All posts by Aaron Bearden

By Aaron Bearden, Contributing Writer The No. 19 Dale Coyne Racing (DCR) entry is “TBA” no more. The organization announced Wednesday that young stars Zachary Claman De Melo and Pietro Fittipaldi will share the the No. 19 Honda throughout the entire 17-race Verizon IndyCar Series slate, running with sponsorship support from Paysafe. “We are very pleased to have a leading global payments provider like Paysafe come on board to the exciting sport of Indy car racing as part of their North American expansion strategy,” DCR Owner Dale Coyne said in a team release.  “With ZachRead More

By Aaron Bearden, Contributing Writer Five years removed from their Indianapolis 500 victory with Tony Kanaan, Jimmy Vasser and James “Sulli” Sullivan are returning to the Verizon IndyCar Series (VICS) with Dale Coyne Racing (DCR). DCR announced at Sonoma Raceway on Monday that the organization has reached a partnership with Vasser and Sullivan for the team’s No. 18 Honda entry, driven by veteran Sebastien Bourdais. The entry will be ran under the name Dale Coyne Racing w/ Vasser-Sullivan for the 2018 VICS season. Sponsorship support will come from SealMaster, who were announced as a primary sponsor forRead More

By Aaron Bearden, Contributing Writer When most drivers think about their final race, they likely imagine rolling off into the sunset with a spirited final drive. Not Scott Pruett. He opted for the darkness at Daytona International Speedway instead. “I think last night I did all my driving,” Pruett said after his final stint in Sunday’s Rolex 24 at Daytona. “The majority of my driving was from about 8 o’clock last night to about 7 o’clock this morning, with maybe one or two out‑of‑the‑cars in between. “So I’ll remember the darkness of Daytona and certainlyRead More

By Aaron Bearden, Contributing Writer Grasser Racing Team’s (GRT) quest for a Rolex 24 at Daytona IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship GT Daytona (GTD) win began from last on the grid. In the end, it made the victory all the sweeter. The GRT No. 11 Lamborghini Huracán GT3 entry paced the final 53 laps of their 752-circuit run to claim the GTD Rolex 24 crown  – the first victory in IMSA’s longest race for the manufacturer. Just months removed from a 2017 Blancpain GT Series championship, Mike Bortolotti paced the finalRead More

By Aaron Bearden, Contributing Writer When the Verizon IndyCar Series (VICS) field takes to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway to open qualifications for the 102nd Running of the Indianapolis 500 on May 19, they’ll do so with added championship implications after an alteration to the race’s qualifying point allotment. INDYCAR issued out the 2018 VICS rulebook on Tuesday, bringing to light a host of minor changes to the series that will effect both individual races and the tour at large. One of the focal points of the changes is the Month of May,Read More

By Aaron Bearden, Contributing Writer He may not have won the second seat at Williams Martini Racing, but Robert Kubica will still be behind the wheel for the team in 2018. Williams announced Tuesday the addition of Kubica as a reserve and development driver, signaling that the Pole will participate with the team in testing sessions – including the upcoming Barcelona pre-season testing – as well as occasional practice sessions during race weekends. “I am delighted to announce that Robert will be joining Williams as our Reserve and Development DriverRead More

By Aaron Bearden, Contributing Writer With the FIA Formula One World Championship season just two months away, Williams Martini Racing has finally announced the driver that will join sophomore Lance Stroll to complete their 2018 lineup. The team announced Tuesday that Sergey Sirotkin will be their replacement for the retired Felipe Massa, noting that the 22-year-old’s performance in the FW40 as part of last year’s Abu Dhabi Pirelli tyre test impressed the organization and ultimately earned him the ride. “We have conducted a rigorous and exhaustive driver evaluation process,” ChiefRead More

By Aaron Bearden, Contributing Writer After a successful three-race debut stint in 2017, Gabby Chaves and Harding Racing are set to leap into full-time Verizon IndyCar Series competition in the upcoming season. The organization announced their intent to field Chaves full-time in the No. 88 Chevrolet on Friday, continuing a pairing that exceeded their own expectations in their first year. “After the success we had in our three races of 2017, the next logical step was to take the team to a full season.” Team Owner Mike Harding said inRead More

By Aaron Bearden, Contributing Writer With Juncos Racing intending to step up their participation in the Verizon IndyCar Series after a one-off run in the 101st Running of the Indianapolis 500 in 2017, the organization has named a second driver for the upcoming season. The team announced Friday that Rene Binder will join them and drive the No. 32 Juncos Racing entry for a four-race effort in the 2018 INDYCAR season. The Austrian driver will begin the year at St. Petersburg, Florida, with additional starts planned at Barber Motorsports Park,Read More

By Aaron Bearden, Contributing Writer Ed Carpenter Racing will turn to a United States newcomer to fill out the No. 20 Fuzzy’s Ultra Premium Vodka Chevrolet’s lineup. The organization announced Thursday that Jordan King, 23, has joined them to compete on road and street courses in the 2018 Verizon IndyCar Series schedule. The Briton will compete in 11 races for the team beginning with the season-opening race in St. Petersburg. He’ll split driving duties for the ride with team owner Ed Carpenter, who will continue to compete in the sixRead More