2013 IndyCar Series / Mazda Road to Indy discussion

Another news round-up from the Indycar paddock:

Charlie Kimball will join the Chip Ganassi Racing sportscar team at the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona next month.

http://www.indycar.com/en/News/2012/12-December/12-17-Kimball-to-compete-in -Rolex-24

Kimball, who will enter his third IndyCar Series season driving the No. 83 Chip Ganassi Racing car, will be paired with Scott Pruett, Memo Rojas and Juan Pablo Montoya in the No. 01 TELMEX/Target entry in the Daytona Prototype class. Pruett and Rojas earned their fourth GRAND-AM Daytona Prototype championship as teammates in 2012.

"I watched from the Ganassi pit stand last year and saw first-hand how much work and team effort it takes to have a good race, and I know I have great teammates in Scott Pruett, Memo Rojas and Juan Pablo Montoya," Kimball said. "I'm looking forward to getting down there for a test in a few weeks and take my first laps in the No. 01 TELMEX/Target car. I have to thank Chip Ganassi, Felix Sabates and the whole team for this opportunity. I'll be sure to make the most of it in January."

IndyCar Series champions Dario Franchitti and Scott Dixon will be joined by Jamie McMurray and Joey Hand in the No. 02 Target/TELMEX car. Franchitti is the only driver to capture the 12 Hours of Sebring, the Indianapolis 500, an IndyCar Series title and the Rolex 24 At Daytona consecutively, accomplishing the feat in less than a year in 2009.
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US Formula 2000 champion Matthew Brabham has secured a seat at Andretti Autosport's Pro Mazda team for 2013.

http://www.indycar.com/en/News/2012...-the-rise-Matthew-Brabham-inks-Pro-Mazda-deal

Brabham, 18, the second 2012 Mazda Road to Indy champion to graduate to the next series on the developmental ladder, is the grandson of three-time Formula One World Champion Sir Jack Brabham and son of former CART driver Geoff Brabham.

"I am so excited to be driving for the Andretti Autosport team in the 2013 Pro Mazda Championship," said Brabham, who recorded four victories and 11 podium finishes overall. "It was fantastic to drive for the team at the Indy test and get a feel for how they operate. The Pro Mazda had more power than the USF2000 car, so it was lots of fun to drive and gave me a good understanding of what to expect next season."
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Indycar's tyre supplier will remain Bridgestone (through its Firestone brand) through the 2018 season after a new deal was signed last week.

http://www.indycar.com/News/2012/12-December/12-21-Firestone-extends-tire-supply-contract

Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations and INDYCAR announced today that Firestone will remain the sole tire supplier to the IndyCar Series through the 2018 race season.

“Firestone performance and safety have been synonymous with Indycar racing for more than 100 years,” Firestone Racing executive director Al Speyer said. “We are excited about the opportunity to continue the ongoing success of this series by extending the Firestone brand’s history in the sport through the 2018 season. We treasure the relationships we have fostered with the league, drivers, owners and various other partners involved with the sport through the years, and look forward to continuing our legacy of high performance for which Firestone tires are known.”
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Former Indy Lights driver Olivier Webb has signed with reigning champions Fortec in the Formula Renault 3.5 series for 2013. The 21 year old Briton placed 7th in the FIL championship for Schmidt Motorsports this year. Previously he placed 3rd in his sole years in British Formula Renault and Formula 3 (2008, 2010 respectively).

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/104939

"We were speaking to a variety of championships and teams for the 2013 season but, when the opportunity arose with Fortec, it was a clear decision," said Webb.

Fortec has already signed Formula Renault Eurocup champion Stoffel Vandoorne for its other 2013 FR3.5 seat.

Webb has not won since his Fortec F3 season, and team boss Richard Dutton is keen to give him a chance to show his full potential next year.

"We have a great relationship with him, and we've really seen him grow through the years, and he is an incredibly talented driver," Dutton said.
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Tony Kanaan and Rubens Barrichello will enter the Rolex 24 at Daytona, with Dener Motorsport driving a Porsche GT3. Former CART\Indycar driver Paul Tracy is also entering the event for Doran Racing in a Ford\Dallara prototype class. They will be joining the final test before the race along with over 100 other entries from both Grand-Am and the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge.

http://auto-racing.speedtv.com/article/grand-am-barrichello-kanaan-team-up-for-rolex-24/

Honda report they are happy with the status of the 2013 Indycar engine program:

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/104937

IndyCar regulations require manufacturers to homologate their engines by January 18, after which many areas of the powerplant will be subject to a development freeze during the year.

Honda lost out to Chevrolet for this year's manufacturers' title, in the American firm's first season back in the series.

But HPD technical director Roger Griffiths told AUTOSPORT that he is encouraged by the progress his team is making during the off-season.

"We're feeling reasonably confident," he said.
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Guerrilla said:
Was sad to read Barrichello won't be racing in Indy this year and will be mainly doing his racing in Brazil :( Still I suppose it gives more scope to do these one offs if he feels like it.
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Well I'd think he prefers the higher pay and being close to home. Maybe he'll come back for the 500, who knows.
 
Guerrilla said:
Yea that'd be good to see, not sure he was overly keen on the ovals though.
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Eh, Rubens did okay for someone with no oval experience in a midfield team - 7th at Iowa, 10th at Milwaukee and 11th at Indy. Probably another 7th at Fontana if the car held up. I can see him doing a one-off at Sao Paulo since the street circuit Indycar uses is pretty much on his doorstep.

Speaking of one-offs, Ryan Hunter-Reay is also participating in the Rolex 24 with Taylor Racing:

http://www.grand-am.com/News/GA_New...s-wtr-lineup-for-rolex-24.aspx?cid=6383&sid=1

At this rate, half the Indycar field will be there :p

Edit: Tagliani now too with Starworks - http://auto-racing.speedtv.com/article/grand-am-tagliani-joins-starworks-rolex-24-lineup/
 
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Guerrilla said:
Never watched the Rolex 24, is it worth watching?
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The 24 hours of Daytona event is not as famous as the Le Mans or Sebring endurance races, but I think it's interesting nonetheless. It uses much more of the oval than most "roval" courses, and you'll see a lot of drivers that wouldn't normally enter sportscar races.
 
HVM Racing (led by Keith Wiggins, formerly of Pacific F1) is working on a 2013 Indycar program: http://auto-racing.speedtv.com/article/indycar-hvm-closing-in-on-indycar-return/

“I would say we are having discussions with a couple of different entities on projects in IndyCar,” said Wiggins. “I think it’s fair to say we’ll have an [IndyCar] entry and we are working with a couple of groups talking about doing IndyCar, and it could take a couple of different forms. We’re not sure what it will be yet.”
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Some race distances for 2013 will be altered to discourage fuel-saving strategies:

http://www.indycar.com/News/2013/01/1-21-TV-schedule-to-increase-excitement-for-fans

Four events -- St. Petersburg, Long Beach, Milwaukee and Mid-Ohio – will feature new race distances this season to discourage fuel-mileage racing. The new distances better match traditional fuel windows at each circuit.

The races with new distances:

St. Petersburg: Increase of 10 laps to 110 (198 miles total)
Long Beach: Decrease of five laps to 80 (157.4 miles)
Milwaukee: Increase of 25 laps to 250 (250 miles)
Mid-Ohio: Increase of five laps to 90 (203 miles)

“Changing the distances at these races will hopefully eliminate the strategy of saving fuel from the drop of the green flag,” said Beaux Barfield, IndyCar Series Race Director. “That will enable our teams and drivers to race hard for the full distance and improve the event’s entertainment value for the fans.”
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Time for an Indycar news round-up:

The points system has been adjusted to scale linearly to 26th place - http://www.indycar.com/en/News/2013/01/1-23-Rulebook-aims-to-make-series-easier-to-follow

Two of the three doubleheader races will have starting starts, and FIA light systems will be used. Qualifying rules have been adjusted at these events - http://www.indycar.com/News/2013/01/1-22-Standings-starts-at-two-doubleheaders

The 250 mile Iowa race will now have points awarded for finishing positions in the qualifying heats - http://www.indycar.com/News/2013/01/1-21-New-heat-race-format-highlights-Iowa-qualifying

Alex Tagliani has re-signed with Barracuda Racing (formerly Bryan Herta Autosport) for the 2013 season, and is looking to improve on translating his fast qualifying performances into race results - http://www.indycar.com/News/2013/01/1-24-Tagliani-Back-For-More-With-Barracuda-Racing

Mike Conway has signed to race at Long Beach with Rahal-Letterman Racing, looking to follow up his win there in 2011 - http://www.indycar.com/en/News/2013/01/1-28-RLL-adds-Conway-to-Long-Beach-lineup
 
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AJ Allmendinger may be returning to the American open wheel scene after announcing a test with Penske: http://msn.foxsports.com/nascar/story/Allmendinger-gets-second-chance-with-Penske-in-IndyCar-020613

If Allmendinger signs with the team, it's expected he will replace Ryan Briscoe in the third car at selected events including the Indy 500.

Rahal-Letterman Racing will be running a second car for James Jakes this season: http://www.trackforum.com/forums/www.rahal.com/Indynews/Jakes2013

Andretti Autosport have added a 4th car with Ernesto Viso at the wheel: http://www.indycar.com/News/2013/02/2-7-Viso-to-pilot-fourth-Andretti-Autosport-entry

Rule changes that allow any amount of fuel to be used at the start of a race, and a total tyre allocation per event that can be split as teams desire between sessions, will promote differing strategies: http://www.indycar.com/en/News/2013/02/2-12-Fuel-options-for-teams

Sebastian Saavedra (formerly an Indycar driver for Conquest and Bryan Herta Autosport) will join Bourdais at Dragon Racing for 2013: http://www.indycar.com/en/News/2013/02/2-18-Saavedra-makes-strong-first-impression
 
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Further testing took place at the Sonoma circuit yesterday:

http://www.indycar.com/en/News/2013/02/2-27-Six-teams-test-at-Sonoma

http://auto-racing.speedtv.com/arti...arpenter-in-sonoma-vautier-goes-fastest-again

Some trackside footage:


So far Tristian Vautier and Schmidt Motorsports have set the pace, going fastest at both the Sebring and Sonoma tests. Honda appear to have an early advantage over Chevrolet, with Honda-powered teams putting in faster lap times in most cases.

Pro Mazda's (formerly Star Mazda) 2013 season commences at Circuit of the Americas with testing today, race 1 tomorrow, and race 2 on Saturday. The reigning USF2000 champion Matthew Brabham is widely tipped as title favourite this year: http://www.indycar.com/en/News/2013/02/2-28-Pro-Mazda-season-kicks-off-in-Austin
 
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Deigo Ferreira leads the 2013 Pro Mazda championship on 58 points after placing 1st and 2nd in the opening races at COTA in Austin. Title favourite Matthew Brabham is just 4 points adrift.

Full standings and race results are available here: http://www.starmazda.com/results/2013-schedule.htm

Reigning champion Jack Hawksworth receives top billing from the BRDC, after winning two consecutive titles in his first two years of single-seater formula racing: http://www.starmazda.com/news/series/2013/03-06-hawk.html
 
Guerrilla said:
Cool, think I'll be routing for Dale Coyne (Justin Wilson) this year :) Hopefully his brother will go well too.
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If Penske is McLaren, and Ganassi is Ferrari, then DCR is about the level of Toro Rosso. Still, it is Justin Wilson, who's been handed junk to drive his entire F1\Indycar career and still made something out of it. :)
 
Indycar pre-season testing concluded with the final session at Barber Motorsports Park, with 28 car\driver combinations participating. Will Power and Team Penske topped the time sheets, breaking the track record by posting a lap (1:07.1329) that was 3 seconds quicker than last year's pole position time. James Hinchcliffe, Justin Wilson, Scott Dixon and Takuma Sato rounded out the top five.

http://www.indycar.com/en/News/2013/03/3-13-Wrapping-up-Open-Test

Official highlights:


The opening rounds of the 2013 US F2000 championship at Sebring saw Scott Hargrove finish first and then second, establishing a 14 point lead in the standings. Danilo Estrela is currently second on 44 points, with Garrett Grist third, a further two points back.

Race reports and full standings table available here:

http://www.usf2000.com/Schedule.aspx

http://www.usf2000.com/results/2013/USF2000 POINTS 2013.xlsx.pdf
 
Indycar Series Round 1 of 19: Honda Grand Prix of St Petersburg

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Track length: 1.8 miles
Race length: 110 laps (198 miles)
Lap record: 1:00.928 (Sebastien Bourdais, Lola B02/00 Ford-Cosworth, 2003)

Schedule

Friday, 22 March

08.00-08.30: USF2000 practice 1
08.35-09.05: Pro Mazda practice 1
10.10-10.55: Indy Lights practice 1
11.10-11.55: Indycar practice 1
13.40-14.25: Indy Lights practice 2
14.40-15.25: Indycar practice 2
15.40-16.10: USF2000 practice 2
16.25-16.55: Pro Mazda practice 2

Saturday, 23 March

08.00-08.30: USF2000 qualifying
08.35-09.05: Pro Mazda qualifying
09.25-10.10: Indy Lights qualifying
10.25-11.10: Indycar practice 3
12.15-12.55: USF2000 race 1
13.10-13.50: Pro Mazda race 1
14.05-15.15: Indycar qualifying
15.40-16.40: Indy Lights race

Sunday, 24 March

8.45-9.15: Indycar warm-up
9.30-10.10: USF2000 race 2
12.33: Parade lap
12.40: Honda Grand Prix of St Petersburg race start
15.00-15.40: Pro Mazda race 2

Entry list

Team Penske - #3 Helio Castroneves, #12 Will Power
Ganassi - #9 Scott Dixon, #10 Dario Franchitti, #83 Charlie Kimball
Andetti Autosport - #1 Ryan Hunter-Reay, #25 Marco Andretti, #27 James Hinchcliffe
Rahal Letterman - #15 Graham Rahal, #16 James Jakes
Schmidt Motorsports - #55 Tristan Vautier, #77 Simon Pagenaud
Dragon Racing - #6 Sebastian Saavedra, #7 Sebastien Bourdais
Bryan Herta Autosport - #98 Alex Tagliani
Dale Coyne Racing - #18 Ana Beatriz, #19 Justin Wilson
KV Racing Technology - #11 Tony Kanaan, #78 Simona de Silvestro
Panther - #4 John Hildebrand
Dreyer & Reinbold - #22 Oriol Servia
AJ Foyt Enterprises - #14 Takuma Sato
Fisher-Hartman Racing - #67 Josef Newgarden
HVM Team Venezuela - #5 Ernesto Viso
Ed Carpenter Racing - #20 Ed Carpenter
 
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