Will Power
The lap times continued to fall at Barber Motorsports Park, but the name at the top remained the same. For the second consecutive day, Will Power topped the time chart in the No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet. The Australian recorded his best lap of 1 minute, 7.1329 seconds on his final flying lap. The lap was more than 3 seconds quicker than the 2012 pole time in the Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama at the venue by Team Penske teammate Helio Castroneves.
“Good start for the spring training,” said Power, who led all four sessions on the 2.3-mile road course. “I think we got some good stuff to come back here for the race. It’s just phenomenal how tight it is up front all the way through the field, and also just how fast these cars are around here, it’s just unbelievable.”
James Hinchcliffe, in the No. 27 GoDaddy.com Chevrolet, checked in with a best lap of 1:07.3839, while Justin Wilson challenged for the top with a lap of 1:07.4996 in the Honda-powered No. 19 Dale Coyne Racing entry. Scott Dixon was fourth in the No. 9 Target Chip Ganassi Racing car, and Takuma Sato posted the fifth-quickest time of the sunny but cool afternoon in the No. 14 ABC Supply Co. car for A.J. Foyt Racing.
The afternoon also saw Firestone Indy Lights race winner Stefan Wilson test an IZOD IndyCar Series car for the first time with Dale Coyne Racing.
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Dave Lewandowski of IndyCar.com writes:
“It’s fun at least because when I left there was still all the best there and unfortunately they were split between two series,” said Allmendinger, who won five races in Champ Car in 2004-06. “You can sit there and argue all the time, ‘OK, who’s better?’ It was a terrible argument because you couldn’t compare it.
“To have it back to one series and to have all these guys, it’s fun to watch because you have to show up with your ‘A’ game. If you don’t, it’s not like your fifth or sixth, you’re going to be 20th. That’s what makes it fun. It’s good to see the guys that I raced against and I think (there is) a good mix of both. There’s Dario (Franchitti) and Helio (Castroneves) and those types of guys that have been in the series for a long time that are still really fast. Then you have the young guys like Will (Power) and (James) Hinchcliffe and RHR (Ryan Hunter-Reay) and all these guys that were really fast as young guys that have come in and they’re stars of the series. It’s a fun series and I’m looking forward to being a part of it.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg – the IZOD IndyCar Series’ season opener March 24 — has named U.S. Army Specialist and St. Petersburg resident Charlie Lemon as the grand marshal. SPC Lemon is a double-amputee combat veteran and local ambassador for Wish for Our Heroes, a national charity focused on assisting military members faced with hardship. Susie Wheldon, wife of the late IZOD IndyCar Series driver Dan Wheldon, will wave the green flag and participate in the pre-race ceremonies.
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Quicken Loans will be an associate sponsor of the Team Penske Nos. 3 and 12 cars for the season. It also is the presenting sponsor of the Chevrolet Indy Dual in Detroit, which is part of the Chevrolet Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix on May 31-June 2. The “Duals” is the first doubleheader race weekend in IZOD IndyCar Series history. Quicken Loans was a sponsor on the Team Penske cars of Castroneves and Indianapolis 500 winner Gil de Ferran in 2003.
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Some drivers practiced standing starts, utilizing the light system set up at pit out during the first day of the Open Test at Barber. Standing starts will be used at Race 1 of the doubleheader weekends at Toronto and Houston.
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The Chevrolet and Honda engines the teams have installed for the test count toward their 10,000-mile total for the season. An unapproved engine change-out here will result in a 10-grid spot penalty for the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg.
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Thirty cars are entered in the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda opener this weekend at Sebring International Raceway.
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The staff of the “National Speed Sport News” reports:
The Indianapolis Motor Speedway and MillerCoors have extended their longstanding partnership, with expanded involvement by the brewer at the Racing Capital of the World. Miller Lite will continue as the Official Malt Beverage of the Indianapolis 500 and the Kroger Super Weekend at the Brickyard at IMS. MillerCoors also will become a “Podium Partner,” signifying IMS corporate partners of significant investment level.
“IMS has enjoyed a long, successful partnership with MillerCoors, and we’re pleased to continue that relationship for years to come,” said Jeff Belskus, Indianapolis Motor Speedway president and chief executive officer. “MillerCoors has created many innovative promotions surrounding IMS events throughout our relationship, and we’re thrilled the company is expanding its sponsorship and activation.”
Other components of the partnership extension:
•Continued sponsorship of Coors Light Carb Day, the traditional final practice for the Indianapolis 500 that kicks off the extended Race Weekend. The Coors Light Carb Day Concert features a national recording act and draws one of the largest crowds of the year to IMS.
•New presenting sponsorship of the Snake Pit. The Snake Pit, a party area inside Turn 3 at the Indianapolis 500 featuring world-class DJ’s and other festivities, will expand during May. Miller Lite also will participate in the Snake Pit Tour, which promotes the Snake Pit in bars across Indiana during April and May.
•Continued sponsorship of the Miller Lite Party Deck during the Indianapolis 500 and Super Weekend at the Brickyard (NASCAR, GRAND-AM). The Miller Lite Party Deck will open for more days and also will feature new branding.
•Increased facility signage and activation.
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Memorable Quote: “I head right for that car. By the time I get there, if that car is spinning, it will be out of my way.” …..Eddie Sachs in answer to a question about what he would do if a car was spinning in front of him.
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Alley Talk:
Everyone needs to be reminded that the DJ’s with the rap-crap stuff will be on RACE DAY, not Carb Day. Carb Day will feature Poison. They are not as bad as the bumpity bump groups.
However, it IS definitely sacrilegious to have the garbage DJ’s on that most sacred of all days.
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· Jack Arute – Master of ceremonies
· 2013 Indy car drivers, teams and owners
· Presentation of the “Lone Star Johnny Rutherford Award”
· Personal interviews and stories
· Jaw dropping media presentations
· Unique performances and highlights
· Appearances by former racers and stars
· Special limited addition souvenir for all attendees
· Exclusive memorable event (only 500 seats)
· Celebrated in the Pavilion near the famous Pagoda on the grounds of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Tickets available at http://www.indycarministry.com/
$1,000 for a table of 10 $125 for individual seats.
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TNG readers will most likely remember IndyCars with tobacco advertising on them. Names such as Viceroy, Players, Camel, Skoal, Copenhagen, Hollywood, Dutch Treat, and Winston come to mind. And, especially successful in achieving success was Marlboro, with Indy wins in 1989, 1991, 1993, 1994, 2001, 2002, 2003 and 2006. No other cigarette manufacturer came close. Most likely, this was caused by a new federal law banning cigarette advertising on television and radio starting January 2, 1971. Tobacco companies then made plans during 1970 to direct their promotional dollars to auto racing. Marlboro cigarettes, a division of the Phillip Morris Co., announced it would contribute $300,000 to USAC’s newly-organized Marlboro Championship Trail during the 1971 season. Officials said that the Marlboro sponsorship was three-pronged, with $100,000 going toward the point fund, $100,000 earmarked for event prize money, and $100,000 to be used by race organizers in promoting events in the 12-race series. The R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company also announced it was adding $100,000 to the Nascar point fund and would award the 1971 Winston Cup to the series champion.
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The following story was written by a Kyle Larson, whose grammar had to be corrected more than once:
Nolen Racing has submitted entries for the 65th Annual Pay Less Little 500 and a powerful three-car lineup will be showcased in this year’s event on Saturday, May 25. Veteran Tony Elliott will once again pilot the No. 5 Ray Skillman sprinter and he will be joined by Shane Holingsworth. The third entry will be driven by standout Jerry Coons Jr., who will attempt to make his first Pay Less Little 500.
Elliott is a 19-time starter of the Pay Less Little 500. He made his debut in 1990 and has competed in the event every year with the exception of four occasions in the 1990s. Elliott has driven to three podium finishes with his best performance of second in 2008, wheeling the Nolen Racing entry to a runner-up finish behind Shane Cottle. Other stats include eight top-10 finishes, 1,059 laps led, and completing 6,790 laps. Last year, Elliott finished in 15th position.
Lafayette, Ind., competitor Shane Hollingsworth will look to make his fifth consecutive start in the Pay Less Little 500. In his first appearance in 2009, Hollingsworth started on the outside of the front row. He scored a career best third-place finish in 2011.
Jerry Coons Jr. has an impressive midget and sprint car background that includes one of five drivers to win the USAC Triple Crown with national championships in Silver Crown, Sprint Cars and Midgets. Coons also won his second consecutive USAC National Midget Championship in 2007 and was named “Driver of the Year.” He will be piloting the No. 3 Nolen Racing entry with sponsorship from Eastern Cross Tech.
Nolen Racing is the second team to file a three entries in this year Pay Less Little 500. Team Green Racing will be towing three cars to Anderson Speedway for drivers Brian Gingras, Garrett Green and Matthew Hall.