IRLblog.com

As all of us know by now, Vitor Meira will not be returning to the cockpit of the #4 Panther Racing Machine next season.  Dan Wheldon has shifted over from Target Chip Ganassi Racing to replace Vitor.  Vitor was definitely caught off guard.  Apparently Vitor never received a phone call.  He was released through an e-mail that his manager received from Panther Racing.  Will Vitor have a ride for the 2009 season?  If so, where will he end up and who can possibly pick him up?  My choice would be Rahal Letterman Racing running a 2nd car.  He has driven for Rahal Letterman in the past and has driven well.  They would be a solid team with Ryan Hunter-Reay and Vitor assisting each other.  Ryan Hunter-Reay has already proved that he can run in this league with no problems and with no team mates to back him up.  At this point we can only hope for the best for Vitor in securing a ride for the 2009 season.

Eric Cowdin, the engineer for the #11 7-11 car driven by Tony Kanaan quit Friday at Chicagoland Speedway.  He helped Tony obtain his 2004 IndyCar Series championship along with 13 race wins, and 10 pole starts which includes the 89th running of the Indianapolis 500.  Eric Cowdin has been Tony Kanaan’s engineer for the previous 10 seasons.  It is thought that Cowdin left Andretti Green Racing to head to Team Penske to engineer for Ryan Briscoe.

Well, not exactly.  Helio Castroneves started last but proved to drive like a champion as he made quick work of the other 27 cars in the field improving 20 positions in less than 40 laps and leading by lap 76.  He went on to lead the most laps and win the Peak Antifreeze & Motor Oil Indy 300 at Chicagoland Speedway.  Although he does not have a trophy, or a million dollar check showing that he is an IndyCar Series champion, he sure showed that he has what it takes to be one.  Not to mention that he is a two time Indy 500 winner.  However, in the end the better driver came out on top and that was Scott Dixon with 6 wins including this years Indy 500.  What a close to the 2008 IndyCar season.

Where is Marco Andretti?  Lately he has not been mentioned during the race broadcast.  One would think with George Lucas jumping on board at Sonoma and Andretti Green Racing placing the Star Wars Clone Wars scheme on the #26 Dallara that their would have been more television coverage of the car.  Ever since all the altercations that happened amongst the Andretti Green team mates over the past few races.  It would seem that the AGR media spark has come down a notch.  Granted, all the media attention lately has been focused on Helio Castroneves and Scott Dixon and their recent battle for the 2008 IndyCar Series championship.  Tony Kanaan brought AGR back in the media spotlight momentarily when it was announced that he signed a five year contract extension with them.  Hideki Mutoh also clinched the Rookie of the Year I have no doubts that this championship team can regroup during the off season and come out swinging at the season opener April 5, 2009 on the streets of St. Petersburg.

IRLblog.com would like to congratulate Scott Dixon for his 2008 IndyCar Series Championship win. Equally impressive were the last to first heroics of Helio Castroneves’ victory at Chicagoland Speedway.