All posts by Christopher DeHarde

By Christopher DeHarde, Staff Writer The final 12 hours of endurance racing in Florida this year for the IMSA WeatherTech Sports Car Championship takes place this weekend at the Mobil 1 12 Hours of Sebring and this is the first of three class previews for the once around the clock classic. In the Prototype class, the field shrank by four entries from Daytona to Sebring. The BAR1 Multimatic/Riley, one of the United Autosports Ligiers and both Jackie Chan ORECAs will not participate at Sebring but the rest of the prototype fieldRead More

By Christopher DeHarde, Staff Writer Controversial? Yes. Risky? Yes. Intentional? No. Robert Wickens and Alexander Rossi reminded all of us what Verizon IndyCar Series drivers are made of on Sunday at the end of the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. A late race caution came out when Max Chilton stalled his car after reversing it, prompting the field to bunch up behind the pace car. The field were given word that the green flag was coming out with two laps to go and Rossi got a good start. Wickens defendedRead More

By Christopher DeHarde, Staff Writer Robert Wickens intended to impress on his Verizon IndyCar Series debut and impress the rookie did, scoring pole position and nearly winning Sunday’s Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. The 28-year-old Canadian beat Team Penske’s Will Power to the pole and led the first five laps until another rookie, Jordan King, took over after an early restart. Wickens repaid King’s favor on the next restart and led until the No. 6 Schmidt Peterson Motorsports Honda made its way to pit lane on Lap 25. The 2011Read More

By Christopher DeHarde, Staff Writer He almost became a late race hero in a daring overtaking maneuver on a restart, but Alexander Rossi instead became a hot topic of controversy during Sunday’s season-opening Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg for the Verizon IndyCar Series. Rossi, who started 12th after a penalty in the second round of qualifying threw out his two fastest laps, moved up to eighth place after the first lap of 110 around the 1.8 mile street circuit. Rossi would move past Team Penske’s Simon Pagenaud and Scott DixonRead More

By Christopher DeHarde, Staff Writer ST. PETERSBURG, Florida — Saturday has come and gone for the Verizon IndyCar Series and the Mazda Road to Indy presented by Cooper Tires on the streets of St. Petersburg and many storylines and other things have taken place that made for a full day at the track. IndyCar Robert Wickens getting pole position for Sunday’s race was massive for the Canadian. Stealing the top spot from Will Power on the final lap of the session made it all the sweeter. Wickens came from DTM, butRead More

By Christopher DeHarde, Staff Writer ST. PETERSBURG, Florida — Canada’s new hero came calling on his final timed lap as Verizon IndyCar Series rookie Robert Wickens secured pole position in his No. 6 Lucas Oil Honda for the 2018 Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. One of his biggest assists in preparation? YouTube. “I was working hard over the winter, Monday to Friday, watching IndyCar races online on YouTube, anywhere I could find them, just trying to learn,” said Wickens. “Like I think I watched like eight years of St. PeteRead More

By Christopher DeHarde, Staff Writer ST. PETERSBURG, Florida — Zach Veach is ready. After racing on all three steps of the Mazda Road to Indy presented by Cooper Tires ladder system, the Stockdale, Ohio native will begin his first full season in the Verizon IndyCar Series on Sunday’s Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. Veach has driven the track in all three MRTI championships, winning in 2014 in Indy Lights. For 2018 he’s competing for Andretti Autosport, a team he drove for in all three MRTI championships. The weekend started offRead More

By Christopher DeHarde, Staff Writer ST. PETERSBURG, Florida — It’s back to school time for the Verizon IndyCar Series and the Mazda Road to Indy presented by Cooper Tires and the streets of St. Petersburg, Fl showcases the drivers on a grand stage. Let’s take a look at random tidbits from Friday. IndyCar For the IndyCar guys, it was an interesting situation on top of the time sheets in the two practice sessions. Matheus Leist was quickest, the first year driver for A.J. Foyt Racing going around the 1.8 mile streetRead More

By Christopher DeHarde, Staff Writer ST. PETERSBURG, Florida — Oriol Servia is now entered in the Indianapolis 500. In a new partnership between Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing and IMSA WeatherTech Sports Car Championship team Scuderia Corsa, Servia will attempt to qualify the No. 64 Honda in what could be his 10th Indianapolis 500. “It is an honor to compete at the Greatest Spectacle in Racing,” said Scuderia Corsa team owner Giacomo Mattioli in a team release. “To be a part of this great racing heritage and tradition is something I alwaysRead More

By Christopher DeHarde, Staff Writer ST. PETERSBURG, Florida — 2017 Verizon IndyCar Series champion Josef Newgarden enters his second season with Team Penske with a lot less uncertainty. Gone is the uncertainty of working with a large team; he’s had a year to get used to Team Penske. Gone are the questions of whether he would adapt; he won in his third race. But with a new car, there are new variables but similar approaches ahead of Sunday’s Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. “With the new car we don’t reallyRead More