Mazda Burnishes New Mazda6 Clean-Diesel Reputation

Mazda announces its participation in the 2013 Grand Am racing series in front of the media crowd gathered at the LA Auto Show during Press Days. Image Credit:Edmund Jenks (2012)

Mazda Burnishes New Mazda6 Clean-Diesel Reputation

Mazda North American Operations, in a move to further enhance its reputation as a company that builds cars that are fun to drive, announced that the new, redesigned Mazda6, Mazda's flagship mid-sized car, will be entered into the Grand Am series running on Mazda's SKYACTIV technology clean-diesel.

The 2014 Mazda6 will make its motorsports debut at the Rolex 24 endurance race on January 26-27, 2013 in Daytona Beach, Fla. The Mazda6 racecar will be powered by a Mazda SKYACTIV-D Clean Diesel engine (video) and is being developed to compete in the new GRAND-AM GX class.

This announced entrant marks the first time a diesel-powered vehicle of any type will have ever raced at the Rolex 24. Mazda will be seeking their 24th class win in the American endurance classic, having most recently won in 2008 and 2010.

John Doonan, Motorsports Director, Mazda North American Operations noted that:

“We have been eager to announce this car for months, but had to wait until the production car was revealed. The SpeedSource engineering team, working with the Mazda engineers, have been flat out for months on engine development. We’re happy to report that the engine is meeting the performance targets for both power and endurance. That means 400+ hp for over 50 hours, with an engine that includes a very long list of production Mazda parts. This is not a pure race engine; it is a production block SKYACTIV-D. We’re excited about having our newest engine powering our newest car.”

A few of the Mazda Young Guns 2013 - Kenton Koch, Elliott Skeer, Gustavo Menezes, Joey Jordan, at LA Auto Show. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2012)

The Mazda6 was one of the first models declared eligible for the GX class, along with Lotus Evora GX and Porsche Cayman. The class will help nurture emerging technologies such as alternative fuels.

When one first sees the redesigned Mazda6, one is struck at the overall upgrade to the styling, primarily with the front end grille and rear tail light configuration. The front impresses the eye with a look similar to a blending of a Mercedes and a Volvo (not bad styling company), with the rear leaving one with the feel of a high-end Lexus without the ridging jut of the tail-light ... the Mazda6 being smoothed and rounded, say sophisticated.

Strongly influenced by the TAKERI Concept, the Mazda6 makes no excuses for its style, safety and spunk – qualities usually absent in a mid-size sedan. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2012) 

The GX racing version of the Mazda6 is being developed by SpeedSource and Mazda engineers. The challenge expects to have two factory entries ready to compete at Daytona.

GX will join the Daytona Prototype and GT classes in events sanctioned by Grand-Am Road Racing in 2013, the last year before Grand-Am and the American Le Mans Series merge in a single organization that has yet to be named.

Models eligible for GX besides the Mazda6, Evora and Cayman include the Audi TT, BMW 1 Series, Chevrolet Cruze, Ford Focus sedan, Hyundai Genesis, Subaru BRZ, Scion FR-S, Nissan 370Z or Altima, and Volkswagen Eos.

The KODO "Soul of Motion" design language commands and creates every facet of the vehicle's handsome sheet metal, from its alluringly swept elongated hood and cab-forward proportions to the chiseled steel shaping its frame, the Mazda6 suggests power and elegance before the gas pedal is even floored to go. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2012)

In making its North American debut at the Los Angeles Auto Show, the highly-anticipated mid-size sedan will go on sale in January 2013 and be equipped first with a SKYACTIV-G 2.5-liter gasoline engine.  The SKYACTIV-D-equipped version will follow suit during the second half of the year, making Mazda the first Asian manufacturer to offer a modern-technology clean-diesel engine in a non-commercial vehicle. The 2014 Mazda6 also will be the first production vehicle to feature Mazda's capacitor-based brake energy regeneration system called i-ELOOP.

... notes from The EDJE


** Article first published as Mazda Burnishes New Mazda6 Clean-Diesel Reputation on Technorati **

Ford To Display Tanner Foust Signature Focus At LA Auto Show

The new TF logo-ed very high-powered Foust signature Ford Focus at the Irwindale Event Center (SEMA Video HERE). Image Credit: Doug Stokes (2012)

Ford To Display Tanner Foust Signature Focus At LA Auto Show

Multi-discipline race driver, movie stuntman, TV star, and now car designer, Tanner Foust, visited the Irwindale Event Center on Sunday to "break in" a (very) special, limited-edition Focus that not only looked like something Foust would be driving on the streets, but that had his name and his distinctive TF logo emblazoned all over it.

Close up of the "TF" logo-ed racing stripe on the new signature Ford Focus. Image Credit: Doug Stokes (2012)

The car was just "off the boat"(actually it had come over to LA by truck) from an award-winning turn as one of the stars of the recent SEMA Show in Las Vegas. The four door hatchback had barely 50 miles on the clock, and, although Foust had been behind the wheel for a whole bunch of publicity shots at SEMA ... He had not yet driven the sexy-bad prototype.

That's where an off-day on the vast, empty East parking lot at IEC came in handy. At 'Vegas the car was never even fired up, or let alone driven, so there was some interest in breaking it in and getting a bit of actual seat time before it was to be on display at the LA Auto Show scheduled to open to the press on Wednesday, the 28th.

As one might expect, the car ran flawlessly. There were no formal specs officially available at the IEC shakedown runs.  But, we can indicate that this special Foust-signature model was "loaded" with cool features, and that the horsepower rating for this very special edition turbo-charged 6-speed Focus ST model was (and we quote:) "Oh ... somewhere around 300."

Close up of the "TF" logo-ed rocker panel racing stripe on the side of the new signature Ford Focus. Image Credit: Doug Stokes (2012)

Foust's willing co-conspirator in the custom body, trick semi-gloss silvery paint, and cool interior work was none other than Mike Spagnola, chief instigator and grand major-domo of Street Scene Equipment the well-known southern California custom body parts manufacturer. The basic look here is best explained as "stylistically belligerent". Subtlety is sure not the strong suite here. They WILL see you coming in this one (and a millisecond later they'll see you going).

All of the (by now) frothing at the bit Focus fans will have to wait for the magazine articles and web reviews to get all of the specs as well as to find out the information on where to buy one of these way cool little Ford supercars designed (and now test-driven at Irwindale) by Foust, who admitted to being much more familiar with the race track than the parking lot, having tested many cars for TV and raced successfully there numerous times in pro Drifting and Rallycross events there over the past years.

See the Tanner Foust signature Ford Focus on display at the LA Auto Show which opens on November 30th, 2012 and runs through December 9th, 2012.
(ht: Irwindale Event Center)

... notes from The EDJE 


** Article first published as Ford To Display Tanner Foust Signature Focus At LA Auto Show on Technorati **

Another of the really Great Guys is gone.

Editor's Note. Just before the NHRA Nationals in Las Vegas we lost our good friend Jon Knapp, our prayers go out to his family and friends. I will miss you Jon. And now I find out my good friend Dick Dixon has passed away. Dick and I had many things left to do together, and now they just won't get done. Dicken Wear.

Below is the story by Jef White. (Thanks Jef).

By: Jef White

Saturday, November 17, 2012

Our hearts are heavy.

Dick Dixon—a racer, professor, columnist, industry advocate, mentor, enthusiast, colleague and friend to all of us at Performance Business—died overnight on Friday, Nov. 16.

Many, many people in the aftermarket will remember him as a performance junkie and industry torchbearer with an indomitable spirit and a heart of gold. Quick with a smile and a wink, he was the guy at the trade show that everyone knew—a bundle of positive energy that projected optimism, fun and a can-do attitude.

Spend even a little time with him and it was easy to pinpoint the true passions in his life. His wife Judi. Racing. Teaching. His friends. His students. Indianapolis and theIndy 500. Anybody and everybody working to make the performance aftermarket a better place.

He came on board as a writer not too long after we started publishing the magazine in 2003. In a stroke of genius, he and former editor Kristian Wieber dubbed his column The Professor Files—a perfect name for his monthly lessons on business management, leadership and the basics of surviving and thriving in a competitive environment. Each article projected the universal knowledge and logic only those born to teach can convey: You can do it. Here’s a framework to accomplish your goals. Work hard. Believe in yourself. Success is inevitable.

When I came back to the magazine in 2009, we were soon working together as if we’d known each other for decades. On the happy occasions I’d get to see him in person, we’d sit down to breakfast or walk the aisles of a convention center, discussing column topics and pressing issues of the day between the many wonderful interruptions of his old friends and well-wishers looking for a handshake or more often a hug.

Of course, he did most of the talking and I did most of the listening: Inspired thoughts on the industry. Exciting tales of his racing days. An absolutely riveting account of what it’s like to pilot a land-speed car.

By editing his column, however, I felt like I knew him that much better. Every month for an hour or two, usually in the afternoon, I’d sit down with his latest submission, just him and I, hoping to polish and clarify when needed while retaining his unique voice—and learning something new myself in the process. It’s time I realize I will surely miss in the months and years ahead.

Readers know that he ended each piece with a hearty “Cheers ‘n gears,” a nod to happiness and racing intertwined. Just above that, he’d include a paragraph encouraging anyone with thoughts or questions to contact him directly to discuss issues further.

And as part of that invitation, he would add a sentence thanking me and the magazine for allowing him the opportunity to write for us. Each time it was worded a little differently, but the sentiment was always the same: it was his pleasure to be a part of the publication, he’d say, his privilege to be able to share his words with the world.

It’s the type of sentiment editors are taught to remove from otherwise serious copy. But it shows just what type of person he was. He knew I’d edit it out, but he’d write it anyway, every month—just to let me know that he cared about what he was doing, that he appreciated the chance to reach all of you.

Now that he’s gone, it’s our turn to tell Judi and all of his friends who are hurting what we told him a million times in response and wish we could tell him a million more—that we are the ones who are thankful for the very good fortune to have shared a small part of his life. It was our privilege to work with him. The pleasure was all ours.

Sadly, The Professor Files are now closed. Cheers ‘n gears, Dick.

(Image credit: Ron Lewis Photography

Inaugural AAA Insurance NHRA Midwest Nationals

Gateway Motorsports Park

St. Louis, MO

September 28-30, 2012

* * * *

SATURDAY QUALIFYING DEALS JFR A C.FORCE-NEFF MATCHUP

MADISON, Ill. (September 29, 2012) – John Force held tight to the No. 2 spot today as qualifying came to an end in preparation for race day at the inaugural AAA Insurance Midwest Nationals at St. Louis.

Force made his quickest pass of the weekend during Gateway Motorsport Park’s Friday night qualifying session with a 4.060 in near-perfect weather and track conditions. No one was able to take that away from him even after two additional rounds of qualifying today.

Force posted a 4.184 ET at over 292 mph and followed it up with a 4.126 second run at over 304 mph on Saturday. Those two runs combined with Force’s solid qualify effort have the 15-time champion in a good position to do some damage in eliminations tomorrow.

“Well, were all in. We finished in second. This Castrol GTX Ford has got a shot at winning the race. If I can win some races I can win a championship. Courtney is flying. It’s putting me on a diet over the winter. I thought I was dieting good. That 50 lbs. difference must be big out there on a track. She always outruns me.”

“Mike Neff struggled a little bit, but he’s in. It’s a shame he and Courtney have to race each other first round, but there’s one positive; one of them will move to second round. And Robert Hight, he’s back in the game. His crew chief Jimmy Prock fixed it (the car),” said Force.

Courtney Force did not improve in qualifying today, but managed to hold onto the No. 4 spot. Her Traxxas Ford Mustang made two solid runs down the race track and picked up five qualifying bonus points along the way.

“We had a great run last night that put us in the top half of the field in the No. 4 spot. We knew the conditions weren’t going to be right to go after another .0 like that, but we definitely learned a lot in the heat going in to prepare for race day tomorrow.

Force’s two passes included a 4.127 second run in the third qualifying session at over 296 mph which was second-quickest of the round. This session alone scored her two bonus points. Force followed that run with a 4.107 second run at over 304 mph. This was the quickest pass of the final qualifying session, therefore granting her three additional bonus points.

“We had two good runs. We picked up bonus points in both sessions being either the quickest car of the session or second quickest. Every point counts. It all counts when you’re in the Countdown to the championship. The more and more bonus points you can pick up really add up so we’re fighting to get a point anywhere we can, even more on race day tomorrow,” said the youngest Force.

The bonus points and the strong qualifying performance moved the rookie driver around teammate Robert Hight in the Full Throttle point standings and she is now in 5^th place one point ahead of Hight. The Rookie of the Year frontrunner will take on her teammate, Mike Neff, in the opening round of eliminations of Sunday.

“Unfortunately I have to race Mike Neff in the first round, but we have a good car. It’s a consistent one and we’re just hoping to move up in the points,” said Force.

For Mike Neff and the Castrol GTX Ford Mustang reeling in Full Throttle point leader Ron Capps will be a tough job. Neff was aggressive with his tune-ups by his own admission and qualified for the field on his last pass of the day today. He will unfortunately have to race teammate Courtney Force and the Traxxas Ford Mustang in the first round. Force’s Mustang has been one of the strongest Funny Cars in qualifying lately.

“That was a nail-biter. I backed it off. I have been too aggressive all weekend. Conditions are much better than that. I could have made a lot better run. That is the thing if you want a shot at winning you have to be in the race. First things first we are in the show. Now I will worry about tomorrow. I am definitely relieved,” said Neff, the No. 13 qualifier.

“My confidence is good. I have been trying a few things and we have been missing it here and there. I have some boundaries to go off of. I’ll be swinging for it tomorrow.”

The pair of JFR drivers have only squared off one time this season with Neff getting the win light in the second round of the season opening NHRA Winternationals.

The AAA Insurance Ford Mustang showed promise on Saturday in the last qualifying session. Robert Hight the defending event champion is confident today’s final round combined with last week’s testing effort will give his team enough momentum to start going rounds in the Countdown. Hight closed out qualifying today with a 4.109 second pass which was the second quickest run of the session.

“We tested last week in Dallas and it went really well. The first run today it smoked the tires out there at about 400 feet. I knew (crew chief) Jimmy Prock was just a few adjustments away from figuring this thing out. This Mustang is where it needs to be. That run proves that we are ready for Sunday,” said a confident Hight.

Hight will once again race Ford Racing teammate Tim Wilkerson in the first round. The two Mustangs raced each other in the first round of the AAA Texas NHRA Fall Nationals with Wilkerson getting the win. In that match-up Wilkerson was the No. 2 qualifier to Hight’s No. 15 spot. Tomorrow the playing field will be more level as they come into the race as No. 7 (Hight) versus No. 10 (Wilkerson). Hight holds a 12-10 record against Wilkerson but has dropped the last three meetings.

Story Courtesy Dana (Force) Marino (intern) and JFR Media Staff. (Image credit: Ron Lewis).

Andretti Prediction In Baltimore Becomes Reality For Hunter-Reay In Fontana

After surviving a Lap 55 near miss take out by Will Power's out of control #12 Penske Racing DW12, Ryan Hunter-Reay puts in a steady 250 Lap drive in the MAVTV 500 IndyCar World Championships at Auto Club Speedway to win it all, run the table, and take home all of the chips. Welcome the 2012 IZOD IndyCar Series Champion, the A.J. Foyt Trophy honoree for most points scored in a season on oval courses, and first American born driver to become American open wheel racing champion since 2006. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2012)

Andretti Prediction In Baltimore Becomes Reality For Hunter-Reay In Fontana

With 36 points separating Ryan Hunter-Reay (RHR) from the championship points lead and two races to go left in the season, the Andretti Autosport driver wins on the temporary street circuit race promoted by the recently formed Andretti Sports Marketing ... the Indy Grand Prix of Baltimore. This left RHR with a tall, but not impossible mountain to scale of 17 points to overcome in order to clinch the 2012 IZOD IndyCar Series Championship.

Immediately after Ryan crossed the finish line at the inner harbor track location, in a post race interview on NBCSC, team owner Michael Andretti came out with a strong prediction - "We are going to win the championship in Fontana at Auto Club Speedway."

This isn't the first time this motor culture legend, in his own time, came forth with a prediction that paid off - and Michael Andretti never was the kind of personality to boast.

Ryan Hunter-Reay of Andretti Autosport becomes the first American born driver to win a race in this 2010 IZOD IndyCar Series season. Image Credit: Andy Sallee (2010)

This excerpted and edited from "... notes from The EDJE" -

Toyota GP of Long Beach: Owner Andretti Predicted Hunter-Reay Win
By Edmund Jenks - April 19, 2010
 
With the confidence that comes from being a multiple time race winner here at motorsports premiere temporary street course race at Long Beach, Michael Andretti predicted that his recently signed driver (a test for a few races to begin), Ryan Hunter-Reay, would win the race.

What makes this prediction almost astounding is that none of the cars had set a tire anywhere on Shoreline Drive and he made this prediction at a post induction ceremony interview on Thursday, April 15, 2010, where he, along with Danny Sullivan, were honored with an achievement medallion in the sidewalk along the Long Beach Motorsports Walk Of Fame located in front, and the West side, of the Long beach Convention Center along Pine Avenue.
----
Add the fact that in the post race interview in front of the gathered press, Ryan Hunter-Reay cited his previous Formula Atlantic (2002) and CCWS experience with his positive feelings for the track (which he considers his "home" track) at Long Beach ... one could say Champ Car has never left ... in this, the sophomore year for IndyCar at the famed streets in Long Beach ... for at the end of the race it was P1, P2 , and P3 on the podium for former ChampCar World series experienced drivers!
[Reference Here]

The set up seemed insurmountable. Penske Racing's Will Power, who had been here in this same position of having to finish off the year on an oval racing course ahead of his next leading points owner the previous two years, looked as though all he had to do was finish the race on the same lap as Ryan Hunter-Reay. He had all the confidence of being the only driver to ever hold the Mario Andretti Trophy for the most points scored on road/street courses ... three years running.

For Ryan's part, in order to have any chance at all, he needed to finish the race P6 or better to have any of the championship scenarios to play out. Further, RHR was tied in the points for the season championship trophy for most points scored on oval courses with KV Racing Technology's  Tony Kanaan ... so he also had to finish ahead of this competitor as well.

Again, the prediction by Michael Andretti, that his driver would win the IICS Championship at this final race, when the new DW12 chassis had never competed at this track and that no American open wheel races had been run at Auto Club Speedway since 2005 seemed astounding being that it came directly after the Baltimore win.

Andretti Autosport racing team came to the Auto Club Speedway track loaded for bear. In qualifications, the DW12's go out for three laps with the final two laps (5 miles) total time used for formation to the grid (baring any penalty for engine changes - later). Michael's son and third generation racing Andretti, Marco bested the next closest competitor, Penske' Ryan Briscoe, to gain the championship point and the check by .2614 of a second. Hunter-Reay did not do so well. His time combined with the fact that most all of the top competitors changed to fresh engines for the 500 mile race, had him starting at the back of the grid at P22 with Will Power at P13.

The pre-race odds for the top five drivers to win the race were published (in the newsroom) as follows - Will Power - 2/1, Ryan Hunter-Reay 5/2, Scott Dixon 7/2, Ryan Briscoe 5/1, and Dario Franchitti at 6/1 odds.

All Will had to do was basically stay on the same lap and dog/stalk RHR around the track, have clean pit stops, and finish the race. The start of the race saw Will Power struggle with the handling of his car and eventually, Ryan and Will were running with each other. After about a fifth (of the laps in the race ... not the bottle), Will Power responded to calls from his team over the radio in his ear to pass RHR. On Lap 55 in turn #2, Will dropped down low and according to his view, caught a seam in the pavement that got his car loose and he spun up into the safer barrier wall, just missing the #28 of Ryan Hunter-Reay - WOW!

Ryan Hunter-Reay pulls into pit box #25, takes off his helmet and is first greeted by a member of his team ... believe it Ryan, you are the 2012 IZOD IndyCar Series Champion! Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2012)

This excerpted and edited from IndyCar - 

Drama, intrigue, excitement: Hunter-Reay grabs title

By Dave Lewandowski - Published: Sep 16, 2012 @ 12:01 AM

For the third consecutive year, contact in the season finale altered the title aspirations of the Aussie. The No. 12 Verizon Team Penske car "caught a seam" in Turn 2 of the 2-mile oval, spun and made contact with the SAFER Barrier while running 12th -- a few car lengths ahead of Hunter-Reay's No. 28 Team DHL/Sun Drop Citrus Soda car.
 ----
Click it: Box score | Hunter-Reay signs two-year extension

Andretti Autosport owner Michael Andretti relayed to a surprised Hunter-Reay, who 18 hours signed a two-year contract extension, that he had to finish sixth to claim his first series championship by one point.

But wait. In this season of surprises, ultra-tight competition and high drama, all three collectively focused on the Team Penske garage as the crew converged to repair the Dallara chassis and collect 11 more laps to finish 24th and ahead of the retired car of E.J. Viso.

That's exactly what transpired, forcing Hunter-Reay to finish at least fifth. Crews from rival teams cheered as the No. 12 entry was wheeled onto pit lane.

"It's fantastic," said Power, who quickly changed back into his firesuit.

But as Power maintained throughout this three-race duel with Hunter-Reay, "You can on focus on what you can control." So he watched the remainder of the race unfold from the team transporter, hoping that others would occupy the top five positions.

That went by the wayside as Alex Tagliani's engine expired with 20 laps left and then Tony Kanaan's car made contact with the Turn 4 SAFER Barrier on Lap 241. That created a red flag, with the restart on Lap 244. 

Hunter-Reay was running third on the restart, lost two positions, but the 31-year-old Floridian regained one spot when Takuma Sato's car crashed on the final lap. The difference in over 15 events on the most diverse set of racetracks in motorsports was three points over Power.
[Reference Here]

Driving legend, team owner, sports marketing operations magnet, and excellent prognosticator, Michael Andretti as he congratulates Ed Carpenter on his first win as a driver/owner of the Fuzzy's Vodka #20 DW12 Chevy-powered Dallara at the post race press conference at Auto Club Speedway. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2012)

At the post race press conference, Michael was reminded about this penchant he seems to have to predict and then deliver on the prediction. Michael bristled at the suggestion that he might like to take this 'talent' to Las Vegas with the attitude of a person who never gambles and frowns upon it.

This is a funny reaction to attribute to a past open wheel driving legend who would gamble on the track and, for the most part, win (or as on that 1998 Mid-Ohio day when he flipped head long into the run off at the end of the straight) or survive! Now, as an owner, expands his operation through the formation of Andretti Sports Marketing to include promoting the Milwaukee Mile (which his driver won) and picking up the Grand Prix of Baltimore (oh yes, that's right, his driver won the race the team Andretti operation was promoting for the first time this year as well).

All anyone can know, with this kind of track record, if one hears Michael Andretti blurt out a prediction of an outcome, and the Andretti Autosport operation has a hand in controlling some of the variables ... TAKE THAT BET ... the odds are good for a Michael Andretti predicted outcome!

... notes from The EDJE


** Article first published as Andretti Prediction In Baltimore Becomes Reality For Hunter-Reay In Fontana on Technorati **

Ryan Hunter-Reay Has The Most To Gain And Lose At IICS Final

Will Power and Ryan Hunter-Reay pose next to the trophy they will be fighting on the track for at the Auto Club Speedway on Saturday night. The MAVTV 500 is scheduled to go GREEN Flag at 8:45 p.m. (ET) and be broadcast on cable on NBC Sports Network. Image Credit Edmund Jenks (2012)

Ryan Hunter-Reay Has The Most To Gain And Lose At IICS Final

Most people who have been following the 2012 IZOD IndyCar Series (IICS) know that this last race of the season will see one of two drivers crowned champion between Penske Racing's Will Power and Andretti Autosport's Ryan Hunter-Reay. Only 17 points separate these two drivers and the margin of victory begins to get shaped with qualifications on Friday with one valuable point up for grabs.

What seems to be getting lost in the shuffle is another championship trophy awarded in this very same series ... the A.J. Foyt Trophy for being the driver to accumulate the most points during the season on oval racing circuits.

The IZOD IndyCar Series awards three trophies - the overall championship, the Mario Andretti Trophy for the highest points total on road/street courses, and the A.J. Foyt Trophy for most points total on oval racing courses.

This trophy is still up for grabs and the current points achieved is tied between two drivers - Andretti Autosport's Ryan Hunter-Reay and KV Racing Technology's Tony Kanaan.

What's pretty amazing about this is that this contest isn't even being focused upon by the IICS, or most of the major writing outlets.

For example, today has a special media event being held by the IICS at the very end of Route 66 (the Marisol Restaurant located on the end of the Santa Monica pier ... over the Pacific Ocean) to have the media be able to interview the drivers who are racing for the championship but the one name that is absent is Tony Kanaan.

Tony has become the Rodney Dangerfield of the 2012 IZOD IndyCar Series championship season. He is getting no respect.

 

Will Power and Ryan Hunter-Reay pose next to the trophy they will be fighting on the track for at the Auto Club Speedway on Saturday night. Unless something strange happens that would not allow these drivers to finish the race, the winning of this championship trophy is between these two competitors. The MAVTV 500 is scheduled to go GREEN Flag at 8:45 p.m. (ET) and be broadcast on cable on NBC Sports Network. Image Credit Edmund Jenks (2012)

This excerpted and edited from Paddock Talk -

Tied atop the standings for the Oval Track Championship are Hunter-Reay and KV Racing Technology driver and former Series Champion (2004) Tony Kanaan. James Hinchcliffe, Andretti Autosport, is sitting in third position in the Oval Track Championship standings.

"Having a 500-mile race as the season finale is a great way to close out the IndyCar season,” concluded Berube. “It requires a significant effort from everyone involved; the race teams and drivers, Firestone tires, Sunoco fuels, the Somatro safety team and countless others that make the race a show of skill, strategy and grit. It is also good practice for another piece of unfinished business - that other 500-mile race in May."

Chevrolet clinched the Series Manufacturers’ Championship following the 13th race of the season at Sonoma Raceway. That same weekend, Power was crowned the Road Course Champion for the third consecutive season.

Saturday night’s 250-lap/500-mile race will be the first appearance for IndyCar at the Fontana, California track since 2005. Chevrolet competed previously in Indy-style competition as an engine manufacturer in 1986-93 and 2002-05 with V-8 engines, winning 105 races which included two victories at Auto Club Speedway, 2002 and 2003. The wins powered Chevrolet to six driver champions, and included seven Indianapolis 500 victories.

The IndyCar season finale is scheduled to start at 5:45 p.m. PT (8:45 p.m. ET) Saturday night with live television coverage on NBC Sports Network.

The live radio coverage will air on the IMS Radio Network on SiriusXM (XM 94 and Sirius 212). In addition, IndyCar live timing and scoring with the radio broadcast can be found at www.indy.car.com.
[Reference Here]

The person that has the most to gain ... and lose may well be Ryan Hunter-Reay. For Hunter-Reay’s part, he needs to finish P6 or better (assuming he doesn’t win the pole or lead the most laps) and finish ahead of Tony Kanaan just to get into his championship scenarios.

By winning and having Will Power place at least 10 (uncertain) places behind him, Ryan wins the 2012 IICS championship and the A.J. Foyt Trophy. Any scenario that has Tony Kanaan finishing ahead of Ryan, he is out on the oval championship.

For Will Power's part, a finish somewhere between P10 and P15 maybe just fine. This is not a win-or-go-home scenario for Power. It’s a finish-moderately-well-or-go-home one, which seems like a far more certain proposition for a driver whose forte is Road/Street courses.

Notes:

The IZOD IndyCar Series returns to Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif. this week for the final race of the season, the MAVTV 500 IndyCar World Championships.

Four drivers are still mathematically in the hunt to capture the series title. For the seventh consecutive season, the final race will decide the IndyCar Championship.

From L to R - Helio Castroneves, Will Power, Ryan Hunter-Reay, and Scott Dixon as they pose for the media photos next to the IICS championship trophy these drivers have a shot at winning Saturday night. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2012)

Will Power holds down the top spot, 17 points ahead of Ryan Hunter-Reay, while Penske Racing's Helio Castroneves and Target Chip Ganassi's Scott Dixon are 52 and 53 points back respectively. Although Power has led heading into the final race of the season the past two years, he has yet to capture the championship.

This is the 11th Indy race at Auto Club Speedway and the first since 2005, when Dario Franchitti captured the checkered flag. The CART and Champ Car held six Indy car races at Auto Club Speedway from 1997-2002. PacWest Racing's Mauricio Gugelmin won the pole (and the fastest world qualifying lap speed - later eclipsed by Gil deFerran at this same track) for the first Indy car race at Auto Club Speedway in 1997. PacWest teammate Mark Blundell won the race ... and still holds the record for the world fastest lap recorded during a race. Franchitti (2005) is the only driver to win at Auto Club Speedway from the pole position.

KV Racing Technology's (KVRT) Tony Kanaan will attempt to make his 196th consecutive Indy car start, dating to Portland in 2001. KVRT team owner, Jimmy Vasser holds the all-time record of 211.

The 2013 IndyCar season is set to begin March 24 in Florida for the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. Helio Castroneves is the defending race winner.
[ht: Kansas City Star]

... notes from The EDJE


** Article first published as Ryan Hunter-Reay Has The Most To Gain And Lose At IICS Final on Technorati **

Friends and Colleagues to be seen here soon.

Our friend and colleague Anne Proffit’s Website. A great read always. http://anneotheropinion.wordpress.com/