Victor Franzoni Tag

By Christopher DeHarde, Staff Writer In a race that is a crime against motorsports for how short it is, the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship heads to Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin for the IMSA Road Race Showcase this weekend. A two hour, 40 minute race on Sunday around the 4.048 mile road course has 35 cars that will contest the ninth race of the 2019 season with a couple of changes from the ordinary. In the DPi class, there are only 10 entries instead of the normal 11. Juncos RacingRead More

By Christopher DeHarde, Staff Writer DETROIT — The NTT IndyCar Series and IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship each race this weekend on the streets of Belle Isle in Detroit in what is the biggest showcase for General Motors on the U.S. motorsports calendar. The Chevrolet Dual in Detroit (NTT IndyCar Series) and Chevrolet Sports Car Classic (IWSC) play host to special circumstances on both series’ calendars so let’s look at the Indy car calendar first. Detroit marks the only doubleheader weekend on the calendar for the NTT IndyCar Series with 70 lapRead More

By IMSA Wire Service DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Jan. 24, 2019) – No other manufacturer has had more success at Daytona International Speedway – and the Rolex 24 At Daytona in particular – than Porsche. And when the green flag flies Saturday at 2:35 p.m. ET (live NBCSN coverage begins at 2 p.m. ET), it’ll be a Porsche leading the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship GT field to the green flag. Thanks to a record-setting run by Nick Tandy on Thursday, the manufacturer will go for a 70th Rolex 24 class winRead More

By Road to Indy PALMETTO, Fla. – The Mazda Road to Indy USF2000 $200K Scholarship Shootout will return to the Valley of the Sun as the Bondurant Racing School near Phoenix, Ariz., will again host the third annual event on December 8/9. At stake for the 20 champions of junior open-wheel series from around the globe is a $200,000 scholarship from Mazda to enter the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship in 2019 – the first step on the world-renowned driver development ladder system. This year’s field is likely to comprise driversRead More

By Road to Indy SPEEDWAY, Ind. – The Eighth Annual Chris Griffis Memorial Mazda Road to Indy Open Test concluded this afternoon after two days of intense running at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Grand Prix road course. Weather conditions once again proved to be important, with the cool overcast of Saturday replaced this morning by a glorious blue sky and significantly warmer temperatures. Lap times, accordingly, weren’t quite as quick in general, although the leaders in all three series – Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires, the Pro Mazda ChampionshipRead More

By Road to Indy SPEEDWAY, Ind. – A dramatic overnight temperature change brought significantly cooler conditions as the first green flag fell to commence the Eighth Annual Chris Griffis Memorial Mazda Road to Indy Open Test this morning at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Yet the action on-track was as hot as ever with almost three dozen drivers representing no fewer than 15 different nations vying for early bragging rights in preparation for the 2019 Road to Indy season. All three levels of the Mazda Road to Indy – Indy LightsRead More

By Road to Indy PALMETTO, Fla. – Less than three weeks after another successful season for the world-renowned Mazda Road to Indy open-wheel development ladder wrapped up in Portland, Ore., teams and drivers are already focused on 2019 as the Eighth Annual Chris Griffis Memorial Open Test takes place this coming weekend, September 22/23, at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Grand Prix road course. Almost three dozen drivers representing 15 different nationalities are already signed up for two days of action on the 2.439-mile, 14-turn track in Speedway, Ind., for allRead More

By Road to Indy PORTLAND, Ore. – Patricio O’Ward, from Monterey, Mexico, concluded a topsy-turvy day at Portland International Raceway by claiming a well-earned victory for Andretti Autosport in this afternoon’s Cooper Tires Indy Lights Grand Prix of Portland Powered by Mazda. It was enough to clinch this year’s Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tire title – and a scholarship valued at $1M to guarantee entry into three Verizon IndyCar Series races in 2019, including the Indianapolis 500 – with one race remaining. Colton Herta, from Valencia, Calif., tried hisRead More

By Christopher DeHarde, Staff Writer PORTLAND, Oregon — Friday practice has come and gone for the Verizon IndyCar Series ahead of Sunday’s Grand Prix of Portland and the time sheets saw numerous names flying up and down in unexpected places. While it’s expected to see Sebastien Bourdais near the top and he in fact led the opening session, the midfield was full of happy surprises. Santino Ferrucci was 12th fastest in the opening session in his first IndyCar race since the Chevrolet Duel in Detroit. Ahead of Ferrucci was Jack HarveyRead More

By Christopher DeHarde, Staff Writer Mazda announced today that the automaker will conclude their involvement in the Mazda Road to Indy presented by Cooper Tires at the conclusion of the 2018 season. After announcing their involvement on the Road to Indy in late 2010, Mazda has handed out over $12 million in scholarships to drivers advancing their careers in motorsports, including Spencer Pigot (twice), Josef Newgarden, Kyle Kaiser, Oliver Askew (twice) and Victor Franzoni. This announcement comes at a critical time for the Road to Indy. The top two steps onRead More