WideOpenWheel

Sleek, Smooth, SEXY

Dan Gurney, Don Panoz, Marino Franchitti; This reads like a murder’s row of automotive technology and development. It rings deeply of history and innovation. It sounds like an intro to a story describing events “back in the day”. Now add the name Ben Bowlby to the mix. How does your gut react to that addition? Does it squirm and twitch a tad? Does the term penismobile dash about inside of your head?

I was absolutely SHOCKED to see recent postings, news articles and even video of the latest exploits of Ben Bowlby and crew as they get dialed in for a demo at Sebring during the 12 hours of Sebring preparations and testing. About a week ago, a cell phone video of the car on track for the first time hit the world wide internets. There was tremendous speculation concerning the actual power plant under the hood. But I am getting ahead of myself. Many folks have speculated that this so called racing automotive vehicle would never be able to turn due to the unbelievably narrow front wheels. The contact patch on a tire that is only four inches wide is no more than 16 square inches times two tyres or about 32 square inches. Compare this to the modern day average of 40 square inches times two tyres and the ensuing carnage that would be brought forth with such a small contact patch for the Delta Wing was a certainty. Would it turn or just go straight into oblivion?

Fast forward to this week. A Nissan 1.5 liter turbo was discovered to be the power plant, Michelin is the tyre of choice and shocks are the size of a can of Red Bull. (I wonder why they never signed up to assist in the development?) Dan Gurney is once again doing something far more satisfying than performing Government contracts, Highcroft Racing has a new focus since the LMP program was ripped out from under them and Ben Bowlby is nearing vindication for his heretic visions of what a race car should be. Make no mistake, the focus of the group is INNOVATION. Once again, say that word with me S L O W L Y class, INN-O-VA-Shun.

A few months ago, I posted my feelings on innovation and they still hold true today. The Delta Wing Project stands by the following principles of development: Halve the aerodynamic drag, halve the power, halve the mass, halve the fuel consumption, halve the tyre consumption and still achieve the performance of their competitors. Admirable concepts, indeed. One would guess that this may cost in the neighborhood of 15 million dollars or so, which is pretty cheap! (See Dallara expenditures to date on the DW12.) A brief, 2 minute promo that was produced by NISSAN can be found here . Props and kudos yet again to the incomparable Marshall Pruett for his ability to bring us INNOVATIVE development in the world of motorsport. His scoop of other journalists on the topic of the Delta Wing culminated in this fine piece of video, released to us on March 13th. You can enjoy it NOW. (Comes with advertising, but what does not seem to these days?)

Coming atchas!

The next link is to some in car video with the other Franchitti guy, Marino, hustling the car around the test track in California. I like the sound and liken it to a kitten purring as it is about to pounce for the first time. A very lovely link is available here. Good googily moogily! The thing actually DOES turn and, in the words of Marino on his debrief, when asked “how does it feel”, he replied; “it …feels….like a….car”. Lord, I love innovation! I would like to venture a guess that this vehicle will be kicking some LMS A$$ come June. Too bad that we will not be seeing them, running three wide going into turn one at 16th and Georgetown! Just too darn innovative. Maybe the next generation will see the light, as we run out of fossil fuel.

I like to end most of my postings with something inspirational, or at least, informative. It could either be a remark about the overlooked talent, seeking a ride or just my thoughts on the state of Indy Car. Sometimes, I just sign off. This time, I want to point you to an article that was sent my way by a gentleman in Indy whom I had the pleasure of enjoying a coffee with last Saturday and we also did some bench racing. The name is Steve Whittich and we met at WIT last month. The Winter Indy Tweetup made for some new friends and I rank Steve as belonging in that club. I appreciate anyone that helps me write my little rag of a blog and remain grateful for those that do so. Steve’s bent is for the ladder system and he really is pretty astute as to the next up and comers. Remember, there is no Indy without an actual Road To Indy…….

At any rate, Steve sent me an article about Michael Johnson and you probably will not have a dry eye once you give this a quick read. That is okay; grown men can show emotion! I certainly did. Deserved credit is given to BLOG.SIMRACEWAY.COM and I bet that you will be giving them credit as well! Enjoy!

Thanks and we will continue our chat next time!

GForcePaul

A very strong person

In the honor of true and full disclosure, I am an Indy based blogger (like we even have a “base” of operations) that also is blessed to own a small place in Tampa Bay. I have been associated with the area since 1968 and yet I seldom go to the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. Yes, I have been to it, but the lure of going to the Hallowed Grounds every May pulls at my heart just a tad harder. I wanted to go to the unveiling of the newly named Dan Wheldon Way which is also known as turn 10 of the street course. Unfortunately, life gets in the way of our plans from time to time and we just roll with it.

This short post has few words, but the images will burn into your hearts for a long time. They certainly did mine! There will be many more tributes to Dan Wheldon this season, most likely starting with the NASCAR series race at Las Vegas. I read a few lines a short while ago about how the untimely passing of Dale Earnhardt resulted in an endless parade of tributes. For years…… and I find that this has lessened to an extent, the emotional ties to the man. There is a time to grieve and a time frame in which to heal. I hope that you receive the same comfort and closure that I did in watching this video of the unveiling of Dan Wheldon Way on Wednesday, March 7, 2012.

Let’s go get it ON LIKE DONKEY KONG in St Pete!

Thanks and props to rpm2night

Talk to you next time,
GForcePaul

Yeah, money is a little tight right now

Budgets are getting tight all over the paddock. Even the two-seater has to udergo a redesign to fit into the dollars appropriated for this season so, do you like this idea of a replacement “car”?

We just completed one of the rather more bizarre weeks ever in motorsport and unless you live in a cave, I am pretty sure you have a few opinions of your own. All Danica All the Time (again!), NASCAR hosting a weenie roast late at night on a Monday, Twitter comes of age in a single instant, first time viewership of UN-reality television, All Danica All the Time, a former Formula One Titan comes north to race and most important of all, All Danica ALL THE TIME.

Shall I continue? SFH Racing finally gets an engine, Texas Test is toast, Texas Motor Speedway president skewers the IZOD Indy Car Series in public, All Danica All the Time, how many engines has Lotus really produced to date, and finally, does Dallara have enough spare parts for teams to survive a crash fest?

So, IF you have had your breakfast this morning, and are not too sensitive to adult situations, language and verbal violence, I suggest that you hide the children and take a look at a posting by the Ragin’ Canadian. The blog is called “So… Here’s What I’m Thinking” and this pretty much sums up what we all were thinking last week. Meesh Beer takes no prisoners, PROFANELY calls it like it is and works it for you here …… Man I love this stuff! Since I want to give further props to a well deserved blogger, give this link a shot. It goes way beyond all of what one needs to know to get those hash tags right, darnit! If you cannot follow this then get a new line of work!

I need to post a short one this week due to the demands of obtaining full time employment, but I did want to offer a few opinions of my own regarding the week just completed. Randy Bernard continues to have an uphill battle herding all of the cats. His tireless efforts are beginning to pay off and the topic of open wheel motorsport is clearly elevated in the mind of the paying public. Having more teams than engines is always a good thing, no matter form of racing. The battle between the haves and the have nots will continue in all sports, not just racing and is nothing new in the world we live in.

The “battle” between Indy Car social media and NACAR social media has really just begun. Sure, the IICS started down this road but they obviously were just as blindsided as we, the public with the tweet from Keselowski’s car. It is my very humble opinion that the Twitter Wars is just heating up, and Indy Car WILL have a better product, but will take a hit based on frequency (ie; number of races in a season).

Finally, when Michael Andretti publicly criticizes Danica Pat-wreck on multiple occasions, there has to be some truth behind it. Read some of the notes from the MKE Mile presser that the promotion group for the race, Michael Andretti’s group, had to say. A certain, je ne sais quoi, unanimous voice, speaks to the possibility that more focus will be placed on the stars of Indy Car. I still warmly remember the shirt the late Dan Wheldon had made up for the 2005 Texas race which said, “I actually WON the Indy 500”.

A little Danica goes wayyy too long

Enjoy your week and we will have a little chat again next time!

GForcePaul

First gen DW-12 at the factory in Speeedway

Mid Ohio
Indianapolis
Sebring
Barber
Infinion
Sebring again
Texas
Fontanna
Phoenix
My head will not quit spinning from all of the testing sessions conducted to date with the DW12 automotive racing vehicle. Is it a dog? Is it a hog? Is it just a pig dressed up in lipstick, waiting for a prom invitation? Is it the freaking prom queen, herself (as opposed to the affectionate term ‘himself’ that Pippa Mann refers to her main squeeze as)?

Let’s examine some of the tests and determine if we can see a modicum of improvement in the car, shall we? Back in the fall, it was noted that the soon to be named DW-12 had a penchant for swiping the wall on entry with its big, ugly a$$. It was further noted that upon exit of the turn the car just…went….straight, directly into the wall. Is that called a 2-fer? After the initial oval test in Indy, it was pretty common knowledge that the vehicle was also dog slow, to the tune of being in the 210 to 215 range. Dreams of doing 230 came crashing down, and open wheel fans everywhere hung their collective heads down in dismay. The desire to hear the posthumous voice of Tom Carnegie announcing a new track record many had wished for appeared to be slipping away.

Along about January, testing moved back to Sebring. Incremental improvements were being made to the Honda / Chevrolet powered cars and Dallara stepped up work on resolving the balance problems with the car. Most of the focus was on shifting the center of gravity up a bit to help stop the pendulum affect that exhibited itself on entry and exit of turns. A ton was written on this topic and it seemed that the solution was for Dallara to produce new “A arm” suspension parts that shifted the weight bias a bit to help dampen the loose rear end. Do that, or just add more ballast to the front of the car but who would want a heavier vehicle? Strangely, this phenomena was not as prevalent on the road courses and the car actually was faster on them than the previous Dallara, but the hopes of 230 at Indy were dashed.

Lotus finally produced a few engines and theirs was actually lighter than the other two offerings. This development has led to even more speculation about the possibility of Lotus being able to add weight to bring the car up to spec. The ability to add weight where they needed it potentially makes the playing field no longer level. Kudos to Dallara for the new suspension geometry, thus negating this supposed advantage. Lotus remains the little engine that (possibly) could.

After much gnashing of teeth and overcoming teething problems, a DW12 car was sent to Wind Shear (the full scale wind tunnel located in North Carolina) and it returned some very interesting data sets. On January 17th, Indy Car News posted this discussion by Will Phillips on their website:

“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.” Crisis Averted????

Finally, on February 16th, a much anticipated test at Fontana seemed to show that the corner had finally been turned and speeds were, in fact, picking up. Renowned auto sports writer Marshall Pruett detailed the results in a fine piece and you can find it here . Getting the car up to speed, or at least getting it to a point where it is as fast as last year’s model appears to have been accomplished.

The ensuing Rubens love fest at both Sebring and Sonoma, along with the gnashing of gears at Texas, Sebring and soon to be Barber Motor Sports park (a gorgeous facility) are all setting the plate for the opener at St. Pete. As one mechanic said; “this is worse than giving birth”. I wonder how HE came to that conclusion, as if he could ever do so! I till want to know who can provide the actual number of miles that have been driven in testing? That number has to be staggering!

Now, onto a topic that is very near and dear to my heart; Winter Indy Tweetup. In my last installment, I gave well deserved props to Elizabeth Wurtz and Monica Hilton. These two ladies work their hearts out to make this a success and the 2012 edition of WIT was a smashing success. The twittersphere lite up like a Christmas tree and stayed in the wings back mode (thanks Pressdog!) all day and well into the evening. Starting early in the morning on the 25th, we all met at the new Dallara factory for a behind the scenes look at the first chassis. It is unbelievably interesting to see that beast up close and to actually lay on the hands……. Please enjoy the amateurish video!

Later in the day, the WIT attendees went kart racing at Fast Times Karting Center. The top 3 drivers got to race against none other than hizzhonour, the mayor of Hinchtown as well as Logan Gomez. Logan was kind enough to drive the 2 seater all morning for those that purchased an insanely discounted ride around the town of Speedway, Indiana. It was 26 degrees when the first rider took off and Logan hung in there all morning. Talk about cold feet! At any rate, I could not help but pull out my old Flip camera and take some video of the trouncing given to the wannabes…..Big fun for sure! Thanks for the great time and of course, see YOU next time.

GForcePaul

State Of IndyCar
Way too many announcements were made Monday, February 13th at Hilbert Circle Theater for me to cover in this space. I am a lowly amateur word smith hack so I leave that to the folks wearing their BIG boy pants and holding a quill pen. With the recently completed PUBLIC version of the State of Indy Car, the catS have been let out of the bag. In hours prior to the event, the vaunted Pressdog posted a timely piece on February 13th that hit many nails on the head with regards to the state of IndyCar. Now, Pressdog can be a bit snarky at times and I am sure that comes as a complete shock. However, I have asked you to add reading Bill’s blog to your list of important things to do. So, you had best rush over to his site and begin getting up to speed and as a public service, here is a killer, yet snark free link for your review:

http://pressdog.typepad.com/dogblog/2012/02/state-of-indycar-all-snark-aside-.html

State of Pippa Mann

I am an unabashed fan of upcoming talent amongst the ranks of IndyCar drivers. I can honestly say that no one works harder to secure funding than the young lass from around London, Ms. Pippa Mann. She goes about her days and sleepless nights relentlessly chasing $$$$$ and comes across as a sponsor’s dream. I have mentioned Pippa in the past and I suggest that you start today following her on Twitter @PippaMann. She is a prolific producer of tweets that are informative as she slugs through her day, keeping in top shape at Pit Fit and wearing out her phone. She is not so much a long shot to land a ride soon this season and I understand that she is pretty close. So, get your rich uncle to pony up a bit for the cause de Pippa…….support her in any way that you can. Click links to vote for her in different awareness raising endeavours or simply FOLLOW HER ON TWITTER.

http://www.pippamann.com/default.aspx

State Of Winter Indy Tweetup

I am about to wet my pants in anticipation of the upcoming Winter Tweetup (WIT). If you call yourself an IndyCar fan and are in Indianapolis and do not make it to WIT on February 25th than you get to wear an “L” on your forehead for the rest of the day. The two drivers behind this event (get it, drivers; man do I amuse myself sometimes) are Monica Hilton and Elizabeth Wurtz. Hey, both of them run companies in addition to their day/night jobs. Monica is one of the few bloggers to obtain the coveted REAL position with a REAL race team doing PR work. She is one of the testaments to hard work, diligence and a sprinkling of snark and deserves her place in front of the doors that are beginning to open for her. Along with her friend, Elizabeth, they put on the preseason event that just melts my winter blahs away. Elizabeth is no stranger to a sustained high level of effort. To put it mildly, her night job involves saving lives in a neonatal ICU. As a sidebar of note, she recently married and this just adds to her mix of things that make up a balanced life. If you think you are a busy person, take a look at their calendars to see how you measure up. I do not see a lot of time marked as free………so hit the jump- and become informed about the upcoming WIT. Fun with a capital PH.

http://winterindytweetup.wordpress.com/

State of Simona

The incomparable Tony Johns over at Popoff Valve (yeah, read his stuff so that one day you too can be accepted into a school of higher education otherweise you get a big, fat “L” on your forehead too) sent a lovely Valentine’s day poem(s) to his fav ladies of racing. I liked that he used a header photo that was a shot of Simona’s helmet. Along with the bouquet of flowers, it is a very nice touch. Will they remember Tony for his words, actions or the restraining order????? But I digress. Not a single driver in 2011 had a more challenging season and many would have lost their mojo, never to get it back. Simona offers a few highlights and lowlights in a fine article written by Matt Baker of the Tampa Bay Times. This also was posted on Monday, February 13th so I guess the number 13 really is kind of lucky! Ponder this thought for a few moments, St. Petersburg is pretty close to being a hot bed of NAS-TAY Kar racing and here is an article about Open Wheel. Six weeks before the event. Maybe there is hope yet for the turnaround we fanatics yearn for.

http://www.tampabay.com/sports/autoracing/simona-de-silvestro-hopes-grand-prix-of-st-petersburg-brings-new-promise/1215253

Epilogue

I have liked Randy Bernard from the moment he started to listen to Robin Miller and then begin to ignore him and listen to the fans. Props to his recognition that the bloggers are giving lame stream media a run for their money (actually more like being pecked to death by ducks). Granted, the lame stream has far more bandwidth, bucks and bribes than the amateur hacks, but how did Randy really come to understand the interest level about double wide restarts, or the three abreast flying start at Indy? I think that he has gone about the business of IndyCar quietly and efficiently and has finally generated a positive trajectory for the sport. I was afraid that he would end up asking himself “what have I done” after a dust up or two with some of the death star teams. I was mentally prepared for the crush of events at Las Vegas to distract or even demoralize and eventually drive away Mr. Bernard. I almost cried during his speech Monday evening when he revealed that he would like to work in his position for as long as the Hulman George family will have him. I do not know many that can keep up with his pace. Good on ya, mate!

Talk to you next time!

GForcePaul

Very Distinguished Guest at IMS in early February

Super Cars for Super Indy

The Indy 500 is many different things to many different people, depending upon one’s perspective. When you consider the larger picture that encompasses the real-estate at the intersection of 16th street and Georgetown in Indianapolis, a better feel for the nuances of the place comes into focus. This goes beyond the scope of just the event, but more a matter of all of the functions and “background support” for what we know as the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Imagine the complications when IMS went from a single event per year to today’s three events in a racing season. Now, imagine compacting three events into a single racing weekend……
From time to time, I like to focus on the BIGGER picture and dive into the roles of people that go into the supporting of the IMS event\IMS entity\IMS sphere. Please allow me to be clear, I embrace all forms of motorsport, but my heart lies in open wheel and the Indianapolis 500. It is only after looking at and thinking through the activity did I realize that it takes a boat load of people, passionate about racing, to make up the presentation of motorsport events at IMS.
I like dwell on the different roles that go into the production of the IMS brand. Specifically, I am very interested in what a digital producer does, how they come to the position and what they may be like outside of the grind called professional motor sport. What better way to do this than that to go ask the expert? No, I do not mean Curt Cavin of the Indianapolis Star; I refer to Mr. Brian Simpson of IMS. Get to know this gentleman better and become informed! I invite you to enjoy 10 questions with Brian Simpson, Digital Producer for the Indianapolis Motor Speedway

1. How did you land your current gig at IMS?

It’s a long story that begins with working in a suite bartending and ending with the my current position. I knew long ago that motorsports was the industry I wanted to work in so I did everything I could to position my self close to the sport. I probably annoyed every team HR person to death with how many resumes I sent. Finally, in 2010, someone decided to give me a chance at IMS and the rest is history.

2. In our brief email conversations in the past, you mentioned that you had a desire to actually drive. What path were you following to become a shoe?

I would have loved to drive. My Father was a racer when I was young. We spent a lot of time at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course on weekends and that’s where I really fell in love with motorsport. The atmosphere is awesome and when you’re an impressionable youngster it’s easy for the look and feel of motorsport to stick with you for life. I unfortunately never got the opportunity to get behind the wheel but I’ve still managed to make it into the motorsports industry… so I guess you “win some and lose some.”

3. On your Linked In page, you belong to several professional associations. Elaborate on one of them that I find fascinating; Advanced Zero Emission Electronic Vehicles.

I wish the explanation for this was more exciting than it is. My association with this group is based purely on research. At IMS during opening weekend part of our 2nd Annual Celebration of Automobiles is a feature on electric vehicles. In my quest to learn more about these vehicles I dove into a few groups on LinkedIN to try and educate myself.

4. Since Superbowl Madness is sweeping Indianapolis, describe your involvement in the SuperCar project, or at least elaborate on the project for my readers.

I haven’t had much involvement with the SuperCar project other than supporting it via our various Social Media avenues. It’s an incredibly cool project and I’ve been lucky enough to photograph several of the cars and we also had them all onsite here at IMS for the Media Party.

5. Share a little about the Indycar website blog roll. I see that you have a few posts and was wondering if blogging is a requirement of the group or if you just like to write in your spare time. The August 16th post from 2010 is all about iRacing the Milwaukee Mile. Do you iRace a lot?

Blogging is not a requirement but there are several people in the sport who I would love to force to write so the fans could get their perspective on INDYCAR racing. As I was starting out in college I thought I wanted to be a journalist. My Father is a radio host and most of my family is involved in the media in one way or another so it seemed natural. As time went on I seemed to get away from writing and it’s been great to get back into it since I’ve been here at IMS.
iRacing is in one word AWESOME. I was lucky enough to be involved in the early stages of the simulator and I’m pretty sure the INDYCAR league I ran was one of the first ever leagues on iRacing. It was a blast. Getting to race with pros like Justin Wilson, Tomas Scheckter and Will Power on a weekly basis was very cool. I haven’t raced much recently as my schedule has limited me but I’m looking forward to getting back into it soon.

6. What will your Brickyard Weekend look like now that there are 3 different shows scheduled for the “Hallowed Ground”?

A BLUR! It’s going to be really interesting and extremely fun to work that event. I’m a big Sports Car fan so it will be really fun to have those cars here at the facility. It’s also a nice treat to have Ferrari and Audi returning to the Speedway. Hopefully we can get some drivers to run both or maybe all three events.

7. Sprouts and smoothies or Scotch and cigars?

Scotch and cigars for sure. In fact, I had one of both last night at the IMS media party. I do fancy myself a beer drinker though.

8. Back to Linked In; describe the group “IndyCar”. Some nefarious members in that group from Arni Sribhen to Tony Johns; Do you interact with any of them from that group? It seems to be a Marketing driven group.

I do interact with a lot of them quite often. That group consists of people I’ve known since I was in high school to people I’ve met as recently as a month ago. Arni raced with us on iRacing quite often and obviously we worked together quite a bit this past season. I don’t “know” Tony other than his twitter account but we’ve had some interactions.

9. IMS and the Motor Speedway encompass several different properties i.e. the 500, Brickyard and Moto GP. Do you blend them all into the brand or do you differentiate each property? They certainly seem to have different demographics and target markets?

It’s a little bit of both I suppose. You are correct that all of these events are a part of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway brand and you’re also correct in saying that they have their own demographics and target markets. The challenge for us as a facility is showcasing these events to all of the groups we reach.
We want ALL race fans to love ALL of our events not just Indy or Brickyard or MotoGP. They’re all very unique and until you’ve attended all of them you really can’t get a feel for that. The Indy 500 is obviously the mecca, it’s why we have an IMS and it’s the single greatest sporting event in the world (in my opinion). However, MotoGP holds a special place in my heart. It’s an entirely different vibe from Indy and it’s very exciting. The riders are extremely friendly and approachable, much more than the F1 drivers were, and that provides a very unique and incredible experience for the fan.
I was here for the first Brickyard 400 and I’ve been to almost every one since. While, I don’t consider myself a NASCAR expert, I truly love that event. The fans really get behind it and that makes it really enjoyable for those of us working the event.

10. What constitutes a “good day” at the office for Brian Simpson?

My best days are always event days. There’s nothing in this world like driving into IMS at 4AM when it’s still dark out. The pagoda is all lit up, the race day date is shining brightly at the top and you know it’s go time. The day goes by so quick but at the end you look back and kind of realize that you were a part of the history of IMS. It’s a very proud feeling.

It is really kind of these behind the scenes Tweeps to give of their valuable time, just for a lowly small fry blogger. Remember, if someone does something for you that takes away from their very limited time during the course of their very busy day; they must be speaking from within a framework of passion. I enjoy listening to and conferring with those that are passionate. It makes for a fuller life!

Talk to you next time and of course, my sincere thanks to Brian Simpson . This gentleman exudes passion for motor sport and is one of the truly good guys that toil behind the scenes at IMS to bring you fabulous digital content!

GForcePaul

Sebring visit by hizzhonour the Mayor

1. The 2012 car count will be no more than 20 to 22 on the grid at St. Pete

The result of going to a new car cast such a pall over the paddock and blogosphere that the entire world was certain that there would be no more than a little over 20 cars on the grid at St. Pete. Conventional wisdom said that the current economy would not support very much sponsorship dollars. Coupled with the fact that the gorilla in the room was taking all the available sponsor dollars to NASCAR would render the IICS a second or even third tier sport. Not even a lower chassis cost, roughly down to about one third the current cost, will create much participant demand.
WRONG

2. Newman Haas Racing is poised for a break out year and return to glory with the seasoned Servia guiding the Rookie of the Year James Hinchcliff.

The team not only finished strong, but their presence in the public conscious was elevated by the dynamic Hinchcliff. With his stage presence and Servia’s girlfriend’s looks; simply cannot miss! Blogsters are literally foaming at the mouth and required a fresh set of drawers at the prospects for the 2012 Newman Haas season. This is a team with an absolutely storied history of involvement in American open wheel racing.
WRONG

3. DRR is going to enjoy a very productive and competitive year with the return of a healthy Justin Wilson.

Once the team decided to make some serious changes amongst its engineering staff, they give all indication that they are bringing in new talent to help JWill get back into winning form. All they need is to get over the hump a bit on the engineering side, and the new car will make most everybody start on a clean sheet of paper.
SO VERY WRONG

4. Mike Conway, along with Marco Andretti and Ryan Hunter Reay and Danica will make for a strong team in the paddock.

Even if the rumors about Danica going tin top racing prove to be true, a certain Indy 500 winner would make a fine addition to the team and show Marco how to win with calmness and patience. All this team is lacking is a leader to become the anticipated powerhouse and start to live up to expectations.

Sadly, this is very wrong as well

5. There will finally be a balance of ovals and twistys again! No more 5+5+5 style of tracks in the mix.

A true, 9+9 ovals/twistys looks like it is on the horizon. Randy Bernard is talking to a ton of tracks to finally bring the vocal minority their wish and a return to the glory days of American oval racing. Rumors of a return to New Hampshire, finding a sponsor and promoter for the Milwaukee Mile, along with the great finish at Kentucky must have track owners salivating to obtain an Indy CAR Show for their own venue.
SMOKE ANOTHER ONE

6. Three solid engine manufacturers only have to produce engines for six or seven teams apiece.

Since there is finally going to be competition among engine suppliers, they will not have to crank out blocks and pistons on short notice and every team will get a shot at the supplier of their choice. With the return of the bowtie and Lotus, it looks like some of the pressure will be taken off the shoulders of Honda Performance Development. This will lead to the possibility of the little teams finally getting one over on the big boys, for a while, at least. Ah, peace and harmony in the paddock!
NOT EVEN CLOSE

7. Formula One drivers are too weenie to drive in the IZOD Indy Car Series.

Michael Schumacher was asked if he would race in the Indy 500 someday. He deemed it too dangerous and not all that difficult a challenge. Even the F-1 cast offs would not consider taking on such a dangerous form of motorsport. Almost every driver asked about Indy Car said they had no desire to run in the series, even after their hugely successful careers in F-1 came to an end.
SEE RUBENS BARRICHELLO

It remains to be seen if the current challenges facing Randy and company can be overcome. This is by far a watershed year for the series with far more questions than answers and not a single team is going to sleep very well for the next few weeks. Will Ed get a Honda? Will Tracy really end up with Michael Shank Racing, fresh off their Rolex win? If David can slay Goliath in that venue, then why not in Indy Car?

Talk to you next time!

GForcePaul

Innovation ruins some competitor's day

The start of the second work week of the New Year means we are one week closer to the launch of the 2012 IZOD Indy Car Series at St. Petersburg, Florida. I can feel the semi tropical breezes in my face, mixed with the distinct aroma of methanol. Man, am I getting geeked! It should be a year of leveling the playing field to some extent, as a direct by product of introducing a new vehicle. Sadly, it is again a mere “spec” car and not really a result of innovation.

Say that word s l o w l y; very slowly and sound it out, class. I N N O V A T I O N….

Back in the day, and no, I do not mean back when I had hair on my head; I mean wayyyy back in the 60’s, Indy Car was all about innovation. This was the very reason that lead to the development of the Hallowed Ground as it became more than just an idea, conjured up by Carl Fisher and his drinking pals. The Indianapolis Motor Speedway came to be as a proving grounds for the recently launched automobile industry. This is IMS History 101, folks. Do not let this point be lost on you. Indy was all about innovation and development. Speed was a very nice by product, which lead to the gearhead nation that we have become today.

In 1963 the first rear engine cars began to show up at the speedway, compliments of a Brit named Colin Chapman. This lead to the modern, rear engine design that prevails today. What? You say that I am incorrect? That the very first rear engine vehicle showed up back in 1939? Uh, well, you are quite correct! That year, Hudson Motor Company test driver George Bailey showed up with a very expensive car called the Gulf-Miller. It featured a rear engine, disc brakes AND four wheel drive! The car qualified on the grid in sixth position with a speed of 125.821mph. The car did 47 laps and retired with a valve problem. Sadly, George Bailey perished in a practice crash the next year at Indy.

This sets the table for our discussion of the arrival of one of the most controversial cars to ever show up at Indy. I would like you to meet Silent Sam, AKA the STP-Paxton Turbocar.

The consummate racer

The STP-Paxton Turbocar was built around an aluminum box-shaped backbone. The driver was seated on the right side of the backbone, while the engine, a Pratt & Whitney Canada ST6B-62 turbine engine, was mounted on the left side of the backbone. Though never successful as an automobile powerplant, the small aircraft engine it was based on would become one of the most popular turboprop aircraft engines in history. The engine drove a Ferguson 4-wheel drive system, which transmitted the power to the wheels. A torque converter eliminated the need for a clutch pedal and gearshift. The engine idled at 54% of full throttle, which meant that the driver didn’t even have to press the accelerator pedal to pull away; all he had to do was ease his foot off the brake pedal. A movable panel was mounted behind the cockpit, which acted as an airbrake. The suspension’s coil springs were located inside the backbone and the suspension A-frames had airfoil cross-sections. The car weighed 1,750 pounds, a few hundred pounds more than the Indy minimum weight of 1,350 pounds. The turbo invasion was on like Donkey Kong! Designed by Ken Wallis, Silent Sam became the STP entry for the 1967 Indianapolis 500. Wallis, a distant relative of famed British engineer Barnes Wallis, had developed a workable plan for harnessing a gas turbine to a race car. He first presented the idea to Dan Gurney, who passed on the idea. Wallis then offered the plan to Carroll Shelby and Shelby said (according to later court testimony), “Hogwash.” Finally, Andy Granatelli of STP expressed interest in the concept. Wallis and his crew moved in with Andy’s brother Joe at STP’s Paxton division in Santa Monica, and they began work on the turbocar in January 1966. It was Granatelli who introduced a side-by-side concept—that is, putting the engine at the driver’s left. Granatelli also added four-wheel drive to the design.
The aluminum frame of the car was badly warped during heat treating in early 1966, eliminating any possibility of the car racing in the 1966 Indianapolis 500. Work started over again and the car was ready for the 1967 Indianapolis 500. Parnelli Jones drove the car during tire testing in Phoenix early that year and was impressed with the car. He agreed to drive the car in the Indianapolis 500 after being offered $100,000 and half of any prize money he won.
Jones qualified the car at Indianapolis in sixth place at 166.075 mph. At the start of the race, he quickly took the lead and rarely relinquished it. However, with just eight miles left to go, he coasted into the pits with a transmission bearing failure. The car was refurbished and entered by STP in the 1968 Indianapolis 500. Granatelli also entered 3 newly designed wedge shaped INNOVATIVE turbine cars. Silent Sam, Driven by Joe Leonard,crashed into the wall during qualifying and never raced again. The remaining three gas turbine cars did not finish the race either.

Had it in the bag....again!

A race summary culled from various New Media sources and the world wide internets (and get a look at some of the HISTORIC names in this narrative):
At the drop of the green flag, Joe Leonard in the #60 STP Turbine leaps in the lead, with Bobby Unser in second and Roger McCluskey up to third at the end of lap 1. After only nine laps, Jim Hurtubise in the PepsiCo Frito-lay special has burned a piston, and is out, finishing 30th. About this time, Bobby Unser is now hard after Leonard, and at the end of the main straightway he passes to take the lead. On lap 41, the caution flag flies for the first time when Al Unser loses a wheel and hits the first-turn wall, with Arnie Knepper and Gary Bettenhausen also involved. After 200 miles (320 km), A.J. Foyt is out with a blown engine and the defending champion’s bid for his 4th Indy win is over for this year. After 110 laps, Graham Hill loses a wheel and smashes into the turn two wall, bringing out the second caution. On lap 127, Mel Kenyon and rookie Billy Vukovich tangle in turn four. Both are able to re-enter the race, but Johnny Rutherford, trying to slow down, is rear-ended by Jim McElreath. Mike Mosley also loses it in turn four trying to avoid the mess. When Bobby Unser makes his last pit stop, his car is stuck in high gear. As he leaves his pit struggling to reach racing speed, both Leonard and Ruby pass him. With only 16 laps to go, Joe Leonard still has the #60 turbine in first place, but on the backstretch, Carl Williams hits the wall, bringing out the final caution. After cleanup, the green waves on the 191st lap. At that instant, both leader Joe Leonard in STP turbine #60 and teammate Art Pollard in STP turbine #20 lurch—and instantly slow with identical snapped fuel pump drive shafts. Unser sweeps by into the lead with Dan Gurney inheriting second place. With a nearly full-lap lead, Bobby Unser cruises the final 9 laps to win his first of eventually three Indianapolis 500 victories.

The sad ending to this long history lesson leads to the title of this article; how legislation killed off innovation. USAC had limited the engine intake area to 23.999 square inches to limit the turbine’s power output, but the engine still produced 550 hp. However, drivers reported that it had a three-second throttle lag. In less than a month after the 1967 Indianapolis 500, USAC cut the allowable turbine air intake area from 23.999 to 15.999 inches and imposed the ruling immediately, although it had been customary to give two years’ notice of engine changes. With the reduced inlet area, the maximum lap speed that could be achieved was 161 mph.

Epilogue:
Near the location of the Hallowed Grounds, just to the west a few miles in Danville sits a company called Avon Aero. They purchased the STP#60 original chassis and restored the car but with a slightly different gas turbine engine. Hit this link for some highly interesting photos and video links about the project!
http://www.avonaero.com/Race%20Cars.htm
For a very entertaining article about the late Johnny Carson and his good fortune to drive Silent Sam at Indy in September of 1967, hit this link:
http://www.rokemneedlearts.com/carsindepth/wordpressblog/?p=6456

Finally, one last link that will shock you; Granatelli was not the first one to run a gas turbine car at Indy in 1967; it was in 1962 that John Zink entered a car called the “Trackburner” driven by none other than Dan Gurney! I love the internet…
http://www.autopuzzles.com/Indy1967.htm

Talk to you next time
GForcePaul

If methanol courses through your veins as it does in mine, or if you kick start your morning with running an IV from the Sonoco can in the garage into your right arm, you qualify as a race fan. If methanol is your beverage of choice, then that makes you an open wheel fan. People from all parts of the racing spectrum do have one thing in common and that is…..drum roll please….the off season. Man do I freakin hate winter for that reason. Tin tops are a sacrilege of racing and then I find myself longingly watching VEE EIGHT superCars. What kind of crap is that? Does this make me a bad person? No, Mrs. GForcePaul does not get a chance to vote on that question. This has lead me to ponder the activities of some of the drivers during the off season. One thing is for darn sure; if you are not an “A” listed driver, you are beating your feet on the concrete seeking sponsorship. If you are an “A” listed driver, you are beating your feet on the concrete seeking sponsorship. If you are Pippa Mann, you are most certainly beating your feet on the concrete. Hasn’t your rich uncle passed and left you a few million for cause de Pippa? You know, some days it is nice to just relax and have a cocktail and other days it is nice to relax and have a cocktail. Here is what the 2012 season and 2011 season wrap looks like from hizzhonor, the Mayor’s perspective as he addresses his citizenry:

Wasn’t that refreshing? Can you say….GO DADDY? Now seriously, what exactly are some of the pilots doing to fill that off season void? I would like to hope that you follow any number of the enlightened bloggers mentioned in my previous post “Taking Sucking Up To New Level” and become enlightened as well. Self-study is often a good thing! By doing so, I am able to keep up on most of the goings on in and about the Open Wheel World. Most of my enlightenment comes from following these folks on Twitter. I admit it, I am totally enamored with New Media. Main Stream Media still holds its place in line and in the ability to keep your attention if the span is longer than 10 seconds. You should be aware that sometimes New Media can scoop Main Stream. A prime example would be the firing of the Indianapolis Colts front office family of Polian and Polian on Sunday, January 2nd. Jim Irsay most likely pulled the trigger early in the afternoon and within an hour (my guess) the news was trickling out on Twitter. This was several hours prior to a hastily called Colts Press Conference. Some folks tweeted that a “filed with ESPN” report about the firings was completed about two hours prior to my seeing it in the local Indy media outlets. Ahhh, the power of the tweet! I catch my moto mojo from it daily! Another case in point, what are the Ganassi boys doing this off season? I know that the Mayor of Hinchtown’s address to his citizenry is hard to top but, again, by following Twitter, my off season void is filled with this gem:

http://www.motorsportmagazine.com/race/us-scene/grand-am/looking-forward-to-daytona/

By following even a bit closer, I was able to clear up those blah, winter afternoon blues with some show of support, along with some enlightenment regarding some up and coming open wheel stars. You really should follow a fellow that posts a lot on Twitter under the name de plume JOWT. If you really, REALLY want to be known as in the know about upcoming talent in the open wheel ranks, then Junior Open Wheel Talent is the place to see and be seen. Start TODAY to follow @JOWT on Twitter. You just may thank me later. The web site:

http://www.junioropenwheeltalent.com/

Finally, you OUGHTTA KNOW Zach Veach. This kid (a 17 year old man in boy’s shoes, actually), is the real deal. Michael Andretti does not sign your average high school kid to a contract unless the last name IS Andretti. Hit this link, support Zach and become one of the believers. You are going to hear this name for many years to come! Be like the PDog: pressdog Bill Zahren

RT @ZachVeach: Please take a min. & vote 4Zach in the Champion Parts “Search for a Champion” $50k Sponsorship Contest!

http://contest.alwaysachampion.com/contests/showentry/1011844?v=200

Did I mention that Beaux Barfield is moving to Indy? Presser to follow on 1/4/2012. Time to find the matches and light some candles!

Talk to you next time,

GForcePaul

The milestones and bench marks that comprised the 2011 IZOD Indy Car series read like a Tom Clancy novel, but with a distressing ending instead of one where the hero swoops in to save the day. If you follow only the highlights in a Cliff Notes version of the 2011 season summary, you come across some absolutely sterling gems of headlines. “CONWHEEZY Triumphs at Long Beach”; “Rookie Blows Fame and Fortune at THE 500”; “Man Who Finished Second at Indy in 2009 and 2010 Seals The Deal”. From rookie drivers stepping not too ashamedly on stalwart toes in 2011 to bunches and BUNCHES of women starting at Indy, made 2011 an interesting season to be sure. I have not even gotten to the point that 2011 was truly the year of the finger…………….

One fo the money, two for the show

I bet that you thought Helio’s Canadian melt down in 2010 could not be topped! Heh….(Insert I like Hinch; a LOT, here).

How many of you were aghast that Michael Andretti “bought” a starting spot in the 2011 Indy 500 for Ryan Hunter-Reay? I recall one pundit mentioning that this would NEVER happen in the Old, Lloyd Ruby golden days of Indy Car. Well, I am here to tell you that the record book reflects the well-earned seventh place finish for Mr. Hunter-Reay in the season’s final standings. I also wish to remind you of the fact that wayyyy back in 1993, Bobby Rahal failed to make the field when he could not get his R/H-001 Chassis up to speed, despite winning the season opener at Long Beach. Even at that point in time, the rule stated that a car qualified for the race and not the driver. Contemplate this factoid: back then, a team did not “buy” their way into a race when their car turned out to be a dog and they failed to qualify for the Indy 500. They just tucked their tail and went home. Today, a driver buys his ride…..wierd, isn’t it? We do live in a strange universe at the moment.

Ah, but for now, on to the 2012 season and all of the question marks that it brings. A new, yet doggie slow car that will never win any beauty pageant title; engines that say Chevrolet, Honda and Lotus along with an absolutely poopie schedule. May I have my root canal now, please? How does one get this far into the off season and still not have an engine beyond the dyno stage? Lots Of Trash U See………

I have heard of new chassis being slow and new chassis being ugly, but I have not really heard of a new car being both slow and ugly. In a poll of ticket holders, the new DW12 received unanimous un-love. Too slow, too quick to over/under steer with weight distribution and bias totally out of whack, along with a disparity between CFD simulation and on track testing. These are bright guys working on this stuff but when a quick fix is to add weight to the nose of the car, oh my. The race to find a fix is on and thank goodness Dallara is going to pick up the tab for relocating and correcting suspension geometry, along with a slightly different aero kit.

The silly season has so far been one of suspense, silence and staggering poor guessing on the part of those that keep up with whom will end up where. With Hinch and Servia both on the market again, some “C” class drivers on the outer fringes of seat landing will be shut out for 2012. I would count Josef Newgarden as one of the most fortunate to land a 3 year deal. How many FIL champs are still seeking regular work? Conway to Foyt is almost as shocking as his leaving Andretti Autosport (I still chuckle when I refer to them as AA and if you knew some of my friends you would know why). Who fills the Conway seat there? Who fills the seat vacated by the passing of Dan Wheldon? Who filled my Christmas stocking with crap?!

On the topic of the 2012 schedule……Don’t get me started.
Open wheel racing as we know it is now officially dead. If you think that going back to Belle Island would be worse than holding a street race in China, then you may join me in my next root canal as you have both taking place in 2012. I totally understand that you cannot hold a race unless the venue WANTS you there, and no amount of whining by the “non”-viewing public will ever land a race at Road America, let alone Nashville (sorry George Phillips). You simply cannot will a race to take place. I have chastised my 17 loyal readers in the past on this topic; if you want to see more ovals on the schedule then get off your kiester and GO TO AN OVAL RACE. The best feel good story for Indy car in a decade took place at Kentucky this season and the crowd was simply pathetic. And you call yourself an Indy car fan. Wait; maybe I am onto something here. Lack of fan support may be a direct result of, wait for it, falling television numbers. My fear is that the series is tumbling into the abyss of irrelevance as an entertainment medium. Case in point; the 2012 schedule. No Las Vegas; no mile and a half banked ovals; racing in a time zone half way around the world. WE NEED VIEWERSHIP for 2012 so consider yourself invited to join me at 3am next year for the race from China. It is, after all, a street race! Baltimore on the schedule will drop off on January first when payments due to a gazillion interested parties fails to be made. I do not see how that much scratch can be gathered up in the next few days. “Nuff said. However, I am very worried for the future. Sure a new car levels the playing field and the Ganassi/Penske Death Star may have a few upsets at the hands of Sarah Fisher and especially Ed Carpenter’s new team. Derrick Walker does not put together a weak staff by no means and they may just be formidable. I sure hope so. David needs to slay Goliath ,more than once in 2012 to boost TV ratings.
That is enough rant for this week. Talk to you next time!
GForcePaul