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photo: Ron McQueeney

Sure, everyone knows who Danica Patrick is. We also know that she drives for Andretti Green Racing which is considered one of the big three, team wise in the IndyCar Series. Andretti Green Racing is also the only team in the IndyCar Series that fields 4 cars full time. In 2007 they even fielded a 5^th car for Michael Andretti in the Indianapolis 500. Most of us already know this.

Most of us also know that Andretti Green Racing has a reputation that speaks for itself. With 34 wins and 22 poles in the team’s history I would think that Andretti Green Racing has a handle on things. In the 2008 season alone they led 749 laps. All of the drivers also finished the end of the season in the top ten in points.

Danica Patrick is one of the drivers that make Andretti Green Racing the team that it is. She is without a doubt one of the most recognized female sports figures in the world. What many people don’t realize is that the driver is not the only one responsible for the team’s success. Behind every successful driver we have a strong crew and the crew of the #7 Motorola sponsored car is no exception to this.

When we as fans arrive on race weekend we see and recognize the work put in by the drivers, team owners, and even the engineers. What we do not realize is the work put in by the Chief mechanics and the mechanics that work for them. Their race weekend starts before everyone else’s race weekend begins. Read the rest of this entry →

photo: Shawn Payne

This was definitely a crazy weekend at Kansas Speedway.  The Camping World Truck Series, Firestone Indy Lights and the IndyCar Series all took to the track over the past three days.  Saturday night the track fell victim to  tornadoes.  Nobody was said to be injured but some small structures were damaged. 

The IndyCar Series Kansas Road Runner Turbo Indy 300 went the distance today despite the threat of rain all afternoon.  At first race control was concerned about the race making it to at least lap 101 where it would have been official.  With the threat of rain immenent, different strategies were tossed around in pit lane. 

Strategies did pay off for the big 3.  Andretti Green Racing, Target Chip Ganassi racing, and Penske Racing all had at least one car that finished in the top 5.  Dario Franchitti was one of a few drivers that had on track incidents that ended their race day early.  Dario locked up the brakes behind Graham Rahal on lap 153 as they were both dropping to the low side of the track to enter pit lane.  Dario went up the banking into the wall to avoid Rahal.  Raphael Matos had a rear end wiggle from dirty air that was significant enough to take him into the safer barrier towards the exit of turn 4 on lap 97. 

All of the Andretti Green cars ran well finishing in the top 10.  Kanaan finished in P3, Danica in P5, Marco in P6 and Mutoh in P8.  AGR looks to carry this momentum into the month of May. Danica qualified well in P3as well.  The team has turned it around at Long Beach and Kansas after a rough start to the season on the Streets of St. Petersburg.  Tony Kanaan is now leading the IndyCar Series championship point standings.

Helio worked his way up the field to to finish 2nd after starting in the back of the field with Franchitti due to being dis-qualified during the qualifying session on Saturday.  Helio has proved to be one of the best when it comes to improving positions.  Last year he went from last to first at Chicagoland winning the last points race of the 2008 season.

We are off to Indy!  Month of May coverage starts on Saturday May 9th at noon on Versus and Versus HD

photo: Shawn Payne

Conditions are currently notlooking good.  The IndyCar Series was able to fit qualifying.  Kansas is currently being pounded by rain and heavy winds.  The truck race has been canceled until Monday morning at 10 a.m.  I as well as everyone else hopes that the weather will clear over night so the IndyCar Series and Firestone Indy Lights can run tomorrow. 

The big story of the day has to be Newman Haas Lanigan Racing taking the front row.  Graham Rahal had the fastest qualifying speed at 211.311.  Doornbos had the 4th fastest but was bumped up to row 1 after Dario Franchitti and Helio Castroneves qualifying times were disqualified due to them dipping below the white line.  Danica who was 5th fastest at 210.470 will now start in P3. 

Wade Cunningham will start on pole tomorrow for the Firestone Indy Lights.  He had a best speed of 187.458.  Roudning out the top 5 are Sebastian Saavedra, Ana Beatriz, J.R. Hildebrand, and Pippa Mann.  Junior Strous who is the current points leader will start P17.

You an watch the IndyCar Series in the Kansas Speedway Road Runner Turbo Indy 300 tomorrow at 4 p.m. on VERSUS and VERSUS HD

photo: Chris Jones

The IndyCar Series and Firestone Indy Lights were on the streets of Long Beach this previous weekend.  The Long Beach race was not the most eventful one, being that there is not much passing room on the course.  The streets of Long Beach are very narrow yet very quick.  This was evident with the on track incidents that took place over the course of the weekend.

Will Power took the pole on Saturday after being pushed into a third Penske car after Helio Castroneves was aquitted of charges of tax evasion.  Roger Penske was more than prepared for Helio’s aquittal having brought the #12 car to Long Beach.  Verizon Wireless who wasn’t a main sponsor for Penske Racing stepped up to sponsor Will Power for the Grand Prix of Long Beach.  Will, along with the rest of his crew already had firesuits that were stitched with the Verizon branding.  This was definitely a plan B that Roger Penske had thought completely through.  The only mistake that Power’s crew (Penske’s ALMS crew) seemed to have made was forgetting to reattach a wire under the sidepod for the radio.  Power ran without a radio the whole race and was able to place second.

We had no radio and no telemetry, so I was doing it off the steering wheel and off the pit board.  I’m very happy; second is very good. I feel happy for all the guys. They put a lot of effort in. I really want to thank Roger Penske and Tim Cindric for bringing this car here for me. They’ve given me a fantastic ride and I can’t thank them enough.”

Danica Patrick turned the weekend around after starting from P22 Sunday due to an on track incident during the IndyCar qualifying session.  She finished 4th right behind teammate Tony Kanaan.

It was a much better result, obviously, for us and I’m real proud of how we all kept our heads down and made a result out of it instead of getting down.  The Motorola guys did a great job and got me out quickly.”

The talk of the weekend however had to be Helio Castroneves.  Helio was aquitted Friday and arrived in Long Beach early Saturday morning.  He was very happy to be there and almost broke down in the press conference that was held by Penske racing that day.  After going into the wall attenuator first on Saturday, there was a possibility that Helio might have had a concussion and might not be cleared to drive on Sunday.  Helio was cleared Sunday morning and started 8th He finished 7th.

Team 3G had to be happy with their performance.  Stanton Barrett started 21st and stayed out of trouble the whole race to finish P17.  This is Team 3G’s first year in the IndyCar Series and Stanton Barrett’s 2nd IndyCar Series race start.  His first time ever in an IndyCar was at the Homestead Miami Speedway test this previous February and his first time on a road course was in late March at Palm Beach International Raceway where his team elected to have a private test instead of testing with the rest of the series at Barber Motorsports Park. 

Next Sunday the IndyCar Series is off to Kansas Speedway for the Road Runner Turbo Indy 300.  You can watch the qualifying show Saturday at 6 p.m. ET and the race Sunday at 4 p.m. ET on VERSUS and VERSUS HD