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No more power steering and less elbow room is in Dario Franchitti’s future. When Franchitti left the IndyCar Series at the end of the 2007 season, most thought that he would not come back. Well, we are not even into the 2009 season yet and he is back in an IndyCar driving for the same team he drove for in the Nascar Nationwide Series, Target Chip Ganassi Racing. It might not be a points race or count towards anything other than a win for one team and driver. Surfers Paradise should be a nice refresher course for Franchitti to get reacquainted with the car along with his new crew, and should also give him an opportunity to get used to working with his new teammate and reigning Indy 500 and IndyCar Series champion, Scott Dixon. Franchitti showed that he had a difficult time transitioning into stock cars being a back marker most of the season in the Nationwide Series. The addition of Franchitti alongside Dixon will definitely make TCGR an even stronger powerhouse team in 2009.

Raphael Matos will be driving the full 2009 IndyCar Series schedule for Luczo Dragon Racing. This is a great chance for a great driver to potentially kick a great team into gear. Last years effort by this team was less than stellar. They showed promise but were plagued by mechanical failures during their 6 races in 2008. Matos has already proven that he can develop to be a potential championship contender in the IndyCar Series. Matos has been eyed by other IndyCar Series teams and the fans have definitely noticed him.  It is a shame that  Andretti Green Racing’s stable is already at 4 cars.  Matos has won championships in the Champ Car Atlantics in 2007, Star Mazda Series in 2005, and Formula Dodge in 2003. I believe it is just a matter of time before and IndyCar Series championship is added to the resume.

Legend of the silver screen, grand supporter of the IRL, philanthropist and all around great guy Paul Newman has passed away at the age of 83 after a protracted battle with cancer. Our most sincere, best wishes go out to Paul’s family and all of those at Newman Haas Lanigan Racing.

Rest in Peace, Paul. You will be missed and remembered.

Newman Haas Lanigan has some additional infomation on their home page.

http://www.newman-haas.com/

Don’t change that channel. The IndyCar Series championship season might have come to a close, but we still have one more stop on the 2008 schedule. The IndyCar Series is off to Surfers Paradise Australia on October 26, 2008. ESPN Classic will be airing the race live at 10:30 p.m. e.t. Dario Franchitti will be joining the field replacing Dan Wheldon in the #10 Target Chip Ganassi entry. It is rumored that Wheldon has already replaced Vitor Meira at Panther Racing and he will be driving the #4 in Australia. This final race to close out the season comes after a long break since the Chicagoland race. Since this race cost the teams quite a bit since it is on the other side of the globe and their are no points involved, one would think if the drivers and the teams are going to push the cars to the edge of the envelope, or if they are going to be a little more lax about it.  I know what the fans would like to see, the same intense racing they have seen all season.  This final race to close out the season comes after a long break since the Chicagoland race. We look forward to a safe, exciting race and a well deserved off season.

What is going on at Roth Racing? Marty Roth is running as fast as the majority of the field and finishing races… This isn’t the Marty Roth that we know. Most of us place him in last place when it comes to fantasy racing due to the fact he can never go the distance. It would seem that he has turned his organization around and is looking towards a better 2009 season. I don’t necessarily mean that he will be having podium finishes just yet or even top fives. If Roth can consistently finish on the lead lap in the 2009 season then that my friends will be an accomplishment for that organization. I sure hope that he can treat his drivers a little better as well. We all know what transpired with Jay Howard this season. You can look at this decision from a fan standpoint or a business standpoint. Roth lost his chief engineer David Cripps just before the start of the month of May. At Indianapolis Marty Roth chose to replace Jay Howard with John Andretti. Marty Roth reportedly said that this was due to the fact that John Andretti had more experience and that his experience was crucial due to the loss of Cripps. There were other instances where Roth wrecked his car during a morning warm up or practice session and booted Jay Howard out of his car in order to run in the race. Roth Racing continues to be a controversial team amongst fans. Hopefully, Jay Howard can find a ride this season since it’s definitely not going to be an easy task with the large list of distinguished drivers already seeking a limited number of rides..