Author: brfcjordan95

2014 Canadian GP Qualifying Report

After the drama’s and tension of the Monaco GP weekend two weeks ago, the F1 circus was hoping for a much calmer weekend as they arrived at the ever popular Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. This race weekend is always popular with teams, drivers and fans alike and an interesting weekend was predicted. This circuit always provides competitive racing thanks to it’s unique nature with braking being crucial around this high speed stop lap.

The Q1 drama began before the session had even got underway as Sauber sophomore driver Esteban Gutierrez was forced to sit and watch Qualifying as the his car needed a new chassis after a crash in Free Practice 3.  This meant only 5 drivers would be eliminated this time around, somewhat easing the pressure . As the cars trickled out slowly it was Williams driver Valteri Bottas who set the first competitive time with a 1.18.270 after 4 minutes.  

 

Unsurprisingly this time didn’t last long at the top as AMG Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg subsequently smashed that time with his own 1.16.690 with 12 minutes left in the session. Canada specialist Lewis Hamilton wasn’t going to let Rosberg get too comfortable atop the times however as he soon chimed in with a 1.16.438. Then with 8 minutes to go he improved to a 1.15.750, a nice statement of intent on his part for qualifying. After this the session calmed down slightly before the intensity increased in the final minutes.

First Lotus-Renault driver Pastor Maldonado pulled off track at Turn 2 with a lack of power, in the process guaranteeing his elimination in Q1. Things did improve his slightly however, as Caterham rookie Marcus Ericsson stuffed the rear end of his car into the outside wall exiting Turn 9 with 16 seconds left. The ensuring red flag would end the session and cement everyone in their Q1 positions.

Sharing the back row are the Sauber of Esteban Gutierrez and the Caterham rookie Marcus Ericsson. Caterham team leader Kamui Kobayashi lines up 20th, with Marussia driver Jules Bianchi 19th. Max Chilton out-qualified team mate Bianchi for the first time in 2014 in 18th alongside the unlucky Lotus-Renault driver Pastor Maldonado in 17th. Since qualifying things have got worse for Caterham however as Kobayashi has been forced to take a gearbox change, demoting him to 21st behind team mate Ericsson.

Q2 began with star Sahara-Force India driver Nico Hulkenberg being the first to set a competitive time with a 1.16.650 in the first few minutes. Both the Williams drivers looked hugely competitive this weekend and they soon flexed their muscles in Q2, with Felipe Massa quickly setting the pace with a 1.15.773 with 11 minutes to go in Q2. The major surprise of Q2 was the fact the two AMG Mercedes drivers were unable to beat Massa’s time, although this can be explained by the fact they didn’t run the softer tyres which Massa did.

The final minutes were frantic as always but the biggest surprise again was that the AMG Mercedes drivers went out for a final run when they appeared safe for Q3. Nevertheless, their softer tyre runs rewarded them with Rosberg first with a 1.15.2 before Hamilton eclipsed him with a 1.15.0 to top the Q2 session. From Q1 and Q2 the advantage AMG Mercedes enjoyed a 0.7s gap to the rest, ensuring Q3 would be another intense battle between the two.

Those who sadly wouldn’t be making Q3 were a disappointed Sahara-Force India driver Nico Hulkenberg in 11th, alongside McLaren rookie Kevin Magnussen in 12th. Sahara-Force India’s disappointed day was completed a Hulkenberg’s team mate Sergio Perez only managed 13th, sharing row 7 with Lotus-Renault driver Romain Grosjean in 14th. The 8th row would be shared with Scuderia Toro Rosso rookie Daniil Kvyat in 15th alongside Sauber driver Adrian Sutil in 16th.

The final Q3 session began slowly with Valterri Bottas the first to venture out after 2 minutes. His first lap time was a 1.15.550 with 7.30 left on the clock. His reign at the top was short however as Nico Rosberg soon eclipsed him with a 1.14.946 lap, which even team mate Hamilton couldn’t match. As the cars settled in the garage’s ready for their final run, Ferrari driver Kimi Raikkonen gambled on setting a quick lap whilst the track was quiet. This gamble didn’t work however as he only managed 8th on his one flying lap.

The final run’s were an anti-climax as a bad lap from Hamilton handed Rosberg pole on a plate, with Rosberg improving by a tenth just to make sure of pole. Reigning world champion Sebastien Vettel produced the lap of the session to steal 3rd from the Williams drivers in an inferior Red Bull car. William sophomore Bottas usurped experienced team mate Massa for 4th and 5th, with Vettel’s Red Bull team mate Daniel Ricciardo disappointed with 6th. Fernando Alonso qualified 7th from an impressive Jean Eric Vergne in the Toro Rosso in 8th. The 5th and final row of the top 10 would be shared by Jenson Button in the McLaren and Raikkonen completing the top 10 for Ferrari.

Qualifying set up the race later on today perfectly in what should be an impressive race long fight between the two AMG Mercedes drivers. Behind them the battle for the final podium spot should be just as interesting between the Red Bull and Williams cars. Also watch out for the two Sahara-Force India cars, as they are always more competitive in race trim with their car notoriously soft on it’s tyres. Watch out for their progress during the race.

2014 Le Mans 24 Hours GTE Pro Preview

After previewing the LMP1 and LMP2 prototype classes now it’s time to switch my focus onto the GT classes. First up is the GTE Pro series, which this year is mostly the domain of factory teams. This year see’s 4 manufactures take each other on in what should be a very tense battle, as they fight for the all important class victory.

AF Corse:

#51 Ferrari F458 Italia GT2: Gianmaria Bruni/Toni Vilander/Giancarlo Fisichella
The #51 AF Corse entry has been a winner so far in the World Endurance Championship in 2014, yet the team could struggle with the Ferrari at the Circuit de la Sarthe. Indeed, last year’s race for Ferrari may just end up repeating itself as all GTE Pro cars were frozen in 2013 spec before the start of this season. This therefore doesn’t bode well for AF Corse as they struggled to match the pace of Aston Martin and Porsche.

AF Corse can never be discounted however, especially this #51 entry which comprises the same line-up that won this class in 2012. Ex-F1 driver Giancarlo Fisichella joins Gianmaria Bruni and Toni Vilander. These 3 are very quick in GT Ferrari’s and expect them to still challenge the pacesetters in the class, despite a car that most likely will be the third best car around the Circuit de la Sarthe.

#71 Ferrari F458 Italia GT2: Davide Rigon/James Calado/Olivier Beretta
The second of the factory supported AF Corse entries is the #71 entry, which blends experience with youth for Le Mans with Olivier Beretta bringing his vast GT racing experience to complement young chargers Davide Rigon and in particular James Calado. Although Calado and Rigon have little GT experience expect both of them to fly during the race. As I mentioned above the Ferrari’s don’t appear to suit the Le Mans circuit, meaning the most likely route to victory for AF Corse will be a reliable and trouble free run, rather than on outright pace alone.

RAM Racing:

#52 Ferrari F458 Italia GT2: Matt Griffin/Alvaro Parente/Federico Leo
For the RAM Racing team, 2014 promised so much for this plucky privateer team, yet so far it has delivered little as the team have struggled through the year with financial issues. These issues have severely hampered their Le Mans 24 Hours efforts as they were forced to miss the last WEC race at Spa to be confident of making the 24 Hours. Funding has also affected their driver line-up with experienced racer Ben Collins being replaced by the ex-single seater driver Federico Leo in the run up to the event.

For the only privateer team in the GTE Pro class things were always going to be tough against the might of factory Ferrari, Porsche and Aston Martin entries, as they fight an uphill battle to challenge the factory outfits in GTE Pro. Luckily for RAM racing they have three very quick GT drivers to share the car, including on-loan McLaren GT factory driver Alvaro Parente. Expect this car to shine in their hands but for this team a top 5 result in GTE Pro would be good but they’ll need a reliable run to achieve this.

Corvette Racing:

#73 Chevrolet Corvette C7.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia/Jordan Taylor
The enormously successful Corvette racing team returns to Le Mans after a bruising 2013 24 Hours where there were far behind the leading pace of Aston Martin and Porsche. This year they aim to rectify this with a brand new C7.R model Corvette, which has so far proved very competitive in the American Tudor United Sportscar Championship, with arguably the most competitive GT class in the world right now.

If the C7.R can adapt to Le Mans quickly expect this team to be right at the front all race long. Certainly they have the driving talent to be at the front with the #73 being crewed by vastly experienced racers Jan Magnussen and Antonio Garcia, perfectly complementing the outright pace of youngster Jordan Taylor. Although he’s had little running in the new C7.R, if he can adapt quickly to the car and track, expect this car to fight for the class win.

#74 Chevrolet Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner/Richard Westbrook
The second of the factory Corvette entries is again piloted by an impressive line-up of Corvette racing stalwart Oliver Gavin alongside Tommy Milner and Richard Westbrook. This line-up is as strong as any in this class and most importantly if the new C7.R can prove reliable over 24 Hours they will certainly be fighting for the class victory.

The reliability of this new car is very important as the team suffered reliability problems in it’s racing debut at the Rolex 24, something they’ll hope will have been rectified by this time next week. Their performances in the race will be one’s to watch out for in the hotly contested GTE Pro category.

Porsche Team Manthey:

#91 Porsche 911 997 GT3-RSR: Patrick Pilet/Jorg Bergmeister/Nick Tandy
The Manthey Porsche team will be hoping for a repeat of their 2013 class win at the Le Mans 24 Hours, with continuity being the name of the game with Porsche as they keep the same band of drivers,car and team for their 2014 campaign. Although there have been Balance of Performance tweaks since last year’s 24 Hours, the Porsche 911 appears to still be the car to beat going into the 2014 edition.

The only relative difference for this #91 entry for 2014, is the promotion of Porsche factory driver Nick Tandy to the factory team, after spending the last few years impressing on assignment with various Porsche customer teams. Alongside fellow factory drivers Patrick Pilet and Jorg Bergmeister both Porsche entries must surely go into the event as pre-race favouries in the GTE Pro category.

#92 Porsche 911 997 GT3-RSR: Marco Holzer/Frederic Makowiecki/Richard Leitz
The second of the factory Manthey Porsche’s is piloted by a stellar line-up of factory drivers in Marco Holzer, new signing Frederic Makowiecki and Richard Leitz. Both Porsche entries have proved fast and reliable so far in 2014, and whilst the headlines have been taken by their return to the LMP1 category for this year, the team is adamant the GT racing group is entirely separate from the prototype division. This should ensure the team are in the perfect position to replicate their class victory from a year ago. Anything can happen at Le Mans however.

Aston Martin Racing:

#97 Aston Martin Vantage GTE: Darren Turner/Stefan Mucke/Bruno Senna
Similarly to Porsche, Aston Martin returns to Le Mans in 2014 with mostly the same group that gave Porsche an almighty challenge for class honours last year. The factory team brings two entries this year and so far both have struggled in the WEC with Balance of Performance tweaks, which the team feel have blunted their challenge in an unfair manner. Some in the paddock question however is Aston Martin have simply been sandbagging before Le Mans, the truth will only appears once qualifying for the 24 Hours starts on Wednesday.

On the driving front the #97 entry will lead the way with GT stalwarts Darren Turner and Stefan Mucke partnering Bruno Senna for Aston. Whilst Senna may appear a slight weak link with the little running he’s done in the car this year, expect all 3 drivers to be right on the pace throughout the race. Reliability should not be a problem in this well proven car therefore it will be down to the drivers to make the difference needed for class victory.

#99 Aston Martin Vantage GTE: Alex MacDowall/Darryl O’Young/Fernando Rees
The second of the works Aston Martin entries this year is a collaborative effort between the works Aston team and the Asian based team Craft-Bamboo. This link-up explains the driver line-up of Bamboo linked drivers Alex MacDowall and Darryl O’Young to partner experienced Brazilian Fernando Rees.

Whilst the driver line-up may slightly hamper this car in a class full of factory GT drivers, if the pace Aston showed last year has remained intact and the car can stay reliable, expect this team to provide glimpses of promise in the race with a top 5 result a real possibility.

That’s it for the GTE Pro class, although the entry is relatively small the 4 factory outfits will be fighting right until the end for the class victory. This is exactly why anyone watching the race should always keep an eye on the GTE Pro fight as the race develops. Once again massive thanks must go to http://www.motorsport.com/#!/lemans for their amazing photos once again all the latest Le Mans 24 Hours news can be seen on the link above. Keep posted for the GTE-Am preview in the next few days. Enjoy!

2014 Le Mans 24 Hours LMP2 Preview Part 2

After previewing the first half of the LMP2 field earlier, now it’s the turn to preview the second half of this eclectic entry. Like I’ve said before any number of cars can win the class and with diverse entries from the likes of Oreca, Morgan and Alpine alongside Nissan, Honda and Judd Power anything is possible, especially as 2014 see’s the most competitive driver line-up across the class for a long time. Fireworks are guaranteed!

SMP Racing:

#37 Oreca 03R-Nissan: Kirill Ladygin/Nicolas Minassian/Maurizio Mediani
The second of the SMP racing entries seems to be more likely of the two to attain a good result in the 24 Hours, with the perfect blend of speed and experience in Nicolas Minassian, to partner newcomers Kirill Ladygin and Maurizio Mediani. Mediani is brought in through the AF Corse collaboration as he is the Ferrari GT test driver.

Ladygin is a solid silver rated driver yet his pace will decide how far up the class the car finishes. Sensibly the relatively new start up prototype team has followed the proven Oreca-Nissan package which should ensure reliability. If the team can run trouble free the talents of Minassian alone should be enough to ensure a good result for the team.

Jota Sport:

#38 Zytek Z11SN-Nissan: Simon Dolan/Harry Tincknell/Marc Gene
The Jota sport have so far had a successful 2014 in the ELMS, something they’ll be hoping to repeat at Le Mans. The team would have two ELMS wins if it wasn’t a massively unfortunate accident in the opening round at Silverstone. The Zytek-Nissan package is well proven at Le Mans therefore any reliability problems for the team would be a surprise.

On the driving from Simon Dolan will be one of the quickest Am drivers in the class, with young single seater convert Harry Tincknell improving with every race and on loan Audi factory driver Marc Gene, replacing Filipe Albuquerque. The only question mark around this team is they will fare with the increased challenge of being competitive in the class at Le Mans compared to the ELMS, something that should not be a major problem for this experienced team.

Greaves Motorsport:

#41 Zytek Z11SN-Nissan: Michael Munemann/Alessandro Latif/James Winslow
Greaves Motorsport are back for more in 2014 after a successful few years for the team in the LMP2 category. This time around the team has two entries with this #41 entry alongside the Caterham racing entry their running also. The driver line-up appears the weakest leak for this entry however with silver driver Michael Munemann as a solid if unspectacular silver, partnering Le Mans debutants Alessandro Latif and James Winslow.

Winslow is experienced and proven racer based in Asia with Latif a young charger who is climbing the ranks of lower level prototype and GT racing,watch for him to surprise with his pace at the 24 Hours. Whilst this entry won’t win on outright pace a reliable run should be enough for them to easily be in the mix for a class podium.

Caterham Racing:

#42 Zytek Z11SN-Nissan: Tom Kimber-Smith/Matt McMurry/Chris Dyson
The second Greaves entry for the Le Mans 24 Hours may not carry their name but it’s their entry in every other sense. This link up with the Caterham group benefits both parties, with this entry seemingly more likely for a decent result than the #41 car. Again the Greaves Zytek-Nissan is a quick,reliable option with a decent line-up comprised of experienced racer’s Kimber-Smith,Dyson and the young Matt McMurry.

He will be the one stealing the headlines as he bids to become the youngest driver ever to race at this event at 16 years old. He’s shown well in the two ELMS races so far and should help this team to a good result if they avoid drama.

Newblood by Morand Racing:

#43 Morgan LMP2-Judd: Christian Klien/Gary Hirsch/Romain Brandela
Newblood by Morand racing are a perfect example of a young,inexperienced team performing admirably so far in 2014. After suffering very cruel luck which prevented a win in the last ELMS round at Imola, this team will be hoping lightning doesn’t strike twice in that respect at the 24 Hours. Their Morgan-Judd package will be perfectly suited to the Circuit de la Sarthe, resplendent in a brilliantly simply livery.

Ex-Peugeot factory driver Christian Klien will inevitably lead the charge for this team, being ably backed up by steady drivers Gary Hirsch and Romain Brandela. This is a young team who will hoping to finally deliver on the promise they’ve shown so far in 2014. A definite dark horse for a podium.

Thiriet by TDS Racing:

#46 Ligier JS P2-Nissan: Pierre Thiriet/Ludovic Badey/Tristan Gommendy
This is largely the same team that broke out in 2012, winning the ELMS drivers and constructers titles that year. Although star driver from that year Mathias Beche has since been snapped up by the Rebellion LMP1 team, this entry still has real quality behind the wheel in experienced Sport car racer Tristan Gommendy and one of the best silver drivers in the class in Pierre Thiriet.

Ludovic Badey is improving all the team and his contribution should help the team to a respectable position. The team will still be learning their brand new OAK built Ligier JS P2 racer come race day, and the reliability of this car should be determining factor in whether this team has a good or bad result next Sunday afternoon. This is for sure an entry that will sneak under the radar for a good result if they can stay healthy and avoid dramas.

KCMG:

#47 Oreca 03R-Nissan: Matt Howson/Richard Bradley/Alex Imperatori
KCMG return again for another shot at the Le Mans 24 Hours after a steady run last year. This Asian based team have been solid rather than spectacular in the WEC so far this year, although they have a knack of having trouble free run’s. This team is very much still learning at top level European sports car racing and their Oreca-Nissan is a very solid package which will hopefully mean a trouble free run for the team.

The team’s driving talent is underrated as they are based in Asia with Alex Imperatori and Richard Bradley being very quick and consistant drivers, with Matt Howson they also have a solid silver driver too. A podium may be a stretch too far but a top 5 is definitely attainable for this young team.

Murphy Prototypes:

#48 Oreca O3R-Nissan: Nathanael Berthon/Rodolfo Gonzalez/Karun Chandhok
The ever popular Murphy Prototypes team return to Le Mans hoping to improve both on their result in last year’s 24 Hours, and the so far frustrating campaign they’ve suffered in the ELMS. In both rounds so far they’ve suffered reliability issues, a strange occurrence given the longevity of the Oreca-Nissan package. When the team have been running however they’ve shown their potential and if things run smoothly expect this team to be fighting for a class podium at the very least.

Their driver line-up is inspired with the ever quick and reliable Karun Chandhok providing some experience to complement the raw single-seater pace of Rodolfo Gonzalez and Nathanael Berthon. Amazingly the team spotted a loophole meaning 2013 Marussia F1 tester Gonzalez counts as their Silver rated Am driver. GP2 racer Berthon is no slouch himself and if the pair of them can quickly get to grips with the track this team will fly.

Larbre Competition:

#50 Morgan LMP2-Judd: Pierre Ragues/Ricky Taylor/Keiko Ihara
The famous Larbre Competition team have struggled so far as they have stepped up from the GTE-Am ranks to the LMP2 class for the first time. They’ve only managed to race their Morgan-Judd once so far in the ELMS, so the team will be unlocking the secrets to this car as the week progresses. The OAK Morgan was designed for Le Mans and that team with the Judd power plant is a reliable package.

On the driving front the team has blended the immense experience of Pierre Ragues with the coup of signing Corvette racing factory driver Ricky Taylor to partner him. He doesn’t have much prototype experience but expect him to fly in this car. Completing the line-up is Am driver Keiko Ihara, a steady driver whom much will depend on. If she can prove respectable the team has a chance of a top 6 with a clean run. Expect this entry to fly under the radar during the 24 Hours.

That’s the LMP2 field previewed this should be a battle to watch out for amongst the other classes during the 24 Hours. For sure this is the best LMP2 entry at Le Mans for a while. Thanks must go to http://www.Motorsport.com for it’s brilliant photos which can be viewed here.http://www.motorsport.com/#!/lemans/photo/main-gallery

2014 Le Mans 24 Hours LMP2 Preview Part 1

After previously previewing the LMP1 class for this years Le Mans 24 Hours, now it’s time to look at the burgeoning LMP2 class, which is in very rude health this year with 18 entries battling for class victory. Any one of these entries is capable of winning and the sheer size of the class appears to show the ACO’s decision to make this class strictly a pro-am format seems the correct one at this point. This class will provide plenty of action over the 24 hours that’s for sure.

Millennium Racing:

#22 Oreca 03R-Nissan: Fabien Giroix/John Martin/Oliver Turvey
In the pre-season this entry from Millennium racing would have been a favourite for victory in both the World Endurance Championship and the 24 Hours. So far however 2014 has not been kind to the team as budget problems mean this is their first running of the year having missed last week’s Test Day, the team are up against it to find the sweet spot for their Oreca entry. This team should not be discounted though as the team is highly professional and experienced in sports car racing, as are their stellar driver line-up which is a match for any in the LMP2 field.

Sebastien Loeb Racing:

#24 Oreca 03R-Nissan: Rene Rast/Jan Charouz/Vincent Capillaire
The Sebastien Loeb name returns to Le Mans for the first time in years, although sadly for spectators he is not returning behind the wheel. This year it’s the turn of his Sports car team as they make their LMP2 debut in the 24 Hours. The team is coming into the race in good form having claimed 2nd in the most recent European Le Mans Series race at Imola. The only question mark around this team is how they will handle the P2 class in the 24 Hours as the team has little experience with this car. Something that cannot be questioned however is the driver line-up with on-loan Audi factory GT driver making his debut in the LMP2 class, previous factory LMP1 and Le Mans Series champion Jan Charouz and gentleman driver Vincent Capillaire. Capillaire is one of the better Am drivers and if Rast shows anything like the kind of pace he has in GT cars he will be one to watch out for.

G-Drive Racing:

#26 Morgan LMP2-Nissan:Roman Rusinov/Olivier Pla/Julien Canal
This G-Drive racing team has proved itself to be a major contender so far in 2014 as it has dominated in the WEC taking victory in both rounds so far, also topping the times at the Test Day last weekend. This Oak racing affiliated team looks strong this year with their Oak badged Morgan which was designed specifically for this race. This came through last year as the team claimed a dominant 1-2 finish, something they’ll be aiming to repeat this year. On the driving front this team is particularly strong as Rusinov has improved dramatically in 2014, Pla is one of the benchmark LMP2 drivers in the world right now with Am driver Canal bringing plenty of experience and is no slouch himself. Watch out for this team as a podium is easily within their reach this year.

SMP Racing:

#27 Oreca 03R-Nissan: Sergey Zlobin/Mika Salo/Anton Ladygin
Another team relatively new to LMP2 racing is the SMP racing team which makes it’s debut in the P2 class at the 24 Hours this year. The team is formidable,especially thanks to AF Corse support in running the organization. Although luck has so far deserted them in the opening WEC races they have been challenging for wins, before various dramas have delayed them. Anyone in the class who gets a relatively problem free run in the 24 Hours will be fighting for the podium come next Sunday afternoon,with the SMP racing team hoping their bad luck is up for the year now. The driver line-up of Russians Zlobin and Ladygin is solid with Mika Salo bringing both pace and experience to the team. This team in overall terms is a solid entry yet will probably need a reliable run and misfortune for others to challenge for a podium.

Pegasus Racing:

#29 Morgan LMP2-Nissan: Julian Schell/Nicolas Leutwiler/Leo Roussel
Pegasus racing is once again a team new to top level prototype racing, however the team doesn’t have the support of a major team like SMP has with AF Corse, or the stellar line-up enjoyed by Sebastien Loeb racing. Therefore whilst this team has shown admirably sop far in the ELMS it has yet to consistently challenge for podiums, something that appears almost impossible for this young team. Whilst it can claim to have one of the best liveries in the field if it has struggled in the ELMS so far the step up at the 24 Hours will be awfully daunting for this team. The driving talent of Schell, Leutwiler and Roussel have little previous prototype experience and can be described as a majority Am line-up. This is something the team will struggle with against the immense driving talent in this class. Realistically the team should be aiming for a finish with anything more simply a bonus for a team which needs more experience at this level to be competitive in this class.

OAK Racing-Team Asia:

#33 Ligier JS P2-Honda: David Cheng/Ho-Pin Tung/Adderly Fong
Whilst the OAK racing team has been competing in the Le Mans 24 Hours for years, this is a debut for the team in this new affiliation with the Asian market, sparked by the recently launched Asian Le Mans series. Carrying on the new image of this team is the car their using, the Ligier JS P2 Coupe, making it’s debut at the 24 Hours. So far this is all adding up to a classic retirement with a new car devoid of race running and a newly affiliated team. Before you write this team off on the flip side the team has plenty to justify it’s contenders tag. Firstly the driving talent includes quick ex-single seater drivers Ho-Pin Tung and Adderly Fong, joined by the experienced David Cheng. Also the OAK racing team are always dynamite at the 24 Hours. Therefore if the new coupe can run reliably first time out do not at all be surprised to see this team competing for high placings next Sunday.

Race Performance:

#34 Oreca 03R-Judd: Michel Frey/Frank Mailleux/Jon Lancaster
After a 2013 campaign in which they struggled the Race Performance team have shown definite signs of improvement so far in 2014. The team has stuck to a reliable Oreca-Judd package and with regular drivers Michel Frey and single seater convert Frank Mailleux, have shown tremendous promise so far in the ELMS. Mailleux has proved a revelation so far, with their driving talent strengthened immensely with another single seater convert in Jon Lancaster joining the team for his Le Mans 24 Hours debut. If Lancaster can quickly adapt to the Circuit de la Sarthe expect this team to rapid from the flag. A class podium is a definite aim for this team.

OAK Racing:

#35 Ligier JS P2-Nissan: Alex Brundle/Jann Mardenborough/Mark Shulzhitskiy
The second OAK racing entry is most definitely an intriguing entry in the LMP2 class, as it shows off their newly developed Ligier JS P2 coupe for the first time at the 24 Hours. Whilst the car is very new the team appear confident it can last the full 24 Hours. If this car can run trouble free throughout the race expect it to be challenging for the class win as this entry is very closely linked to Nissan this year. This is shown on the driving front as the team boasts 3 very fast Nissan backed drivers in benchmark man Alex Brundle, GP3 racer Jann Mardenborough and GT academy winner Mark Shulzhitskiy. All of these are quick drivers and this will only benefit the team, the only question mark remains on their new Ligier coupe.

Signatech Alpine:

#36 Alpine A450B-Nissan: Paul Loup-Chatin/Nelson Panciatici/Oliver Webb
Yet more diversity is brought to the LMP2 field as the Signatech team again field it’s Alpine badged Oreca for the race. This team is gaining experience in the category and came into 2014 on the back of winning the ELMS LMP2 drivers and constructers championships. Things have been slightly rougher in 2014 so far yet this team has showed tremendous promise and is deserving of it’s title as class victory contenders. The line-up of the experienced Panciatici with rapid young drivers in Chatin and ex single seater hot shoe Oliver Webb could prove inspired come next Sunday.

That’s the first half of this diverse LMP2 field previewed,please stay tuned for Part 2 coming soon!
In the meantime please visit the home of the great photographs I’ve used in the preview, they can be seen at http://www.dailysportscar.com/?p=32030 and http://www.motorsport.com/lemans/photos/main-gallery/?r=8087

2014 Le Mans 24 Hours LMP1 Preview

With the test day in the books and the 2014 Le Mans 24 Hours just over a week away now seems the perfect time to preview this year’s stellar entry at the world’s greatest sportscar race. Let’s start off with the contenders for overall victory in the top LMP1 class. With a almost certain victory predicted for the three factory teams competing choosing a winner from Audi, Toyota and the returning Porsche is impossible. Whoever crosses the line 1st on Sunday June 15th is anyone’s guess, but what is guaranteed is an epic 24 Hours of racing.

Audi Sport Team Joest:

#1 Audi R18 e-tron Quattro: Lucas Di Grassi/Loic Duval/Tom Kristensen

The 2013 winners of the 24 Hours are looking for a 2nd consecutive victory this year. Whilst they have lost experience hard charger Allan McNish to retirement, Lucas Di Grassi has so far proved a like for like replacement for this team. Furthermore any car with “Mr Le Mans” 9 time winner Tom Kristensen at the wheel can never be discounted for victory. 2014 has so far proved difficult for Audi however and for the first time in years they don’t go into the race as consensus favourites. Their battle with Toyota and Porsche for the win this year will go down in history.

#2 Audi R18 e-tron Quattro: Marcel Fassler/Andre Lotterer/Benoit Treluyer
2014 has also been tough so far for the #2 Audi crew as the team has struggled to match the pace of Toyota across the opening two World Endurance Championship events. Audi can never be underestimated however as Peugeot found out to their cost in 2008. Of the 3 works Audi entries the #2 has the slight edge over the rest in my opinion on the driving front. This combination won back to back 24 Hours in 2011-2012 and were it not for a problem last year may well have made it a hat-trick. Therefore expect this entry to lead the Audi challenge this year.

#3 Audi R18 e-tron Quattro: Filipe Albuquerque/ Marco Bonanomi/Oliver Jarvis
This #3 entry is a Le Mans only entry from Audi, therefore leaving this car at a slight disadvantage compared to the other two full season WEC entries. Whilst they have less preparation than the others their driving talent is right up there with Jarvis and Albuquerque being highly rated by Audi. Bonanomi is the team’s test driver and is no slouch in these cars . For this team a podium would be a good result and who knows, if reliability comes into play this team could have an outside chance of victory.
http://www.dailysportscar.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Spa_01.jpg?055a37

Toyota Racing:

#7 Toyota TS040 Hybrid: Alex Wurz/Stephane Sarrazin/Kazuki Nakajima
The two Toyota cars have so far proved to be the class of the field in the opening two WEC races leading up to Le Mans, however the 24 Hours is so unpredictable making prediction based on form rarely come true. This will be a blessing for the #7 entry as so far it’s been shown the way by the sister entry. This is something they will look to turn around at Le Mans, and this line-up blends speed with experience. Expect them to be challenging for victory right until the chequered flag.

#8 Toyota TS040 Hybrid: Anthony Davidson/Nicolas Lapierre/Sebastien Buemi
Based on form alone, this entry would surely be the pre-race favourite. Two wins in the WEC have shown this car has a definite edge over Audi and Porsche over 6 hours of racing. On the other hand, like I’ve mentioned earlier form going into this race is usually proven race by the unique nature of the 24 Hours. The driver line-up of the #8 entry lacks the experience of the #7 team yet they more than make up for it in speed. The only slight question mark surrounding the Toyota line-up is how the swapping of Lapierre and Sarrazin for 2014 affects both entries. Expect a strong challenge from Toyota this year.

Porsche Team:

#14 Porsche 919 Hybrid: Romain Dumas/Neel Jani/Marc Lieb
Porsche finally returns to it’s spiritual home in 2014, fighting for Le Mans 24 Hours victories, for the first time since 1998. So far the 919 Hybrid has proved competitive although inevitable reliability issues have hampered the team in the WEC so far.

If either Porsche can run more or less fault free expect to see them on the podium come next Sunday afternoon. On the driving front the team has promoted several long standing Porsche drivers like Dumas and Lieb in this entry. Dumas is a former winner whilst on loan to Audi and Lieb has impressed so far in his first taste of LMP1 machinery. Completing the trio is the rapid Neel Jani who have consistently impressed in LMP1 with the Rebellion team over the last few years.

#20 Porsche 919 Hybrid: Timo Bernhard/Mark Webber/Brendon Hartley
Since Porsche’s comeback, most of the attention has been focused on this #20 entry, not surprisingly because of ex-Red Bull F1 refugee Mark Webber who quit the sport to join Porsche this year. He has so far quickly adapted to LMP1 machinery and will be a long-term LMP1 driver for Porsche. Backing him up is previous winner and long time Porsche factory driver Timo Bernhard and the impressive Brendon Hartley who won the drive after impressing with his speed for the Murphy Prototypes LMP2 team in last year’s European Le Mans Series. Porsche are more than capable of throwing a surprise this year and their two driver line-up’s are a match for any other LMP1 entry.

Rebellion Racing :

#12 Rebellion R-One-Toyota: Nicolas Prost/Nick Heidfeld/Mathias Beche
The only privateer entries in LMP1 this year are two cars from the Rebellion team. After wheeling out their trusty Lola’s for the final time in the opening WEC race the team will have two new Rebellion R-One Toyota’s ready for the 24 Hours.

In conjunction with Oreca the car showed initial promise in terms of reliability at Spa the car lacked a little pace compared to the manufacture entries, something widely expected considering the gulf in budgets and knowledge of hybrid technology, something the Rebellion team doesn’t have. This lead entry has a comptetitive line-up of experienced Nicolas Prost and the rapid Nick Heidfeld and Mathias Beche. A reliable run for the team would be a dream with anything more a dream for this lowly team.

#13 Rebellion R-One Toyota: Dominik Kraihamer/Andrea Belicchi/Fabio Leimer
The second of the Rebellion entries, very much like the lead car, will be hoping for a reliable run in this so far unproven car. Although this appears to be at a slight disadvantage to the lead car in terms of driver line-up, this is simply relating to experience , as Kraihamer and 2013 GP2 champion Leimer are both rapid drivers with Belicchi providing the steady hand needed for a clean run at the 24 Hours. If reliable, both Rebellion cars will prove a thorn in the side of the works entries and expect them to challenge for at the very least a top 5 finish .

LMP1 will see a highly competitive race to the flag with all cars running flat out for 24 Hours straight. For the full entry list please visit the official Le Mans website here http://www.24h-lemans.com/en/race/entry-list_2_2_1980.html

Castle Combe Whitsun Race Day Report 2014

The third Castle Combe race meeting of the year promised to be a good one with a wide variety of racing to keep the sizeable crowd’s attention. This packed race day began with the opening race for circuit debutant the 750MC’s thriving Tegiwa Civic Cup. Although the series is still relatively new the series has already garnered a reputation for full grids and close racing.

From the start it was the older Civic of 2nd man Bernard Galea who shot into an early lead from pole sitter Robert Baker. Galea’s lead didn’t last long however as Baker took the lead by the end of lap 1. Galea was clearly not going to let him get away easily and was challenging for the lead over the next few laps. Behind them the battle for 3rd was no less intense as Rich Hockley finally found a way past Marc Kemp after a frantic few opening lap battling over the position. With a few stranded cars on track the Safety Car was called on lap 5 before coming in 2 laps later.

The Safety Car intervention left only a few minutes left from the original 15, leaving little opportunity for any changes for position. Rich Hockley subsequently torpedoed this theory by passing Bernard Galea for 2nd at the Esses on lap 8, before rapidly eroding the comfortable lead of Baker’s. Unfortunately the crowd were denied a grandstand finish as the time ran out just before Hockley could challenge Baker for the win. Galea completed the podium in 3rd.

Next up was the resident Castle Combe Sports Racing Car Series, a new series for 2014. From the rolling start local man Norman Lackford who took an early lead from Andy Crockett. After a intense initial few laps things ended in tears on lap 8 when Crockett tried an ambitious move going into Bobbies, with the subsequent contact being enough to eliminate both from the race. This left distant 3rd man Chris Vinall with a comfortable lead, possibly karma for spinning at the Esses on lap 3 avoiding a slow Crockett, as Vinall cruised to a comfortable victory in this 20 minute race of attrition from Richard Gray, a lap down in 2nd, and Antony Weeks in 3rd.

The third race of the day was the centrepiece of the day, the 90 minute Dave Allan Trophy handicap race, featuring a talented grid ready to compete for the win. From the rolling start the front row men of Tim Woodman and Phil Keen raced away from the pack. Woodman’s lead didn’t last long as experienced GT racer Phil Keen took the lead at the Esses on lap 2. The race claimed an early retirement as star turn Matt Neal retired his Honda Jazz on lap 4, leaving the crowd disappointed they didn’t get to see the driving ace in action for longer.

By lap 13 Keen’s lead had grown to 10 seconds as the penalties began being handed out for corner cutting. One of those affected was the monstrous Audi A8 Quattro of duo Jon Nicholls and Ollie Millroy, things soon got worse for the team as their car was forced out of 6th with cooked front brakes.

After the leading five took their scheduled 3 minute pit stops on laps 36 and 37 the order remained largely the same until the flag. After 70 laps it was the Andrew Smith/Phil Keen Ariel Atom that claimed a dominant victory by a lap over soloist Tim Woodman in his Caterham 7. Completing the podium was the Desmond Smail/Richard Meins Honda Integra . The final handicap results were somewhat different however as it was the Smail/Meins Integra that claimed victory from the Smith/Keen Ariel Atom and the Leigh Sebba/Tasmin Doyle Morgan +8 completing the handicap podium.

After the Dave Allan Trophy Endurance race the fans were then treated to the complete opposite as the resident Formula Ford Championship took to the track for a 15 lap thriller. Ash Crossey made the best getaway from the line to take the lead, opening a opening lap lead of roughly 2-3 seconds. The man on the move at this point was championship leader Roger Orgee, who was charging through the field after a qualifying problem forced him to start from the back.

A 4 car train was battling for 2nd early on, only helping Crossey in his escape. Things got interesting behind him however as reigning champion Adam Higgins was in the process of passing former champion Ed Moore going into Quarry on lap 9 before Moore lost it himself and spun off, re-joining well behind the pack. All of this helped Crossey build a insurmountable 5 second lead which he would hold to the flag, cementing his status as the championship favourite right now. After some frenetic battling behind Crossey it took a last lap move on Farm straight to clinch 2nd place for Nathan Ward with Adam Higgins taking 3rd.

Race 5 was for the always popular Aero racing Morgan challenge. It was no surprise to see Morgan expert Keith Ahlers on pole position, yet a warm-up lap miscommunication meant he started the race from the pit lane. This left Roger Whiteside and Phillip Goddard to battle for the lead early on. The fight for the lead didn’t last long as Ahlers completed his charge on Dean straight by lap 5. Before he hit traffic Ahlers was able to leave the others trailing to the tune of 4 seconds a lap as he asserted himself at the front.

The interest in this centred behind Ahlers as the battle for 2nd was finally resolved on lap 9 as Phillip Goddard passed Roger Whiteside exiting Camp Corner. As Goddard quickly shed Whiteside the entertainment was then provided by the fight for 4th place. After a frenetic couple of laps the battle was eventually decided as the charging Jonathan Edwards took both Robin Pearce and Tony Lees at Bobbies to snatch the place on lap 12.

The fight was far from over however, yet by lap 17 the dispute was resolved as defending into Camp corner Edwards left his braking too late and went straight into the tyre wall and out the race. After this the positions were fairly spread out until the flag after 30 minutes of racing, it was Ahlers who claimed a comfortable victory from Goddard in 2nd and Whiteside in 3rd.

Next up was the revamped Castle Combe Sports @ GT championship which has continued to provide exciting racing so far in 2014. This race contained some added spice as pole man Gary Prebble was forced to start from the pit lane as his clutch broke in qualifying. Therefore the early laps were led by Barry Squibb in his Mitsubishi Evo who quickly built a substantial lead from the rest. Things soon went downhill for Squibb however as he slowed with car problems, with the inevitable passes from Ilsa Cox and Gary Prebble taking place at Quarry on lap 8.

Cox’s lead was short-lived however as Prebble took the lead later on that lap. Cox’s fortunes also took a hit as she was forced to retire from a comfortable 2nd on the exit of Quarry on lap 10. From here it was comfortable win for Prebble, who also took the all time wins record at Castle Combe with this 36th victory from Bob Light. Perry Waddams and his TVR Tuscan claimed 2nd with Nick Holden and his Ariel Atom completing the podium.

The seventh race of the day saw the Tegiwa Civic Cup cars venture on track for their second race of the day. With the top 8 from race 1 reversed for this race action was almost guaranteed. It was Andrew Gaugler who claimed an early lead. It wasn’t to last long for him as he was mugged by the charging Rich Hockley at Camp on lap 2. Immediately race 1 winner Robert Baker smelled the opportunity and demoted Gaugler to 3rd on the pit straight.

Adding to the excitement were the first falling of rain drops on lap 4 although they were not substantial enough to cause significant challenge to the drivers. The rain intensified slightly by lap 9 yet Hockley was already around 1.5 seconds clear from Baker and duly claimed his 1st victory of 2014 from Baker and Gaugler.

The penultimate race of the day was for the Castle Combe Saloon car championship, ever popular as always. From the line it was the impressive Charles Hyde-Andrews-Bird who took the early initive. After clearing Mark Wyatt for 2nd Tony Hutchings went hunting for Bird ahead. Hutchings was denied the pass on track however as Bird dramatically pulled off at the end of the pit straight on lap 5, leaving Hutchings lonely ahead of the pack from here on out. He subsequently romped to a comfortable victory of 9.2 seconds over an equally lonely class B winner Mark Wyatt in 2nd and Tony Dolley in 3rd.

The last race of the day was for the Lackford Engineering Midget and Sprite challenge. The series is always popular at Castle Combe and an exciting finish to the day was predicted. The drama began before the start even took place as Martin Morris was forced to start from the back not 2nd after replacing his gearbox after qualifying. After a rocket getaway it was 5th man James Dunkley who stole the early lead, meanwhile behind him Morris amazingly managed to go from the back to 3rd on the opening lap alone.

Back at the front it didn’t take series benchmark Paul Sibley long to re-assert his dominance as he dived inside Dunkley for the lead at Quarry on lap 2. Now in front he quickly built an 8 second lead with the race set for a stalemate. This was quickly avoided however as the circuit began drying, with Dunkley then taking seconds out of Sibley’s lead over consecutive laps as he clearly favoured the drying conditions.

Dunkley was challenging for the lead by lap 9 yet couldn’t quite find a way through before Sibley re-asserted his buffer as he warmed to the conditions. Sibley therefore took a challenging victory from Dunkley in 2nd and Martin Morris completed the podium in a great recovery drive to 3rd.

This signalled another exciting Castle Combe race meeting coming to a close with the next race meeting taking place in 2 weeks time on Father’s Day, the 14th June. For more details on that meeting and any other Castle Combe events please visit their website here. http://www.castlecombecircuit.co.uk/
For any further info relating to the official results of this meeting please visit the TSL Timing website here it will provide all the stats you need. http://www.tsl-timing.com/?loc=club&season=2014&series=CCRC&event=club&source=ed_CCRC&eventid=142268

2014 Indianapolis 500 Preview part 2

After looking at the potential fortunes of the top line teams going into this Sunday’s Indianapolis 500, now it’s time to look at the fortunes of the relatively “smaller” teams, some of whom are punching well above their weight so far in 2014.

Schmidt Peterson Hamilton Motorsport:
#5 Dollar General Schmidt Peterson Hamilton Motorsport/Team Pelfrey Dallara DW12-Honda – Jacques Villeneuve
Shortly after the attention was dying down from the announcement of Kurt Busch competing in this year’s Indy 500 the fans were treated to another shock announcement as high flying Schmidt Peterson Hamilton motorsport announced 1995 Indy 500 winner and 1997 F1 World champion Jacques Villeneuve would make a return to the 500 for the 1st time since his iconic victory in 1995.

A lot has changed since then yet Villeneuve will be hoping to roll back the years and claim a fairytale 2nd 500 victory. Whilst the odds appear stacked against him with the time needed to adjust to the current Indycar racer and the smaller nature of the Schmidt team yet this team has been punching well above it’s weight so far in 2014, and with the experience Villeneuve possesses this car could spring a surprise on Sunday.Qualifying was tough with a 27th starting spot yet there is plenty of potential for Villeneuve to create bigger shocks on Sunday afternoon.

#7 SMP Bank Schmidt Peterson Hamilton Motorsport/SMP Racing Dallara DW12-Honda – Mikhail Aleshin
A stuttering career in the Formula Renault World Series Aleshin was handed a lifeline in 2014 as he made the switch to Indycar racing with the promising Schmidt team. A tough opening few races have been the result so far as Aleshin gets adjusted to Indycar racing yet he has shown promising flashes so far with a 15th starting slot on the grid definitely one of these moments.

The rookie will be hoping the practice runs will put him in good stead with a top 10 finish a realistic target from this grid slot. His only knock will be lack of experience his has with open wheel racing on ovals as this will be his first ever oval race.

#77 Lucas Oil Schmidt Peterson Hamilton Motorsport Dallara DW12-Honda – Simon Pagenaud
By far the most impressive driver of the 2014 Indycar series so far has been Simon Pagenaud who has vaulted his Schmidt entry to four top 5 finishes from 4 races, including a win at the previous round last week on the Indianapolis road course.

Pagenaud appears to be flying high and in the groove right now with this confidence carrying over to the 500 so far with a solid 5th qualifying spot putting him on row 2 for the race, marking him out as someone to watch in the race as he appears to be the biggest challenger to those from more lucrative teams on the grid. A definite contender for a first Indy 500 victory this weekend.

Dale Coyne Racing:
#18 Sonny’s Dale Coyne Racing Dallara DW12-Honda – Carlos Huertas
Carlos Huertas swapped a promising Formula Renault World Series ride in 2013 for a change of scenery in 2014 with a late deal with Dale Coyne racing being announced very close to the start of the 2014 season. The late announcement of the deal prevented a lot of running for Huertas to get acclimatized with the current Dallara DW12 Indycar. Therefore the 2014 season so far has been character building for Huertas as he tries to cope admirably with a situation where he is learning the car every race whilst trying to improve with a underfunded team.

This situation could have buried Huertas yet has so far coped very well with a best finish of 10th so far. Going into the Indy 500 Huertas faces a struggle as he prepares for his first ever oval race. There appears to be very little expectation around Huertas yet he performed superbly to secure 21st on the grid and will surely hope to carry on this upturn in form in the 500 .

#19 Boy Scout’s of America Dale Coyne Racing Dallara DW12-Honda – Justin Wilson
Justin Wilson has proved himself a very talented and experienced Indycar racer, with a reputation for pulling off unexpected giant-killing performances for underfunded teams. Therefore it’s no surprise he’s very comfortable with the underfunded Dale Coyne team and hopes to improve on his 3 podiums for the team in 2013.

So far in 2014 his best result is 6th and whilst Wilson is known for being better on road courses than ovals never discount his ability to spring a surprise in Indycar’s. A 14th grid spot for the 500 leaves him some work to do yet alongside Pagenaud expect Wilson to challenge the better funded teams with a top 6 result being a realistic goal for this giant killing team.

#63 Susan G. Komen Dale Coyne Racing Dallara DW12-Honda – Pippa Mann
After an impressive yet truncated 2013 season with Dale Coyne racing Brit Pippa Mann has secured a Indy 500 only deal so far with Dale Coyne racing thanks to support from the Susan G. Komen breast cancer awareness Foundation. Fans will certainly always see Mann’s car as the tie up has resulted in a distinctive pink livery for car and driver.

Aside from that Mann has so far showed no race rustiness in her time off as she qualified an impressive 22nd as she hopes for an impressive run in the 500 with a top 10 result being a very realistic target for the team. Either way Mann will be hoping to impress in the 500 as she looks for further Indycar outings in 2014.
For anyone interested in finding out more about the Susan G. Komen Foundation or supporting this partnership with Pippa Mann please visit the link below.http://www.racewithpippa.com/

Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing Dallara DW12-Honda:
#67 Klipsch Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing Dallara DW12-Honda – Josef Newgarden
Josef Newgarden has quickly marked himself out as a rising star within the Indycar ranks with this being his 3rd season in the series. Things have been solid if unspectacular so far this year with two top 10 finishes so far meaning Newgarden will have to show his skills to improve his chances of a dream victory or top 5 finish come Sunday afternoon. He appeared to set this up almost perfectly with a nice 8th starting spot meaning he will be in the thick of the lead action for the 500 as he hopes to invigorate his 2014 season in style.

#68 Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing Dallara DW12-Honda – Alex Tagliani
After a difficult 2013 Indycar season which saw fan favourite Alex Tagliani give up his drive he returns in 2014 with this one-off Indy 500 entry with Sarah Fisher Hartman racing. The team has a competitive package and Tagliani runs well at Indy, therefore this entry should be one to look out for as an outside bet for a good result. A 24th starting slot was not ideal for Tagliani yet watch out for him as the day goes on he may well spring a surprise.

Ed Carpenter Racing:
#20 Fuzzy’s Vodka Ed Carpenter Racing Dallara DW12-Chevrolet – Ed Carpenter
This weekend’s Indianapolis 500 is the first race of the year for team owner Ed Carpenter as his unique deal with fellow driver Mike Conway see’s Ed doing the oval races in 2014 and Conway the road courses. It was likely assumed the long lay off period would hurt Carpenter come the 500 yet he struck back in emphatic style be clinching a second consecutive pole for the 500 with a stunning 231mph run, the fastest pole time since 2003. Carpenter is dynamite on ovals and expect him to in the lead pack all race long.

#21 Fuzzy’s Vodka Ed Carpenter Racing Dallara DW12-Chevrolet – JR Hildebrand
JR Hildebrand is another driver hoping this one-off entry for the 500 will kick start new opportunities in Indycar after a bruising 2013 campaign which saw him leave the Panther racing team. Of the one-off entries for this race I would rate Hildebrand of having the biggest opportunity to grab a good result as the Ed Carpenter racing cars are always competitive on ovals and Hildebrand has showed a liking for this track despite the heartbreak of his rookie 500. Watch what happened to him here. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1tFV-85gyzQ
Hildebrand starts 9th this Sunday and for him a top 3 result is well within his reach with a breakthrough victory well within the realms of possibilities for this talented Californian.

Bryan Herta Autosport:
#98 Charter Bryan Herta Autosport Dallara DW12-Honda – Jack Hawksworth
After a mixed season in Indy Lights for Jack Hawksworth in 2013 is was a slight surprise when he was first announced as the driver for Bryan Herta Autosport late on before the 2014 season began. Some questioned his readiness for Indycar’s, yet so far Hawksworth has proved everyone wrong by showing plenty of promise so far in 2014.

He’s marked himself out as a potential future talent within Indycar racing, showing this further with a strong 13th qualifying spot for the 500. Although he’s slightly inexperienced on ovals he will surely be looking for at the very least a top 10 finish.

KV Racing Technology:
#6 Robert Graham KV Racing Technology Dallara DW12-Chevrolet – Townsend Bell
Townsend Bell is very experienced in American open wheel racing and takes time out of his busy Tudor United Sportscar GT campaign to once again compete in the Indianapolis 500. He secured the #6 entry with KV racing and will be looking for a strong run this weekend . He starts 25th for the 500 yet he’s experienced enough to know the race is long and he will have plenty of opportunities to secure a decent result.

#11 HydroxyCut KV Racing Technology Dallara DW12-Chevrolet – Sebastien Bourdais
Sebastian Bourdais appears to be settling into his new team, KV racing recently as he took his best result of 2014 so far with 7th in the last round on the road course at Indianapolis. A 17th starting spot for the 500 is not a brilliant return for the 4 time Champ Car champion yet there will be plenty of opportunities for him to nab a good result in the famous race.

#17 KV Racing Technology/AFS Racing Dallara DW12-Chevrolet – Sebastien Saavedra
Sebastien Saavedra has suffered a difficult start to his 2014 campaign with new team KV racing in conjunction with the Indy Lights team he drove for, AFS racing. The frustrating aspect for Saavedra will be the missed opportunities, most notably stalling from pole at the last round on the Indy road course. A 32nd starting slot for the 500 suggests his bad luck at Indy this month is continuing and he will be hoping his luck swings the other way in the 500 this Sunday.

#33 Always Evolving Racing KV Racing Technology Dallara DW12-Chevrolet – James Davison
This entry is one of perseverance as highly rated Australian James Davison showed initial promise in Indy Lights before running into funding issues which have prevented a step up into Indycar since his final year of Indy Lights in 2009. Whilst he’s raced regularly since then it’s been in a number of different cars and categories, therefore his will prove a steep learning curve to acclimatise to Indianapolis. He starts 28th which is a decent showing as he hopes to improve on that for the race.

#14 ABC Supply Co AJ Foyt Enterprises Dallara DW12-Honda – Takuma Sato
So far 2014 has been a difficult season for the experienced Japanese man Takuma Sato, with a best result of 7th so far. Whilst it’s been disappointing so far for Sato he can take comfort from his form at this point last year which saw him fighting for the lead of the championship going into the 500. He will be hoping for the reverse of last year where he season faltered from the 500 onwards. A 23rd grid slot leaves him plenty to do yet Sato has more than enough ability to get the job done if things go right for him.

#41 ABC Supply Co AJ Foyt Enterprises Dallara DW12-Honda – Martin Plowman
British driver Martin Plowman makes a return to Indycar’s after spending the last few years gaining success in LMP2 Sportscar racing. Plowman showed promise in Indy Lights and his few Indycar outings before budget issues steered him towards his Sportscar years. 29th on the grid is a respectable result for someone still re-adjusting to Indycar’s yet expect him to get better as the race goes on.

Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing:
#15 National Guard Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Dallara DW12-Honda – Graham Rahal
Things have been frustrating for Graham Rahal after moving to his father’s team for the 2013 season. Despite showing flashes of promise the results haven’t come for the talented American, something he’ll be looking to rectify on Indycar’s biggest stage. 20th on the grid is a solid result for Rahal and if things hold together look for him to nab a good result.

#16 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Dallara DW12-Honda – Oriol Servia
Despite seeming almost never ending budget issues Oriol Servia has managed to secure himself a multiple race deal with Rahal Letterman Lanigan racing, concluding with this weekend’s Indy 500. Whilst he always seems to find himself with the lower funded teams he always manages to drag some good results from the car, always leaving the paddock questioning what he could do in a top line team. 18th on the grid is a good result and he’ll be gunning for a good result to keep him racing in 2014.

Dreyer & Reinbold Kingdom Racing:
#22 Comfort Revolution Dreyer & Reinbold Kingdom Racing/Chip Ganassi Racing Dallara DW12-Chevrolet – Sage Karam
After an impressive rookie campaign in 2013 which saw Sage Karam claim the Indy Lights title at his first attempt, it was no surprise that he was quickly snapped up to the Chip Ganassi racing development programme. Sadly for him the only drives the team could give him so far have been a few outings with the teams Daytona Prototype in the Tudor United Sportscar Championship. This combined effort from Dreyer & Reinbold Kingdom racing and Ganassi is a competitive package and Karam will be hoping to finish a lot higher than his current 31st on the grid.

Lazier Partners Racing:
#91 Advanced Auto Parts Lazier Partners Racing Dallara DW12-Chevrolet – Buddy Lazier
Buddy Lazier always managed to pull together a one-off deal for the Indy 500 and this year is no exception as he put together his own package. The winner of the 1996 Indy 500 he always seems to get the best he can out of the package at Indy, although the underfunded nature of the team limited Lazier to the 33rd and final grid slot this year. If things go right for him on race day expect him to gain a top 12 finish or maybe better depending on the attrition rate of the 2014 Indianapolis 500.

For anyone interested in finding out more about the famous Indy 500 please visit this link.
http://www.indy500.com/

2014 Indianapolis 500 Preview Part 1

After the inaugral Grand Prix of Indianapolis marked the first time the series had raced on the Indianapolis road course, attention shifts now to the most famous hunting ground for American open wheel racing, the Indianapolis 500. Immediately after the Grand Prix last Saturday the paddock has swapped the road course for the hallowed oval as the rookie orientation and practice began this Monday. This week’s practice so far has seen a slow increase in speeds every day as the teams and drivers fine tune their cars and get increasingly comfortable with the unique oval.

The week’s only drama so far has been off-track as leading team Andretti Autosport were forced to draft in previous driver E.J Viso to replace James Hinchcliffe, who was ruled out of practice this week as he recovers from a concussion suffered during last weekend’s road course Grand Prix. This race is sure to throw up plenty of surprises therefore predicting a winner will be almost impossible, however let’s start this preview by looking at the front runners from the 2014 Indycar season so far team by team.

Team Penske :
#2 Verizon Dallara DW12-Chevrolet – Juan Pablo Montoya
So far his 2014 return to the Indycar series has been mixed for the high profile Montoya, who has shown tremendous promise yet has struggled to turn these into decent results in the opening four races. His sole top 5 run so far was a 4th place at Long Beach as he currently sits 15th in the points, something he will undoubtedly improve on over the course of the year. Despite the frustrating start he’s still a contender for a repeat of his dominant 2000 victory in the 500 as the Penske team seem to have a competitive package for the 500. Therefore Montoya will be a useful outside bet for a competitive run next Sunday. With this weekend’s qualifying now complete Montoya impressed with a top 10 starting slot with a solid 231mph run, putting him in a good position for Sunday’s race.

#3 Pennzoil Dallara DW12-Chevrolet – Helio Castroneves
Castroneves has carried his title challenging form from 2014 across into the new season as he has managed 2 podiums from the opening 4 races, putting him 4th in the points going into the 500. Things are not all rosy however for Castroneves as he is already 47 points behind team mate Will Power and therefore Castroneves will surely be looking to close the gap on Power, especially with this being a double points race also. Castroneves is always a contender at Indy and is the only active driver to have won the race 3 times, (2001,2002 and 2009) and can therefore never be discounted as he looks to become a 4 time winner of the great race. Castroneves starts 4th after qualifying with a close 230mph run in the fast 9 shootout for pole.

#12 Verizon Dallara DW12-Chevrolet – Will Power
Power has bounced back from a disappointing 2013 season to currently lead the points standings after a dominant win at the opening round at St Petersburg, before backing that up with solid point scores in the other 3 races. It appears he will be the pre-race favorite based on his early season form however he has not completely dispelled the myth that he’s a weaker oval racer than he is road course driver. This myth appears to be the only knock on him going into the event with it all depending now on whether Team Penske can work their Indy magic again this year and deliver Power a car he can run to victory lane. This definitely appears to be his best chance of victory yet in his 6th attempt. Power impressed by qualifying 3rd, the highest Penske runner too at 230.6mph.

Andretti Autosport:
#25 Snapple Andretti Autosport Dallara DW12-Honda – Marco Andretti
Andretti is undoubtedly the most famous surname in American road racing and the latest Andretti Indycar driver is Michael Andretti’s son Marco. So far in 2014 Marco’s showed himself to be one of the leading Andretti Autosport cars as he currently sits 7th in the drivers standings and will along with Castroneves be looking to close on leader Power with a good result here.

Marco would also like to earn some redemption for the Andretti curse at the 500 whereby despite an abundance of talent both granddad Mario and dad Michael were only able to win the 500 once between them. Andretti starts a close 6th after a 230.5mph run in the final fast 9 shootout last Sunday.

#26 Suretone Entertainment Andretti Autosport Dallara DW12-Honda – Kurt Busch (R)
One of the more high profile entries for this year’s 500 is Nascar bad boy Kurt Busch, who attempts to become only the fourth driver in history to complete the double of competing in the Indy 500 and the Nascar Coca-Cola 600 later that evening. The announcement of Busch has certainly raised the profile of the race however it must be remembered he’s a rookie and expectations should be kept in check for his race performance. He has shown himself to be a very talented Nascar driver and it will not be a major shock to see him impress in the 500. Busch can be satisfied with his qualifying performance as he starts 12th, the fastest of the rookies, with an impressive 230.7 mph run.

#27 United Fiber Data Andretti Autosport Dallara DW12-Honda – James Hinchcliffe
Jovial Canadian James Hinchcliffe could not have had a worse first week of practice for the 500 as he has been ruled out of most of the sessions as he recovers from a concussion in last weekend’s Grand Prix on the Indianapolis road course. The poor weather has also been against him as a lot of the recent sessions have been affected by rain and subsequently curtailed his running. Hinchcliffe is a rising star in Indycar however and despite the poor build up will always be a contender for victories in his current form. Hinchcliffe expertly bounced back from his lack of running so far to answer the critics with a very impressive qualifying run which puts him in the middle of the front row in 2nd for Sunday with an outstanding 230.8mph run.

#28 DHL Andretti Autosport Dallara DW12-Honda – Ryan Hunter-Reay
2014 has been an contrasting year for 2012 Indycar champion Ryan Hunter-Reay, as he has already taken two podiums including a win at Barber Motorsports Park, yet he also annoyed most of the paddock with his reckless passing attempt at Long Beach which eliminated/delayed the majority of the drivers. Despite this he goes into the Indy 500 3rd in the points and will be hoping to take a first win in the 500 to strengthen his title challenge. Qualifying did not go well for the former champion however as he starts a lowly 19th. Some comfort can be taken however as much like sportscar racing the ultimate qualifying position has little significance as Hunter-Reay could easily claim victory from here, it simply makes his job a lot harder come race day. Watch out for Hunter-Reay on Sunday.

#34 Cinsay AndrettiTV.com Andretti Autosport Dallara DW12-Honda – Carlos Munoz
Carlos Munoz will be looking to go one better than his very impressive run to 2nd in last year’s 500 in his debut Indycar race. His impressive run which saw him challenge for the win all race and in fact lead 12 laps himself rightly resulted in him receiving the rookie of the year honors last year. After finishing 3rd in the Indy Lights series last year Andretti Autosport rightly promoted the rookie Colombian Munoz to a full time ride in 2014, with impressive results so far with a podium in Long Beach leaving him 10th in the points going into this weekend’s big race. Munoz immediately carried on his 2013 form with a 7th place qualifying spot putting him in a good position going into the race.

Chip Ganassi Racing:
#8 NTT Data Chip Ganassi Racing Dallara DW12-Chevrolet – Ryan Briscoe
After a truncated 2013 Indycar season Ryan Briscoe returns to the series in 2014 with top line team Chip Ganassi racing. 2014 has so far seen a solid start from Briscoe who currently lies 9th in the standings going into the Indy 500. The Ganassi outfit are a powerhouse Indycar team and can always be relied on to give their drivers top line cars to challenge for victory. Some work clearly needs to be done to Briscoe’s car however after a difficult qualifying session which saw him fall to 30th on the grid leaving him a lot of work to do in the race if he is challenge for a top 5 result which could really kickstart his season.

#9 Target Chip Ganassi Racing Dallara DW12-Chevrolet – Scott Dixon
Scott Dixon cemented his place amongst the Indycar greats by clinching his third Indycar title in 2013, ten years after his first. Dixon however has a slightly less impressive record at Indianapolis as he has only won the 500 once, in 2008. 2014 presents another opportunity for him to rectify this as he looks solid if unspectacular going into the 500, with two top 5 finishes putting him 6th in the points. Qualifying was not so good for frontrunner Dixon who only managed 11th on the grid, yet there will be plenty of time for him to work his way to the front once the 500 mile race starts. Despite the qualifying position Dixon is still a contender for victory.

#10 Target Chip Ganassi Racing Dallara DW12-Chevrolet – Tony Kanaan
After finally realizing a dream by finally winning the Indy 500 in 2013 after many years of trying, things got even better for Kanaan as he signed with Chip Ganassi racing for the 2014 season. After unfortunate circumstances which curtailed hallowed Scot Dario Franchitti’s career, good friend Kanaan has been promoted to drive the famous #10 Target Chip Ganassi Racing entry in 2014. It’s been a slightly rough transition so far as Kanaan is yet to achieve a top 5 finish and currently lies 13th in the points. Form matters little to Kanaan however as he will be guaranteed to do everything he can to repeat his 2013 victory in the 500. A 16th place starting slot is not ideal for Kanaan but for this racer it provides the perfect storyline as he will look to avoid trouble and carve through the pack to claim repeat 500 victory this year.

#83 Novo Nordisk Chip Ganassi Racing Dallara DW12-Chevrolet – Charlie Kimball
After a breakthrough year in 2013 as Kimball claimed his 1st Indycar victory, he will be slightly disappointed therefore with his start to the 2014 season as he sits 16th in the points after the first 4 races. Things don’t appear to have improved so far as like team mate Briscoe Kimball struggled in qualifying, winding up 26th on the grid for the 500. As I’ve previously stated however grid position isn’t everything and with a slick Ganassi crew behind him expect Kimball to make up places and a top 10 finish is easily possible for this talented American.

Why are Quarterbacks falling so far in the NFL Draft?

Going into the 2014 NFL Draft may were hailing the best Quarterback draft class in a long time with 4 consensus 1st round QB’s with plenty more following on in the 2nd and 3rd rounds. Things initially started well as the Jacksonville Jaguars shocked the nation by selecting Blake Bortles with the 3rd pick of the 2014 NFL Draft, making him the first QB taken. From this point however the stock of the Quarterback has nosedived with the first warning signs being the fall of media darling and consensus top QB in the draft, Johnny Manziel. On draft night he fell from being a consensus top 5 pick to eventually be selected with the 22nd pick by the Cleveland Browns.

From the predicted four 1st round QB’s only one more was taken with the Minnesota Vikings trading back into the 1st round with the 32nd and last pick to select draft free faller Teddy Bridgewater of Louisville. At this point the fortunes of the Quarterback had been mixed in the 1st round with Bortles and Bridgewater being picked far before they were predicted to have been, yet fellow 1st round talent Derek Carr was forced to wait overnight for his time to be drafted.

Friday night saw the 2nd and 3rd rounds of the draft with plenty more QB’s expected to be drafted during the course of the night. The first off the board in the 2nd round was unsurprisingly Fresno State’s Derek Carr who took his cannon arm to Oakland where he can learn from Matt Schaub before eventually replacing him at the Raiders. With Carr off the board who was going to be next was open to debate. Some felt it was the pro ready Jimmy Garoppolo from Eastern Illinois whilst others fancied LSU’s Zach Mettenberger.

After a long while and plenty of Quarterback needy teams passing on a new signal caller eventually it was a surprise selection as the New England Patriots selected Jimmy Garoppolo with the 62nd pick late in the 2nd round. This seemed a slightly strange selection at first as the team has future Hall of fame Quarterback Tom Brady as the starter with impressive backup Ryan Mallet behind him in the depth chart. It was soon worked out however that Garoppolo is an insurance policy against Mallet potentially leaving as this is the last year of his rookie contract and is highly regarded around the NFL.

Going into the 3rd round it was expected that we would see a flurry of QB’s taken in this round as the value on these falling draft prospect would surely be irresistible to the many Quarterback needy teams in this draft. What actually happened was quite the opposite as no QB’s were selected at all in the 3rd round meaning there are plenty of signal callers who have to wait until today before being drafted.

For many it appears injury and poor combine/pro day performances are the reasoning why they remain on the board going into the 4th round. For Zach Mettenberger this is definitely the case as he must be frustrated to fall from a 2nd round prediction to falling into the 4th round, although this may be because of recent revelation about a diluted drug test at the scouting combine in February. Indeed on draft expert Mike Mayock’s board Mettenberger is rated above Teddy Bridgewater who went in the 1st round.

For other QB’s such as Alabama’s AJ McCarron it appears many NFL teams doubt he can be a regular winning QB in the NFL despite have an exemplary record of success whilst in college at Alabama.He will be a huge value pick if he falls below the 4th round today. The next rated QB is Pittsburgh’s Tom Savage who appears to have one of the biggest arm’s in the QB class with many tipping him to sneak into the 2nd round and expect him alongside McCarron to be selected in the 4th round.

For the likes of Aaron Murray of Georgia injury has curtailed his draft stock, expect him to be selected late in the 4th round/early 5th round . From the other Quarterback’s in this draft the likes of Logan Thomas from Virginia Tech, Tajh Boyd from Clemson and Stephen Morris from Miami expect these guys to be drafted in the later rounds or might even go undrafted as they are purely developmental Quarterback’s who need several years of development before they could be challenging for starting QB slots in the NFL. It should be very interesting to see where these young signal callers are all selected today in the final day of the 2014 NFL Draft.

2014 Pirelli Spanish GP Qualifying Report

After the excitement of the first four flyaway races F1 returned to Europe after a long three week break. The popular European portion of the season begins this weekend with the Spanish GP, a track known to highlight the chassis and aerodynamic proficiency of your car. With all of the teams bringing significant updates everyone went into qualifying hopeful their updates had significantly improved their performance.

Immediately out in Q1 were both Sauber cars, hoping their lightened car would push them further up the grid after a difficult start to their season. The first drama of this session was a brief red flag period early in Q1 as the Lotus-Renault of Pastor Maldonado ran wide on the exit of Turn 3 and lost the wayward car before it glanced the barrier on the inside of the corner, breaking the right front wheel and eliminating Maldonado from the session. After the initial talk that this is a Red Bull track and therefore AMG Mercedes might struggle, this talk all proved unfounded as the Mercedes cars had a comfortable 0.7 second gap to the rest after Q1.

At the end of Q1 there were few surprises as the predicted faces were eliminated with Maldonado in 22nd after failing to set a time, with Kamui Kobayashi qualifying a disappointed 21st for Caterham. His rookie team mate Marcus Ericsson impressed with 20th in the other Caterham with the Marussia of Jules Bianchi in 19th from team mate Max Chilton in 18th. The final man eliminated was a disappointed Adrian Sutil in 17th with his new lightened Sauber showing little signs of improvement so far this weekend.

Q2 began with the Sahara- Force India’s cars coming out quickly before the pacesetters filtered out to set their first times. Nico Rosberg was setting the pace with a 1.26.0 with only a nice 0.6 second gap to the best of the Red Bull’s in 3rd. This session proved intriguing as pre-session session favorite for pole Lewis Hamilton appeared slightly scruffy as team mate Rosberg appeared to have the edge at this point going into the final Q3 session.

Of those eliminated in Q2 it was unsurprising to see both the Force India’s in 11th and 12th with Nico Hulkenberg ahead of Sergio Perez. 13th was okay from rookie Daniil Kvyat as Esteban Gutierrez came home 14th. The final two places were reserved for the cars that failed to set a time with Kevin Magnussen suffering a power unit failure whilst Scuderia Toro Rosso man Jean Eric Vergne had a 10 place grid penalty hanging over him after a FP2 mishap, therefore it appears his lack of running may have been a tactical decision by the team.

The final Q3 session began slowly before Nico Rosberg finally ventured out for his first run with 10 minutes left of the session. He was over halfway through his first timed lap when his run was abruptly halted as the red flags flew for a second time in this qualifying session, as the Red Bull of reigning world champion Sebastian Vettel stopped on the entry of Turn 3 with a suspected gearbox failure. The first race with his new chassis has proved difficult for Vettel with limited practice running and now a 10th place grid spot for tomorrow’s race to compound his problems.

When the session resumed Rosberg again set his first run time before Hamilton slightly eclipsed him going into their final runs. With seconds left on the clock the both started their final laps with Rosberg smashing Hamilton’s previous time before a nervous wait to see what Hamilton managed behind him. Luckily for Hamilton he had just enough in hand to set pole with 0.168 margin of pole from team mate Rosberg.

Row 2 will be filled with the Red Bull of the ever impressive Daniel Ricciardo with Martini Williams sophomore Valterri Bottas impressing again with 4th. Romain Grosjean was the standout of Q3 as he dragged his skittish Lotus-Renault into 5th when team mate Maldonado lost control in Q1 and will start 21st, whilst Kimi Raikkonen must be thrilled to out qualify team mate Fernando Alonso in 6th for Ferrari.

Alonso wasn’t far behind in 7th from Jenson Button in 8th for McLaren. The final row of the top 10 will be filled by Felipe Massa in 9th for Williams from the Red Bull of Sebastian Vettel who obviously didn’t set a time. The grid is set in what promises to be an exciting Spanish GP race tomorrow.

For the official stats from qualifying please visit this link.
http://www.formula1.com/results/season/2014/919/