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100th Countdown - A British 500 - Part 10

26/9/2016

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To celebrate the 100th running of the Indianapolis 500 this year, we will profile all the British, and British born drivers who have taken on the speedway since 1911, looking at their time at IMS, results and in some cases interviews with some of the drivers. In our final part, we look back at the careers of three drivers whose names have become synonymous with British success at the Indianapolis 500 with six combined victories.

Jim Clark

When you look back at the career of Jim Clark, it is apparent that he was one of the best, not just Formula One, not just at Indy, everything he turned his hand, and wheel too. ​​Victorious in 1965 but that was not the whole story.
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A champion in 1965, Clark was dominant all race long (Indycar Media)
The British invasion did not only come in the form of the Beatles, but on the track too in the form a team, Lotus, with a new way of thinking to run at Indianapolis, a rear engine car, and some drivers who would go down in history, messes Clark, Hill and Stewart.

Jim Clark was a runner up in his debut year behind Parnelli Jones in 1963. Engineers and competitors remarked at the time that no matter what the equipment Clark had, he looked, and drove perfectly. Clark took pole position in 1964 with a then record speed of 158.828 mph, before retiring with broken suspension placing 24th.

But 1965 was his year, starting in second, Clark would put in one of the most dominating performances seen in history at the Speedway with his Lotus leading 190 of 200 laps, and a winners purse of over $166,000. The story of the race is told below.
Another front row start in '66 resulted in a runners up place behind Graham Hill (along some may dispute this with timing as the scoring maybe being 'mis-aligned'). In his first four 500 races, Clark would lead laps in everyone. His final 500 race would be in 1967, his worst qualifying saw him start down in 16th place and matched with his worst finish of 31st, retiring with a broken piston on lap 35. In 1968 Jim Clark was scheduled to run the Pratt & Whitney Turbine 'Wedge' in a Lotus before he tragically lost his life at Hockenhiem the month prior. 

At Indianapolis this May, I had the chance to talk with Dario Franchitti about Jim Clark and what made him so special.
​When the home grown legends of Indianapolis look back at his time on track, what he achieved and say he was one of the best, he truly was.

Dan Wheldon​​​​

Twice a victor, twice a runner up with two further top fives, Dan Wheldon just clicked with the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. ​
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The 2005 victory lead to new 'features', but still the same smile (D.Wheldon)
He made his first start in 2003 starting in an impressive fifth before a solo crash in turn four, flipping his car in the process. 2004 started in the middle of the front row and claimed a podium finish in third. By the time the following season came round, Dan had a brilliant start to the season with three victories in the opening four races, so would enter Indy in a confident mood, he qualified down in 16th, but we will let this video tell the rest of the story...
After winning the championship that year with Andretti, a switch of teams to Ganassi came in 2006 and the success continued with another high finish in fourth, followed by a retirement in 2007 after being involved in the crash that took out Marco Andretti and Buddy Rice on lap 162. Dan qualified well again in 2008 in the middle of the front row for a final run with Ganassi and a twelve place finish was the result.

Wheldon moved teams to Panther which returned with a pair of eighteenth place qualifying efforts and a pair of runner up results missing out to Castroneves in 2009 and Franchitti in 2010, in a run of four runner up finishes in a row for the team, Panther.

​Out of a drive in 2011 Wheldon announced that he would be entering the Indy 500 as a one off entry with former team mate Bryan Herta (Autosport) who were at the time an established Indy Lights team with aspirations to move into Indycar full time. Starting the race in  sixth, people were respectful of his efforts, but not expectant. The race was dominated for the most part by Dixon and Franchitti but a late yellow and a change to the fuel strategy left teams trying to eek out every last drop of fuel, various drivers led but had to give up the lead, Bertrand Baguette led, but pitted, the rest they say is history...
Dan Wheldon only led one lap, well, maybe the last hundred feet, but it gave him his second Indianapolis 500 victory, becoming the 18th driver to win two or more. Sadly, Dan would not return to the grounds that he loved, he passed away after a multiple car crash on the 16th October at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The new Indycar introduced for the 2012 season, built by Dallara, and tested by Wheldon during 2011 would be named the DW-12 ensuring his legacy would live on.  
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In one of the most remarkable endings to a 500, Wheldon won for BHA (C.Helrigel)
​His record at Indianapolis was remarkable, twice a winner, and runner up with a third and fourth to add, shows he really was at one with the Speedway, but what else was it about the man himself that made him such a great racer, and a person, in May I spoke with his team mate and friend Dario Franchitti.
​What was Dan like away from the track, the brother, the family man, I had the chance to speak with Holly Wheldon about Dan at Sonoma, reflecting on him as a racer and as a brother.
Five years on from his passing, he is still revered, remembered, and talked about around the paddock and grandstands, the mark of a true champion and gentleman.

Dario Franchitti

Only three men have four Indy 500 victories to their name, Dario Franchitti retired in 2013 with three.

Starting his motorsport career in Europe, karting, Formula Vauxhall, then Lotus before F3, but that was to be the end of the single-seaters, for a couple years at least, a move to the German Touring Car series with Mercedes followed for the 1996/7 seasons.

During this time Franchitti had the chance to test for Hogan Racing in CART, an option he took up full time in 1998. A switch to Team Green followed in 1999 winning his first race at Road America. Nine further victories followed including his first on an oval came at Rockingham in 2002 before joining the movement that saw a number of the teams and drivers moving to the IRL. This gave Dario his chance to compete at Indy in 2002 as part of an effort with Team Green, it was a tough debut, qualifying 28th, finishing three laps down in 19th. Sitting out 2003 due to injuries sustained in a motorbike accident. He returned in 2004 with Andretti-Green starting on the front row, finishing in 14th. Two top ten finishes would be scored in the next two years before he finally took home a victory, under tricky conditions.

​Dario took the lead for the first time on lap 74, giving up the lead on 89 when pitting. The race was red flagged due to rain on lap 113, the restart came just after 6pm. On lap 151, Marty Roth crashed, some pitted, some stayed out, including Franchitti. Two further incidents caused yellow flags, during the final caution, before all the cars could be cleared, a deluge from the sky fell and on lap 166 the chequered flag fell and Franchitti notched up number one. To date, this was the last Indy 500 to not reach the full 200 lap race distance.
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Soaked in success in 2007 (S.Payne)
Missing 2008 due to competing in NASCAR, Dario returned in 2009 with Ganassi, replacing Dan Wheldon in the #10. a front row start resulted in a seventh place finish despite leading 50 laps.

​Victory number two came in 2010. Qualifying again on the front row, for the fourth time in third, taking the lead by the time the yellow flag came out for Davey Hamilton who crashed out on the back straight. Franchitti would be a dominant force throughout the race, with only pit stops and the odd over take allowing another driver to lead the race (he would lead 155 laps). After a spell in the mid pack after a late race caution and subsequent pit stop, Dario would take the lead back on lap 192 and lead all the way despite some serious fuel saving to the chequered flag ahead of a hard charging Dan Wheldon. The race ended under yellow due to a crash involving Mike Conway and Ryan Hunter-Reay on their penultimate lap.

2011 saw Franchitti in a prime position to claim a front row start, but he ran out of fuel on the final lap of his qualifying run and had to settle for ninth. The race itself would see Franchitti take the lead though various segments in the middle of the race, leading 51 laps in total. Dario was in contention for a win until late on when fuel conservation saw him drop back from the leaders and eventually pitting for fuel leaving him in twelfth place.

A new car for 2012 and a new number, 50, to celebrate the fiftieth year of main sponsor Target opening for business in the US. Qualifying in 16th place, Dario would work his way through the field, eventually taking the lead for the first time on lap 153, trading places with team mate Scott Dixon before Tony Kanaan entered the fray in the closing laps, as did a Japanese driver...
A final time at Indianapolis came in 2013, again qualified in the mid pack, and was running in the top ten at the time of what would be the final restart on lap 197, would hit the wall in turn one.

Back in May I spoke with Dario about his time at Indianapolis, his victories, life after and what Indy means to him.
Donald Davidson tells the story of Dario sitting on the yard of bricks at Indianapolis in 2007 after the victory banquet, in the dark, to take in the the atmosphere of the empty track, as it could have been his last time at the Indianapolis 500. It could well have been had the NASCAR switch worked out, thankfully though, he came back.

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Wheldon and Franchitti embrace in 2010 (Chris Jones)
Previous Chapters in our feature of 'A British 500'
​

Part One - Hughes, Hill & Taylor
Part Two - Eldridge, Crawford & Jakes
​Part Three - Duff, Wilson & Conway
Part Four - Moss, Ward & Legge
Part Five - Jenkins, Mansell & Lloyd 
Bump Day Special - Ten Drivers who Tried to Qualify
​Part Six - Resta, Stewart & Hawksworth
Part Seven - van Raalte, Banks & Plowman
Part Eight - Zborowski, Robson, Manning & Mann
​Part Nine - W Douglas Hawks, David Hobbs & Jay Howard
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A British 500

25/9/2016

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Thank you to everyone who has read our feature leading up to the 100th Running of the Indianapolis 500 profiling all the drivers who were either born or represented Great Britain at the race, you can find them all below, in a slightly easier fashion to find a particular driver.

- Part One 
Hughie Hughes, Graham Hill & Mark Taylor
- Part Two
Ernest Eldridge, Jim Crawford & James Jakes
- Part Three 
John Duff, Justin Wilson & Mike Conway
- Part Four 
Alfred Moss, Jeff Ward & Katherine Legge
​- Part Five
Johnny Jenkins, Nigel Mansell & Alex Lloyd 
- Qualifying Weekend Special - Bump Day 
All the drivers who attempted, but did not make the 500
- Part Six 
Dario Resta, Sir Jackie Stewart & Jack Hawksworth
- Part Seven  
Noel van Raalte, Henry Banks & Martin Plowman 
- Part Eight 
Count Louis Zbrowoski, George Robson, Darren Manning & Pippa Mann
- Part Nine 
W Douglas Hawkes, David Hobbs and Jay Howard
- Part Ten 
Jim Clark, Dan Wheldon and Dario Franchitti
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Jake Parsons 

23/9/2016

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Australian Jake Parsons joined the prestigious Mazda Road to Indy Ladder system this year, contesting his rookie Pro Mazda Championship season with Juncos.
Here he talks to us about not always taking the expected route in life, moving to the US, his dreams of Indycar and much more… including a very unusual house guest! ​

Firstly congrats on completing your first US racing season…. 

Thanks. It’s been a really interesting year, and I’ve learned such a lot on so many levels. We’ve had an up and down season but I’ve had some cool results and shown a lot of speed at tracks I’d never driven before. I’ve certainly gained a lot of experience I can take forwards now and I’m really excited about the future.

So how did you first get in to racing? 

My uncle was a go-kart racer and did some rally racing too. It was all just fun stuff for him though, never in a professional series or anything, but he’d go round to events like the Targa Tasmania. I’d go to his place and he’d have a go-kart or rally car there and it would really capture my imagination. I used to watch him racing karts, when I was like three years old and I would think, “I can do that kind of stuff one day.” My Grandpa and I would watch him racing at the local track in Melbourne, and it was a real eye opener to what I could do myself in the future. Obviously my Dad has been in to cars too, and he did some club events like time attack. My uncle is on my Mum’s side, so I got the input of cars and racing from both sides! Dad has always been supportive about making this happen and helped me get started; he’s really played a big part in my career. It’s been really good from a family point or view and great to have that influence. I’d say I was brought up in a way that racing was sort of inevitable!

When was your first race and how old were you?

My first ever race was in go-karts in December 2003, when I was eight years old. I remember it all too well… It was a heat and when I saw the last lap board I thought, “Ah sweet, that’s the end”. So I drove past it and came straight into the pits, thinking the race was finished! I was so gutted. That was a lesson hard learned – definitely know what the flags mean and read the rule book before you start doing something! Fortunately in the final I finished second, so I got a trophy and had such a fun day. I’ve still got that trophy back home in Australia. It was cool, really cool.

You obviously had a different route into motor racing than most European or US drivers, going via Asia. What was the exact route you took? How did you progress from go-karts to cars? 

I had my first brief taste of driving a racing car at Phillip Island in 2010. Then through high school I did some testing in Skip Barber and some F1600 in the US. As I was finishing my last year, I did a state Formula Ford championship. It was crazy trying to balance school and racing at the same time, but as soon as high school finished the doors opened to give my racing 100%. We looked at what was going to be the best option for me, to learn and grow as a driver and move forwards, not just blindly following what everyone else was doing.  We looked at what we wanted to achieve, and saw the opportunities in places like Asia which no-one around us was really looking at. It was such a great opportunity going over to race Formula BMW on Sepang, the Malaysian F1 circuit. I won that championship and got to sample some Formula Masters China events too, winning in each race weekend I did that year. It was about stepping in to full time racing, with the AsiaCup followed by FMCS and it opened so many doors for me. I’ve tested F3 and GP2 and driven Audi R8 and Lamborghini GT races. It just led in to so much.

This year we felt it was the right time to move into the US racing scene. I guess a lot of people go to USF2000 to begin the ladder system, for me though it was better to do the initial start that I had. It was a really strong springboard and I could go straight into Pro Mazda. It’s been a really cool journey, and it’s been awesome to have these experiences through the years, growing as a person as well as a driver.

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What did you make of the tracks, series and competition in general over in Asia? 

When you look at things like Super Formula, the high end of the Asian racing is as good as anywhere else in the world. There are a lot of steps you can take to get there through F3, Masters, and Formula BMW. So it’s different. I wouldn’t say it’s better or worse, I just think it’s different. We made it work for us, which has been really good and cost effective as well, over places like Europe. I would say the competition brings quite a diverse array of drivers too. Last year we had an Estonian, Belgians, some British guys came in, as well as some Japanese and Chinese… it was a massive mix of people. You get a deep level of quality through the field; many drivers are going on to be successful in other things too. So you get tested against some really tough drivers, and it’s exactly what you need to be improving in all areas of race craft.
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Obviously you took the step to come to America this year, was that an easy decision to make? Was it the natural progression to come to Pro Mazda? 

I think it was quite an easy decision; we’d looked at the Road to Indy for quite a while just because of what it was – a very reliable system that pays you in opportunities to move up the ladder. It’s very well connected to the top level and there’s a definite progression to it. So at this stage in my career we wanted to just slot in to where we needed to be in that ladder. Indycar is the goal at the moment, but I’m still open to wherever this leads, Formula E, WEC, things like that..... This system opens up so many different avenues for me. So it wasn’t really a tricky decision to make because we knew how viable it was for where I am in my career. We’re still keeping our feet in Asia too, as I have a lot history/pedigree there now. I regularly go out to catch up with teams again and keep up with things over there. It pays to keep in touch with people for future opportunities that may present themselves. 

Was it an easy transition coming to the US?

I found it pretty comfortable to move out to the US actually. I think having spent time in Asia where the culture is so different from my own it almost felt like I was going home when I went to America. I go to Japan every year as I love the country and the culture so much, but it’s so different and takes effort to be able to adapt and speak to people. So going back into an English speaking country where the culture is similar you feel pretty comfortable. I kind of just feel like a citizen of the US now.  I’ve been in the cities of China, and Taiwan and I’ve just got a real taste for how diverse different cultures can be. It’s cool to have had that experience as part of the job I do. One of the best parts of being a driver is that I get to race but I also get to experience the world too.
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How do the Pro Mazda cars compare to what you’ve driven in the past? 

The Pro Mazda car is really interesting to drive actually, as it’s so different from the other cars I’ve driven. Every car has its own style, its own raw finesse and things it does and doesn’t like. What I’ve driven in the past, from Formula Ford through BMW into the Masters car, they’ve been quite a smooth transition, in a way that it was a very natural progression. In the Pro Mazda car, the wheel base is quite a bit shorter, making it more oversteery and sensitive on the entry to corners. You have to understand that balance and adjust yourself a little bit to make the most of it, so it was a bigger adjustment from the other cars. I’d say about 80% was similar; it was just that last bit. The tyres make a big difference too, we’re really conscious to manage the tyres. It’s a good skill going forward to the future though, as you learn to manage what you have, to feel what works and then you can capitalise on that.

What about the tracks? What’s your favourite of the ones you’ve raced on this year in the US? 

There are some really good tracks here in the US, and they’re different to what I have encountered. Being in Asia we did a lot of the F1 circuits, like Shanghai, Malaysia that kind of thing.  The format of those tracks is very big, open and fast, and I really like those. In the US we have a lot more tight, winding tracks like Barber and Mid-Ohio, which I’m also having a lot of fun on. I think they’re some of my favourite tracks. Road America is probably more like the fast, open circuits I’m used to though. We were super quick there. I love Laguna Seca too of course; you can’t help but grin going through the corkscrew! I’ve enjoyed them all really, especially the diversity that we get out here with street courses, ovals and road circuits.

What’s been your highlight of the season? ​
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​I think my first podium at Indianapolis was a big highlight and will be a good memory for my lifetime. It’s such an iconic track. I’ve raced it in video games since I was really young, so driving it for real was cool enough, but to get my first podium in the US there was great. It looks pretty cool on my CV too! The oval race [at Lucas Oils Raceway], looking back, was awesome. I was so happy with how fast we were there and how well I dialled into the track.

You’ve already mentioned that you’re on the ladder system and you’re looking forward to progressing to Indycar eventually, so Indy Lights would be your goal for next year? 

Yeah, our focus is to move into Indy Lights next year. I think we’re on a great level now, having had a taste of these tracks, and having had some successful results at them. It’s a good base to move into Lights; with that experience, I think we’re in a good position to progress along as a driver. I think it’ll be the perfect platform for stepping up into Indycar in the future too.

Who were your role models, in general and in racing?

I guess in general I’ve had Skrillex as an inspiration. He’s been a role model over the last few years. I like his views on life, like appreciating everything you’ve got and doing it your own way. Being comfortable with being unique in how you do things and going for what you want to do, without doubting things, or being worried about failing. It’s good to just give it all you’ve got. I get a great appreciation from how he does his profession, being a music producer, he gets to travel around and experience a lot of different cultures – and I can do a similar thing with racing. It’s about appreciating that opportunity to be able to see the world. I went into Asia when it wasn’t really a common route to take but it was working for us and Skrillex did similar things with his music. He went away from the norm, like we did at the time too
With drivers, I’ve always admired Gilles Villeneuve and I actually used to race with the number 27 because of that. There isn’t a specific Australian driver I have followed, though it’s really cool what Matt Brabham has been doing. With current drivers I probably see Stoffel Van Doorne as a role model. He’s doing a lot of cool things. He’s a young guy going down the F1 path, but he’s also racing Super Formula in Japan. It’s cool that he’s doing so well at both. That’s an inspirational thing to see as a young driver trying to make it up the ladder. I don’t usually get ‘fan boy’ about people, but I really admire what he’s doing, you know, learning what he needs to in the Super Formula to be ready for F1. He’s not doing the usual path, doing it his own way and making it work, which I admire. It’s cool for me to see the result of doing things differently, like we are/have.

​
You were at your first Indy 500 this year, what did you make of that?
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​Yeah we got to see the 100th running of the Indy 500 which was probably the best way to get an intro into what it’s all about. It was really cool as we hung out a lot of the time with Pirtek Team Murray, who were running Matt Brabham. Having that connection with Brett Murray the team owner we got to be really closely linked to it all. We watched qualifying from the pit lane. The event was on a massive scale and it was just cool to be part of that. So many people there for one thing, to see the race and be part of the event. It was a really inspiring thing to see as a driver. That’s what I’m aiming for, and I can kind of taste it now. It feels like it’s in reach, which is great.

How have you found living in Indianapolis?

I’ve really loved it actually. It’s been cool moving out of home too. It’s not just been moving to another country, but also my first time living by myself full time. It’s been a lot of fun and I’ve been really self motivated the whole year which is great. You know training every day in PitFit and working on promotional stuff. I can enjoy all the cool stuff I like doing too, rather than having to stay focused through a school test. I couldn’t wait to get out of school, but that was because I wanted to fully focus on what I’m doing right now.

Do you have any recommendations for things to do and places to go in Indy?

There are some pretty cool areas here. The canal area is probably one of my favourite parts of Indianapolis. It’s near down town but has really nice walk ways through the city and restaurants etc. It’s close to the zoo and you can have a lot fun on Segway’s down there too! There’s a really cool vibe down there. I would definitely choose to live in that area.

One last thing I have to ask about...... The chameleon! 
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Haha yeah! It’s Kyle’s (Kaiser) actually. He’s had him for a few months now. He got him when he was really little, grey baby but he grows really quickly. He took him to a kind of boarding place while he was away, when we had a lot of back to back races. When we picked him up he’s huge and got a whole bunch of colours on him now. I actually came up with his name too. We were trying to think of one for so long, then a big truck went past our car and had diesel written on the fuel cap. So I said, “What about Diesel?” which is pretty fitting for a bunch of racing guys! He’s a very cool addition to the house. We’ve got a fake tree in the living room, so he’s just one on the boys now living in there!
 
Website - www.jakeparsons.net
Facebook - Jake Parsons 
Twitter -  @_lakeParsons

All pictures from Jake Parsons Media

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Go Pro GP - Day Three

18/9/2016

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Scholarship Sunday last week at MRLS, it's Showdown Sunday today at Sonoma Raceway as Simon Pagenaud and Will Power battle it out for the Indycar title. Power won the title back in 2014, this would be Pagenaud's first. 
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A Penske Battle (indycar media)
:​So who holds the advantage? Pagenaud has a lead of 44 points after securing pole position for today's race and the basic equation to become champion is finish 5th or better, Power can not match him with that outcome. So it's fairly safe? Not at all, Indycar, well motorsport in general can throw you some curveballs, 'like some %&8!£$ taking you out' as Power quipped on the media luncheon on Thursday afternoon. The turn one-two combination has a habit of causing some chaos on the first lap so a clean start for both is essential, especially for Power starting back in fourth.

​Today's on track action starts with a 30 minute warm up at 11:30 /  19:30 live on Race Control and the race from 15:30 / 23:30 live on BT Sport ESPN. Clear blue skies, busy paddock, teams are prepping for the warm up, speaking of warm, the temperature could hit the early 90's / low 30's (depending on what you use) during the race.
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Final warm up concludes and fastest was Josef Newgarden ahead of Scott Dixon, who won here last year, Sato, Kimball and Rossi rounded out the top five, championship contenders Simon Pagenaud was 18th, Power was 21st. Due to the rough abrasive nature of the track, tyre strategy will be key, when to use up the red alternate and then manage the black primary. 
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Go Pro GP - Day Two

17/9/2016

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Day two, coming up a practice session this morning followed by qualifying later this afternoon. First up two press conferences, firstly James Hinchcliffe briefly talking about his race weekend and then it switches to that dancing show he's on. hilarity ensues, audio posted later because who doesn't want to listen to James!

The second is with Roger Penske, Simon Pagenaud and John Menard for a sponsorship announcement. In essence the bright, very bright Menards car will be on track for 10 of the 17 races in 2017 (the others will be HPE). The circular from Penske / Menards is the best release i have seen all season.
The practice session resulted an impressive showing for the Andretti Honda team, occupying four of the top seven places with Marco fastest. The session was halted twice for incidents involving firstly Josef Newgarden who ran off the track at the top of turn two gently caressing the tyre barrier. The second was for James Hinchcliffe exiting the final turn / hairpin making contact with the outside wall, damaging the front of the car. The qualifying groups have been drawn up, and bad news for the Andretti team, all four cars are in group two, along with Dixon and Castroneves who have been quick all weekend long. Power and Pagenaud are in group one.
In the lead up to the Indianapolis 500 you may remember a feature I ran profiling all of the British drivers who raced at the 500 and those who made the attempt, well there is still one part missing which will be corrected this weekend! Thanks to Holly for taking some time out to talk about her brother, Dan and his relationship with the Indy 500, this will be posted over the weekend.

Qualifying and the dominance of the Andretti cars in final practice ended as the Penske four all progressed through to the Firestone Fast 6 along with Hunter-Reay and Graham Rahal. Castroneves set the early pace but Pagenuad jumped into pole position with his final attempt, no one else could match and Simon claims the bonus point. Power will start in fourth.
Not a great session for the Brits in the field, Jack Hawksworth will start in 17th, along side him Max Chilton in 18th. Coverage of the Go Pro GP will start at 23:30, live on BT Sport ESPN. 
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Go Pro GP - Day One

16/9/2016

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As is accustom to this daily diary posts, I begin the day before. Downtown San Francisco, lunchtime, the roads fell quiet, the sounds of police escort sirens and a roar of a pair of Chevy Indycars filled the air driving along the famous Embarcadero towards their end destination of Pier 39.
Yes, thanks for the shove and thumb entry at the wrong moment! And the following photo op, including a life sizes, well bread size replica of the Astor Cup made by the Boudin Bakery on Pier 39.
And so to today, Friday, practice sessions for the Indycar series to come, a championship battle to be settled between Simon Pagenaud and Will Power. Practice happened, practice passed, practice finished and a very strong performance from the Honda drivers occupying seven of the top ten spots for the fastest times. Still leading the way was Castroneves, followed by Andretti, Rahal, Hawksworth and Hunter-Reay. Championship contenders Pagenaud and Power were tenth and seventeenth respectively. A few shots from the paddock this morning including a new livery for Alexander Rossi.
We have been handed this hand sheet ahead of Sundays race, it won't be the last time we look at it!  ​
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A press conference with Simon Pagenaud and Will Power took place, they talked about the importance of winning a championship for Roger Penske in his 50th Despite being teammates, it will be hard with no shared data or helping each other out but both are embracing the challenge. With regards to double points, Will commented that drivers will drive just as hard as they usually do, but worried that someone might do something 'crazy' with more points on the line.

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Practice two starts, and a trip up to one of the high points of the track at turn two, again the Hondas showed well, particularly the Andretti cars,but this time the contenders for the title were P2 and P3, Power just ahead of Pagenaud. The session did not end well for Conor Daly blew an engine in spectacular fashion, and Alexander Rossi stopped on the front straight.
And that's day one, tomorrow, a practice session in the morning followed by qualifying in the afternoon, a point up for grabs, you never know how crucial that might be!
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#SoulRedFinale from Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca - Day Three

11/9/2016

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Four races, three champions to be crowned, one of whom will get the chance to compete at the 101st Indianapolis 500. Its Ed Jones v Santi Urrutia in Indy Lights. In Pro Mazda Pato O'Ward v Aaron Telitz and in USF2000, Anthony Martin has an 18 point lead over Parker Thompson.
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Again the fog delayed proceedings, and the first Pro Mazda race of the day got underway at 9:55. Telitz on pole, title rival O'Ward starts second. And they touch, O'Ward spins but recovers the car well, but picked up suspension damage after the contact. Telitz is penalised with a drive through penalty and drops to 11th, one place ahead of title rival O'Ward. Deparo takes over the lead of the race. A lap with a great pass at the corkscrew, another lap with a not so great pass at the corkscrew results in Fisher and Parsons going out, FCY, the filed bunches up but Dapero holds on for the win ahead Owen and Jamin, Burton Harris takes fourth in his debut weekend ahead of the hard charging Telitz.

Couple hours to go and despite the freedom that all there series have this weekend without Indycar being present, you can feel the tension in the paddock today. It is a day which can make or break your career, drivers who have competed in various series around the world know the importance of today, same goes with the teams, 'a bundle of nerves' was one comment when asked how are you feeling?

Timings for the remaining races are USF 2000 at 12:50, Indy Lights at 14:15 and Pro Mazda at 15:35, add 8 hours for those back in the UK. A reminder you can watch all the streaming and timing right HERE

Next up is the final race in USF2000. I'll own up, I took a cart up to the corkscrew, because, y'know you have to! So in terms of knowing what went on with no signal, pass, other than Franzoni checking out and dominating I'm done. But the views, it's a must if you come here.
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View from the Corkscrew, see a good 70% of the track from here
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Said Corksrew
With the result it means that Anthony Martin from Australia takes the USF2000 title and a scholarship to take him into Pro Mazda next season. After a break for lunch the Indy Lights finale will be on track.

The tension on the grid pre race was intense, add in a waved off start for a messy mid pack, its take two... And jones has a good start, challenged by Veach who takes the lead, drops Jones to fifth, Urrutia up to second. Race settling down, as thing stand, its tied on points, Urrutia on top with extra wins this season. Third distance and Veach extending his lead, Urrutia and Kaiser are close. Jones still back in fifth, the joker is his team mate Serralles who is in fourth. In the mid pack, Dean Stone ran wide going up the hill and lost two place, no changes up top.

Half way, no changes, Veach claims the most laps led point. Will a switch call come from TC? Heading down to the pits with a few to go... tension...

Catching up from being down in the pits, I was there for the last 5 laps, the Carlin crew were hands on their heads, was a call needed but it is a horrible one to make. Last lap, Trevor Carlin comes behind his pit stall, gets his phone out, messages someone, we make eye contact and resigned smile, shrug of the shoulders. Motor racing is a team sport, you win together, you lose together. Sam Schmit approached Trevor Carlin in Victory Lane, told him you should be ashamed, but you tell me, if the roles were reversed and Negrao had to yield, you telling me that call wouldn't be made? Ed Jones is the champion for amassing the most points over a season, and will have a chance to compete in the 101st Indy 500. Santi Urrutia is a damn fine driver, a rough diamond, but he will be in Indycar.
Post race I sat down with Trevor Carlin, team boss to talk about the race, championship and future plans in America
One final interview for the Soul Red Finale, and to USF2000 and the championship runner up Parker Thompson, I spoke with him about his year, his driver safety awareness program and also a radio project he is involved with.
That's a wrap on the Soul Red FInale weekend from Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, a memorable action packed weekend with so many stories from all three ladder series. A British perspective, Ed Jones, a champion representing Britain, (from Dubai, we'll settle on DuBrit) for Carlin Racing although not without controversy, but that aside, a great achievement for a team who only started racing in Indy Lights last season, are expanding to USF2000 in 2017, and... who knows what the future holds. 

Previous days posts with new, stories, interviews and more...
Day One 
Day Two 
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#SoulRedFinale from Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca - Day Two

10/9/2016

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Three qualifying sessions and three races for the drivers in the MRTI today. Races which will inevitably eliminate some drivers from championship contention so those who are 4-6th in the Indy lights championship will be looking for nothing short of victory today. Again the schedule for the day has been delayed by fog but this time the Californian sun burned it off pretty quickly. 

All live streaming and timing can be found HERE
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Qualifying for Pro Mazda Race 1 - Pole position for title contender Aaron Telitz, ahead of rival Pato O'Ward and Nicolas Dapero in third.

The sessions fly by here at MRLS, Indy Lights up next and pole plus the bonus point goes to Kyle Kaiser, second is Ed Jones and third Santi Urrutia. The race starts at 23:10 this evening and will be well worth watching. 

​USF2000 on track next, and Victor Franzoni takes pole, Anthony martin in second and Park Thompson in third. All three series have their first races of the weekend later today, And again tomorrow with the additional round for Pro Mazda from the cancelled event back at Iowa.
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​At the track this weekend we have current indycar drivers Max Chilton who is here with Carlin and Spencer Pigot who is the current Indy Lights champion. I Caught up with Spencer who told us about his relationship with Mazda, memories from last years race and his debut season in Indycar
A reminder the winner of the Indy Lights championship with gain a three race deal in Indycar for 2017 for three races, including the 101st Indy 500.
Max Chilton is at MRLS this weekend supporting Carlin a team he has a history with throughout his career and we had the chance to talk about his time in Indy Lights, the preparation and a reflection on his debut year in Indycar.
One driver making his debut racing in America at MRLS is Joseph Burton-Harris. Racing for World Speed Motorsports in  Pro Mazda. Born in Reading, raised in Australia with a New Zealand mother now living in the US, it's been a varied life for the nineteen year who I spoke with earlier today. By the way, he supports the right cricket team!
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An amazing last lap in Pro Mazda, a late FCY for a spinning Enders brought the field together, Telitz passed O'Ward into the hairpin at turn one, before O'Ward got the place back at turn five and held on for the victory.

Onto the main event of the day, race one in Indy Lights, this race could knock a few drivers out of contention, a waved off start resulted in a second attempt in which Urrutia dropped to fifth, Jones remained in second behind leaded Kaiser, Stoneman dropped to tenth after contact with Serralles. Lap 10 and an incident between Stoneman and DeMelo puts Dean down to 12th and further back with a drive through penalty for the incident. Fun fact, top speeds on the front straight with Indy Lights cars, 150mph. In the end no one had the pace for the hometown hero Kyle Kaiser, a second victory of the season, in second, Ed Jones who now takes back the lead of the championship with seven point advantage over Santi Urrutia, and in third, Zach Veach who has had a strong end to the season. From the British perspective, Dean Stoneman had a race to forget, double contact, and a penalty means he finished in thirteenth and out of the title hunt. After the race I caught up with Ed Jones, who finished second but retook the championship lead.
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Back in the Carlin truck I caught up with Ed and spoke with him about finishing second and retaking the the championship lead, after not too many races!
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Like magic, there is another race just going green, this time USF2000, the winner was Victor Franzoni just under thirteen seconds ahead of Parker Thompson with Anthony Martin in third place, Franzoni has an 18 point lead in the championship.

That's a wrap on day two, its title deciding Sunday tomorrow, someone will be booking their place at an attempt to run the st Indianapolis 500...

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#SoulRedFinale from Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca - Day One

9/9/2016

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Another weekend, another race track, it's the best! This weekend we see the finale in the Indy Lights, Pro Mazda and USF2000 from Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. Every championship is up for grabs and as a price, the champion receives a scholarship towards the next step in the ladder, the Indy Lights champion receives a deal for the following Indy 500 and two other races. All the live on track action can be found right HERE
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Located about 10 minutes, south east of Monterey in the rolling hills of central California. The first day is a warm, sunny affair, mid 60's and not a cloud in the sky. On track actions comes from the practice sessions for all three series plus the supporting events from Mazda and IMSA Lites.
​Driver news in Indy Lights, Sean Rayhall returns with the #2 Team Pelfry, Heamin Choi is back in the #77 SPM. And battling out for the championship we have six drivers all in contention, Urrutia, Jones, Stoneman, Serralles, Kaiser and Veach, with two races ahead of them, the title and a shot in Indycar is really up for grabs. One notable addition from a nationalistic bias, is in USF2000, Reading born Joseph Burton-Harris makes his debut with World Speed Motorsports. 

Practice One for Indy lights ended with Ed Jones on top half a second ahead of Dean Stoneman followed by the returning Sean Rayhall
​Indycar driver here this weekend include Ganassi #8 Max Chilton, formerly of the Carlin Indy Lights (and current track record holder) team and Spencer Pigot #20 Ed Carpenter Racing, winner of the Indy Lights championship in 2015.
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Practice Two for Indy Lights ended up with Dean Stoneman fastest, ahead of the ever impressive Sean Rayhall, Shelby Blackstock in third and Ed Jones in fourth. 

Tomorrow is qualifying day, as well as races all three ladder series. You can follow all the live streaming on Race Control as well as on twitter by following the hashtag #SoulRedFinale 

Today was a late arrival at the track due to Highway One being so beautiful, and long, despite the fog. I'll bring you some interviews from the players in the MRTI
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Indycar GP at the Glen - Day Three

4/9/2016

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Nothing beats an early morning drive into a circuit on race day, right? Clear blue skies, high fifties, slight chilled breeze, Ferrari cars on track, some dodgy 80's rock from a caravan, or RV, magic. The first race for Indycar at the Glen since 2010. I had the opportunity to catch up with the track president Michael Printup about the return of Indycar.

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​On track action for Indycar today starts at 10:30 (15:30) with a warm up before the green flag falls at 14:37 (19:37).
Will be fairly quiet during the race... I'm busy!

So to the race, what a race, 
And a little of the wet stuff...
After the race I caught up with Max Chilton, or Chilly on as auto correct decided that is what i wanted to say! on his top 10 finish.
And with Conor Daly on finishing a strong fourth.
That's a wrap from the track, I may get the chance to reflect more later in the week, next up is the MRTI finale at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca and then the end of the Indycar season at Sonoma.

One final note. Scott Dixon will donate his winnings from the race to the wilsonchildrensfund.com
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Class act.
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