(5-14-08) Second day of qualifying for the 92nd Indianapolis 500 was canceled early Sunday afternoon due to relentless rain which again pounded the Speedway for the fourth time this week. It's the third day this month that rain has forced the cancellation of all on-track activity and practice was cut short on “Fast Friday” As a result, the “11 per day” qualifying format will be altered next Saturday; day three of qualifying. Spots 12-33 will be filled on Saturday, May 17 with Bump Day scheduled for May 18. This is the first time a qualification day has been rained out since 2006.

Brian Barnhart, President of Competition and Operations for the Indy Racing League, explained next week's format to members of the media earlier today. "We were scheduled to do second day of qualifying today and do positions 12-22 on the grid. Those 11 positions will be added to the 11 that were scheduled for next Saturday. So next Saturday, the third day of qualifications we will do positions 12-33 and move to 22 cars next Saturday and then bump the slowest car in the field beginning on Sunday, the fourth day of qualifications. It's really unfortunate. We didn't have to have this conversation last year. It's a shame because it certainly alters everyone's plans for the week. It's been a bit of a challenge losing both Wednesday and Thursday and a half day Friday and now Sunday. The teams are going to be really anxious to get some quality track time Wednesday through Friday and even in between qualification runs next weekend. I anticipate a lot of track activity as teams are working on full tanks in preparation for the 92nd Running (of the Indianapolis 500)."

Barnhart anticipates a few more teams to participate in qualifying next weekend. "I think with the 33 that have run so far,” he continued. “I think there are at least three or four that are scheduled short programs that begin next Wednesday. I think you'll probably see a second Foyt car come out. Greg Beck is scheduled to start running; he hasn't named a driver yet. Hemelgarn will come back with 1996 Indy 500 winner Buddy Lazier. American Dream Racing has talked about doing a program, as well. So, I think you might see us up around 37 combinations by the end of next weekend."

“I anticipate that you will see some scenarios.” he added. “Maybe not on Wednesday, but on Thursday, you will have some pretty big groups of cars running, maybe eight or 10 cars running together, which is going to be cooperation between multiple teams going out there. If you are a team that is working on your qualifying setup and you see that going, you are not going to go out there and interact with that. You are going to have low downforce, and you are not going to mess with that kind of turbulence. It is just a matter of being smart of when you are doing what you are doing. You are going to work on both. If you want to focus on the full race stuff, you are going to load it up with downforce and have a run with them, but if not you are going to wait and try to find your own space on the 2.5-mile track. It certainly provides that opportunity for a guy like Greg Beck as he puts a driver in his car and gets a second week program going or even Sarah Fisher, who has done a real nice job.”
 

A memorial service has been planned for Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing team member David "Davey" Evans. The service will take place at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday in the Pavilion at the Brickyard Crossing Inn. Another service will be held at a later date in Chicago. Evans died last weekend in the aftermath of an altercation in a west side Indianapolis bar. Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing issued a statement on Monday concerning the passing of Evans." The past two days have been difficult for the team as we mourn the tragic loss of Davey Evans. He was a part of our family and was with us for 23 of the past 26 seasons. His association with Carl Haas goes back almost 40 years when he was with Lola Cars and later with Haas Racing in the Can Am series. We appreciate all of the support and kind words from the many friends Davey made in his 40-plus years in racing. Our thoughts are with Davey's family and friends at this difficult time for us all." In lieu of flowers, the family has asked that contributions be made to one of Evans' favorite charities: St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital and the Association of Hole in the Wall Camps.

#34 Jaime Camara has been cleared to drive following a re-evaluation at the Clarian Emergency Medical Center on Tuesday, according to Dr. Mike Olinger, senior medical director for the Indy Racing League.  Camara made moderate contact with the SAFER Barrier in Turn 1 during ROP practice Monday. He was transported to Methodist Hospital as a precautionary measure after complaining of soreness in his back. X-rays were negative.

Townsend Bell debuted the latest livery of the No. 99 Dreyer & Reinbold William Rast Racing Dallara/Honda/Firestone on Tuesday. The car features a unique green-and-orange paint scheme. Bell came up with the idea while karting with the singer Justin Timberlake." I was karting in Southern California with Justin Timberlake and a few of his friends for a couple of weeks. We had camouflage hats from William Rast, and everyone thought an army green look would be cool on an Indy car. So I called Dennis (Reinbold, team co-owner), and he made it happen. It is definitely a cool look. The people around the Speedway were really into the new paint scheme. The flat green makes the car look like a fighting vehicle. It's a much different scheme than seen on any other car at the track. I think the more people that see the car; the more people will like it. You can't miss the car on the track. It really stands out." Bell ran 18th in Tuesday's practice session with a time/speed of 40.4343/222.518 mph.

CURB/Agajanian/Beck Motorsports is still finalizing plans about its driver for the 92nd Indianapolis 500, team owner Greg Beck said Tuesday. Beck said he has discussed the open seat with veteran drivers Roger Yasukawa, Jaques Lazier and Alex Barron. The team is intending on making an announcement this weekend. Yasukawa drove for the team in the Japan Indy 300 in Motegi last month, while Barron drove for them in the 2007 Indianapolis 500.
 

(5-5-08, 6:00 p.m., EDT) Today was another busy day at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway as sixteen drivers, rookies and veterans took to the track under sunny skies to get in as many laps as they could in preparation for the 92nd running of the Indianapolis 500. The last ROP practice ran from noon-5 pm, with the drivers running a total of 655 laps. There was one incident today: The No. 34 Conquest Racing car driven by rookie Jaime Camara made contact with the Turn 1 SAFER barrier early in the session. Camara was taken to Methodist Hospital, complaining of back pains and will be evaluated to determine his fitness to drive.

Alex Lloyd, running for Rahal Letterman Racing, set the fastest time today. He topped the charts late in the session with a time/speed of 40.3528 seconds/223.033 mph. "I was able to gradually take a little bit of downforce out of the car, which is the key," said Lloyd, the 2007 Indy Pro Series champion who will attempt to make his IndyCar Series debut in the 500. "I've been doing that nice and gently over the next couple of days. It's obviously my first time in an IndyCar on an oval, so we're going to be giving the track a lot of respect and taking our time with it."

Running in second was Hideki Mutoh of AGR with a speed of 222.600. Will Power of KVRT, who topped the charts yesterday, again showed he had “power” around IMS. His fastest speed was 222.267 mph. Enrique Bernoldi (Conquest Racing) completed his ROP today. Mario Moraes of Dale Coyne Racing completed the first 3 phases of the ROP and was working on his fourth phase, setting a fast lap of 215.616 mph.

Mario Dominguez of Pacific Coast Motorsports took to the track for the first time today and also completed the first 3 phases of the ROP. "I can't believe that I ran my first laps around this amazing track," said Dominguez. "This is an absolute dream come true for me. I have to give credit to my crew for getting this together in such a short period of time. Despite some issues, we still made it out there and we were able to pass three phases of the rookie test. We only managed to run two hours and it was our first two hours ever running this car, but we accomplished a lot and I am relieved. Now we can turn our focus to making the car better and I look forward to that."

It was not just a day for the rookies. As anticipated, 2002 Indy 500 pole sitter Bruno Junqueira made his first appearance at IMS during the ROP since his harrowing accident in 2005.  He received track time as a "transition" driver from Champ Car, though he wasn't categorized as a rookie OR a refresher participant. Junqueira, who is running for DCR, ran 26 “refresher laps” and didn't take long to get back up to speed. The veteran Brazilian's top speed was 220.289 mph. "It's great to be back at Indy," said Junqueira. "If we would have gone out yesterday, we would have been P1 with the time we ran today. So I am very happy with the car's performance on its first time out. I have had some great results here at Indy and would like nothing more than to give Dale Coyne Racing and Z-Line Designs a podium finish."

Davey Hamilton who is piloting a third car for Vision Racing and Rubicon Race Team's Max Papis completed their refresher courses today.

Practice for all teams begins tomorrow at noon and runs until 6:00 pm, EDT.
 

A large crop of talented rookies are entered in the 92nd Indianapolis 500, the most since 1997. The list is as follows: Oriol Servia, Will Power (KV Racing Technologies); Alex Lloyd, Ryan Hunter-Reay (Rahal Letterman Racing); Mario Moraes (Dale Coyne Racing); Jay Howard (Roth Racing); Hideki Mutoh (Andretti-Green Racing); Ernesto Viso (HVM); Enrique Bernoldi, Jaime Camara (Conquest Racing); Justin Wilson and Graham Rahal (Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing). Pacific Coast Motorsports announced their entry in the ICS with Mario Dominguez, starting with the Indy 500. Dominguez will also participate in this weekend’s ROP. Servia may not need to do all of ROP based on doing it previously in 2002, he will probably only be required to do the “refresher” run, 10 laps above 210-mph. Servia, who attempted to make the 2002 Indy 500 with Derrick Walker, is still ROY eligible.

The Rookie Orientation Program is broken down into four stages, which each rookie driver is to complete before he/she can participate in the Indianapolis 500. Drivers must complete 10 laps at each of these speed phases while showing control of the car under the eye of veteran observers.
·Phase 1: 200-205 mph
·Phase 2: 205-210 mph
·Phase 3: 210-215 mph
·Phase 4: Above 215 mph

Moraes teammate, 2002 Indy 500 pole sitter Bruno Junqueira, is expected to complete refresher laps this weekend. Though he participated in four 500 races, Junqueira's last Indy start was in 2005. Other drivers scheduled to do refresher tests include Davey Hamilton, Larry Foyt (he may be questionable but is on the official entry list), Max Papis, and Sarah Fisher.
 

The driver lineup changes keep coming for this year's IndyCar Series. Yesterday, Pacific Coast Motorsports announced that it will field a team in the ICS for Mexican veteran Mario Dominguez. Veteran driver Tomas Scheckter will pilot the #12 Symantec car for Luczo Dragon Racing this weekend at Kansas. And in a rather stunning announcement, Conquest Racing announced today that they will replace rookie Franck Perera with Brazilian Jaime Camara.

Camara, 27 years of age, will drive the team's No. 34 Dallara Honda under sponsorship from Sangari for the remainder of the season, starting this weekend at the Road Runner Turbo 300 at the Kansas Speedway. He raced three seasons for AFS Andretti Green Racing's entry in the Firestone Indy Lights Series, has a victory at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in the Freedom 100, and a record 42 consecutive starts in the Indy Lights series. "This has always been my goal to get to the IndyCar Series.” said Camara. “It's been hard work since 2005 when I came to the United States to race. It's just a dream come true."

Team owner Eric Bachelart said, "Jaime will be a great addition to our team. With his oval experience and Enrique Bernoldi's road and street course experience it will be a good combination. That being said, as much as we are happy to have Jaime join the team, we are saddened that it is at Franck's expense," Bachelart continued, citing financial difficulties of former sponsor Opes Prime, which was with Perera at the beginning of the 2008 ICS campaign. "He has done exceptionally well, and we are keeping him as our reserve driver for the remainder of the year."

Camara will make his debut this weekend on a track he is unfamiliar with since the Indy Lights (formally the Infiniti Pro Series) last visited Kansas Speedway's oval in 2004, shortly before Camara's arrival in the United States.
 

Hopefully after this weekend, we will put to rest “former CC drivers” or “transitional drivers” or “new drivers to ICS”. For this Friday, Saturday and Sunday will mark the finale of the Champ Car World Series at Long Beach. It's about time, for all the mixture, confusion, and blending of names and series has confused everyone concerned with the merger of the two series which took place nearly two months ago.  We all have our favorite drivers and teams. Now, it's time for all of us to finally come together and put to rest what was brought upon us these past 12 years.

The weekend will present a dilemma for fans of both series. The ICS race will be held in Motegi, Japan. The final CCWS series will be held at Long Beach, California. Both races are sanctioned under ICS rules. Both races will award points towards the ICS standings.

But, who will watch which race, and where will the passions lie?

The “Champ Car Fanatics” will undoubtedly tune into Long Beach and mourn for the end of an era. The longtime IRL fans will stay up at midnight Saturday night and watch the action in Japan. The others will either channel into the Motegi re-air or Long Beach on Sunday, or both.

After April 20, will it matter?

For those who will follow the merged series it will mean a new beginning, a fresh start a way to build on the two shared races that have already been run. For those who can’t get past the 12-year long rift between the two series, it won't matter any longer, for them it will be over.

However, after Long Beach, it will be time to either “let bygones, be bygones”, or, it will be time to say a “sad farewell.”

Thanks for the memories.
Now, let's go racing!

After a difficult and trying weekend at Homestead, veteran driver Bruno Junqueira (#18 Dale Coyne Racing) made good progress as he continues to ply his skills in developing his Dallara chassis going into race #2 of 2008. The Brazilian found himself among the top 10 fastest drivers in the morning session at St. Petersburg and finished the day in the 14th spot in the second session. This gives Junqueira a fresh and more positive outlook going into Saturday's qualifying (note: Two groups for the Saturday morning practice sessions (30 minutes each) and the first round of qualifications will be determined by a random draw. In Segment One of qualifications, the fastest six cars from each group will advance to Segment Two. After Segment Two, the fastest six cars will advance to the Firestone Fast Six Shootout in an attempt to win the PEAK Motor Oil Pole Award. )

“Without a doubt it was a better start to what we had at Homestead”, he said. “Here, the differences really diminish. The teams that came from Champ Car are in more competitive conditions and we're more comfortable here. I think that we can hope for more in qualifying tomorrow. It's hot here with high humidity and therefore we can expect a physically demanding race. A starting position in the front is, without a doubt, will help a bit and is one we're going to try for. I hope to find myself among the top 12 and be in the second phase of qualifying.”

Junqueira's teammate and fellow Brazilian, 19-year old rookie Mario Moraes, struggled with the car as he posted the 24th fastest time in the morning session and finished his day by running 25th in the afternoon session.

Before I go on, I need to acknowledge that even I am not perfect (ha-ha). In my NHLR preview earlier today, I errantly attributed the #06 to NHLR's Justin Wilson. Graham Rahal ran with the #2 last season in Champ Car and it hasn't sunk into my brain that WILSON now has the “02”, not Rahal. Someday, it'll sink into my thick head that Rahal is no longer “#2”...or should I say, “#02”. Numbers, numbers...

Well, let us continue with our look at some of the new ICS drivers and teams as they turn their attention to more familiar territory; the street course this weekend at St. Pete. One driver who has been making waves in pre-season testing and kept his nose fairly clean at Homestead was French rookie Franck Perera, who is driving for Conquest Racing (along with former F1 pilot, Enrique Bernoldi). As most you know from my reports, Perera is a product of the CC ladder system, having finished the 2007 runner-up in points to current IPS driver and Atlantic champ, Rafael Matos.
"Last week's race was fun but I can't wait to get to St. Petersburg because it will be more of what I am used to," said Perera, who took the lead in the Bombardier Learjet Rookie of the Year standings with a 14th-place finish on the Homestead oval. "I think we will be able to run higher than we did in Homestead and be more competitive for sure. We had a good test in Sebring that allowed us to prepare for St. Petersburg, so it should be another interesting weekend. I always enjoyed racing on street courses and I look forward to discovering the St. Pete track."  Perera will be driving the #34 ARES/Opes Prime Dallara/Honda/Firestone cat this season.

Bernoldi is driving the Opes Prime/Sangari car and is currently 5th in the” Rookie of the Year" Standings", after an 18th finish at Homestead. “I think it will be much better for me this weekend.” he said. “I just want to put Homestead behind me and look forward. I have more experience on this type of track and I know that we can do well here, run closer to the front and be more competitive. We got a taste of the Dallara on the road course in Sebring (two weeks ago) and I can't wait to see how it does on the street circuit. Once again I want to bring the car home and score as many points as possible."

More to follow...and I promise to try and get these car numbers down pat!

I just saw someone ask at on an Internet forum if HVM Racing will be ready to answer the bell this weekend at St. Pete. If you recall, driver Ernesto Viso spun with just 7 laps to go at Homestead, unfortunately collecting race leader Tony Kanaan (AGR). Viso sustained some damage to his car (which Miles can explain much better than I ever could!) Well, HVM seems to be ready, willing, and able to go this weekend. The team also attempted to test Tuesday along with NHLR during the allotted three-hour spot. However, as you know, the rains came which ended the session prematurely. Despite only turning 25 laps, HVM was able to make sure that their hours of work converting the Dallara from oval to road course configuration were complete.

"I was very glad to get back in the car yesterday and have a chance to test the street race set-up.”, said Viso. “I was very impressed with the Dallara at Sebring and while it's different from the DP01, it's very good. Even though we didn't get to run very much, the few laps we did turn gave me and the rest of the team the confidence to go to St. Pete and do well. I'm really looking forward to this weekend and the rest of the season." Viso heads to St. Pete in the 17th position in the Championship, and 4th in Rookie points. He hopes to improve on his position in the standings before piloting the DP01 in two weeks at Long Beach.

Team owner Keith Wiggens also chimed in with his thoughts. "Well, we are back to a street race and a great one, at St Pete. Getting here in IRL spec. has been a challenge for the crew, following the two week changeover to the Series, and then the damage at Homestead at our first race, so we are really pushing up-hill for our first few events. The team is doing a great job fighting through it all. We have no experience of the Dallara on a street course, but we do know the street course. We have to be grateful for any pluses we get. Having said all of this, we are working towards the bigger long term goal of being a competitive IndyCar Series team by 2009 and so this is all part of the game and it is great to be in the battle. We have built ourselves into a good position before and will do it again. These will soon be just fond memories and I am optimistic that we will make good progress this weekend."

Hello, everyone!
Another busy day on tap today (darn “real life”...keeps one from doing the fun work!) but I have a little bit of time to sit in front of the “new boob tube these days” (aka, the computer) and surf for some news and tidbits, especially on the new ICS teams. Of course, as you all know, this is race #2 on the 2008 schedule on the street course at St. Petersburg, Florida. And since our own Miles is down there, I certainly will leave most of the reporting in his more-than-capable hands! So, I'll just sit back and enjoy the show this weekend and throw in a few “this and that's” into the pot. We'll start out with some from some of the new teams and their impressions going into Sunday's race.

First, we'll start with Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing. This will be Graham Rahal's ICS debut this weekend after missing the opening round of the season last weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Rahal had crashed the car on the 2^nd day of testing at HMS, and the team was unable to repair his race car in time to qualify for last Saturday’s race. The 19-year old Rahal finished fifth as a rookie in the 2007 Champ Car standings after running 14 events on road and street courses. "A lot of the drivers that I know like the (St. Pete) circuit and think that it is a great venue," said Rahal. "Being that it is right on the coastline, I am really looking forward to being part of the race weekend. It will be a nice atmosphere, and since it is a street course, it will be more comparable to what we are used to from running in Champ Car. I've watched the St. Pete races in the past, but it's always tough from a driver's standpoint just to watch and expect to automatically have it figured out. Certainly there is going to be a little bit of a learning curve. Hopefully we can get a good result because we missed last week and we have a lot of ground to make up." Rahal will be driving the #02 Hole in the Wall Camps car this weekend.

Rahal's teammate, Justin Wilson (#06 McDonald's), is hoping to rebound after a rocky start to his season at Homestead. The lanky Briton spent several laps in the pits after being collected in a spin by fellow rookie, Will Power. However, Wilson managed to finish the race in 15th. After a brief testing session at Sebring on Tuesday, which was shortened by rain, Wilson is anxious to get back to action on a street circuit. "I am looking forward to driving the McDonald's Indy car on a street circuit and seeing how we stack up against everyone else," he said. "We're not going to be at the very front right away, but we can find a way to be a little bit closer and have an enjoyable race and a stronger performance against the IndyCar regulars.” Hopefully we will be closer to the pace and have a similar result to what we would do on a normal race weekend. We'll see how things work out."
Note: Wilson and Rahal were scheduled for three hours of testing an IndyCar Series car on a road course for the first time on Tuesday at Sebring, but rain brought the test to a close after 10 laps for each. It was the first time for NHRL to run an Indy car on a road or street course prior to this weekend's Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg.

Last night's IndyCar Series season opener went smoothly and without too many incidents. And for the most part, the new participants from the former Champ Car World Series kept their noses clean. Some suffered mechanical or handling problems with their new cars; Will Power (KV Racing) and Bruno Junqueira (Coyne Racing) were among the first casualties of the race, ensuring both of an early exit. Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing's lone entry, Justin Wilson, sustained a flat right rear tire and suspension damage due to contact with Power's car on the restart on lap 20. He lost three laps in the pits but returned to action and valiantly held on for a 15th-place finish. On Tuesday, both Wilson and teammate, Graham Rahal will test at Sebring International Raceway.

Oriol Servia (KV Racing) had the best result of the “transitioning” teams with a 12^th place finish, albeit 5 laps down (note: only four cars, including race winner Scott Dixon finished on the lead lap). The Conquest racing duo of Franck Perera and Enrique Bernoldi also had top-20 finishes, with a 14th and an 18 respectively. Dale Coyne Racing did manage to have one car finish the race; with rookie Mario Moraes coming home in 16th. The only new driver who didn't keep his nose clean was Ernesto Viso of HVM Racing. Unfortunately, Viso's spin on lap 193 took out race leader Tony Kanaan who was well on his to a seemingly easy victory.

These drivers will return to more familiar territory as the ICS returns to the temporary street circuit at St. Petersburg, FL April 4-6. CCWS ran there during the 2003 season so both Junqueira and Servia have had experience on the 1.8-mile course. With the "baptism by fire" under their belts, the new drivers and teams will probably find their 'learning curve" with the Dallara/Honda/Firestone package a little more easy and comfortable next weekend.

Brian Barnhart, President of Operations and Competition for the IndyCar Series, clarified the status of the drivers from the transitioning Champ Car teams. Speaking in a joint press conference yesterday with league president Tony George, Barnhart explained that all but two of the nine new drivers will be considered rookies. He based their status on the fact that the IndyCar Series remains an oval-based series and most of the drivers have little experience on ovals. The exceptions are Bruno Junqueira and Oriol Servia, who both have made more than 20 starts on ovals. Junqueira also has made four starts in the Indianapolis 500 and was the 2002 pole sitter.

"We're still very much an oval-based racing series that centers on the Indianapolis 500.” said Barnhart. “We looked at the backgrounds of the drivers that are joining us. With the exception of Bruno Junqueira and Oriol Servia, who have started somewhere between 20 and 27 oval track races themselves, none of the other seven had started more than five. I believe Justin Wilson had five ovals and I think Will Power and Graham Rahal had one or two. Everything else was a zero. So based on sheer numbers of oval experience, we decided it makes sense, based on what our series is, that we would classify them as rookies.”

The rookie drivers from the transitioning teams are Power, Rahal, Wilson, Frank Perera, Enrique Bernoldi, Mario Moraes, and Ernesto Viso. These seven drivers, along with Hideki Mutoh and Jay Howard will contend for the 2008 IndyCar Series rookie of the Year honors.

Scott Dixon's on pole. Both Vision cars are 2nd (Carpenter) and 3rd (Foyt), Editors Note; these two entries failed post race inspection and will start from the rear of the starting grid. Danica 4th. Jay Howard and Wheldon crashed. Both drivers are OK. They were the only incidents. Everyone else pretty much kept their noses clean.

Bruno Junqueira qualified 22^nd, only Mario Moraes did worse. Franck Perera was the best of the new guys, 15th. Helio Castroneves and Tony Kanaan weren't as strong as I thought (7th and 8th). I also thought Power and Servia would do better. They showed quite a bit of qualifying runs on ESPN2, along with some features. They showed Helio on "DWTS", and Tony and his cute baby boy. They showed a rather clever segment with Hunter-Reay about Ethanol...kind of like a "Mr. Science" feature. There was a Danica Patrick interview, talking about her SI swimsuit issue pictures. She was P2 before Carpenter went out; she seemed kind of surprised by his time! Danica said something about the track getting cooler which is why his speeds were fast.

They showed Graham Rahal’s accident and had an interview with him. Graham basically recounted what was in the team press release; they couldn't get the car repaired in time, etc...

4-lap qualifying seemed to work out OK; it gives the drivers more of a chance to redeem themselves…

Martha

The two-series merger happened last month. The pre-season testing and preparation is done. There is no more “Champ Car” and there are no more “Champ Car drivers”. This weekend marks the dawn of a new era in the IndyCar Series, as eight new drivers enter the Indy Car ranks along with veterans Tony Kanaan, Scott Dixon, and Helio Castroneves, all former members of the defunct-CART series themselves. The 25-car field will take to the track tomorrow afternoon at 4:00 p.m. EDT for practice and qualifying in preparation for The GAINSCO Auto Insurance 300 on Saturday night at 8:00 p.m. at the Homestead-Miami Speedway.

I spent the day perusing press releases from the new teams and making a compilation of quotes from the expected participants. Some, like the KV Racing Technologies duo of Oriol Servia and Will Power, had successful tests with the new Dallara/Honda/Firestone package last week (Sebring) and this week (Homestead). Others, like Dale Coyne Racing's Bruno Junqueira had, shall we say, a challenging week trying to do so much in oh, so little time. None of the new drivers are expected to prevent Target Chip Ganassi Racing's Dan Wheldon from achieving his fourth-straight Homestead title. Some will just hope to make it to the finish. However, no one will dispute the significance of this weekend's race, and very few could argue that these new drivers and teams aren't ready, very willing, and able to rise to the challenges facing them this season.

We'll start with quotes from Eric Bachelart's Conquest Racing Team; and its rookie duo of Franck Perera and former F1 driver Enrique Bernoldi. Bernoldi completed a total of 186 laps and set his fastest lap on day-two (Tuesday, March 25). His lap of 25.4470 seconds (210.084 mph) was a little over three tenths of a second off the best time at the Homestead tests (set by Marty Roth).
"I'm happy with how the test went," expressed Bernoldi who ended up fourth quickest overall and second amongst the transition teams. "The times from the transition teams were very close, but we do know that we still have to catch up to the established IndyCar Series teams, that will take some time, but it's a good start for us. I look forward to the race this weekend, my goal will be to simply finish it in the best position possible and to keep the car intact. It's the best way to gain experience and keep getting better. Racing at night will also be new to me. I thought it would affect our vision but it wasn't too different because the lighting is very good."

Perera, the 2007 Atlantic runner-up (to current IPS driver, Rafael Matos), completed 172 laps over the two days at Homestead and put in a fastest lap of 25.5560 seconds (209.188 mph). "Yesterday was better than Monday, for sure," said Perera. "The more laps I put in, the more I build my confidence level. We were able to find a little bit more speed and focus more on the setup of the car yesterday and we had the added difficulty of dealing with the wind. There is still a lot to learn, but the best learning experience will be the race itself. Our expectations for the weekend are realistic, and our goal is to soak up the most experience possible. I also look forward to racing at night because I never have done that before. Racing under the lights is even more exciting, and it creates a completely different atmosphere than during the day, making it even more interesting."

Bad News for Graham Rahal, NHLR was unable to repair the car he damaged Tuesday evening at Homestead in time…

Yesterday I was happy to report that Graham Rahal, son of 1986 Indianapolis 500 winner Bobby Rahal, was OK after crashing his #06 Hole in the Wall Camps Dallara/Honda/Firestone while participating in Day 2 of the two-day IndyCar Series test on Tuesday night at Homestead. Rahal, one of nine drivers from the former Champ Car World Series preparing for the ICS season opener this Saturday night, lost control in turn 1 and made contact with the SAFER barrier in Turn 2. The car sustained a large amount of damage to the gearbox, bell housing and three of four corners. Unfortunately, the damage was extensive enough that NHLR announced today that they are forced to withdraw their entry for the No. 06 Dallara/Honda/Firestone car. The team will now work on rebuilding the car for a test at Sebring International Raceway on Tuesday, April 1 and the Honda Indy Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, April 4-6.

"It's disappointing that we're not going to be racing in the season-opener and I feel bad about it,” said Rahal, 19. "It will be tough not to be out there, but at the same time we need to take it slowly, and not rush putting the car back together. Even if we had everything available, there aren't enough hours before the first practice on Friday to get the car put back together. The guys have worked awfully hard to be in the position to run here, and it's not the time to pull all-nighters. At this point we are going to focus on the St. Pete race. I'm just going experience this weekend from a different perspective and pay attention to what is going on with Justin. I'll probably watch some of the race from the Spotters Stand to get another perspective. We'll have to start all over for the race in Kansas which will now be my first oval race."

That leaves NHRL with just one entry for The GAINSCO Auto Insurance 300; the #02 McDonald's car, which will be piloted by Britain's Justin Wilson. Wilson, who has driven in CCWS since 2004, was twice runner-up in the championship standings (2006-2007) to the man he replaced at NHLR, four-time champ and current F1 driver, Sebastien Bourdais. He also finished third in the 2005 standings to NHR drivers Bourdais and Oriol Servia. “I am extremely happy to be driving for Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing,” said Wilson, who will compete in his first race with the team, his maiden race in the ICS, and his sixth race on an oval.” I could not hope to be with a better team, especially while the teams are making this transition. We are going to be racing against some of the top teams in the business, so we are not kidding ourselves about how steep of a learning curve we are facing. I believe Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing has what it takes to win.”

After missing the first ICS test at Sebring last week, Wilson was able to run earlier this week during the final pre-season tests at Homestead. He commented on what it'll take to him and the team to have a successful showing this weekend. “To have plenty of patience!” said Wilson, whose highest finish on an oval came in 2006 at the Milwaukee Mile in 2006 when he finished second place to race-winner Bourdais. “With the two-day weekend it will be easy to feel pressured into going quick but I think that’s when you end up in trouble. The plan is to stay calm and make small, positive steps.”

One of the Unknowns: a Look at HVM Racing and Rookie Ernesto Viso.

On a personal note, I must admit that this year's HVM Racing entrant is “an unknown” to me. Last year, as Minardi Team USA, this team had a successful campaign in CCWS with Robert Doornbos. Doornbos took victories at Mt. Tremblant and San Jose, finished third in the championship, captured the “Rookie of the Year” award and was expected to be named the driver for the team's initial outing in ICS. However, that was not to be. HVM recently signed Venezuelan driver Ernesto Viso, sending many fans scratching their heads and wondering “who?”. Well, here's the lowdown on this new "unknown".

Viso just celebrated his 23rd birthday on March 19 and hails from Caracas (although, like many of the current ICS crop of drivers, maintains a home in Miami). He started racing go-karts in Venezuela at age 7, and captured numerous titles there before moving to Europe to pursue a professional career. Viso captured two British Formula 3 championships before moving up to GP2, where he earned several race victories. In one season in the United States, he captured the Skip Barber Dodge Eastern Championship. Viso also served as an F1 test driver with Spyker.

Like Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing, The HVM team opted to skip test last week at Sebring International Raceway, and instead focused on the oval tests this week at Homestead. Viso turned 134 laps on Monday and Tuesday, recording an overall best time of 25.5682 seconds at 209.088 mph. "It is very difficult to compare my experience in the last couple of days to anything else I have done before.”, Viso said after testing. “At first it is a quite overwhelming experience to be going flat through the oval at speeds over 212 mph. But as soon as you get to grip with the speed and everything else, you just realize how technical this is. I think that some people have the wrong impression that racing on ovals is all about full throttle and turning left. It isn’t until you sit in one of these cars that you realize how technical this series is, a change of few millimeters on the line can make you go faster or cost you few miles per hour."

"This weekend will be tough given the relative little experience that my team and I have in oval racing. My objective is to qualify as well as possible and then focus on finishing the race as high as possible under the guidance of my spotter Bobby Hatch. He will be my other set of eyes, guiding me through traffic and alerting me of anything happening in front or behind me on track."

An Unknown and a VERY Well-Known; Two Ways to Look at Dale Coyne Racing…

As many of you know, Dale Coyne is a familiar name as both a driver and a long-time owner in Champ Cars (25 years). He enters the 2008 ICS season with two drivers. One, an unknown rookie, Mario Moraes and the other, a very well-known veteran, Bruno Junqueira.

First, we'll take a brief look at the “unknown Mr. Moraes. I had to go to www.dalecoyneracing.com to find whatever info I could about the young Brazilian. Here's what I found:

Birth date: December 20th, 1988
Birthplace: Sao Paulo, Brazil
Residence: Miami, FL / Sao Paulo, Brazil
Height/Weight: 5’6” / 150

Mario Moraes enters his first year of IndyCar racing as a driver for Dale Coyne Racing. After only three years racing go-karts, in 2004 Moraes began driving F3 cars, showing great promise in his young career. He spent 2007 as a competitor in the British F3 International Series. Moraes participated in last week's test session at Homestead.

Now, for the driver who is probably the one most familiar to many ICS fans; veteran driver Bruno Junqueira. On a personal note, I could write volumes about the 31-year old Brazilian, since I've had the pleasure of knowing him for almost six years. I could write about the three times he was runner-up in the CCWS championship. I could write about his experience in the Indianapolis 500; four starts, 2 top-10 finishes, and the pole sitter in 2002. I could also write extensively about his courageous and determined recovery from harrowing injuries sustained in a horrific accident in the 2005 Indy 500. But, I guess I could save it for another day; and another volume.

I will tell you this: there is probably no “transitioning driver” who is happier to join ICS this year than Junqueira. Despite what happened at Indy, he very much wants to return to the 500. "This season brings new challenges; a new series, new cars and new tracks; but at the end of the day, everybody is starting from scratch," said the personable Brazilian. "I love the ovals and really look forward to getting back to Indy. Dale and I both have some unfinished business to do there."

Even though he and his team have struggled with the new Dallara/Honda/Firestone package (including a shunt in testing last week at Sebring, which caused him to miss out Monday testing at Homestead), Junqueira refuses to quit or to let pessimism daunt his first race this weekend. “Our guys did a good job to prepare the cars. At Sebring, we were very competitive. “Unfortunately, we didn't have much track time here. We lost Monday and just went on the track at 8:30 on Tuesday. I did just over 50 laps, so I didn't get much experience with the car, but I certainly have some experience on ovals. I try to adapt myself and try to find a good setup tomorrow so we can be reasonable. I don't think any Champ Car teams are going to be competitive this year, especially on the ovals. We are competing against very good (IndyCar Series) teams that have had this car for five years. So to have three weeks with the car we're going to be behind. I think we'll catch up and be really close the second half of the season,” Said Junqueira.

If I know Bruno, I'm certain that he and the Coyne team will continue to make steady progress as the 2008 season unfolds.

A Look at KV Racing as Power and Servia Get Ready for ICS Debut at Homestead...

Will Power; and yes, that's really his name, is another of the drivers who is making the transition from the Champ Car series to the IndyCar Series. A native of Australia, Power made his CC debut late in the 2005 season for Walker Racing. He won two races for his former team before switching to KV Racing Technologies (along with his Aussie Vineyards/Team Australia sponsorship).

Power did well at both testing sessions at Sebring and at Homestead. He will make his IndyCar Series debut from 21st position after a steady run in qualifying for the GAINSCO Auto Insurance 300 at Homestead-Miami Speedway in Homestead, Florida this evening (8:00 pm on ESPN2).This will be the 27-year-old's second race on an oval and his first on a 1.5-mile oval. Power's only previous oval start came at the Milwaukee Mile in 2006. He admitted to taking a conservative approach this weekend. "I was basically flat all the way round, I felt the KVRT Aussie Vineyards/Team Australia car was improved from practice today, but we were lacking a little bit of pace," said Power. "For me it is just about the race, get as many miles as I can, learn how to run in traffic while finding more out about the car."

As stated in an earlier report, Power will one of seven transitioning drivers who will be eligible for the Bombardier Learjet Rookie of the Year Award He is joined by fellow ex-CC drivers Justin Wilson (Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing), Enrique Bernoldi (Conquest Racing), Franck Perera (Conquest Racing, Ernesto Viso (HVM Racing), Mario Moraes (Dale Coyne Racing) and Graham Rahal (Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing) as well as Hideki Mutoh of Andretti Green Racing and Jay Howard of Roth Racing as rookie-status drivers.

One driver who will not be considered a rookie (because of his numerous starts on oval tracks) is Power's team mate, the Spanish veteran Oriol Servia. Servia is 33 years old and is a native of Pals, Spain. In fact, he hails from the same region as the great avant-garde artist, Salvador Dali whom Servia honors with a rather unique helmet design which has garnered much admiration from race fans. Servia also has done well in the pre-season test sessions but the wily veteran is also taking a careful approach this weekend. He had a respectable showing last night, qualifying 16th. Servia's efforts these past weeks has been rewarded with new sponsorship on his car. KV Racing Technology announced that Plantronics, Inc. has joined its team of corporate sponsors. Plantronics will sponsor the No. 5 Honda/Dallara/Firestone entry driven by Oriol Servia during the 2008 IndyCar Series season.

Like fellow veteran Bruno Junqueira, Servia is also looking forward to the new ICS. "I'm excited to get back on the ovals.” he said. “I was missing them a little bit the late years in Champ Car when we didn't have any. This was actually my first oval ever in 1998. I liked it right away. These last couple of days were very helpful to be on the oval. We had two full days to learn the car and to fight against the other teams that have had these cars for five years.”

Even though he tested at Indianapolis in 2002, Servia did not make the race. This year, he has a good chance on making his 500 debut. "I think the Indianapolis 500 is great around the world. It's well regarded everywhere as a race. It's one of the top three races ever with Monaco and Le Mans. They respect ovals, but you don't get to see it that much on TV. Hopefully now they'll be showing it in Spain. Oval racing is something you don't really appreciate until you come and you see it live. Then you have fans for life. I've found people from Spain have come in the past when I was doing Indy Lights. They saw and they realized it's a good show, good driving, a lot of skill. But it takes for them to come and watch."

(03-26-08) Graham Rahal, son of 1986 Indianapolis 500 winner Bobby Rahal, had his first brush with misfortune on an oval last night at the Homestead-Miami Speedway. The 19-year old driver for Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing crashed his #06 Hole in the Wall Camps Dallara/Honda/Firestone while participating in Day 2 of the two-day IndyCar Series test for teams transitioning from the Champ Car World Series. Fortunately, he was not injured. After setting the fourth fastest time of the session, Rahal was attempting to pass Oriol Servia (KV Racing Technologies) in turn 1 when he lost control and made contact with the SAFER barrier in Turn 2. The car sustained a large amount of damage to the gearbox, bell housing and three of four corners. The team will have only a few days to prepare that car before the ICS season opener on Saturday.

"The car felt really good.” said Rahal. “I caught Oriol (Servia) and overtook him in Turn 1 and was almost past him. I was on a higher line than I had been taking and that was a lot bumpier with a little less grip. The rear stepped out on me and I caught it and then it did it a second time and I couldn't catch it and crashed."

OK, so it was Gregory Peck who starred in that Academy Award-winning picture, but another giant in both the motion picture AND Motorsports industry made a plea for the fans to come to a “Gentleman's Agreement” (BTW, and Ladies, also) and return to the Indy 500.

INDYCAR PHOTO  BY RON MCQUEENEY

(The Preview) The former Champ Car World Series teams who are transitioning to the IndyCar Series will test on the 1.5-mile oval at Homestead-Miami Speedway on March 24-25. Scheduled participants include; Conquest Racing, Dale Coyne Racing, HVM Racing, Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing and KV Racing Technology. It will be the much anticipated debut of the talented N/H/L duo of Justin Wilson and Graham Rahal, driving for the much vaunted team which captured the last four CCWS championships with current F1 pilot, Sebastien Bourdais. Ernesto Viso is also expected to take to the oval as the lone representative of the HVM livery. In addition, Jay Howard of Roth Racing will also take part in the test.

Three teams (Conquest, Coyne, and KV Racing) tested last week on the 1.7-mile, 11-turn road course at Sebring International Raceway. KV Racing dominated both days of testing with Will Power leading the charge last Wednesday and teammate Oriol Servia leading on Thursday. Also, participating were 2002 Indianapolis 500 pole-sitter, Bruno Junqueira and Mario Moraes (Coyne), and the rookie duo of Franck Perera and Enrique Bernoldi for Conqeust. Perera, the runner-up in the 2007 Atlantic championship, showed much promise and talent as he quickly learned his way about in the Dallara/Honda/ Firestone package. Bernoldi may be considered “a rookie” in the ICS, but he has raced in Formula 1.

The teams are expected to take to the track later on this afternoon at 4:00 pm. and are expected to have six hours of testing under the lights (same schedule for day 2 on Tuesday). This will be the last test in preparation for The GAINSCO 300 on Saturday evening, March 29 at Homestead.

T&S shows they're done, here's my final report…

(The wrap up) Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing (NHLR) hit an oval track for the first time since the 2006 CCWS event at the Milwaukee Mile. The duo of Graham Rahal and Justin Wilson went out late in the Monday evening test session at Homestead. Rahal, who was a rookie last year in the Champ Car World Series, will again be classified as a rookie in the IndyCar Series. Rahal ran one oval event in a 2005 Star Mazda race at Pikes Peak and finished second. So far, he has driven his Hole in the Wall Camps machine for 16 laps at a top time/speed of  25.988 seconds/ 205.710 mph.

INDYCAR PHOTO  BY RON MCQUEENEY

Justin Wilson, who takes over the McDonald's car driven by 4-time CC champ, Sebastien Bourdais; has only made five starts on an oval track. His first test in a Champ Car was with then Newman-Haas Racing at Homestead in October 2002, and although the test went well, he elected to pursue a ride in Formula One for 2003 and didn’t join the series until 2004. He is the 10th driver to be shown on the ICS timing/scoring chart. The track is currently under caution with Marty Roth still a top the leader board. Rahal has leapt to 4th fastest in the standings. The green has flown and Coyne rookie Mario Moraes has just taken to the track, making him the 10th competitor this evening.

Mike King of IMS Radio is on XM Satellite Radio right now, he just said “the car Bruno crashed at Sebring is a total loss! That's gotta hurt. In an interview earlier Bruno said he expected to run sometime tomorrow.  They are scrambling to get the car put together.

The testing session ended around 10 pm, as scheduled: Marty Roth (Roth Racing) remained at the top of the charts with a time/speed of 25.3320/211.037 mph. Jay Howard was second, just .053 of a second behind. Will Power is showing speed again for KV Racing, as he was just .210 of a second behind Roth's time. Power ran a whopping 120 laps around the 1.5 mile oval. It only took Graham Rahal of Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing just a little over an hour and 37 laps, as he went out just before 9 pm, his top time/speed was 25.668 seconds/ 208.275 mph. The rest of the ten competitors who took to the track were Enrique Bernoldi (Conquest), Oriol Servia (KV Racing), Franck Perera (Conquest), Justin Wilson (NHLR), Ernesto Viso (HVM Racing), and Mario Moraes (Daly Coyne).

Tuesday’s test session is scheduled to start at 4:00 p.m. and last until 10 p.m. The Tuesday weather forecast shows temperatures in the low 70’s, 20-mph winds and no chance of rain.

Rain greeted the transitioning Champ Car teams today at the Sebring International Raceway, shortening day 2 of testing. All six drivers from KV Racing Technology, Dale Coyne Racing, and Conquest Racing were able to get in valuable time on the track after a three-hour delay. Again, it was the KV duo of Oriol Servia and Will Power who topped the charts. Servia, who led the morning session on Wednesday, turned in 78 laps and had the fastest time/speed (52.7035 seconds/114.072 mph). Power ran a total of 53 laps and was just .2416 of a second behind his teammate.
Next came the Conquest rookies Enrique Bernoldi and Franck Perera. Bernoldi ran 72 laps and was .5808 of a second off Servia's time. Perera ran 66 laps and was .6124 of a second from the top time.

Trouble plagued veteran Bruno Junqueira today (as seen in the IndyCar photo shown further down this page) as he made tire barrier contact and damaged the nose and left front wing/suspension of his Dallara/Honda/Firestone vehicle. He managed to run just 16 laps before retiring early in the afternoon. His teammate, rookie Mario Moraes ran 69 laps and brought up the end of the field, running 1.2796 seconds behind Servia.

The final test session for the former Champ Car World Series teams will take place on the oval at Homestead-Miami Speedway next week, March 24-25. This will be the final time teams will be able to prepare before the IndyCar Series season opener, The GAINSCO Auto Insurance 300 at Homestead on Saturday, March 29. Newman-Haas-Lanigan Racing and HVM Racing are expected to join today's participants at the test session.

***