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2015 Sebring 12 Hours Prototype Preview Part 2

Here is part 2 of my preview of the Prototype class for the upcoming Sebring 12 Hours, the second round of the Tudor United Sportscar Championship. Without further ado, here’s a look at the second half of the Prototype entry list.

#50 Fifty Plus Racing Riley-BMW Daytona Prototype: Jim Pace/Byron DeFoor/David Hinton/Dorsey Schroeder

This Fifty Plus Racing team runs on a slightly different objective to the rest of the field. Whilst the rest are obsessed with winning this team has a secondary purpose of raising money for their HighwayToHelp charity. The charity is linked with the Alzheimer’s association and aims to raise money through donations. As the name suggests the team is made up of drivers over fifty years old. The team will be led by firstly formerly retired ex-pro and American sportscar racing analyst Dorsey Schroeder. Whilst he was retired for a while before returning to the track, expect him to be seriously fast in the car. Leading the team alongside him will be former overall Daytona 24 Hours winner Jim Pace. He has a wealth of experience and will match or even beat the times of Schroeder.

Partnering these two are the amateur drivers Byron DeFoor and David Hinton, both of whom will do a respectable job in the car and bring it home safely for the team. Whilst this team are unlikely to be contending for victory at Sebring, this car will post some fast times with Schroeder and Pace at the wheel. A quiet, reliable run for this team may well bring them into the top eight overall by the end of the 12 Hours.

#57 Krohn Racing Ligier JS P2-Judd: Tracy Krohn/Nic Jonsson/Olivier Pla

Krohn Racing is one of the few teams in the Prototype class fielding an LMP2 class of car, a last remnant from the previous American Le Mans Series. The team ran well in their new Ligier coupe last time out at the Rolex 24 Hours,although an engine problem sidelined the team within the first eight hours of the race. Despite this disappointing run at Daytona the team will be looking to bounce back at Sebring next weekend.

Although the team is only contesting the Tequila Patron North American Endurance Cup events alongside a full season in the European Le Mans Series, it will look for a good result at Sebring before it ships their Ligier to Europe for the majority of the season. On the driving front the team once again has a front running line up made up of the very quick LMP2 expert and new Nissan LMP1 factory driver Olivier Pla, alongside the very experienced sportscar and former Indycar racer Nic Jonsson to partner team owner Tracy Krohn. This team is very well experienced and will look to put miles on their Ligier coupe to expand their knowledge of the car before the European season. If this car runs reliably throughout the 12 Hours expect this team to challenge for the podium, such is the quality of their driver line up and the pace of their Ligier JS P2.

#60 Tyre Kingdom Michael Shank Racing/Curb/Agajanian Ligier JS P2-Honda HPD: John Pew/Ozz Negri/Justin Wilson

Michael Shank Racing surprised last time out at the Rolex 24 with their overall pace, although reliability troubles limited the team’s overall competitiveness throughout the race. This is not surprising considering their first race with their Ligier JS P2 was the Rolex 24 Hours. The team still finished 9th overall and 5th in class still which shows the pace the team has to build on going into the Sebring 12 Hours.

The team will be hoping for a more reliable run this time out, although Sebring is renowned as a car breaker of a circuit.For this time they have retained their impressive driver line up from Daytona, with the only change being the teenager Matt McMurry has been replaced with Indycar racer Justin Wilson for this race. John Pew only started racing in his early 40’s yet has quickly developed into one of the fastest amateur Prototype drivers in the Tudor United Sportscar Championship. Ozz Negri is a very rapid driver with over thirty years worth of racing experience, and teamed with the rapid Brit Justin Wilson this team will be a contender for victory if the car stays reliable. Whilst this is a big if for the team at this stage it’s not beyond the realms of possibility.

#70 Mazda SpeedSource Lola B12/80-Mazda: Tristan Nunez/Jonathan Bomarito/Sylvain Tremblay

The SpeedSource Mazda team will be hoping to capitalise on the improvements they have made to their Lola chassis and works Mazda engine during the off-season, after a difficult debut campaign in the Prototype class last year. Their Mazda SkyActiv diesel engine proved troublesome all year, and whilst it once again proved problematic, the team did have a chance to show their pace whilst the car was running at least. The team led it’s first lap at the Rolex 24, something the team would like to achieve again at Sebring.

After oil pump problems put this car out at Daytona, the team will be looking for a somewhat reliable run this time out. In terms of driving talent this car has a good line up with the very quick young driver Tristan Nunez complemented by former works SRT Viper GTLM driver Jonathan Bomarito and the quick, solid amateur Sylvain Tremblay. All three drivers have the ability to perform very quick laps consistently over a stint, something the team and drivers will be itching to show during the 12 Hours. If the SpeedSource team can keep the car reliable,expect this team to surprise with it’s pace.

#90 VisitFlorida.com Spirit of Daytona Racing Chevrolet Corvette Daytona Prototype: Richard Westbrook/Michael Valiante/Mike Rockenfeller

After a strong podium last time out at the Rolex 24 Hours, the Spirit of Daytona team will be looking for a repeat podium next weekend in the Sebring 12 Hours. This well run, professional team were not entirely trouble free last time out but were there when it counted to take advantage of the miscalculation at Wayne Taylor Racing, promoting themselves to a distant third overall.

This time out the team will be looking to challenge the leaders throughout the race, and with the driver line up they have this should be no problem. Michael Valiante is a very quick former single seater and sportscar driver, with the sensational former Le Mans 24 Hours winner and DTM champion Mike Rockenfeller alongside him. Completing the trio is factory Chevrolet Corvette driver Richard Wesbrook. This line up is a match for any one else in the Prototype class and with their experience expect this car to stay out of trouble, ensuring the team are in the right place when it comes to the crucial final hour of the race, expect this team to be challenging for the serious positions. A definite car to watch for victory.

#01 Target Chip Ganassi/Felix Sabates Racing Riley-Ford Daytona Prototype: Scott Pruett/Joey Hand/Scott Dixon

The pre-season favourites going into the 2015 season, this entry almost lived up to expectations at the opening Rolex 24 Hours in late January. Whilst the car ran at the front for most of the race, heartbreakingly, in the last few hours on the race the car was forced into retirement with a severe clutch problem. The fact the other Chip Ganassi Prototype entry ended up winning the race shows the pace of the Chip Ganassi Riley-Ford package, something the team will want to prove at Sebring.

The team’s driver line up is of the highest quality with the prodigious experience of Scott Pruett teamed with the blinding pace of Joey Hand and Indycar front runner Scott Dixon. This line combines the ultimate of countless years of sportscar experience along prodigious pace from all three drivers. Whilst it’s hard to predict favourites in a class as competitive as the Prototype class in the TUSC, this Chip Ganassi entry is one of the leading trio of contenders. Never discount or underestimate a powerhouse team like Chip Ganassi Racing, this car will be right at the front for the entire 12 Hours barring mechanical or other issues for the team.

#07 SpeedSource Lola B12/80-Mazda: Tom Long/Joel Miller/Ben Devlin/Sylvain Tremblay

The second of the SpeedSource Lola-Mazda entries is this #07 car, which will be hoping to build on a character building Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona. The car was once again plagued with similar issues which hampered the car throughout the 2014 season, eventually the car being forced to retire with overheating problems. Whilst the works Skyactiv diesel engine is revolutionary for an LMP2 Prototype car, the continual problems will be a source of major frustration to both the SpeedSource and Mazda teams.

The team will therefore be looking for a reliable run at Sebring, hoping to run trouble free throughout the 12 Hours and push themselves up the Prototype order. The car has shown pace when running reliably which is a bonus for the team, and shows the progress the team has made over the winter off-season. The driver line up is a solid one, with plenty of experience amongst the line up of Sylvain Tremblay,and Ben Devlin complementing the youthful speed of Joel Miller and Tom Long. Much like the other SpeedSource entry, if this car can remain reliable throughout the 12 Hours, this car can be a contender for a top six finish come the end of the race.

That wraps up part 2 of my Prototype preview for the upcoming Sebring 12 Hours, the second round of the Tudor United Sportscar Championship. In terms of overall predictions, I would predict that the overall winner will come from either the #01 Chip Ganassi car,#10 Wayne Taylor entry or the #5 Action Express car. On the other hand, the unpredictability of the Tudor series means any number of six to eight cars are realistic contenders for victory, ensuring making a firm prediction of the winner almost impossible. As a final note I just wanted to add a huge thank you to Motorsport.com for their superb photos which accompany this article. Please go and visit their website http://www.Motorsport.com , which provides the latest motorsport news and an absurd amount of high quality photos. Please feel free to read and comment on this article, all comments both good and bad are appreciated!

2015 Sebring 12 Hours Prototype class Preview Part 1

After a thrilling opening Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona at the end of January, next weekend see’s the next round of the 2015 Tudor United Sportscar Championship, the Sebring 12 Hours. This iconic race will be just as tough as the Rolex 24 despite being only half the distance, such is the bumpy nature of this airfield circuit. Sebring is renowned worldwide as a severe test of sportscars, which means that combined with the unpredictable nature of the Tudor United Sportscar Championship, a brilliantly thrilling 12 Hours of racing is almost guaranteed next Saturday.

In the first of my previews of every class racing at Sebring, this first article focuses on the first half of the prototype class which will be fighting to victory for 12 hours straight. Here’s a look at the contenders. Part 2 will be posted shortly.

#0 Claro/ TracFone Delta Wing Racing DeltaWing DWC13-Elan: Memo Rojas/Katherine Legge/Andy Meyrick

The DeltaWing team will be hoping to bounce back from a very disappointing Rolex 24 at Daytona, where gearbox issues hampered the team throughout the weekend and led to an early retirement in the opening hours of the race. A source of comfort for the team will be their competitiveness this year, which is carrying over from the progress they made towards the end of last season.

The car is now genuinely competitive, and if the team can run without major problems during the race expect the unconventional DeltaWing to be challenging for at least the podium. This will be a big ask however for everyone given the brutal nature of the bumps on the former airfield circuit. On the driving front the team has improved their line up this year with the addition of four time Grand-Am champion Memo Rojas to partner the experienced and very quick English duo of Andy Meyrick and Katherine Legge. With their driver line up and the competitiveness of this car a podium or even victory would not be a surprise for this team.

#1 Tequila Patron Extreme Speed Motorsport Honda HPD ARX 04B: Scott Sharp/Ryan Dalziel/David Heinemeier Hansson

The #1 Extreme Speed Motorsport is another car that suffered a difficult start to the season at the Rolex 24. The Extreme Speed team were not expecting a great start to the year as their new HPD ARX 04B car arrived late, leaving the team unprepared for the opening Rolex 24. Their difficult weekend started with the team missing the Prototype qualifying on Thursday afternoon with a bell housing issue forcing them to start from the back of the Prototype class.

During the race the car showed it’s tremendous potential with the car easily running in the top 10 throughout the race and into the night, before a gearbox problem forced the team to retire the car at 5am. The team can be heartened however with the pace they showed during the Rolex 24, alongside the large amount of miles they were able to run in Daytona.

The driver line up of the experienced Scott Sharp partnering the rapid Scot Ryan Dalziel is a very impressive one, even more with the addition this year of one of the fastest amateur drivers in the class with the Dane David Heinemeier Hansson. Watch out for this team to contend for the podium if their reliability problems from Daytona are behind them.

#2 Tequila Patron Extreme Speed Motorsport Honda HPD ARX 04B: Ed Brown/Johannes Van Overbeek/Jon Fogarty

The #2 Extreme Speed Motorsport suffered the worst luck of all the prototype teams at the Rolex 24 in January, with any prolonged running during the Sebring 12 Hours a bonus. The team made quick progress from a lowly starting position, in the opening stint Johannes Van Overbeek rocketed up from 12th to 6th. Going into his next sting Van Overbeek began reporting a drop in the oil pressure, something which forced the car into the garage. From here the team tried to fix the car, however they diagnosed a systems failure that caused a loss of power, forcing the team to retire the car after only 1 hour 45 minutes of the race gone.

Whilst the Rolex 24 was a very difficult race for the team, Sebring will surely be better for the well supported team as they will have a lot greater understanding of their new Honda HPD ARX O4B race car, although the team may still run into trouble with the new car given the reputation Sebring has as being a majorly tough circuit on sportscars.The driver line up is an experienced on with Tequila Patron CEO Ed Brown proving to be a fast amateur driver alongside similarly experienced pro’s Johannes Van Overbeek and Jon Fogarty. If the team can keep this car reliable throughout the 12 Hours, expect this entry to be competing for the top five at the very least.

#5 Mustang Sampling Action Express Racing Corvette Daytona Prototype: Joao Barbosa/Christian Fittipaldi/Sebastien Bourdais

The Action Express Racing team began the 2015 Tudor United Sportscar season in much the same vain in which they completed the 2014 campaign. The team dominated the debut season of the TUSC and once again was a contender for victory at Daytona. The team began the race slowly although they crucially stayed out of major trouble and used the cautions to get their laps back. By Sunday morning it became clear that the race was between the #10 Wayne Taylor Racing entry, the Action Express car and the #02 Chip Ganassi car. With the troubles late on for the #10 car the Action Express entry challenged the #02 car until the chequered flag, finishing a close second only 1.3 seconds behind the winner after 24 Hours of ridiculously close racing.

Going into the Sebring 12 Hours the team will surely go into the race as one of the favourites, based on their form from last year and the opening Rolex 24 Hours. The Sebring track will provide a challenge although the team has a year’s worth of experience with the car, and the team will be looking to win the race as last year this was one of the few major TUSC races the team failed to win.The team has retained it’s mightily impressive line up of professional’s with all three having the holy grail of experience combined with prodigious pace. Look for the team to be contending for victory at the end of the 12 Hours, with anything less a disappointment for this ambitious Action Express Racing team.

#7 Martini Starworks Motorsport Riley-BMW Daytona Prototype: Scott Mayer/Brendon Hartley/TBA

The Starworks Motorsport team will have been disappointed not to finish in the top five at the Rolex 24, with the team forced to retire their Daytona Prototype during the night after 14 hours with an engine failure. Before that the team had struggled through the opening hours with constant understeer issues, although the team was beginning to rectify the problem before the engine failure.

The team will therefore hoping for a much better Sebring 12 Hours, especially after falling behind their competitors who scored highly towards the championship at the Rolex 24. This team has been used to winning in the past few seasons during the Grand-Am era, although struggled in 2014 in the inaugural year of the TUSC. Team owner Peter Barron will be hoping 2015 is the year they return to their usual competitive form, although the team will not be able to call on it’s all star driver line up it had at Daytona.

The team has currently retained it’s quick amateur driver Scott Mayer alongside the ridiculously fast Porsche factory driver Brendon Hartley. At the current moment the team have not confirmed a third driver although it’s unlikely the team will be able to call on the services of the ultimate F1 veteran Rubens Barrichello and former Indycar champion and Indy 500 winner Ryan Hunter-Reay again as they did at Daytona. Their other driver at Daytona is more likely to remain with the team for Sebring. Tor Graves would bring a wealth of experience and familiarity to the team if he’s given another shot in the Starworks team. Whilst this team won’t be seen as an ultimate favourite going into the Sebring 12 Hours, watch out for this team to spring a surprise in Florida next weekend.

#10 Konica Minolta Wayne Taylor Racing Corvette Chevrolet DP: Jordan Taylor/Ricky Taylor/Max Angelelli

The hard luck story of the Rolex 24 within the Prototype class has to be the #10 Wayne Taylor Racing entry, which came within a whisker of victory before a late drive time infringement ruined their chances of victory. The team was a serious contender for victory and led most of Sunday morning in Daytona, and the battle looked set to go to the flag between the #10 WTR entry and the #02 Chip Ganassi car. In the last hour the race fell apart from the team when victory seemed likely for this plucky Wayne Taylor team.

A maximum drive time violation from Jordan Taylor in the final hour forced the team to haul him out the car in the last thirty minutes to be replaced with his brother Ricky. The team made the move under Caution therefore had to serve a drive through penalty once racing resumed, although the team still completed the overall podium in 3rd. After the race IMSA officials reviewed the data and found that Jordan Taylor had already broken the rule, driving 19 minutes over the four hours maximum drive time in any six hour period.The team was subsequently disqualified and lost their points from the Rolex 24.

Based on this the team will be looking for an emphatic response next weekend as they will no doubt contend for victory at the Sebring 12 Hours. The Wayne Taylor Racing team are a highly professional team and know how to win major races in the Tudor series, something the team will want to prove next weekend. The driver line up of the two Taylor brothers and the vastly experienced Italian Max Angelelli is a very potent combination and arguably one of the best driver line up’s in the highly competitive prototype class. Wayne Taylor and his team have every chance of winning in Sebring as they look to recover ground in the championship to their competitors.

#31 Whelen Engineering Action Express Racing Chevrolet Corvette Daytona Prototype: Eric Curran/Dane Cameron/Max Papis

The second of the Action Express Racing entries is the Whelen sponsored car, which had a herculiuan recovery drive during the Rolex 24 with the team finally coming home a very respectable sixth overall and fourth in the competitive Prototype class. The car was forced into the garage in the opening two hours while the team replaced the steering rack on the #31 entry, returning to the track seventeen laps down and 51st overall. Over the following twenty-two hours the team and all four drivers drove heroically to move up the order to their eventually fourth in class and sixth overall.

The team has retained three of it’s drivers from Daytona in Eric Curran, Dane Cameron and Max Papis. “Mad Max” Papis provides a very quick burst of pace alongside an abundance of experience, complimenting the impressive experience of American racer Eric Curran from a decade’s worth of American sportscar racing. Completing the line up is the recent Prototype convert Dane Cameron, last year’s winner of the GTD class with Turner Motorsport and their BMW Z4 GT3 car. Although Cameron has previous Prototype experience, this year marks only the second time he will complete a full season Prototype programme. This team is not necessarily always seen as a contender for victory in the TUSC, although expect this team to surprise over the 12 Hours with a repeat of their Rolex 24 result possibly on the cards for this well drilled team.

That wraps up part 1 of my preview to the upcoming Sebring 12 Hours, part 2 will be posted very soon. For now feel free to comment on this piece good or bad all comments are appreciated. Finally I want to say a huge thank you to Motorsport.com for their amazing, high quality photos in this article. Please visit their website for the best high quality photos and latest motorsport news. The website is http://www.Motorsport.com .

Indycar rumour mill round-up

This week has already seen some interesting rumours develop relating to potential driver moves concerning the Indycar series. The American open wheel championship has become increasingly popular with drivers over the past few years, with plenty of European drivers now turning their back on the exorbitant costs needed to simply get close to Formula One, yet many of these racers spurn the well supported World Endurance Championship as they want to remain racing single seaters. This leaves the Indycar series as the only alternative prominent single seater championship outside of F1 or the junior categories such as GP2 or Formula Renault 3.5 series.

After Carlin announced earlier this week that they would be joining the rejuvenated Indy Lights series next year, with a view to moving up to the Indycar series in the future, this shows the increasingly appeal of Indycar to the European racing community. Firstly whilst it’s not a particularly new rumour it does seem Daniel Abt is looking to move away from GP2 for next year and join the Indycar grid for next year.

He tested for the Andretti Autosport team in late October at Barber Motorsports Park and Abt was quoted as saying about the test “I had a fantastic day with plenty of fun and learned a lot. I didn’t do this test out of boredom, but would like to explore options for next year. The test was a cool experience that definitely whets my appetite for more.” Whilst Abt has current commitments with the new Formula E series, it does appear Abt is keen to change his direction and leave GP2 for the Indycar series next year.

Another former GP2 rival could be joining him stateside, as the American Conor Daly has switched his attentions back to his homeland after running into budget problems during his second year of GP2 this year. Whilst this once again isn’t a revelation it does show how the series is attracting top line American talent not just European drivers for the series, and Daly would need less acclimatization as he finished the 2013 Indy 500 in 22nd position in a one-off deal for the iconic race.

Another top line American driver that is looking to join the Indycar grid in 2015 is Alex Rossi, formerly the Caterham and Marussia reserve driver seems to have given up on F1 after coming very close this year to making his race debut with the Marussia team. Rossi was set to make his debut at this years Belgian Grand Prix in place of Max Chilton, however Chilton was re-installed at the last minute. Rossi has now switched his attention to the Indycar series for next year. Rossi has spent the last few months talking with prospective teams, and hopes to announce a deal with a competitive team in the next few weeks and into the new year.

British racer and GP3 runner up Dean Stoneman is another driver looking to switch from Europe to the American open wheel racing scene, and hopes to secure himself a Indycar test this winter in preparation for a move stateside. Whilst Stoneman himself feels ready to join the Indycar series, he has also stated if needed to he will join the feeder Indy Lights series first to gain experience of the american road circuits and the ovals. Whilst nothing is concrete at the moment, it seems plenty of Indycar and Indy Lights teams will be interested in him joining them next year. Could a potential link up with British team Carlin work out for Stoneman next year?

The final and most exciting potential rumour surrounding the Indycar series recently has been the news former Scuderia Toro Rosso driver Jean Eric Vergne is very interested in joining the series, as his next move after being replaced in F1 for next year. The Frenchman has stated he very much is looking at the Indycar series and it seems likely he will have a string of offers to join the series next year. Whilst Vergne may take a season or two to learn the American ovals and road courses, once he gets comfortable Vergne would be a formidable competitor for anyone in the series. Nothing is planned at the moment in terms of tests or significant talks with teams, although it seems likely Vergne’s next stage of his career would be stateside.

Indy Lights on upward trend

After years of struggling with a old car and a decreasing grid, the Indy Lights finally looks to have turned a corner next year with the announcement of a new Dallara race car which has sparked a resurgence in interest in the series. The feeder series to Indycar now appears to have restored itself as a haven for young North American open wheel racers, whilst simultaneously being a viable alternative for frustrated talented young European drivers.

It’s only the middle of October yet already the series has confirmed 10 teams have already agreed to run in the series next year, with likely two cars from each team producing a likely grid of 15-20 cars. This is easily an improvement over the past few years where then entries have been around 10-14 cars. Those already confirming their orders are powerhouse team Schmidt Peterson who have ordered two cars for their Indycar feeder team. Other existing teams to place orders are 2014 front runners Juncos and Belardi racing who have both ordered two cars also. New team McCormack racing have also confirmed their commitment to their series, whilst sportscar team 8star motorsport has confirmed one entry, with the potential for a second also.

Indycar racer Tristan Vautier developing the new Dallara IL15 racer in August.

Existing teams Andretti Autosport and Team Moore are some of the team likely to have placed orders but yet to go public with their intentions to run in the series next year. On the driving front, it appears the quality of the grid will be greatly improved next year. Championship runner up this year Jack Harvey is working on a deal to return to the series next year. He will be keen for the title but will face stiff competition from the likes of 2014 Pro Mazda champion Spencer Pigot, who is likely to move up to IndyLights . Others likely to be returning are 2014 front runners Zach Veach, Matthew Brabham and Luiz Razia. 8Star are also keen to run promising sportscar racer Sean Rayhall if they can find the budget, with young racers Alan Sciuto and Parker Kligerman potentially earning themselves a seat next year after impressive post-season tests so far.

Finally leading the European racing influx so far for next year is Puerto Rican racer Felix Serralles, the only confirmed driver for next year so far. He will join the 2014 champions Belardi racing for next year after some difficult years in the European F3 Championship. Serralles previously proved his considerable talent in the British racing scene, and expect several more racers abandon the cut and thrust money dependent European racing scene for a fresh start at stardom in Indycar.

The final rung on the Mazda Road to Indy scheme is already creating plenty of buzz around the series with an influx of new teams and a new Dallara racer for next year. From here the future looks bright for the Indy Lights series with the support from Mazda providing young drivers the support to move up from the bottom rungs to Indycar, such as with 2014 champion Gabby Chaves and for Spencer Pigot next year. The series will hopefully entice plenty of European racers across to the series with the promise of a part season in Indycar including the a chance at the Indy 500 for the champion surely enough to tempt those disillusioned with the funding required to step up the European single seater echelons below F1. I for one will be eagerly keeping track with the revamped Indy Lights series next year.

For more information on the series please visit the link below
http://www.indylights.com/about/2015-indy-lights

Will there be a European NFL franchise anytime soon?

After experiencing the first of the three NFL international series games at Wembley stadium last Sunday between the Miami Dolphins and the Oakland Raiders, in the aftermath I found myself wondering as a fan, will there be a fully fledged international franchise in the NFL anytime soon?

The idea for the first NFL franchise to come from outside the United States of America has been slowly building momentum since the first international series game at Wembley in 2007. That one game has now turned into three regular season games with the promise of more to come in the ensuing years. This growing momentum could well lead to a permanent NFL franchise in the next 10 years, but could it work logistically?

Many at first glance would simply dismiss this idea with a quick “no”, citing the vast distance that would be between every other NFL franchise in America and a European franchise. The move would also meet with a widespread resistance from within the NFL, as I’m sure a large majority of the current 32 NFL franchises would not be willing to travel across to Europe to play, despite the obvious commercial benefits of the NFL branching out into Europe.

When actually giving this idea some thought some other considerations have to come into play also. Firstly history, whilst this may sound a bit strange to hear at first we must first look at the success and ultimate failure of NFL Europe when discussing a permanent franchise in Europe. Whilst NFL Europe contained some good players during it’s tenure from 1991 and 2007. The league was supported by the NFL with the teams using the European teams as a development league for young players not yet ready for the NFL. Alongside these players were those in the later stages of their career or free agents not picked up by the NFL after college. The attendances were steady if not spectacular with an average of just over 20 000 across the league for their final season in 2007. Whilst the attendance of 83 459 for last Sunday’s game is very impressive and shows the support the NFL has in Europe, yet could this be realistically sustained across a 16 week season?

Another factor to consider is the logistics with starting an NFL franchise. This is something that is difficult enough to start in America, let alone Europe with the last NFL franchise being the Houston Texans in 2002. The infrastructure needed to start the franchise would take several years to put in place, with obvious factors such as training facilities alongside finding a permanent stadium would all be things to organise. Aside from the infrastructure the actual roster itself would pose problems as it would likely be much harder to attract top line players to join a team so removed from their own culture, despite the growing international flavour of the NFL.

With all these factors considered for me the most logical step is to carry on with what the NFL is planning at the moment, to slowly increase the level of support in Europe with a gradual increase in the amount of games hosted in Europe to effectively gain the required support needed before any thoughts of a permanent franchise can be considered. For now the NFL has the right recipe for success with a crucial market such as Europe, it’s now up to them to follow through with it.

Interview with Indycar racer Pippa Mann

Today see’s a first for this site as we recently completed an interview with Indycar racer Pippa Mann. For the die-hard motorsport fans that don’t know of Pippa Mann, she is a British racer who rose up through the junior single-seater ranks in both Britain and Europe, eventually spending two years in the highly competitive Renault World Series. Despite becoming the first female pole sitter and points finisher in the series her two years in the series were largely frustrating with issues beyond her control.

This severely derailed her career momentum in Europe, before she embarked on a career in the American open-wheel racing scene. After rising through the ranks she began to show promise in her second year of  Indy Lights. 2010 saw her become the first female pole-sitter at the hallowed Indianapolis Motor Speedway, before picking up a debut win at Kentucky to finish 5th in the standings with a highly respectable 312 points.

From here she carried her career momentum over to the premier Indycar series, where she qualified for her debut Indianapolis 500, despite a competitive field and a small team. From here she has carried on her momentum with successive part-seasons in 2013 and this year, making the Indy 500 both years. She has yet to display her full potential in the Indycar series, although that is down to unfortunate circumstances rather than a lack of talent. Here is the interview in full.

What made you decide to switch your career to America?

In 2008, I was going into my second year in World Series by Renault, and I had really started to get to grips with the car and the formula towards the end of the previous season. I was strong in the off season testing, and everyone, myself included, expected me to have a very good year the following year. But the new car for 2009 and I just didn’t mesh at all. From ergonomic problems I had fitting into it, to the fact it just didn’t suit my driving style with the set-ups we were running on the old car.

It took me all year to start to get comfortable again, and that meant that I just didn’t bring home the results I wanted. I was frustrated. I knew I had probably lost my opportunity to continue racing single-seaters in Europe, and I started looking to potentially race sports cars in 2009. I started to race a Porsche in the UK Cup Championship, and by my second and third race weekends, I was up in the top 10 of that championship on pace on a regular basis and starting to have a lot of fun. I thought my future was probably set, but then I got a call, asking me to come to the US and meet with a team, who were looking for a female driver for one of their sponsors in Indy Lights for the following season.

They had looked at who was racing currently in the US, then decided to cast the net wider to include Europe, and when they did that, I was the only one at the time who was racing in any of the big open-wheel championships in Europe. Given at the time I was the only female driver to have a pole in World Series by Renault, to have scored points and top ten finishes in some of their races, they were interested. So I packed a bag, got on a plane, and I guess the rest is kind of history now!

What has been your racing highlight so far in your career?

I think it probably has to be qualifying for the 2011 Indy 500. It was my first ever IndyCar race, and I had just one day of testing before we started running at the speedway with everyone else. I was with a small team, expanding from one car to two cars, and my team mate was struggling in his first full-time season of IndyCar, leaving my team boss worried he might not make it into the race.

There were 42 cars competing for 33 slots, and my job was simple. I was there to make sure we got at least one of our team cars into those 33 spots however long the odds against us seemed… We made it. Just. I was the only one-off rookie attempting their first IndyCar race at that Indy 500 to make it in.

Several full-time drivers racing all season long, including my own team mate, did not make the show, and yet with our shoe string budget, and two to three guys only working on the car, we made it happen. It’s probably not a highlight that other people expect me to think of, they expect me to talk about my poles in 2010, or winning Kentucky in that year, or even my first Indy 500 itself maybe… But all of those pale into the fact I was not only in my first Indy 500, I earned my way in the hard way, and together we were the little team that could.

What has been the best race of your career so far?

This is a tough question! The easy answer is winning Kentucky in 2010 in Indy Lights, but actually, despite not being a race that many people outside the team would notice, I think the 2014 Indy 500 was pretty special too… We had an issue at one of the pit-stops that put us several laps down at my second pit stop, but the car was fantastic all day long, and I learned so much from the fact we got back out there, and I was able to run in dirty air for the entire rest of the 500 miles.

The guys I was racing against in the first two stints of the race finished 12-17th place, and our goal going in was to try and bring home a top 15 finish. Given our pace was on a par with theirs even after our stop issue, and I was actually still running with that group all afternoon long, just laps down and unable to play – it didn’t come away looking like much on paper, but we as a team were all really pleased with everything but that one bum pit stop during that race.

Then of course the 2011 race itself being my first Indy 500 was pretty special to me too. I actually didn’t have a working water bottle in that race, and was pretty badly dehydrated – I was having searing cramps all up and down my right arm, and particularly in my right shoulder from where you’re muscling the car around the track, but I was absolutely determined it wasn’t going to stop me, and I was going to finish the race in my rookie year. I came 20th.

Have you started looking at your 2015 plans yet? E.g talking with teams?

Yes, absolutely! I think it’s no secret to say that Dale would very much like me to come back in 2015, and I would love to drive for him again too. His team has been the most incredible home for me the past two years at the Indy 500, and I really enjoy working with the great group of people he has put together.

Susan G. Komen also had a great experience this year at their first Indy 500, and they want to come back with us too, so the plan is to bring the pink car back for it’s second Indy 500. Right now I am working hard on the business side of that equation, so that we can put the funding in place to make this all happen!

What inspired you to become a racing driver?

Actually it was pure chance. I got to drive a go-kart on an indoor kart track when I was around 12 years old, and absolutely loved it. That was it. Bitten by the bug, and I’ve never looked back since!

What are some of your earliest memories of motorsport?

Being taken to watch the British F1 race with my Dad at Silverstone, and watching the standing start from the grandstands opposite the front straight. I was a race fan long before I ever got to drive anything, or the thought that I could one day drive had even crossed my mind.

What advice would you give to aspiring drivers?

Be determined. Learn the business side, and be just as determined in that too. Don’t let people tell you you’re not going to be able to make it happen. Expect to work really hard, and expect it to be hard – for most of us this life is not easy, and you have to be prepared to bust a gut 24-7 on the business side, always put time and effort into being prepared physically for when the next opportunity comes your way, and you have to be very strong mentally too.

There may be times when you’re out of a race car for long periods of times in your career, but you just have to keep digging, keep adapting, and be prepared to take on other work and diversify (such as instructing, coaching, etc.) to survive.

Would you ever be tempted to race in other forms of motorsport e.g Sportscars?

Oh absolutely. I think I mentioned earlier on in this interview that I got to race a Porsche a few times in the UK before I moved to the US, and I have never had the chance to drive a GT car since, but I had an absolute blast in those races – it was so much fun. If the opportunity arose, I would love to do some sports car races alongside my commitment to the Indy 500 each year, however with the current licensing system, it’s very difficult for someone like me to get those opportunities.

In terms of license grade I am ranked the same as someone who races IndyCar full-time, and has multiple IndyCar wins under their belt… Yet I only get to race a couple of times a year in open-wheel, usually only on ovals at the moment, and I only have those few races in a GT car in the UK under my belt… So if you were looking at taking on someone with my high a grade of license, you probably wouldn’t pick me!

It’s something a lot of drivers in my position, or similar positions to me in the US are facing right now, and to be honest, it’s something even some of the guys who are coming up through the sports car ranks themselves are facing. I understand why there needs to be a licensing system to make it fairer to the AM drivers who fund a lot of sports car teams, but at the same time, I do wish there was a little more flexibility in the rules. There’s an awful lot of us who would love to race, and who could do a good job, falling through the cracks with this current system.

If you could compete in one motor race that you haven’t already which one would it be?

Ooooh. Good question. I guess I would love to compete in one of the big 24 hour sports car races one day – either Daytona, or Le Mans. That would be pretty special!

Why do you feel there has been a recent spike in European interest for Indycar/Road to Indy scheme?

Drawing from my personal experience, and from recent conversations I actually had with European drivers when I visited Monza to watch the F1 race a few weeks ago, I think that often there is a lot of fear surrounding the unknown that is racing in the US, and racing on ovals in particular.

In Europe, you seem to race a lot of the time thinking you’re in a bubble where sure, motor sport is dangerous, but nothing’s ever going to happen to you… In the US, with the speeds we race, so close to the walls, you can’t live inside that bubble any more, and you have to accept that our sport can be brutal at times. Not everyone can do that, and I think it takes a lot of people some time to get past that mentally.

We strive to make our racing as safe as it possibly can be, but when something goes wrong at 220+ mph next to a wall, it’s unfortunately just physics that sometimes it can go really wrong. So I think that scenario, plus the fact guys find it so hard to believe that we’re cornering faster than they often go in a straight line, makes it tough for Europeans to get their head around. Combine this then with the old thing that someone who hasn’t driven an oval, and doesn’t understand one, thinks “it’s just too corners, how hard can it be?” and you get this odd juxtaposition of opinion surrounding what they don’t really know, but what they think they know about our sport here in the US… For years I think these opinions have all contributed to lack of interest, and not many people being prepared to take the leap.

However recently I think there have been a number of European drivers who have come across and made the transition well, and whom are happy to talk about how much they love IndyCar. I think someone like Conor Daly running the Indy 500 last year, then going back and telling all of his fellow drivers in the series he was racing in Europe a) how much he loved the experience, and b) how hard it actually is to race a car for 500 miles at those speeds in constant dirty air, and how incredible the challenge is… I think that helps educate, and as people start to understand better, there’s less fear of the unknown.

Then right now in the US, we have something which does not exist anywhere else in the world in terms of a concise, direct open-wheel ladder, where every champion gets help towards his crack at the next rung on the ladder. With the new Indy Lights car coming out in 2015, a much needed upgrade on the previous car I raced, that chassis is suddenly much more in line with what European guys have been racing.

The costs are still cheaper than most comparable series in Europe, and with the new championship prize rules, if you win, you’re effectively guaranteed a shot at next year’s Indianapolis 500 in an IndyCar through the prize money scholarship scheme, and potentially a few more races tacked onto that depending on the team, and what other money you’re able to put together too. If you win the GP2 title, there are no guarantees of anything.

In fact most recently Kevin Magnussen came from World Series by Renault, which I used to race, and by passed GP2 altogether on his way to F1. The ladder in Europe is complex, expensive, and winning the title lacks giving you that final push you really want from it. Here, winning means more than getting to write it on your resume. It means that shot I was talking about at the biggest race of the IndyCar season.

That’s a pretty massive prize and incentive right there. I know this is a long answer, but I also want to touch on one final thing before I quit talking about the ladder series. I think it’s very important for people looking at coming over from Europe to IndyCar and the MRTI ladder to look at Indy Lights before IndyCar. My reasoning? Learning the ovals. Learning them in an IndyCar is very hard, and for many drivers who come across it’s a very difficult and tough transition.

However, a season of Indy Lights gives you the opportunity to really get your head around them, and start to get your teeth into them. For the record, as the girl who is currently the only female pole sitter ever at IMS, I certainly didn’t do that in my first year, and I didn’t win a race on them in my first year either.

It took me two years to get comfortable, to learn what I needed from the car, when to push, and when to understand that just doing what you could with what you had was going to be the best decision for your race result. And now, I’m in a position where ovals are viewed as my strong point, and it’s where most of my opportunities to drive an IndyCar come from. If I had tried to rush things, and get ahead of myself, I’m almost 100% certain I would not currently have the opportunities I do to get in the car each year, and so I will always be very grateful for everything Indy Lights has taught me!

That was an amazing interview with British Indycar racer Pippa Mann, she provided some brilliant answers and for more info on Pippa’s latest news and goings on please visit her website http://www.pippamann.com or Twitter account @PippaMann . Please enjoy these great answers!

The Future’s bright for Indycar racing

From the moment the Indycar series and the Champ Car World Series decided to merge again in 2008, after 12 years apart, the Indycar series has been on an upward trend. After over a decade of American open wheel racing being in the doldrums the series now finds itself in very rude health after a fascinating 2014 Verizon Indycar season. What has been the key to the series recent revival?

The first major point for the upturn in the Indycar series is the merger itself. Back in the day, before the hideous split in 1996, the series was arguably a rival for Formula One with a bevy of professional teams and drivers from across the world, including many with experience of F1. Whilst the series had yet to reach it’s peak of the mid-1990’s the combining of the two series has led to an upturn in grid sizes and the quality of those involved in Indycar.


The starting grid sets off earlier this year

For example from the 2007 Indycar there were less than 20 full season entries, and in Champ Car things weren’t much better with Champ Car having 18 full season entries. Now fast forward to the present moment and the Indycar grid has risen slightly from two grids of 18 to a regular full season grid of 23 cars this year.

A second factor behind the revival has been the introduction of a new Dallara DW12 car for the 2012 season. After extensive testing by Dallara in 2011 with the help of the late great Dan Wheldon, the series final introduced a new car to the series for 2012 for the first time in 9 years. The buzz around the impressive new Dallara DW12 car gave the series added impetus and momentum, something that was badly needed and subsequently further enhanced with the announcement of new engine packages for 2012 also.


The Dallara DW12 during it’s development period during the latter half of 2011.

Both Chevrolet and Lotus announced they were joining the series in 2012, and although Lotus quietly quit the series after a disappointing 2012 season, Chevrolet have proved stern competition for the previous Honda dominance. With talk of new aero kits being developed for next year the battle between these two manufactures is expected to heat up further.

A third factor in the development of the Indycar series has been the upturn in driver talent on the grid. Whilst in the initial years of the series merging the driver line-up remained similar to the last years of both series, in the last few years this has changed dramatically. The 2012 season brought a new car and two faces more familiar to F1 fans than American Open wheel fans. The series generated some news headlines when it was announced F1 refugee Rubens Barrichello was join the series in 2012. Although he only raced 1 season in Indycar racing, Barrichello and Jean Alesi, ex-F1 veteran who raced in the Indy 500 that year, set the ball rolling with the F1 connection returning to Indycar.

After being left out in the cold by F1 the talented Paul Di Resta was linked with the vacant Chip Ganassi seat after cousin Dario Franchitti was forced to retire at the end of the 2013 season. Alongside this was a much improved grid in 2014 which contained ex-F1 Wildman Juan Pablo Montoya, who left Nascar to join Penske for the 2014 Indycar season. Alongside him were 5 ex-F1 drivers including Takuma Sato and Justin Wilson for this season. On top of the strong regular season grid, the grid for the centrepiece Indy 500 contained 1995 Indianapolis 500 winner and 1997 F1 World Champion Jacques Villeneuve alongside the highly popular controversial Nascar racer Kurt Busch.

Alongside the high profile faces the Indycar grid is being supplemented with an increasingly strong level of young European racers trying their hand at American open wheel racing. Alongside established runners such as the hugely impressive Simon Pagenaud, Sebastien Bourdais and Mike Conway there has been a recent influx of young talented drivers turning their backs on the European racing scene to pursue a career in Indycar.

Drivers such as Mikhail Aleshin, Luca Filippi and Jack Hawksworth have recently made the jump and their being joined by the likes of one time Marussia F1 driver Luiz Razia and 2012 British F3 champion Jack Harvey who both competed in the feeder Indy Lights series this year. A lot of talented European drivers facing budget problems are attracted to the Mazda Road to Indy feeder scheme, whereby the champions from the U.S Formula 2000, Pro Mazda and Indy Lights series gain funding and numerous tests to help them progress to the next rung on the ladder. A perfect example of it’s success is Sage Karam, who was the 2010 US Formula 2000 series champion and progressed to take the 2013 Indy Lights crown, guaranteeing him a 2014 Indy 500 drive at least.

http://www.sagekaram.com/files/2014/04/Sage-Actio-May-11.jpg?0d0003
Sage Karam in action during practice for this year’s Indy 500

Alongside the European influx there has been an increase in the amount of North American drivers getting their chance in the series, with drivers such as Marco Andretti, James Hinchcliffe, Ryan Hunter-Reay and Graham Rahal becoming household names in the series over the last few years. Over the next few years many more young North American and European drivers will be making the jump to the Indy Lights series, with a new car and a much more expansive involvement from Indycar teams sure to attract many young hopefuls to the series.


New 2015 Dallara IL15 Indy Lights car going through testing in the hands of series graduate Tristan Vautier

With rumours of a more international calendar with races in Europe and the Middle East for next year, alongside possible new individual aero kits from some of the teams next season is already shaping up to be a classic Indycar season, whereby champions Penske, Will Power and Chevrolet will be aiming to defend their crown from the challenge coming from Chip Ganassi racing, Andretti Autosport and Honda. Further enhancing the series will be a number of talented new European and North American racers looking to push their way onto the Indycar grid, supplemented by a revived and much more relevant Indy Lights series for international young hotshoes to announce themselves to the Indycar paddock. I for one cannot wait for the new season already.

For more information on the Indycar series or Mazda Road to Indy scheme please visit their official websites below
http://www.indycar.com/
http://www.indylights.com/
http://www.promazdachampionship.com/
http://www.usf2000.com/
http://www.indycar.com/RoadToIndy

Photo credits go to –
Indycar starting grid photo – sourced from http://www.richardsf1.com credit goes to http://www.Motorsport.com

Dallara DW12 Testing photo – sourced from http://www.queers4gears.com credit goes to unknown

Sage Karam photo – sourced and credit goes to http://www.SageKaram.com

Dallara IL15 Testing photo – sourced from http://www.Autosport.com credit goes to unknown

Max Chilton rumblings leave Alex Rossi in the cold

After the announcement last night that Marussia driver Max Chilton would move aside at this weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix, allegedly for non-payment from Chilton’s sponsors, therefore allowing Alex Rossi to make his Grand Prix debut. Whilst this seemed like a dream for Rossi, who only recently joined Marussia after leaving Caterham.

Sadly for Rossi, the reality quickly became something much different because as swiftly as he was announced it subsequently became common knowledge that Chilton would in fact be driving for Marussia this weekend after all. For the seemingly happy go-lucky American Alex Rossi this must be a huge blow to gear yourself up for a Grand Prix debut, only to have it snatched away so soon.

This bizarre soap opera began last night when it was announced by the team that Chilton was being replaced for this weekend because of “contractual issues.” The waters were muddied further in the aftermath of this as Chilton himself released a press statement which said that he was “stepping aside” to allow the team to sell his seat for much needed financial benefit. This seemed strange that the team and the driver were giving different explanations for Chilton stepping aside.

It seems that if the rumours are true this was the wake up call for Chilton to start leaning on his sponsors to pay up the promised funds, as whilst Free Practice 1 was taking place this morning, whilst Rossi was probably on track, it was announced by the team that Chilton would indeed by racing this weekend after all leaving Rossi with only the Free Practice 1 session for the weekend.

Whilst this will hugely disappointing for Rossi he can take some solace from the experience gained for the future, especially as this was his first time driving the Marussia MR03-Ferrari car. It seems likely Rossi will get more chances during Free practice sessions this year, most likely at his home race in Austin. With nothing confirmed in terms of driver line-up for next year an impressive showing from Rossi in any further running for the team could persuade them to take him on for the 2015 season.

Whilst it’s hard to read too much into Rossi’s display this morning as it was his first time in the car, therefore it was no surprise that he was 1.5 seconds behind highly rated team mate Jules Bianchi. This seems a good starting point for Rossi, let’s hope he gets a proper chance at F1 from here.

Why NCAA should pay College athletes

First of all, I want to make it clear that I do not claim to be an expert on this subject or indeed have an abundance of expert knowledge on this subject. This is simply written by a regular college sports fans who doesn’t understand how it’s fair for Universities and head coaches to collect millions of dollars from college athletics, yet the athletes themselves are forced to live a hand-to mouth existence until they complete their degree or turn professional in their respective sports.

This is a topical subject at the present moment as a judge ruled in favour of student athletes only a few days ago that they can sell the rights to their names and images, with the money being given to them once they’ve completed College. Although it’s unlikely to generate mega sums for student athletes the opportunity to be given $20 000 dollars after 4 years of College is a lot better than current athletes receive. Lead plaintiff in the case Ed O’Bannon, former UCLA basketball star, stated he joined the lawsuit against the NCAA after he saw his image used in a NCAA licenced video game that he was not paid for.

The role of “improper benefits” and the rules sanctioned by the NCAA are constantly being challenged or broken by student athletes. A Notable example is include Reggie Bush being forced to hand back his 2005 Heisman Trophy, awarded to College football’s best player that year, for receiving “improper benefits” whilst at USC between 2003-2005. For many student athletes the problem occurs when Universities “boosters” get involved, “boosters” are linked to Universities and help with their funding. The problems however is that whilst many student athletes become nationwide stars they are not allowed to receive any benefits from their status.

Whilst the NCAA stance that student athletes are students first and University should only be about furthering their education is a very noble idea in principle, it’s hard to see past how NCAA athletics have simply become farm systems for professional sports such as the NFL,NBA or MLB. It does seem absurd in 2014 that whilst the Universities receive tens of millions of dollars a year from NCAA athletics, and coaches receive millions of dollars a year that the actual players themselves cannot even have someone pay for their breakfast as this would be deemed a NCAA violation under the “Improper benefits” policy.

Whilst I am not suggesting that College players should start being paid an astronomical amount, I simply feel they should be fairly compensated for their efforts with a modest salary that will allow them to have a slightly better existence whilst at College. For many players, they commit NCAA infractions for simple things such as having a meal paid for them or being given money for clothes. This is something most regular teenage students do yet when the NCAA are involved it’s deemed students are using their status for benefit, therefore forfeiting their amateur status.

In the last few years it has become common for College athletes to declare for the NFL or NBA draft increasingly earlier than in the past. Whilst many who follow College sports are trying to work out how to keep students in College for longer so they can complete their degrees, it seems simply that these students jump at the first opportunity they get to go professional and earn enough money to take care of themselves and their family. For College football players they have to wait 3 years whilst for the NBA players can declare at any time during their College career.

The final comment is that throughout the years their have been plenty of incredible College players who have been unable to convert their considerable talent into the money they deserve for an abundance of reasons such as injury or NCAA violations, and this is exactly why College athletes should receive a modest salary in a billion dollar industry as it seems highly unfair in my opinion that players such as Marcus Dupree, Melvin Bratton and Maurice Clarett should be have their dreams of reaching the NFL taken away and yet not be compensated for their previous efforts of playing in front of 60- 80 000 fans. If the University and Coaches should receive mega bucks benefits from College athletics, shouldn’t the players receive a small portion of that too.

Photo sourced from http://www.thesportspost.com , http://www.Cleveland.com and http://www.wisescholar.com

Photo credit goes to http://www.thesportspost.com , Julie Jacobsen and http://www.ap.org and http://www.wisecholar.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.