All posts by Frank Santoroski

By Frank Santoroski, Staff Writer Round four for the Verizon IndyCar Series is now in the books, with Team Penske’s Simon Pagenaud taking his second consecutive win on the season. Allow me to share some of my observations from the weekend. 1 ) Frenchy Can Drive Yes, I know that some racing purists hate this movie, but Talladega Nights  ranks as one of my guilty pleasures, and I have probably watched this film a dozen times. Comparisons between Simon Pagenaud and the Jean Girard character have been abundant since PagenaudRead More

By Frank Santoroski, Staff Writer Just a week after signing a number of license agreements and a memorandum of understanding with several agencies within the political machine that is the City of Boston, the organizers of the Grand Prix of Boston had yet another stumbling block thrown in front of them. This time, it is the five-person Conservation Commission that has come out of the woodwork to require an additional permit for the Grand Prix to go forward. Recent maps from FEMA, that went into effect last month, have putRead More

By Frank Santoroski, Staff Writer With the uncertainly surrounding the domed skid issue for Indianapolis, team-owner Sam Schmidt stated publicly that getting a veteran driver in his car may be the best course of action. Although names like Brian Vickers and Gabby Chaves were rumored, Schmidt ultimately went with experience, confirming 41 year-old Oriol Servia for his third car at the historic 100th running of the Indianapolis 500. Servia has 198 starts between CART, ChampCar and the IndyCar Series, including seven previous Indianapolis starts. The effort with Schmidt-Peterson will beRead More

By Frank Santoroski, Staff Writer As the Indianapolis Motor Speedway is making preparations for the historic 100th running of the Greatest Spectacle in Racing, it is a wonderful time to take a trip down memory lane and examine the rich history of this uniquely American event. Each of the 99 previous races has produced a winner that will forever have his name etched in motor racing history. 67 race winning drivers, and two relief drivers have their images on the Borg-Warner Trophy. There are, however, an untold number of heartbreakingRead More

By Frank Santoroski, Staff Writer This coming weekend the Verizon IndyCar Series will return to the Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, AL, as they continue their 2016 season. The race weekend is slated for April 22-24, 2016. About the Race The Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama is round four of sixteen for the Verizon IndyCar Series in 2016. The event is held on a permanent road course, the first of five such races on the calendar. The defending race winner is Ed Carpenter Racing’s Josef Newgarden. The young driverRead More

By Frank Santoroski, Staff Writer The 42nd annual Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach for the Verizon IndyCar Series is now in the books. Team Penske’s Simon Pagenaud took the win, followed closely by Target Chip Ganassi driver Scott Dixon. He are five takeaways from the latest edition of one of IndyCar’s crown-jewel events. 1 ) Simon sez After a decidedly lackluster first season with Team Penske, that left him 11th in the final standings, Simon Pagenaud is off to a ferocious start in 2016. His two second-place finishes, combinedRead More

By Frank Santoroski, Staff Writer The Verizon IndyCar Series held its final practice before qualifications for the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach. Team Penske, with their four-car juggernaut, swept the top of the charts led by 2014 Series Champion, Will Power.  Power’s Penske teammates, Simon Pagenaud, Helio Castroneves and Juan Pablo Montoya took positions two through four, respectively. With a lap 1:06.89, pacing the circuit at 105.918 mph, the Australian driver topped the time charts in the morning session, completing pre-qualifying efforts that saw Penske cars lead both theRead More

By Frank Santoroski, Staff Writer For the 42nd consecutive year, the streets of Long Beach have come alive with the sounds of high-powered race cars screaming through the city streets, as the drivers of the Verizon IndyCar Series held their first practice for Sunday’s Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach. At the end of the session, we saw a familiar sight: Penske-Chevrolet cars taking the top two spots. Juan Pablo Montoya, who took his first career CART race win at Long Beach some seventeen years ago, led the session withRead More

By Frank Santoroski, Staff Writer Hulman & Co., the parent of IndyCar and Indianapolis Motor Speedway, have announced a mulityear partnership with MillerCoors, the second-largest brewer in the United States. The sponsorship arrangement will see the brewer named as the Official Beer and Cider of the Verizon Indycar Series.  Coors Light will serve as the lead brand of the IndyCar partnership. However, other MillerCoors products will be integrated into the program, most notably, Henry’s Hard Soda, whose logo will adorn the Penske car of Juan Pablo Montoya at Indianapolis inRead More

By Frank Santoroski, Staff Writer This coming weekend the Verizon IndyCar Series will return to the streets of Long Beach, as they continue their 2016 season. The race weekend is slated for April 15-17, 2016. About the Race The 42nd Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach is round three of sixteen for the Verizon IndyCar Series in 2016. The event is held on a temporary street circuit, one of six such races on the calendar. The defending race winner is Target Chip Ganassi Racing’s Scott Dixon. The New Zealand-born driverRead More