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By Frank Santoroski, Staff Writer Armed Forces Pole Day is behind us, and the grid is set for the historic 100th Running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by PennGrade Motor Oil. While many of the old-timers, like myself, miss the days of packed grandstands and true bump-day drama, the events of this past weekend produced a number of compelling stories. Let’s take a look at five takeaways from the on-track action. 1 ) Who’s sand-bagging now? Get your tin-foil hat ready, here’s a conspiracy theory for you. Amidst all ofRead More
By Joey Barnes, Editor-in-Chief INDIANAPOLIS – Alexander Rossi led final practice with a lap of 231.249 mph before qualifying begins for the 100th Indianapolis 500 presented by PennGrade Motor Oil. The Andretti Autosport rookie continues to impress with his overall pace during the week of preparation for the milestone event, while some of his Rookie of the Year rivals have stumbled. Just minutes into the session, Max Chilton spun and found the Turn 2 wall and will likely have to go to a backup car for qualifying on Saturday afternoon.Read More
By Josh Farmer, IndyCar Reporter. INDIANAPOLIS – NAPA Auto Parts will serve as the primary sponsor for of the #98 Andretti Autosport Honda driven by rookie Alexander Rossi for the 100th Running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by PennGrade Motor Oil. This will mark the first foray into Indy Car racing for the auto parts giant. “Andretti Autosport symbolizes the excellence NAPA AUTO PARTS has maintained for nearly 100 years,” said Tip Tollison, president of NAPA Balkamp in Indianapolis. With this being the 100th Running of the Indianapolis 500, IRead More
By Frank Santoroski, Staff Writer This coming weekend the Verizon IndyCar Series will kick off the Month of May with the 3rd running of the Angie’s List Grand Prix of Indianapolis. The race is slated for May 14, 2016. About the Race The Angie’s List Grand Prix of Indianapolis is race five of sixteen (or fifteen, pending a replacement for the Boston Grand Prix)  for the Verizon IndyCar Series in 2016. The event is held on a permanent road course, one of five such events in 2016. The defending raceRead More
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 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 Josh Farmer, IndyCar Reporter & NASCAR Contributor Juan Pablo Montoya was the quickest man in opening practice for the 42nd Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach. The Colombian logged a lap of 01:08.1290 that was just .2424s quicker than teammate Will Power. The AJ Foyt Racing cars of Jack Hawksworth and Takuma Sato both found their way into the top five with the Britton logging a lap of 1:18.4839s. Josef Newgarden split the two Foyt cars with the fourth quickest time and was followed by Sato. Practice was slowedRead More
By Adam Tate, Managing Editor IndyCar rookie and F1 reserve Alexander Rossi had his first oval experience this past weekend in IndyCar’s long awaited return to the Desert Mile at Phoenix International Raceway. In the lead up to the race, the newcomer was noticeably surprised at the transition and different skill set required for a fast, short oval. The first 10 laps I drove around an oval I was a little bit timid about it, but I enjoyed the experience. It’s a very unique set of circumstances you have to understandRead More
By Frank Santoroski, Staff Writer Andretti Autosport put the rumors to rest when they confirmed that Townsend Bell will be joining the team’s effort at the 100th Running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by PennGrade Motor Oil. Bell will be driving the No. 29 car in a fifth entry with the team that has three Indianapolis 500 wins to their credit. The Andretti team utilizes the Honda powerplant and aero package.  Sponsorship has not been announced, although the Robert Graham fashion company, a sponsor of Bell’s in the past, willRead More