap speed of 215.6mph on the 2.5mile oval. A Target Chip Ganassi Racing IR11 chassis in qualification trim recorded an average 227.34mph in May.

This caused a hastily arranged rolling test by INDYCAR and Dallara in North Carolina to see what more could be done to increase aerodynamic performance.

“We then compared the 2012 car as it was run at its fastest during the (November) testing at the Speedway,” Phillips said. “We showed that aerodynamically the car was limited to 218.4 mph, so the (drivers/teams) did a good job of reaching its potential. We then compared the production car, which is slightly different from the prototype in terms of different mirrors, different rear wheel fairings, subtle differences in chassis construction and better integration of the Zylon (side intrusion) panels.

“Basically, the production car is more slippery (moves the air better) than the prototype. That lifted the speed as the car was run. We then looked at how could we improve the aerodynamic force of the car. Basically, by optimizing the aero set-up, re-balancing the car and then putting on some aero development parts, it showed that using a nominal assumed horsepower of 575 the car is capable of 225 mph.”

Fifteen IZOD IndyCar Series teams picked up their first DW12 chassis in December, with a further seventeen teams having theirs delivered earlier this month. Engine manufactures Chevrolet, Honda and Lotus tested their DW12′s at Sebring a week ago as they continue developing the car before the season opener in St. Petersburg in March.

“Same test at same venue using an ‘11 car and ‘12 car, and that’s the only data we’re using to compare,” Phillips said. “It’s about as clean as we can make it for a two-day test.”

With the introduction of multiple ‘aero kits’ in 2013, the potential of higher speeds will be an item for INDYCAR officials to address.

“As we look at aero kits for 2013, the car could be exceeding expectations as they reduce drag further,” Phillips said. “But it’s not always about aerodynamics. You have to mechanically set the car up to drive it, so it’s always a balance. Aerodynamically, we’ve proven that it can happen but we haven’t proven mechanically that we can set the car up to go that speed yet.”

Danica Patrick (Todd Warshaw/Getty Images for NASCAR)

Danica Patrick has announced that she will add the Coca Cola 600 to her Cup schedule in NASCAR, meaning that she will not participate in the 96^th Indianapolis 500, which runs on the same day, May 27^th.  Patrick, 29, made the decision last year to turn her back on the Indycar series, which she has competed in since 2005, in light of the diminishing number of ovals on the calendar, and will compete in NASCAR full time this year.  However Danica, who became the first woman ever to lead at Indy in 2005 en route to a fourth place finish, and has a best result of third – attained in 2009, did not rule out a return in future.

“I’m not going to do the Indy 500,” she confirmed on Monday. “I hope to do it in the future. Maybe it’ll be a double [the Indy 500 and Coke 600 on the same day].

“But at this point in time, after a lot of conversations, it’s just going to be the Coke 600. It’s going to be a big challenge.”

Danica’s Cup series owner Tony Stewart, who also made the switch to NASCAR from Indycar racing, praised Patrick’s decision making, and believes that not dividing her attentions between the two races will help her get up to speed in NASCAR much quicker.

“We didn’t tell her she couldn’t run the 500. It was left up to her,” Stewart said.

“Obviously, she’s running the Nationwide car full time, and it’s a good weekend to get a lot of laps in the car. I don’t think about [Indy] anymore. It’s been so long since I’ve done it. You just focus. It shows how dedicated she is to making this transition.”

Only Stewart, Robby Gordon and John Andretti have ever managed to compete all 1100 miles in the same day. Stewart came closest to taking the double, finishing ninth at Indy and fourth at Charlotte in 1999, and in his most recent attempt in 2001, taking sixth at Indy and third at Charlotte. He has since given up on his boyhood dream of taking Victory Lane in the 500, but has won the Brickyard 400 twice, in 2005 and 2007.

“The hard part for me was you make that decision when you sign up to do it,” Stewart said. “The decision you make, you have to come to peace with yourself with saying ‘I’m not going to do this.’ That was my childhood dream anyway. It may be a different scenario and feeling for her. But it was hard knowing when I signed that [NASCAR] contract that I was writing off the opportunity to go race at [the 500].

“It’s figuring out at the end of the day what do you really want to do. I guess that’s the part that even though it was hard to watch opening day of practice at Indianapolis, I’m enjoying what I’m doing, too, and this is what I want to do at the end of the day,” he continued. “It makes you want 30-hour days and 400-day years and we always want to do more than what we’re capable of doing, but the reality is you have to pick at some point and choose your career path. This is what I’ve done and what she’s doing now.”

Stewart echoed the sentiment of Jeff Gordon, a four-time winner of the Brickyard 400, who said back in 2010 that doing the double was no longer viable in the modern era.

“To me, they could offer $100 million to run both of those races or win both of those races and it wouldn’t affect my decision because I’m only going to go there [to Indy] if I feel like I can be competitive. To be competitive, I would need to be in those cars all of the time,” he said.

“I just don’t think you can do both Indy and the 600 and do them both really well, or good enough to win.”

Oriol Servia (Photo Credit: Indycar)

Oriol Servia has signed to lead the Dreyer and Reinbold Racing team in the 2012 IZOD Indycar Series season. The veteran Catalan finished every race in 2011 and his phenomenal level of consistency, with three visits to the podium for the now defunct Newman-Haas team, saw him tie up fourth in points, ahead of the likes of Penske duo Ryan Briscoe and Helio Castroneves, and all four Andretti Autosport cars.

“I couldn’t be more excited, for many reasons. DRR is a team that I raced against since 2008 and they’ve always shown to be very professional at the racetrack,” Servia said.

“Although I knew the owners, I didn’t know them very well, to be honest. Before signing with the team, like everybody else, I did my research and I couldn’t find one individual that didn’t speak highly of Dennis or Robbie, which gave me a lot of confidence.”

“I went to the team’s sponsor summit last week and met all of their partners that they have been involved with for many, many years, which was another clear sign that they are good people.”

Dreyer and Reinbold will be running the Lotus powerplant prepared by John Judd in the back of the new DW12 chassis, and Servia is itching to give it a try.

“I started on the front row for the Indianapolis 500 and I want to improve on that. I’m at the best point in my career and it was very important to partner with the right team. When I visited the DRR facility in Indianapolis, I couldn’t have been more impressed.”

“We are starting with a new engine and chassis, and I have confidence in Lotus and our ability to develop a quality product in 2012. When you have everyone pulling in the same direction like we are now is when we can accomplish our goals.”

Team co-owner Dennis Reinbold was delighted with his new acquisition, and is looking forward to challenging for wins.

“With a new engine, new chassis and a revamped engineering department, we believe it is crucial to have a highly talented veteran driver to be able to develop these new components. Oriol has always been a smart driver and has always put himself and his team in a position to win races. We are going to have to be well prepared to take advantage of his abilities and we look forward to the challenge,” Reinbold commented.

The team has not won a race since 2000, when Robbie Buhl took victory at the Walt Disney Speedway. Buhl, now a team co-owner, believes that Servia can break his Indycar duck, having last won in Champ Car back in 2005 at Montreal and come very close last year at the New Hampshire Speedway.

“I think that Oriol can be a real asset to us and with the development with our partnership with Lotus and the DW12. His experience throughout his career will be pivotal in how we develop the new car and new motor. He had a fantastic season last year with Newman Haas and we are excited to have him as a part of our team going forward.”

Servia will replace the outgoing Justin Wilson, who this week announced his return to Dale Coyne after two years at DRR. Italian Giorgio Pantano is rumoured to be chasing the second seat, while Brazilian lady racer Ana Beatriz, who drove for the team full time last year, is also rumoured to be in contention.

Alex Tagliani (Photo Credit: Indycar)

Alex Tagliani will drive for the Bryan Herta Autosport team in 2012 as the team expands into a full-time IndyCar outfit.

The team, who won the Indy 500 with Dan Wheldon in 2011, will run the entire IndyCar season after perviously competing in selected races with Sam Schmidt Motorsports.

The Canadian veteran has plenty of IndyCar credentials, including taking the pole at last years Indy 500. BHA have also retained veteran race engineer Todd Malloy, who will oversee the operations of Tagliani’s car

“We are very proud to have Alex Tagliani join our team for our first full season of Indycar competition. He brings a wealth of experience and enthusiasm to the program, and is the perfect fit for us and our sponsor partners,” stated Herta.

“Together with Todd Malloy and Brian Page in engineering, and the Don Lambert led crew, Alex has the full support of a very talented group of professionals behind him.”

Tagliani, a race winner in Champ Car, is just as enthusiastic about the season ahead.

“I’m really happy to drive for BHA. Having known Bryan for a long time, I recognize that he’s a nice guy with genuine integrity. I believe that he and Steve Newey deserve to own a great IndyCar team, and I’m honored to be part of the building of BHA’s 2012 program.

“It’s also a great honor for me to represent the Lotus brand as a factory partner. Lotus has so much history in the world of motorsports. As a team, we have a lot of work in front of us and while challenging, it will be fun to be at the core of both engine and team development. BHA has a great group of people and I’m looking forward to working with them.“

James Hinchcliffe (Photo Credit: Indycar)

Canadian James Hinchcliffe has signed a multi-year deal with Andretti Autosport.

The 25-year-old will drive the #27 GoDaddy.com Chevrolet after an impressive debut campaign in which he was crowned Rookie of the Year after taking three top five and seven top 7 finishes.

“James is a perfect addition to our team for next year,” said team owner Michael Andretti. “He’s got a lot of talent and we believe he will be great for our driver chemistry. He will definitely grow and thrive with Andretti Autosport. Even in his rookie year in IndyCar, he proved to be a great competitor. I look forward to seeing what he is capable of in the next few months.”

Hinchcliffe started his career in karting and won numerous regional and national titles in the US and Canada. From here he progressed up the racing ladder to Formula BMW, Star Mazda series, A1 GP series and IndyLights. During his two-year spell in the IndyLights series, Hinchcliffe scored three win and finished runner-up in 2010.

Hinchcliffe was nominated for the 2011 Autosport Rookie of the Year award and in 2010 won the prestigious Greg Moore Legacy Award for his IndyLights campaign.

“I’m so excited to be driving with the Andretti Autosport team and representing Go Daddy next season,” said Hinchcliffe.

“I have to thank Michael [Andretti] and Go Daddy for providing me this opportunity to compete for the championship and an Indy 500 victory.”

Lotus branding has been on KV's Indycars for the past two seasons (Photo Credit: Indycar)

Lotus have announced its full factory partnership with Dragon Racing IndyCar team at the Autosport International Show in Birmingham.

The team, which will be known as the Lotus Dragon Racing Team, will carry the iconic black and gold colours that are shared with the marque’s Formula One programme.

Dragon Racing is owned by Jay Penske, son of Roger, debuted in 2007, finishing fifth at the Indy 500 in its first year with Ryan Briscoe and in 2009 Raphael Matos finished as rookie of the year with the team.

“We are very pleased to be able to announce this new and exciting partnership with Dragon Racing today, a team which has demonstrated its potential and which we believe will achieve great success thanks to the Lotus IndyCar engine and the security of a major backer,” said Group Lotus Director of Motorsport Claudio Berro.

“Last year was Lotus’ first foray into this prestigious open-wheel series since Jim Clark won the Indy 500 back in 1965. We have a tremendous legacy in this sport, and are determined to become winners again. The American market is one of the most important to Lotus in terms of road car sales, hence our aggressive marketing strategies through US auto racing.

“We believe Lotus Dragon Racing and our other partner teams will give us the best opportunity to achieve our ambitious goals.”

Earlier in the week Lotus Dragon Racing announced that in 2012 Kathrine Legge and Sebastien Bourdais will drive for the team.

Beaux Barfield (Photo Credit: Indycar)

Beaux Barfield has been named race director for the 2012 IndyCar season.

Barfield, 40, served as the American Le Mans Series race director for three years and he replaces Brian Barnhart who left in November 2011. Barfield has previously worked in a stewards role in the Champ Car series from the early to mid 2000′s.

As a driver, Barfield reached the IndyLights series after progressing through karting and Formula Ford 2000. He believes that understanding a driver’s passion, point of view and mind-set will be an asset for him in this role.

“My driving experience counts for a lot when you’re in the heat of the battle making difficult decisions in Race Control,” he said.

“The one thing that I wanted to do as a racing driver growing up in America was to be involved with the Indy 500. When my driving career took a change of course and I found myself officiating, it was still a goal of mine to get to Indy car racing and the Indy 500. In that regard, it represents the pinnacle of my aspirations as a race official. I’m truly honored to be a part of INDYCAR.”

The Texan’s first tasks will be to assemble a Race Control team and finalize the rulebook.

“I think there will be general changes (to the rulebook),” he said. “But if you essentially put too many words in any given rule as an official you paint yourself into a box. That’s what you really have to be careful of.

“Ultimately, I don’t want to walk in here like I’m wielding a big stick and gun slinging. I think the decisions come down to the Race Director, period, end of story because ultimately I have to sit in the drivers’ meeting and explain to the drivers exactly what my expectations are.

“I absolutely have the final say. Stewards I think more are there for a safety net and to help and assist when you get into a difficult call or difficult situation.”

The IndyCar Series CEO Randy Bernard believes that Barfield is the right appointment for the series.

“Though Beaux comes from sports car racing, his roots are in open-wheel racing,” he said. “He has built a strong reputation as Race Director with ALMS and bringing him on board ensures that INDYCAR has a dedicated Race Director with the right level of expertise for the IZOD IndyCar Series.

“IndyCar has a very bright future ahead of us in 2012 and I would like to think this is the start of a new era with a new car, the first one in eight years, as well as with three engine manufacturers. We believe we have a lot of opportunity in 2012.”

Nine winners of 2011, and tributes to two who lost their lives aiming to join them

Peter Allen

Huff beats Muller in Porto
Rob Huff chases down and catches Chevy teammate Yvan Muller, pulling alongside and past the Frenchman into one of the tight Portuguese street track’s chicanes. Huff attempts to turn in ahead, but there is contact. Huff goes across the inside of the chicane and keeps the lead to score his sixth win of the year. The momentum certainly seemed to be with Huff at the halfway point, but Muller would come back from this incident bigger and better to overhaul the Brit and win a third world title.

Rob Huff beat Yvan Muller in Porto (among other places) but still lost the title.

David Bean

Sky’s F1 deal
From a personal view there was the excitement of Nick Heidfeld’s car catching fire and exploding in front of us in the Hungarian Grand Prix, and the mix of exhaustion and contentment that I felt as the top three Britcar 24 Hours runners came to a stop beside me under the Silverstone podium, signalling the end of a busy 24 hours of reporting for this site. From a wider perspective, however, the moment someone from Sky Sports put their signature on a contract to show Formula 1 is one of the most significant of the year. This deal marks a radical change in how the sport is transmitted to some of its most dedicated fans, and it could have huge implications for the future of F1.

Josh Bell

Alonso’s start at Monza
There have been many in 2012, some sadly more disconcerting. The standout moment that provided me with the most emotion was Fernando Alonso‘s extraordinary start at his home Grand Prix, storming to the front of the field from fourth on the grid in the Ferrari. I was stunned in disbelief, a moment perhaps written in the storms. It was a brief, yet brilliant, high point in the race for Fernando but it was incredible nonetheless.

Jason Plato's Chevrolet Cruze before, and after, the RML run team's miraculous resurrection

James Broomhead

Moment Of The Year – RML’s Donington Rebuild
Jason Plato has just barrel rolled out of the second BTCC race at Donington Park, he physically and mentally battered by the accident at the thought of ending his weekend a race early and facing not scoring on an unhappy weekend. Cue a miraculous rebuild from the Silverline Chevrolet team in time for a superlative recovery drive almost forgotten during the rest of the season. Every possible panel on the car was replaced, a new aerial taped to the door, the entire team involved, including Plato’s father polishing the buckled roof. Enough cannot be said for the team, you wonder how many teams would even contemplate attempting the task.

Andy Champness

Moment Of The Year – Tom Boardman’s “Great” Silverstone
Moving away from Australian V8 Supercars to British Touring Cars, my moment of the year was provided by Special Tuning Racing’s Tom Boardman (and not just because I help out with their PR!) Most of you will be thinking I’m going to say the win at Knockhill, but it was actually the final two races at Silverstone. After his move on Plato at Knockhill, Tom got a bit of needless grief, so to watch him storm through to finish race two in sixth after starting from 23rd and then finishing the final race in third on his own merit was special. Tom was ecstatic afterwards, telling me: “That has to be one of the best races I’ve had all season! I know my win at Knockhill was good, but that felt great!” It was a poignant moment, knowing how hard the team had worked to get the cars fighting at the front and for Tom to show he can genuinely cut it with the best of them.

Tom Boardman took a maiden BTCC win at Knockhill, but it's his performance at the season finale that is Andy Champness' moment of the year

Mark Foley

British Formula 3 Paul Ricard, Final Corner, Final Lap
An edgy, race-long tussle between key championships contenders, Felipe Nasr and Kevin Magnussen, apparently wasn’t interesting enough for feisty Portuguese series-hopper Antonio Felix Da Costa, who made his presence felt throughout his guest appearance at the Paul Ricard weekend from the first corner to the last…Magnussen, Da Costa and Nasr ran nose-to-tail throughout, with a resilient Magnussen looking set to hold off strong opposition and claim a much needed win for his stuttering championship campaign. But, with the chequered flag in sight, an all-too-late lunge at the last corner from Da Costa saw the young Dane flicked off the circuit, allowing Nasr through to take yet another win. It not only sent pulses racing, but also managed to define each protagonist’s season in some respects – Da Costa’s wild racecraft, Nasr’s consistency and Magnussen’s awful luck.

Chris Gurton

Mark Webber’s pass at Eau Rouge
I’ve been fortunate enough to witness and be part of a number of great moments over the past year within motorsport and will have many stories to tell my grandchildren. But one moment that I couldn’t let pass without mentioning was a real breathtaking moment which sums up just what it takes to be a great racing driver. I am of course talking about Mark Webber’s stunning overtake on Fernando Alonso during the Belgian Grand Prix. Having got a better exit from La Source, Webber was gaining on the Spaniard down the hill towards Eau Rouge tucked into the slip stream. Assuming he would wait for the run up to Les Combes and the DRS Zone to make his move, remarkably we witnessed Webber pull out and pass the Ferrari round the outside and through Eau Rouge in a move which would normally end in tears. It was a remarkable manoeuvre and one that many would never even consider but was executed with skill and precision by the Aussie.

Leigh O’Gorman

Dan Wheldon’s fatal crash
Sadly, this has to go to the death of Dan Wheldon – the ramifications of which may be felt in motor racing for years to come. Since the crash, noises for better cockpit protection for single-seater’s have grown louder, while IndyCar’s days at high-banked ovals may be numbered. With IndyCar struggling for ovals, Wheldon’s death – amongst all the pointless greed and bickering of the owners and organisers – may finally be what defines the future of IndyCar. That Wheldon was about to move to a new chapter as the driver of Andretti-Autosport’s Go Daddy car makes it all the more tragic. A true superstar was lost.

Whether be the future of open-wheel oval racing, or the closed cockpit concept the death of Dan Wheldon will be felt by the Indycar fraternity and beyond for years to come

Simon Paice

Teammates get it wrong
There are two moments that stand out for me, both being incidents that stunned me into silence when team-mates got it wrong on track. First was the Honda Racing mix-up at Oulton Park in the BTCC, when Matt Neal made a last lap, final corner lunge at Gordon Shedden and resulted in putting them both through the gravel, cueing shocked faces from everyone watching.

The other was in the Formula Renault BARC opener at Croft, when the Fortec Motorsport team had a disaster. Braking for the first corner on the opening lap, contact between three of the Fortec cars resulted in its two title contenders, Josh Webster and Archie Hamilton, ending their races in the gravel, to the disbelief of those in attendance. This proved decisive in Webster narrowly missing out on the title.

Vince Pettit

Seeing Liam Doran take X Games Gold was a definite highlight of my year. I’ve been a fan of the X Games for some years and the recent addition of Rallycross has been excellent. Seeing Liam Doran work his way through the heats to face a head to head with rally legend Marcus Gronholm was amazing. Who would have thought a British driver in Downtown Los Angeles could cause such an upset on his X Games debut.

Liam Doran flew to X-Games glory, defeating Marcus Gronholm in the LA final

Louis Suddaby

Faubel and Zarco’s Dead Heat in Germany
Even now, I look at the photo finish from that day and still can’t believe what I’m seeing! The 125cc class is no stranger to close finishes but this was incredible. Never in the history of Grand Prix motorcycle racing had we seen a dead heat and the winner decided by a tiebreak. The fastest lap of the race swung it Faubel’s way. On four wheels, the Honda implosion at the final corner at Oulton Park stands out as a jaw dropping moment from the BTCC while Jenson Button’s last lap win in Canada also had me shouting at the telly!

TCF's two-wheel regular Louis Suddaby on the end of the 125cc race in Germany "I look at the photo finish from that day and still can’t believe what I’m seeing!"

Scott Wilkes

0.006s.
It’s difficult to describe just how epic the final two laps of the British Superbike Championship were. As Shane Byrne ran away with the victory in the final race at Brands Hatch, the title contenders were locked in a titanic duel for second. As the laps counted down to the penultimate tour, John Hopkins and Tommy Hill. After swapping positions at practically every corner, it came down to a sprint for the line out of the final corner. In the end, Tommy Hill walked away from Brands with the British title, and the honour of being part of two of the greatest laps of racing ever witnessed.

Professional and amateur drivers joined together for The Dan Wheldon Memorial Kart Race

A mind-boggling field of international racing talent raised £17,000 for the Alzheimer’s Society from The Dan Wheldon Memorial Kart Race.

The event, at Daytona Milton Keynes, was a fitting tribute to the double Indy 500 champion who was killed in an accident in October. In a manner in which Wheldon would have approved competitors took full advantage of the Cash For Penalties initiative put into place by Johnny Mowlem, who organised the event. The scheme allow drivers to buy laps of black flags in return for a donation to the Alzheimer’s Society – the Wheldon family’s chosen charity.

Thanks to the generosity of the rivals on the night winners were Team Button – DW Lionhearts, Jenson Button joined by Dan’s father Clive Wheldon and family friends Doug Coleman and Mark Lewis.

Second place went to Team Coulthard — DW Bandits comprised David Coulthard, Dan’s brothers Elliott and Ashley, and Jason Moore. Team Watts (Danny Watts, Jim Littman, Jason Fowler and Nick Perks) finished third.

The podium celebrations were completed by Austen – another of Dan’s brothers and Team Franchitti — DW Legends – Dario Franchitti, Dan’s sister Holly Wheldon, Peter Houghton, Tom Coleman and Gavin MacFayden, who fittingly shared the second step of the podium.

“Dan was so passionate about karting,” said Franchitti. “So to come here, close to where he grew up and alongside a lot of his family and friends, to raise money for Alzheimer’s Society, is a very fitting tribute. I think he would have been laughing, watching us racing in freezing conditions and some of the situations we got ourselves into tonight. Obviously it’s bitter sweet as he’s not here, that’s the very tough part. But it’s the best way I can think of to honour him. I think Johnny Mowlem and everyone involved has done a fantastic job getting this event together. It’s been terrific.”

36 teams took part in the event, including professional drivers who ply their trade on either side of the Atlantic. These included both Dario and Marino Franchitti, Mike Conway, James Hinchcliffe, Rob Huff, Richard Dean, Johnny Herbert, James Thompson, Martin Brundle and his son Alex and BBC F1 anchor Jake Humphrey.

Clive Wheldon said; “the turn out tonight has been amazing. To have all these famous racing drivers racing for Dan and raising money for Alzheimer’s Society is fantastic. I was at the Autosport Awards where Dan got an award and received a standing ovation, and that also brought a lump to my throat and made me very proud. It’s nice to have all of his achievements in motor racing recognised. I just wish he could have been here tonight. I hope we repeat this event next year with people like Jenson and all the other drivers who have come to support him. I take my hat off to them.”

“The Dan Wheldon Memorial Kart Race has quite simply exceeded all my expectations,” admitted Mowlem, who was a personal friend of Wheldon’s. “Not only has the event achieved everything I hoped, but tonight was all about celebrating Dan’s life and the wonderful person, driver and friend he was. We’ve certainly done him proud and I can’t thank everyone enough for their support.”

Three-quarters of a million people in the UK suffer from some sort of dementia, a majority from Alzheimer’s disease. The Alzheimer’s Society support those living with dementia while funding research into a cure. They rely on donations. you can donate now by calling 0845 306 0898 or visiting alzheimers.org.uk.

James Hinchcliffe drove for Newman/Haas in 2011 (Photo Credit: Richard Dowdy)

Renowned American open wheel team Newman/Haas Racing has announced it will not enter the 2012 series, team co-owner Carl Haas commenting “the economic climate no longer enables Newman/Haas Racing to participate in open wheel racing at this time.”

Haas founded the team with the late Paul Newman, entering its first season in 1983. In 28 years the team took a driver to the title on eight occasions, including Nigel Mansell in 1993 and, from 2004, four consecutive Champ Car titles for Sebastien Bourdais, before the Frenchman moved to Scuderia Toro Rosso in Formula One.

The team was among the Champ Car outfit to join the Indycar Series when the series merged ahead of the 2008 season. Graham Rahal won in St. Petersburg – his first and the team’s second race after the reunification – teammate Justin Wilson winning later the same season in Detroit – the team’s last win to date.

Rahal continued at the team until the end of the 2010 season, alongside – variously – Oriol Servia, Robert Doornbos and Hideki Mutoh.

Servia and series rookie James Hinchcliffe drove for the team in 2011, finishing fourth in the teams’ standings.

Dan Wheldon Was A Full Member Of The British Racing Drivers Club (BRDC)

The President of the British Racing Drivers Club (BRDC) Derek Warwick has issued a statement on behalf of the club about the untimely death of Dan Wheldon, who passed away yesterday after an incident in the IZOD Indycar Series race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Warwick: “On behalf of the British Racing Drivers’ Club (BRDC), I wish to extend my sincere sympathies to Dan’s wife Susie and their boys Sebastian and Oliver, as well as the rest of his family and his team following the tragic news of his death in a racing accident yesterday at Las Vegas in the final Indy Car Series round of the year.

The BRDC is extremely proud of Dan and all that he achieved and was achieving in the United States. He was undoubtedly one of the great talents of his generation as his racing results testified. Two victories in the Indy 500 put him in a very select group of drivers and having won the Rookie of the Year honours in 2003 it was no surprise that he should win the Indy Car Championship in 2005. Dan followed this in 2006 by winning the BRDC Gold Star, beating the likes of Jenson Button, Mark Webber, David Coulthard and Dario Franchitti to this coveted award.

Dan was a true professional and a great ambassador for the sport. He was highly focused in the way he approached his racing and a real perfectionist. He pushed himself, and those he worked with, hard to produce results that were worthy of his talents and that fed his insatiable hunger to win. With his film-star good looks and athletic prowess, it was no wonder that the American public took him to their hearts.

In the BRDC we will remember Dan as a great racing driver who was very much involved with the Club and our circuit at Silverstone during the formative years of his career. Dan was, for many years, part of the BRDC ‘Rising Stars’ young driver programme. So proud of this recognition was he, that even after qualifying to be a Full Member of the BRDC he chose to remain a Rising Star, as he felt it represented what he was and helped the Indy Car world understand where he was set on going; to the very top. As a young driver Dan was also a finalist in the McLaren Autosport BRDC Young Driver of the Year Award on two occasions, which was proof, if it was needed, that great things lay ahead of him.

When Dan did eventually become a Full Member of the BRDC he commented at the time, “To be included in a group of such great names makes me feel very special. I will do everything that I can to represent the BRDC in a way that makes you all very proud.”

Dan Wheldon was a great ambassador for the BRDC and motor sport generally. He will be hugely missed.”

Dan Wheldon Was A Popular Figure - Photo Credit: Nick Laham/Getty Images

Some of the biggest names in Motorsport have expressed their anguish at the loss of British racing star Dan Wheldon, who passed away yesterday in Las Vegas.

In the hours after it was announced Wheldon had died, many of his racing friends, rivals and motorsport peers have come out and expressed their grief at the news, with Wheldon always being a popular figure and his loss hitting the Motorsport world hard.

Wheldon, who leaves behind a wife and two children, died after being involved in a fifteen car crash in the early laps of the IZOD Indycar Series race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, in which he was competing to try and win $2.5m.

Chip Ganassi - “What can you say? He was such a big presence in our sport and quite a talent.  Today we lost a little bit of Indycar.  He raced here for us for three years, won six races and made many friends – the whole Chip Ganassi Racing organization mourns his passing.  My thoughts and prayers go out to Susie, the boys and the whole Wheldon family.” 

Dario Franchitti – “We lost a good friend.  Everybody in IndyCar Series considered Dan a friend. He was one of those special, special people from the first moment he showed up in IndyCar. And he was kind of the brash, but he was a charmer. Then he became this loving family guy who was still charming, but he had this whole new side to him. I’m just thinking of Susie and the boys. When I think about them I’m struggling to hold it together.”

Scott Dixon – “Dan is family and I will miss him badly. Such an amazing person and wonderful family man. We will be with Susie, Sebastian and Oliver for whatever they need. I still can’t believe it.”

The scoring tower at Las Vegas Motor Speedway simply showing Wheldon's car number during the five lap tribute paid by his fellow drivers

Graham Rahal – “My heart goes out to the Wheldon family. Dan was an incredible champion, a great friend and someone I will always respect and admire. We have truly lost one of the greatest members of our INDYCAR family.”

Andretti Autosport – “It is with extreme sorrow that we have lost one of our champion drivers today. Dan was an Indy 500 champion and IndyCar Series champion with Andretti Autosport—and one of our closest competitors. Dan brought such enthusiasm and passion to the sport not often seen in motorsports. We will remember Dan’s tremendous racing accomplishments with our team as well his infectious personality. We would like to express our deepest sympathy to Dan’s family, racing team and friends today. Dan is one of IndyCar’s greatest champions.”

Oriol Servia – “This is incredibly sad. I feel so bad for Susie and their kids.  It’s so tough to understand when somebody is gone that quickly.  Dan was always a very happy guy; he was always smiling.  He was a funny, great person that touched a lot of people.  He will be missed.”

James Hinchcliffe - “It’s a black day for the sport.  We came in here hoping for a good season-finale and ended up losing a very close friend and a very good racing driver.  He made such an impact on this sport and will even continue to now.  It’s tough to put into words what everybody is feeling. We’re going to have to regroup over the winter and head into the first race next year and race the whole year for Dan because the new car that we all are going to be blessed with the opportunity to race, a lot of that is as good as it is because of Dan.  My thoughts are with Susie and the kids.”

Lewis Hamilton – “This is a tragic loss at such a young age. He was an extremely talented driver. As a British guy, who not only went over to the States but who twice won the Indy 500, he was an inspirational guy and someone that every racing driver looked up to with respect and admiration. My heart goes out to his family and friends during this extremely difficult time.”

Twitter reactions:

Danica Patrick – “There are no words for today. Myself and so many others are devastated. I pray for suzi and the kids that god will give them strength.”

Mark Blundell – “Days like this are never easy for any driver old and young, brings home the risk and underlines in bold, made tougher when you know the guy!”

Mark Webber – “Rest in Peace Dan. I remember our early days in the UK 95/96.. Miss ya..”

Rubens Barrichello – “Will always remember the great times we had at karting in Brazil my friend. Rest in peace #DanWheldon”

Tony Kanaan – “No words to describe the pain. See you on the other side my dear friend. You will be missed”

Will Power – “Such a sad day… to lose a champion like Dan Wheldon…my thoughts and prayers are with Susie and his kids”

Marco Andretti – “I looked up to you both as a racing driver and a person/friend. You will be forever missed. RIP Dan Wheldon.”

Jenson Button – “Just woken up to the most horrific news.. Dan Wheldon RIP…”

Bryan Sellers – “I can’t believe it, racing is such a small world and no matter the series we are a family, we lost a brother.”

Robert Reid – “Tragic news from Las Vegas and yet another reminder of how fragile life can be and why we all need to make the most of whatever we have.”

James Thorp – “Horrifically sad to learn of the untimely death of Dan Wheldon, someone many of us looked up to. dark day for motorsport. RIP.”

Dan Wheldon - Photo Credit: Jim Haines

British Indycar driver Dan Wheldon has died following a 15 car crash in the early laps of the IZOD Indycar Series race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. He suffered what series officials called “unsurvivable injuries”.

Several cars, including Wheldon San Schmidt run car, got airborne after running up on drivers already slowing down to avoid the accident and crashed into the debris fencing.

The race was almost immediately red flagged and Wheldon was airlifted to a local hospital. However, nearly two hours later the news of his death was confirmed.

Wheldon had started from the back of the grid, hoping to win and $2.5 million payout for himself and the same amount for a winning fan.

The 33-year-old won the Indycar championship in 2005, also winning the Indianapolis 500 that year. Despite having no full-time race seat he won the American Open Wheel showpiece again earlier this year, and was testing the 2012-specification chassis.

Dan Wheldon 1978-2011

Chevrolet powered 2012 Indycar (Photo Credit: Indycar)

This Sunday brings the end of the2 011 IZOD IndyCar Series and introduces a new era for the series.  The iconic “Bow-Tie” advances.

For 2012, a handful of teams will be employing a new power-plant.  Chevrolet is returning to open-wheel competition with a new direct-injected, twin-turbocharged Chevrolet IndyCar V-6. Team Penske, Andretti Autosport, and Panther Racing are currently the only teams who will be utilizing the new package.

Mark Kent, Director of GM Racing, was the man of the hour saying, “In our last media briefing before the Indianapolis 500, I said that the new Chevy IndyCar V-6 would be up and running in June. I’m pleased to report that the engine fired up for the first time on June 16, and dyno testing began immediately. Since then we have focused on power development and durability testing to achieve the series’ goal of 2,000 miles between rebuilds.”

Kent continued, “We acquired a new 2012 chassis from Dallara and completed the installation of the Chevy IndyCar V-6,” Kent reported. “The car made its first laps in a shakedown run at Putnam Park near Indianapolis on September 28, and we began track testing at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course on October 4.”

At Sunday’s IZOD IndyCar Series finale, the Chevy-powered car will make its public demonstration.  After the season finale, Las Vegas Motorspeedway’s (LVMS) oval will serve as test-oval for Chevrolet’s new package.

“We are looking forward to giving fans at Las Vegas Motor Speedway a preview of what IndyCar racing will look and sound like in 2012,” Kent said. “The change to turbocharged V-6 engines will be dramatic.”

“We have an ambitious testing schedule through the remainder of the year,” Kent added. “The upcoming IndyCar tests will be open to all manufacturers, and we will have representatives from all of the Chevrolet teams in attendance. We plan to have a driver from every Chevy team try out the new engine and chassis package before the teams receive their new cars in mid-December.”

GM Racing is using a cooperative team strategy to accelerate development of the Chevy IndyCar V-6 engine. ”The test team is made up of individuals from each of our key partner teams, and we are operating as Team Chevy,” Kent explained. “This is a concept that we have carried over from our NASCAR program, which has made Chevrolet the most successful manufacturer in NASCAR history. While the teams are competitors on the track, we know that working together to solve common issues will provide a competitive advantage for all Chevrolet teams.”

It is no small task to create an infrastructure from the ground up, and Chevy are bringing all of their racing know-how to bear for this endeavor.

“Many of the components of the Chevy IndyCar V-6 require long lead times to manufacture, and these parts are now in production,” Kent explained. “Our technical partner, Ilmor Engineering in Plymouth, Mich., has plans in place to distribute and maintain Chevrolet engines for our IndyCar teams.”

The new twin-turbocharged, direct-injected Chevy IndyCar V-6 racing engine is powered by renewable E85 ethanol fuel. Direct injection and turbocharging are fundamental elements of the 2012 IZOD IndyCar engine package.  Chevrolet competed previously in Indy-style competition as an engine manufacturer in 1986-93 and 2002-05 with V-8 engines, winning 104 races, powering six driver champions, and scoring seven Indianapolis 500 victories.

Jean Alesi (Photo Credit: Group Lotus)

Ex-Formula One star Jean Alesi is to return to single seater racing next year after he announced his intentions to race in the 2012 Indianapolis 500.

Following his departure from F1 after the 2001 season the Frenchman has raced in the DTM series before returning to driving a Ferrari last season – this time a GT2-spec F430 in the Le Mans Series. For the start of 2011 Alesi joined Group Lotus as an brand ambassador and to help with the development of the T125, Lotus’ customer aimed F1 car.

The attempt to qualifying for next year’s Indy 500, however, will be Alesi’s first time racing on an oval.

His development role at Lotus will give him some experience as he helps the manufacturer with the new Lotus Indycar engine that will power his car around the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

The 2.2litre twin turbo V6 engine is on schedule and expected to fire up for the first time in mid-October and begin track testing in December.

“I’m thrilled that Lotus has given me the opportunity to compete in such a world famous race,” said Alesi. “It’s going to be a very special experience for me but I also know that I have a lot of hard work ahead. I’m very focused on the task I’m facing – I’m taking my training very seriously, I have some amazing support on this front from a ‘comeback’ expert and of course I will be testing extensively. I’m really excited about the race.”

Scott Dixon, Motegi (Photo Credit: Chris Jones/Indycar)

Target Chip Ganassi Racing (TCGR) driver Scott Dixon piloted the No. 9 Target Honda Dallara to its second win of the 2011 season in the Indy Japan 300 at Twin Ring Motegi. The victory was Dixon’s 27th career win, which also marked the 86th for TCGR and145th for Chip Ganassi Racing Teams. Target teammate Dario Franchitti took the checkered flag in eighth.

Dixon started from the pole and ran at the front of the field for the opening 21 laps of the race. After extending his lead over second place to just more than two seconds, he brought the No. 9 in for its first green flag pit stop. When he returned to the track, he was able to maintain his lead over the rest of the field. He secured the bonus points for leading the most laps and then stretched out to a more than four-second lead. On lap 44, Dixon came back to the attention of the pit crew for four tires and fuel during his final scheduled stop of the race. Following the full cycle of green flag stops, Dixon held onto the lead, survived a late-race restart and took the checkered flag ahead of his challengers.

Franchitti started the day from the ninth position, but quickly moved up to sixth by the end of lap one. As the race wore on, he made another move to put himself into the top-five. His first scheduled pit stop came on lap 21, but one lap later the yellow flag flew for a full-course caution. On the following restart, the No. 10 Target car was involved in an on-track incident, which dropped him back to the 23rd position. By lap 34, Franchitti had made his way back up to 19th, and after his final stop of the day moved into 13th. After avoiding multiple incidents in the closing laps, he cut through traffic to finish eighth.

“I have got to give a lot of the credit to Team Target today,” the Kiwi said after the race. “They gave me a fantastic car, and in some sections I was just cruising trying to save fuel. But the Firestone tires performed brilliantly for my car, which was fantastic. But huge credit goes out to the team. Great pit stops, great fuel strategy, everything was flawless and that is what we needed to win here.”

Dario Franchittis said; “First, I’d like to congratulate my teammate. (Scott) did great job all weekend. The incident was totally my mistake, totally my mistake. I did a lot hard work to get from ninth to fifth, and I’d been saving fuel the whole first stint. I made a risky move on the restart. I thought there was a gap and Ryan (Briscoe) was going wide on the entry and that was that. It was just a stupid move and we had a great fight back from 25th. Great job by the guys in the pits and I drove as hard as I knew how. I shouldn’t have put us in that position. We still have it all to play for, but I keep making it more difficult. If you win or if you lose, you always look at the championship as a whole. Today, Loudon, Texas, Indy and on and on. You always look at these things, but Will (Power) can do the same with his races. That was a mistake today. I shouldn’t have made it. I apologized to Graham and I apologized to Chip. Briscoe and Charlie (Kimball) I will apologize to when I see him. I own up to the mistake and Chip is right to be critical. It was a stupid move, and I shouldn’t have done it.”

The Novo Nordisk team proved to adapt well on the 14-turn, 2.983-mile Motegi road course when Charlie Kimball captured his season-best qualifying effort of seventh, marking his third top-10 qualifying effort of his rookie season.

Kimball hastily slid the No. 83 Novo Nordisk car into fourth-place on the first lap.  The team held on to a spot in the top-five for much of the first stint. Kimball had a solid run going in the top 10 until he was forced to veer off into the gravel to avoid an on-track melee on lap 26, causing the unharmed No. 83 to drop back to 21st. With two laps remaining, Kimball was running 19th when he would make contact with another car, which resulted in a 23rd-place finish for Novo Nordisk Chip Ganassi Racing.

With the finish, Kimball maintains third-place in the IZOD IndyCar Series Rookie of the Year point standings and 19th overall.

With Chip Ganassi drivers all over the field and after running near the top of the speed charts during the practice sessions, the No. 38 Service Central car advanced to the Firestone Fast Six for the fifth time this season, nabbing a third-place qualifying position for Graham Rahal.

Rahal kept his third-place starting position for the first stint. The Service Central team would quickly complete their first pit stop on lap 20, allowing the No. 38 Service Central car to maintain its top-five run with fresh tires and a full tank of fuel.  The strong run by Rahal came to an abrupt stop when he was innocently collected in the fracas of lap 26, but would avoid losing a lap and restart 24th. The Service Central car charged through the field and gained 12 positions before bringing home a 12th-place finish for Service Central Chip Ganassi Racing.

Rahal advances one position to ninth in the IZOD IndyCar Series points standings.

“It was a frustrating day for the Service Central team,” said Rahal. ”We were collected in an incident early in the race, which put us at the back of the field. No. 38 Service Central car was fast all weekend and had the pace to finish up front. The Service Central guys did a great job. It’s just a disappointing finish, especially as we head into the final two races. We needed good points.”

Hideki Mutoh - Photo Credit: @ssnphoto.com

Alex Tagliani will be getting a new teammate for the IZOD IndyCar Series race at Twin Ring Motegi in the Indy Japan 300. Hideki Mutoh will be piloting the No. 17 Honda Formula Dream AFS/SSM Racing Dallara/Honda/Firestone car for Sam Schmidt Motorsports (SSM).

The No. 17 car is a joint entry between SSM and AFS racing, which is owned by Gary Petersen. Schmidt and Peterson share a long history together, and both have a strong desire to win, not just compete. Like Schmidt, Petersen is a former open-wheel racecar driver. He drove in Firestone Indy Lights before transitioning to a full-time team ownership role.

The Tokyo native heads to the Motegi road course with a record of 52 IndyCar starts. Three of those starts are at Motegi’s oval with a track best finish of 11^th place in 2008. Mutoh had impressive back-to-back seasons in 2008 and 2009 driving for Andretti Green Racing. In 2008, he captured the IndyCar Series’ rookie of the year title, finished 10^th in the championship point standings and recorded his career-best finish of second at Iowa Speedway in Newton. The next year, he finished 11^th in points, had four top-fives and also led 74 laps at Richmond (Va.) International Raceway.

When asked about his one-off opportunity, Mutoh said, “I am really looking forward to working with Sam Schmidt Motorsports at Motegi. Though this is only one race, it means a lot to me to be able to race in front of my home crowd again.  This has been a tough year for Japan and I hope we can bring some excitement to the many fans.  I am determined to do well and put up a strong performance for the team.  It will also help having Alex Tagliani as a teammate and I really cannot wait to get started.”

Following an accident in 2000, Sam Schmidt began fielding cars in the then INDYCAR Series as team owner in 2001. 2011 marks the 10^th anniversary for Sam Schmidt Motorsports.

Schmidt had the following to say about his new pilot, “I’m thrilled we’re able to give Hideki Mutoh the opportunity to get into an Indy car this season. After showing so much promise in the series last season, and being able to compete at a circuit he has experience at, I can’t wait to see what he can to on the road course at Motegi.”

The Star Mazda Championship is unique in that, unlike IndyCar and Indy Lights, it uses a Formula One-style ‘standing start.’  When the lights turn green, the drivers, two abreast on the grid, the attempted compromise of perfection between man and machine, will launch from the start/finish grid into a maelstrom;  hell-bent for the first turn.

Continuing a battle they began last year, championship leader Tristan Vautier and Connor De Phillippi are the only two drivers still in the hunt for the overall series championship and the 2012 Indy Lights ride that comes with it, a much-coveted prize funded by a scholarship from the Mazda Road to Indy driver development program. Vautier leads the battle 392 points vs. 354 for Connor De Phillippi. With 46 points available (44 for first, 1 for pole and 1 for fastest race lap), De Phillippi will need not only to drive the race of his life, but will need to have some serious bad luck befall his adversary… but anyone who has been in racing long enough knows that the oddest things happen in the last race with the championship on the line. Vautier came to race in Star Mazda in 2010 with an already-impressive resume of competition in European open-wheel ‘ladder series.’ He finished 5th in the championship last year with two wins, four podiums and ten top-10s. His season was compromised by three bad races, including a 13th here at Mazda Raceway (after qualifying 3rd), a 19th at Autobahn and 13th at Road America.

This year, driving the #5 JDC Motorsports / Cecibon / Circuit du Laquais Mazda, he has scored four wins so far this season, scored six podiums and finished every race in the top-5… no bad races at all. It is of such stuff that championships are made. De Phillippi, the 2009 Skip Barber Pro Series champion, moved up to the Star Mazda Championship in 2010 with funding from the Mazda Road to Indy and finished 3rd in the championship with one win (the season finale at Road Atlanta), three podiums and eleven top-10 finishes… including 4th at Mazda Raceway. His Waterloo came with an 11th at Autobahn and 15th at Trois-Rivières. This season, driving the #11 Team Pelfrey / Justice Brothers Products / Trademark Garage Floors Mazda, he won the opening round at St. Petersburg, won from the pole at the Night Before the 500 at the Lucas Oil Raceway oval, and won again at Trois-Rivières. He has finishes on the podium five times, and scored seven top-6 finishes. However he also has two 10ths and one 11th-place finish on his scorecard… and those are the reason he has the uphill battle this weekend.

The prestigious ‘Rookie of the Year’ honors already belong to Andretti protégé Sage Karam (the youngest driver in the series) who was the 2010 USF2000 champion and is racing in Star Mazda with scholarship funding from the Mazda Road to Indy. Karam’s season so far includes two wins, both on ovals (the Milwaukee Mile and Iowa Speedway) four podium finishes and eight top-10s, all at the controls of the #88 Andretti Autosport / MAZDASPEED / Comfort Revolution Mazda. His one bad race was a 14th in the season opener, but he still has enough points to clinch the title. This battle might have gone down to the final race as well with Gustavo Menezes — the second-youngest driver in the series), who made the jump directly from the top levels of international karting to the Star Mazda Championship – giving Karam a fight. However, in Round 11 at the Grand Prix of Baltimore, Menezes, driving the #28 Juncos Racing / Truecar / Safety Park Mazda, he was found to have made several blocking moves – strictly prohibited in Star Mazda championship competition – and was stripped of his 4th place finish and all points. This dropped him from ROY contention.

The Star Mazda Championship is unique in having an Expert Series for drivers 30 and older in whom the competitive fire still burn brightly. Theirs is a race-within-a-race in which they drive the same cars and compete with the same top young drivers for finishing position, but are also scored separately and the in-class winner joins the top-3 on the podium for the interviews, hat dance and champagne spraying. The champion in this class in 2010 was Texan J.W. Roberts, a computer company CEO who is both owner of and driver for Team GDT. This year he again leads the Expert Series championship with 218 points and four in-class wins. His principal competition is Walt Bowlin, the racing dentist from St. Petersburg, FL with two in-class wins. However, Bowlin will not be racing at Mazda Raceway, so Roberts will clinch his second consecutive Expert Series championship the instant the race start.

In the Team Championship, which is decided by over the course of the season by a composite of the finishing positions of the top-2 drivers on the team, three teams are still in the running. Leading is rookie squad Team Pelfrey, a former IndyCar team from 1998-2001 that has now re-formed and is working its way back up to IndyCar via the Star Mazda Championship and its two drivers, Connor De Phillippi and his teammate Nick Andries. Third in the championship and certain to be battling his teammate to move up to 2nd, Andries started off brilliantly, from the outside of the front row in the season-opener, but went off in the first turn of the first lap to finish 16th. The lesson was quickly learned, however, and he put together a very respectable season with six podium finishes, one pole and two fastest race laps driving the #81 Team Pelfrey / Lithionics Battery / GS610 Brake Fluid / Trademark Garage Floors Mazda.

Second in the team championship is Juncos Racing, the South American squad based in Vero Beach, Florida that destroyed all the series records in 2010 with a championship winning campaign for Conor Daly, son of F1 and IndyCar racing legend Derek Daly. His season included seven wins and nine starts from the pole. This year, running a 4-car team of talented young drivers, their best finish was a win in Round 6 by Brazilian racer João Victor Horto, his first Star Mazda victory ever in the #7 Juncos Racing / Programa Leilões Mazda’ they also scored nine podium finishes, distributed among their other drivers, including Gustavo Menezes, Colombian driver (and the only female in the series) Tatiana Calderon in the #10 Juncos Racing / JAC Motors Mazda, and Chilean driver Martin Scuncio in the #60 Juncos Racing / Bia Comunicaciones / Cable Del Pacifico Mazda.

The third team in the championship battle is JDC Motorsports, which is fielding the championship-leading effort for Tristan Vautier. This team has won multiple championships, including 2007 with Dane Cameron and 2009 with Adam Christodoulou; both drivers have gone on to professional careers. JDC’s record this year includes four wins (all Vautier), six podium finishes (all Vautier) and 24 top-10 finishes distributed among their other drivers, including Brazilian racer João Jardim in the #39 JDC Motorsports / Shopping M Mazda, Nick Mancuso in the #27 JDC Motorsports / Indeck / Jimmy John’s / Lake Forest Sportscars Mazda and Chris Miller in the #85 JDC Motorsports / Miller Milling / Red Line Oil Mazda.

Drivers are competing for a year-end prize fund valued at $1.5 million, including scholarship funding from the Mazda Road to Indy for the Star Mazda series champion to move up and race in the 2012 Indy Lights series. 2010 series champion Conor Daly, son of racing legend Derek Daly, used his scholarship for a mixed season of Indy Lights and GP3 competition in Europe. The Mazda Road to Indy offers scholarships for the USF2000 champion to move up to the Star Mazda Championship; for the Star Mazda Champion to move up to Indy Lights; and for the Indy Lights champion to move up to IndyCar.

When Charlie Kimball left New Hampshire Motor Speedway, his intent was to take the energy of his career-best finish of ninth place and capitalize on it.  Kimball would start in the top-10 for his second consecutive outing, and was feeling good about taking the race to the field in Sonoma.  Qualifying in 26^th position on the grid, the Novo Nordisk team held fast to their convictions that the No. 83 Levemir and NovoLog FlexPen car would gain ground and grind down the competition during the 75 laps ahead of them.

Seven laps after the green flew at Infineon Raceway, the Novo Nordisk team played their hold card. They were pitting for fresh tires.  Unwavering, Kimball kept his focus and by lap 50, he had moved up to 18^th place.

Lap 54 came too soon for Kimball.  The No.83 Novo Nordisk Chip Ganassi Racing machine had given its all, while the man looked on in despair.  Charlie Kimball’s gearbox failed causing an unexpected pit stop.  Nine laps down and broken, Charlie Kimball finished in 26^th place.

After the race, Charlie poured the accolades on his crew, “It was a tough day for Novo Nordisk Chip Ganassi Racing.  I think we had the right strategy because the pace was pretty impressive when I had fresh tires.  We were quicker than the guys we were racing.  We had a gear box issue at the end and I wasn’t able to down shift.  I was kucky to get it back to pit lane and the Novo Nordisk crew fixed the issue.  I think the No. 83 Levemir and NovoLog Flex Pen car will be quick at Baltimore; it’s new for everyone, but I think we have a pretty good street circuit setup.”

It would prove to be a difficult weekend for Franchitti as he qualified in fourth spot on the grid.  He would keep the No. 10 Target Honda within the top-four for the bulk of the race opening.  At lap 27, Franchitti came in for his first round of pit stops. Maintaining his top-four positioning, the incident-free Franchitti came in for his final pit stop with 25 laps-to-go.

A caution would provide an exciting restart with only six laps remaining and Franchitti would have to keep the No. 9 TCGR car of Scott Dixon at bay for a fourth place finish.  While not a podium finish, Franchitti did score his 11^th top-five finish of the 2011 IZOD Indycar Series season.

Franchitti provided a terse comment on the events of the day in a TCGR release, “Tough day for Team Target.  The Penske guys were clearly better than we were and we have some work today before we head off to Baltimore and Japan. I spent a lot of time reading ‘Penske Truck Rental’ off the rear wing of (Ryan) Briscoe’s car and just couldn’t get close enough to get by him.”

Scott Dixon qualified in fifth position on the grid and maintained a top-five positioning through the first round of green-flag pit stops.  Through the second round of green-flag pit stops, Dixon and the No. 9 Target Honda Dallara would pressure the front four and close the gap to Franchitti.  Dixon, poised to strike after a restart with six laps-to-go, would fill Franchitti’s mirrors in a bid for the lead while simultaneously defending his position from those whom would overtake him.  Dixon’s fifth-place finish would net him his ninth top-five of the year and 10th top-ten in 2011.

Not attempting to hide his disdain at the end of the day, Dixon said, “We just struggled today.  I was thinking we would be better over a long distance, but we just got worse, as compared to the Penske cars. It was a tough day, it wasn’t the best race as far as passing, but it was all action inside the car working the arms and elbows.  Overall, it was a tough day for Team Target and congrats to the Penske boys.”

When the green flag flew for his fourth career start at InfineonRaceway, Rahal immediately set his sights on the front of the field. Running in fuel conservation mode immediately; Rahal maintained a competitive pace.  The No. 38 Service Central car was running smoothly and the team was certain that their two-stop strategy was going to advance them.  That strategy would see Rahal turning some of the fastest laps in the field.  By lap 50, Rahal had moved comfortably into 10th^th. As the checkers brought the race to its close, the Service Central Chip Ganassi Racing (SCCGR) driver would place in eighth; giving them their fifth top-10 finish of the season.

When asked about the race for the SCCGR press release how he felt about the race, Rahal exuberantly responded with, “Today was a good run for Service Central Chip Ganassi Racing.  After the weekend we’ve had, pulling off a top-10 feels pretty amazing. I think the No. 38 Service Central car was definitely one of the quickest cars today.”

Rahal continued, “If the caution did come out at the end, I think we would’ve had a great chance to catch (Sebastian) Bourdais and (James) Hinchcliffe.  Overall, it was a really good day and I’m proud of the Service Central team.  It feels good to get a top-10 and gain some points.”

The points that Rahal gained put him in 10th^th place in the IZOD Indycar Series and 211 points behind series leader, Dario Franchitti.

With just four races to go in the season, Power earns his fifth victory of the year; only one win shy of the IndyCar single season record.  It seemed to be all that Power could do to keep fellow Team Penske teammate Helio Castroneves from overtaking as he charged furiously in pursuit of his own victory.  It would be a podium filled with Team Penske colors, however,  as Roger Penske’s drivers swept the race with a solid 1-2-3 finish.  With Castroneves coming in second to repeat the same 1-2 result as the Edmonton race in July and Ryan Briscoe finishing third (which ties his current season high), this is the first Penske 1-2-3 sweep since 1994 at Nazareth (Paul Tracy, Al Unser Jr., and Emerson Fitipaldi).

While Justin Wilson’s back continues to heal, Giorgio Pantano made his debut with Dreyer & Reinhold Racing, advancing five spots from his spot on the starting grid to sixth.  His success was short lived as he was assessed a penalty for blocking Sebastian Bourdais at Turn 11 on the last lap and was sent to 17^th place at the rear of the lead lap.

Race highlights

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_P-Q4b5kBQ

Wheldon’s Indy ride was – currently – a one off deal with Bryan Herta Autosport – but the 2005 Indy 500 winner is something of Brickyard specialist, coming to BHA after two years with Panther Racing including a pair of runner-up finishes at Indy. Unsuprisingly, starting from Sixth, Wheldon was a factor in the top five for much of the day, but didn’t lead the race until the very last metres of the very last lap after rookie JR Hildebrand had crashed out of the lead on the final turn.

For much of the race Ganassi teammates Dario Franchitti and Scott Dixon had dominated the race. Dixon, starting from the middle of the front row actually led across the line to start the race after pole-sitter Alex Tagliani misjudged his acceleration point.

However, the Canadian, who had paced qualifying pole day as well as many of the practice sessions, took less than ten laps to put his Sam Schmidt Motorsport no.77 car back in the lead and start pulling away from Dixon, Townsend Bell and Wheldon, an order that survived until the first caution on lap 21 when Takuma Sato slapped the wall on the exit of turn one.

The KV Racing Technology retirement list was soon doubled when E.J. Viso tried to go three wide with James Hinchcliffe and Jay Howard on the approach to turn one, but as Viso tried to move towards the inside for the corner – out of the treacherous high line – he clipped Hinchcliffe, sliding first to the inside of the track before the centrifugal force of oval racing drew the Lotus green and yellow liveried car into the outside wall. Though the accident offered to usher in a crash filled race, the double file restarts caused few other problems, while still delivering two, three and even four wide racing down the front straight, and plenty of passing into turn one.

Front row starters Scott Dixon (9) and Alex Tagliani dominated the first half of the race

A more dangerous place – as it often is at Indianapolis – was pitlane. Will Power’s chance to win were all but deleted at the first pitstop when he left without the left-rear wheel attached properly – despite the frantic gesticulations of the tyre changer on that corner. It was a similar story for Jay Howard to bring out the race’s third yellow flag, though the Essex man’s right-rear waited until the acceleration lane to part company, spearing Howard into the Armco for a slow-speed retirement.

Howard’s end began a hundred laps that Sam Schmidt will likely want to forget. Tagliani began to fade from the front of the race, battling a loose car and cooling issues that had the team tearing at the bodywork. However, while it might have cured any temperature issues, the wounded Dallara was also down on speed, and on lap 135 Tagliani was lapped by Franchitti, the man who had taken his place at the front, swapping the lead with Scott Dixon.

Tagliani’s race came to its anti-climactic end after contact with the wall on the exit of turn four. He had moved up a groove to let the lead lap car of JR Hildebrand by, but caught off line, the near-gravitational pull of the wall brought contact – light by Indy standards – but enough to bend the fragile front suspension.

Schmidt’s final blow came shortly after the restart, when Townsend Bell and Ryan Briscoe tangled in turn one. Bell – a man who has made a habit of excelling in one of Indy rides – had been a top ten driver all race, but he too became an indirect victim of the high line, though his error was trying too hard to avoid it, and cutting off Briscoe’s low line, pulling them both into the wall. The crash also capped off a horror of a day for Team Penske. Power never made up the lap lost early, while Helio Castroneves – looking to join Indy’s top table with four 500 wins – was never a factor in the top ten, let alone of the race lead.

That was the final caution of the race and fell in the window of uncertainty in regards to fuel mileage, and the range of strategies the two SSM related cautions brought out ignited interest in the race.

Almost the entire field had pitted under the caution brought out by Tagliani, but Franchitti had stayed out but now opted to pit from the lead under the Bell/Briscoe yellow flag and was followed in by a cluster of cars including fellow lead lapper Hildebrand. The stop left them marginally short by most calculations, but with there being littler reason to expect the final 35 laps to run caution free, well within range of a fuel mileage win to match last year’s race.

The stop dropped Franchitti down to tenth on the restart, behind the bulk of the lead lap field that had opted to stay out, despite having little or no chance of making it to the end of the race on fuel.

The shuffle put several drivers at the front of the field, who had spent much of the race in the lower reaches of the lead lap. Graham Rahal led from the restart, but was quickly overhauled by Scott Dixon – the Kiwi had stayed out on both cautions, the other end of the strategy spectrum from his Ganassi teammate, but Dixon was finally forced to give up track position in the first flurry of final pitstops, pitting on lap 179.

Also stopping were Wheldon, Rahal and Oriol Servia, the Spaniard who had enjoyed a quiet race in the top five after starting on the outside of the front row. Others stayed out. Danica Patrick led ten laps before being being passed by Bertrand Baguette in turn one.

The Belgian has been able to get some of the mileage in the field all race, taking the lead for a fleeting moment earlier in the race during a green flag pitstop cycle. Driving for Rahal-Letterman he looked set to win, keeping up his speed while others, crucially including Dario Franchitti, were falling away.

As the racing became increasingly breathless as the lead changed hands and the order shuffled, Baguette pitted, putting JR Hildebrand in the lead. Like Baguette Hildebrand had led earlier in the race by staying out longer under green, and after pitting wth Franchitti under the final caution had stretched out his fuel, just far enough.

And fuel mileage was not a problem.

Heartbreak at the yard of bricks: Hildebrand crosses the line second

Hildebrand entered turn four for the final time with little more than a straight to go before a rookie win for the ages, but first had to negotiate Charlie Kimball. Kimball stayed low, and Hildebrand went high. Just as Tagliani had, when Hildebrand was the man in the low line he drifted up, heartbreakingly smashing into the wall with only yards to go.

Either momentum or determination pushed Hildebrand’s heavily damaged car across the line, but it was only enough to be second, as Wheldon swept past on the finish straight to take the checkered flag to score an emotion second victory. The race end was made all the more ironic as Wheldon had been forced out of the Panther Racing seat over the off-season.

Rahal finished third, ahead of Tony Kanaan in the only surviving Lotus liveried car. Scott Dixon finished sixth – slowing in the final laps, one place ahead of Baguette. Franchitti was the final man on the lead lap in twelfth having to pit on the penultimate lap as the same economy issues that ended his pole day qualifying run struck in the race.

Wheldon dispatches the 500's customary Victory Lane milk

The traditional Month of May that forms the run up to the Indy 500 itself is also custom designed to create talking points for race previews, and though the practices sessions are more condensed now than in previous year, the 100th year of racing at the track has created perhaps, more interest than normal.

Look no further than the starting grid – the 33 drivers who have made it through qualifying – the line-up is at the foot of this preview. In stark contrast to the immediate previous years in Indianapolis, and to much of the Indycar Series season, the powerhouse teams of the sport – Chip Ganassi Racing, Team Penske and Andretti Autosport – have struggled for speed.

Will Power – recognised as a road course specialist – was the only one of the three Penske drivers to qualify in the top nine that went on to fight for pole position. Multiple winner Helio Castroneves will only start 16th, while Ryan Briscoe had to wait until Bump Day – the second day of qualifying – to secure his own place in the fastest 33.

Worse still were Andretti Autosport. Jeff Andretti – back with the team for another year at Indy – was the only one of their five drivers to qualify in top 24, leaving the quartet of full season drivers to face the lottery of Bump Day, and a rain affected Bump Day at that, to get into the field.

Danica Patrick – still the series pin-up and media darling – made the field in the best form, taking the first run after a lengthy stoppage for rain to put the no.7 GoDaddy.com car in the race. Her remaining teammates were less fortunate. Mike Conway and Ryan Hunter-Reay both had places in the field, but were bumped out as others went fastest. Hunter-Reay held the place until the last run – by teammate Marco Andretti – when Marco pushed his way into the race.

Andretti Autosport struggled for pace throughout practice and qualifying, Mike Conway the man to miss the field

That should have been the end of qualifying, but the following day dealing meant Hunter-Reay took the place of Bruno Junqueira who had put his A.J. Foyt Enterprises car in the race on speed. A year after breaking a leg in a horrific final lap accident Mike Conway, who already has one win this season – Long Beach – and was the best placed of the Andretti Autosport drivers in the championship missed the field.

Before Hunter-Reay found his way into the field the story of May was almost certainly Simona de Silvestro.

One of the things any race loses on television is the sense of speed, and Indy is no different, with the wide circuit itself and the relatively featureless trackside offering few reference points to judge the staggering velocity. Only when something goes wrong are the forces involved, and De Silvestro’s scary crash has already been a jolt of reality.

The Swiss driver crashed heavily on the penultimate day of practice, hitting the wall twice, the car rolling and bursting into fire. De Silvestro (incredibly) climbed from the car herself, before being taken to hospital for burns. After sitting out the following day of running after not being cleared by the medical team, she was back in the car for qualifying and put her HVM Racing entry 24th fastest – still with her burnt hands dressed under her race gloves.

The man to benefit from qualifying was Alex Tagliani. Driving for Sam Schmidt Motorsport the Canadian had been fast in the practice sessions and brought that pace into qualifying, topping the initial attempts, then the top-9 pole position shootout.

Alex Tagliani celebrates pole with team owner Sam Schmidt

So could Tagliani been the next man to drink (or at least empty in one way or another) the milk in victory lane?

Of course he could. However, despite their lack of single car, four lap qualifying pace, only a fool would doubt the ability of the combined Penske and Ganassi stables to win the race. All five of their drivers could be the next man to have their face added to the Borg-Warner Trophy.

But, given the underdog favouring nature of the Month to May to this point, who else could win – other than any of the 33 drivers that will take the green flag.

Townsend Bell and Dan Wheldon, both second row starters have good records at Indianapolis, with top fives (and the 2005 title in Wheldon’s case) to their name. Bell it must be added, is another feather in Sam Schmidt’s bow (and cap) in what has been a superb build-up to the race for the team.

A row further back Ed Carpenter could take a popular win for Sarah Fisher Racing having shown good speed on practice days. Even rookie JR Hildebrand cannot be discounted, given his place in Panther Racing, a team which has taken second place for the last three years at Indy.

However, there would be few results more popular (and perhaps more overdue) than a Tony Kanaan victory. The Brazilian, now driving for KV Racing Technology, has a troubled history at Indianapolis. Second and third place finishes, have given way to the last four years ending the race outside the top ten. One of three cars that will run in the famous green and yellow of Lotus, he will start 22nd, continuing a season long habit of disappointing qualifying efforts, though most have preceded pushes through the field.

There will also be plenty of British interest, as has become the norm in the American open-wheel scene. Dario Franchitti and Wheldon may be near the front but they will lead six Brits across the yard of bricks. Justin Wilson and Alex Lloyd will both be starting their fourth Indy 500 on Sunday, Lloyd hoping to repeat the fourth place finish he gave Dale Coyne Racing last year.

Jay Howard and Pippa Mann, meanwhile will make their first Indy 500 starts – Indy Lights racer Mann becoming the first British woman to make the 33 driver starting grid.

The Indianapolis 500 is like few other races on earth. In the UK your chance to experience begins at 4:30pm on Sky Sports 4.

95th Indianapolis 500 Starting Grid

Row 1

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Row 9

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Row 11

There are plenty of drivers eager to get back on track and start putting some solid performances together. One DNF each has hurt Jamie McMurray, Joey Logano, Greg Biffle and Jeff Burton who are mired in the points table between 29th and 32nd places. Ok, so they are just three races into a 36 race season but it is by race twenty-six at Richmond that the twelve drivers for The Chase to the championship are set and those four drivers are upwards of 34 points away from that crucial twelfth spot in the table, currently occupied by “five time” himself, Jimmie Johnson.

Under the new points system those four drivers are going to have to finish between one and two places ahead of the no. 48 car in every race to claw their way back into championship contention. Of course any of the drivers currently in the top twelve could have some misfortune themselves to restore some balance to the table but until that happens those vital dozen places are going to have to be fought for among the nineteen or twenty drivers who all really ought to be in The Chase on merit.

Juts outside the top twelve at the moment are Kasey Kahne and Kyle Busch. Busch chose to spend his weekend off holidaying in Mexico with his new wife, Samantha, and so entrusted the no. 18 Toyota truck to Kahne in the Camping World Truck Series race at Darlington last weekend. That was Kahne’s fourth truck race since 2004. His tally? Three wins and one second place. He won handsomely at the South Carolina track they say is too tough to tame and in the process ensured Busch was top of the table in the Owners Points table.

Meanwhile Kyle’s big brother, Kurt Busch decided to try his hand once again at NHRA Drag Racing, this time in the Pro Stock category, pitching himself against top class, full time professionals. His Sprint Cup sponsors, Dodge and Shell Oil, backed his effort and helped create what could well be one of the best looking race cars ever. Busch fluffed his first attempts at qualifying but got his act together just in time to run a 6.532 secs at 211.46 mph and achieve his goal of making the elimination rounds, twelfth out of sixteen.

In the first of the elimination rounds he was up against Erica Enders who first started drag racing when she was eight and now has nineteen seasons behind her. Busch went out with 6.541 secs and 211.59 mph, just 0.003 secs and 0.10 mph shy of Enders time and speed and could walk away with his head held high.

“What’s amazing is (the difference in the race is) just three-hundredths [it was actually three-thousandths!]of a second; in this game of drag racing, that puts you back on the trailer,” Busch sad. “This is a tough sport. I have much more respect after showing up here in Gainesville [Florida] and doing all of the test runs. I wish I had more time to do NHRA racing. This is a lot of fun.”

Kurt Busch wasn’t the only full time NASCAR driver to try something different though. On Wednesday Jamie Mc Murray drove Scott Dixon‘s Target Honda Indy Car around the Barber Motorsports Park situated east of Birmingham, Alabama. As it was the actual race car Dixon intends racing at St Petersburg on March 27th McMurray had to be fairly restrained as he got used to the single seater, not that the restraint prevented him from spinning the car, albeit at a slow, 30 mph corner.

Indycar driver Scott Dixon coaches McMurray sitting in the cockpit of the TCGR open-wheeler

McMurray was taken aback by the acceleration of the 650 bhp Honda compared to his 850 bhp Sprint Cup car but such is the difference between the weight of the two. He was also impressed with the braking power and pure grip but was the first to admit that he didn’t really have the confidence to explore either anywhere near their limits for fear of crashing.

From the Barber track the pair then went a short way east on the I-20 to Talladega where Dixon got a chance to run some laps around the SuperSpeedway in McMurray’s Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet. Dixon found the toughest thing to get used to was getting into a car in the “Dukes of Hazzard” style, through the window opening. As Talladega is a restrictor plate track he didn’t get to sample the full power of a Sprint Cup car and also missed having someone else on track with him to try his hand at drafting.

Dixon was struck by the sheer size of the Speedway, saying he had previously thought Indianapolis was impressive but Talladega is altogether a larger place, and the angle of the banking which, at 33 degrees is considerably steeper than, say, the Texas Motor Speedway which, at 24 degrees, is the steepest the Indy Cars race on.

But it is time for them all to get back to the day job. Bristol is a particularly unique track, a few feet longer than half a mile and banked at each end, it is called by some The Cereal Bowl. As veteran Ken Schrader said this week, your car will get damaged there, all you need is to be sure whatever you hit is travelling at about the same angle and direction as you are.

Kyle Busch has to start as favourite for this race, remember Bristol is where he entered the record books last August as the first and so far only driver to win all three national races, the Sprint Cup, Nationwide and Camping World Trucks Series in the same weekend. But Carl Edwards is on a high coming off his win a fortnight ago at Las Vegas and knowing he had the car to win the other two season opening races. Watch out too for Jimmie Johnson who, despite being in the top twelve in the table has not had the most convincing of starts to the year and could do with a good result to stamp his authority on the field.

It had already emerged that former champion Tony Kanaan, who had been signed for the upcoming season, had been unable to attain the sponsorship necessary for the season, and had lost the race seat at the team.

However, it now appears the team itself has been forced to close, after promising a revamped approach – an official website that declares “coming soon” a painful reminder of the potential a little more than month before the first race of the season at St. Petersburg.

The team began in 2007 as Luczo Dragon Racing, founded by Steve Luczo and Jay Penske – son of Roger. After limited schedules, first Ryan Briscoe the Tomas Scheckter on driving suties, the team stepped up to a full season effort in 2009, running Brazilian Raphael Matos.

Gil de Ferran joined the team for the 2010 season, his De Ferran Motorsports team joining the Indycar series after beginning the American Le Mans Series.