Runway Racing Top Speed Challenge Delivers Two World Record Runs & More

Steve Huff of Steve Huff Motorsports posts a second world record top speed run of 1/2 mile 167.0, 1 mile 193.7, and 1.5 mile 202.8 with his 2007 80ci/1,339cc Destination Harley Davidson Buell XBRR. Steve was heard hollering, "Explanation Point!" as he checked in with the starter post run. Image credit: Edmund Jenks (2015)

Runway Racing Top Speed Challenge Delivers Two World Record Runs & More

Runway Racing Top Speed Challenge, an invitation only straight line racing event, was held during this last weekend in September at Mojave Air and Spaceport, also known as the Civilian Aerospace Test Centre, located in Mojave, California, at an elevation of 2,791 ft. The predicted late afternoon temperature of 99 degrees was met with little wind (flowing from West to East) to aid in pushing the vehicles to even higher marks.

Several recognizable speed organizations showed up to see what could be achieved on the Spaceport runway used by Virgin Galactic/The Spaceship Company, National Test Pilot School, Scaled Composites (which conducted the first privately funded human sub-orbital flight with SpaceShipOne on June 21, 2004), and other aeronautics enterprises located on-premises for testing.

Big Red has it's hood opened for one last visual check before posting fastest run of the Runway Racing Top Speed Challenge event.  Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2015)

The fastest vehicle to post a very high speed was put up by the famed specialty competition 1969 Camaro SS known as Big Red. Big Red is a featured star of a cable TV program aired on NBCSN titled "Big Red - The Original Outlaw Racer" - Mondays and Wednesdays.

Big Red Camaro crew complete with videographer and audio engineer for the NBCSN cable TV program - Big Red - The Original Outlaw Racer - to capture team's reaction to the run. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2015)

Big Red Camaro sets fastest time at Runway Racing Event so far. 243.5mph #runwayracing #PRTT #MojaveMile

A photo posted by Edmund Jenks (@the_edje) on Sep 26, 2015 at 2:13pm PDT

Click Link To Play Video Of Big Red's Top Speed Challenge Run >>>

After taking to the runway track for a few shake-down runs, the parachute outfitted Chevy was able to check-in with a mile and a half speed of 243.5mph. To place this into perspective, the world speed record in an open wheel race car happened during qualifications (Auto Club Speedway) is 241.428mph (388.541 km/h) set by Gil de Ferran, October 28, 2000. This mark stands as the fastest lap speed ever recorded by a racing vehicle at an official sanctioned racing series event meeting (this includes Formula 1).

Steve Huff, piloting the only motorcycle in attendance, made two world record setting top speed runs at the Runway Racing LLC Event held at Mojave Air and Spaceport.

Those gathered at the event witnessed the two run, with Exclamation Point, world record 200 mph barrier breaking runs by Steve Huff Motorsports with his 80ci/1,339cc Destination Harley Davidson Buell XBRR.

The first run, a shakedown run, Steve hit the NOS boost at 3rd gear giving the motorcycle a record run at 200.5mph before 10:00am PT - the second run, after adjustments and applying the NOS boost at 2nd gear gave the Buell-powered, aerodynamically-wrapped bike a pass at 202.8mph, besting the previous run and giving an "EXCLAMATION POINT!" (Steve's term) to all who attended the invitation only Runway Racing Top Speed Challenge event.

In a post first run interview, Steve was most happy with the fact that besting this 200mph hallmark was a milestone for any motorcycle powered by a sub 1500cc size push-rod technology engine (as stated in the interview audio - YouTube included below). “Being the first 80-inch push-rod motorcycle to go over 200mph is something I am really proud of,” said Steve Huff. Those who are familiar with Steve Huff and his multi-year quest of hitting the 200mph mark, know it has been a long hard road of development and fighting through injuries suffered in his unrelenting pursuit.

Steve Huff Motorsports 202.8mph World Record Run & Interview

This excerpted and edited from Steve Huff Motorsports Press Release - 

Huff breaks 200 mph barrier at the Runway Racing LLC event in Mojave, CA last weekend.

Surrounded by blown GT 40's, Porches, Ferraris, GTRs, and the like; Steve Huff Motorsports on the Destination Harley Davidson Buell XBRR executed a top speed at 202.8mph on the 1.5 mile course.Runway Racing LLC put on a great invitational event at Mojave Air and Spaceport.

A Ferrari, 5 liter Mustang, and a Ford GT40 await the go-ahead by the starter to make the long mile and a half plus drive to the Top Speed Challenge runway starting line. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2015)

Huff says, “The bike did everything it was supposed to do and we still have room for more.  We came off the trailer with a 200.5mph pass and did our service turn around and backed it up with the 202.8mph pass.”

Steve Huff Motorsports will be attending the rescheduled Mike Cook’s Shootout the second week of October at the Bonneville Salt Flats, giving Huff the opportunities to break the records for AMA 1350APS-PF, AMA 1350APS-PG and FIM World Record.

“We were running into a slight headwind and we used all the gear that we had.  Our sponsor, PBI Sprockets, is sending us another rear sprocket with one less tooth along with new bearings from Worldwide Bearings; should get us to 205mph on the salt and 200 at El Mirage.”  

Huff and the team will be at El Mirage Dry Lake Bed October 17 – 18th for the SCTA event.

(Reference Here)

While the organizers had expected that the limit of 30 invited vehicles to be taking runs at the event, about only 18 vehicles took runs leaving those in attendance with a lot of extra time to look at and investigate the different cars and how they might have been set up.

The pace seemed slow but the action on the runway was anything but ...

Two world record motorcycle runs and a top speed of 243.5 by Big Red to be seen on a NBCSN Cable TV program made for a very fulfilling event.

... notes from The EDJE

TAGS: Runway Racing Top Speed Challenge, Mojave Air and Spaceport, Runway Racing LLC, Top Speed Challenge, Steve Huff, Steve Huff Motorsports, Destination Harley Davidson, NBCSN, Big Red, Big Red - The Original Outlaw Racer, The EDJE

Palos Verdes Concours d’Elegance - An Automotive Lifestyle POV

Hood ornament 1937 Cadillac V16 90 Aero-Dynamic Coupe.  Image Credit: James Groth (2015)

Palos Verdes Concours d’Elegance - An Automotive Lifestyle POV
By: James Groth, Miles Ahead Communications for The Motorsports-Report

If you ever dreamt of going back in time to the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance to experience how things were in the 1950’s, the closest you can expect to come to that era was at the 23rd Palos Verdes Consours d’Elegance. This was the first year for the Palos Verdes Concours d’Elegance in their excellent new setting at the Los Verdes Golf Course.

The course provided a wonderful backdrop of the Pacific Coast and a tremendous amount of space allowing for easy viewing and a chance to photograph the cars without spectators in the photo. That only happens at dawn at Pebble Beach and Pebble is ten times the cost Palos Verdes to attend.

Easy viewing on the Los Verdes Golf Course. Image Credit: James Groth (2015)

Ferrari South Bay Hospitality Tent ... & friend. Image Credit: James Groth (2015)

I also was fine with the off site parking and rapid shuttle service from the Peninsula Shipping Center to the event site compared to parking outside and returning to a car covered in dust. September 20th broke heat records across Southern California with temps at 100 degrees or more, perhaps keeping the crowds down. However, being on the coast with a light breeze it was still comfortable.  

1930 Cadillac Roadster Convertible, Fredrick Law, Malibu, CA.  Image Credit: James Groth (2015)

This year’s theme was “Automotive Standards of the World”. Ferrari was one of the marques being honored along with Cadillac and Darrin.  We were happy to see that Ferrari South Bay had a tented area for their merchandise, where my lady friend found a gift and we enjoyed unique cold drinks. The hospitality was open to all attendees and was appreciated.

For most of us it all about the opportunity to view up close spectacular, rare and sometimes one-of-kind cars of every decade from the first automobiles manufactured. There were an abundance of World Class examples starting with “Brass” from 1898 -1915 to “Cars of Special Interest Pre-1990”, a total of twenty-four classes and about 200 entries.

Ferrari 365 GTC /4. Image Credit: James Groth (2015)

Some of the cars displayed were also at Pebble Beach one year or another so the feel and flavor of the event was a bit of a pleasant time capsule for some of us that regularly attend these events. It was no surprise to see the exceptional Fly Yellow 365 GTB Ferrari of LA’s best know car collector, Petersen Checked Flag member Bruce Meyer on display

Ferrari 365 GTB, Bruce Meyer. Image Credit: James Groth (2015)

The Nethercutt Collection in Sylmar, CA has a world-renowned collection and showcased some of their Ferrari and Cadillac collection for the event.

1967 Ferrari Spyder California, Nethercutt Collection. Image Credit: James Groth (2015)

They also brought what I found to be a most interesting auto, a 1937 Cadillac V16 90 Aero-Dynamic Coupe representing the Cadillac marque at perhaps its pinnacle of style and power with its V16 power plant and dramatic lines.

1937 Cadillac V16 90 Aero-Dynamic Coupe. Image Credit: James Groth (2015)

While most of the people entering automobiles are car collectors there was one man who is a car constructor and designer unique in every manner, Gary Wales of Woodland Hills, CA. Gary had on display his La Bestioni #6, built on a fire truck chassis that pays tribute to the grand era of car constructors who took chassis from Bentley, Rolls Royce and many American car companies and created custom car bodies with unique drivetrains. 

La Bestioni #6 - Gary Wales, Woodland Hills, CA. Image Credit: James Groth (2015)

Gary is a friend who’s home I have had the pleasure to visit and see first hand where he and his mechanic Andres Aranda build Gary’s creations from scratch. His restoration of the 1947 Bentley Paris show car B 20 BH won over 50 international awards.

Interior, La Bestioni #6 - Gary Wales, Woodland Hills, CA. Image Credit: James Groth (2015)

Gary does not just build his cars for show he also competes in races with them.  Gary won the 1984 Great American Race from Universal City to Indy for the 500 in a Boat-tail speedster built from a total wreck. I saw first hand how grueling that race was in 1985 when Jaguar participated with a 1936 SS 100. I had it easy compared to the drivers of cars built prior to 1936. As they struggled with the mountains and heat for ten hours or more, I drove ahead of Jaguar Cars Inc. sponsored team setting up the advance PR and corresponding with CBS radio in the comfort of a new XJ6. To win the Great American Race you and the car have to be equally strong and prepared and Gary certainly is that person.

Prize winning Packard. Image Credit: James Groth (2015)

The judges always are challenged at these concours to find a way to determine the award winner’s since all of the entrants are worthy of merit. The winners in my opinion are the entrants for the camaraderie and the overall experience with follow collectors and us attending.

"1950s American Hip" Packard 1953 Caribbean Convertible. Image Credit: James Groth (2015)

Perhaps sometimes overlooked is the cause related side of putting on this marvelous event. In this case the proceeds of the 23rd Palos Verdes Concours d’Elegance benefit local non-profits via the Palos Verdes Peninsula Rotary Foundation and included the Boy & Girls Club, Palos Verdes Art Center’s disadvantaged children’s programs and the Green Vets Los Angeles.  According to Chairman Ray Johnson the Concours has donated over $670,000 to as of 2014. 

1937 MG VA Tourer, Bob Hanselman, San Marcos. Image Credit: James Groth (2015)

Congratulations and thanks to all the entries for the exquisite automotive art on display and to the many sponsors and volunteers for providing a fine way to spend a Sunday afternoon for great causes.

2015 Winners -  23rd Palos Verdes Concours d’Elegance >>>

Looking forward to next year’s event on September 18, 2016.


TAGS: Palos Verdes Concours d’Elegance, Los Verdes Golf Course, Palos Verdes Peninsula Rotary Foundation, Miles Ahead Communications, James Groth,

Dixon/Ganassi Triple-Down & Double-Up To Wrest Control At The GoPro GP of Sonoma

Chip Ganassi and 2015 Indy Car Champion Scott Dixon in Winners Circle at Sonoma.

(Photo by Ed Jenks)

Race Winner Scott Dixon enters Winners Circle

at Sonoma Raceway 8-30-15. (Photo by Dicken Wear)

Scott Dixon in Winners Circle at Sonoma Raceway

(Photo by Dicken Wear)

Teammates Tony Kanaan and Charlie Kimball Congratulate 

Scott Dixon on Winning the Indy Car Race and Championship at Sonoma Raceway.

(Photo by Dicken Wear)

Scott Dixon thanks his Engineer Chris Simmons for helping him Win the Race

 and the 2015 Indy Car Championship (Photo by Dicken Wear)

A Very Happy Chip Ganassi with Mike Hull and Scott Dixon.

(Photo by Dicken Wear)

Steve Page with Ganassi Teammates, Charlie Kimball and Scott Dixon

 in the Winners Circle at Sonoma Raceway. (Photo by Dicken Wear)

2015 Indy Car Champions, Team Ganassi

at Sonoma Raceway. (Photo by Dicken Wear)

Dixon/Ganassi Triple-Down and Double-Up To Wrest Control At The GoPro GP of Sonoma

In the media room, around the paddocks, and campgrounds around Sonoma Raceway at Sears Point, there were speculations as to who would win the Verizon IndyCar Series 2015 season finale race and, due to a double-points award, potentially win the season championship.

At no point in the lead up to this final race was there a story line that included Target Chip Ganassi Racing's Scott Dixon, who sat at P3, 47 points behind Penske's Juan Pablo Montoya (JPM), not just winning the GoPro Grand Prix of Sonoma ... but further, the 2015 American open-wheel racing championship.

Almost all of the pre-race chatter centered on "just who" had what it would take to get the most points through qualifications, bonus points, and win the race (obviously, Will Power) ... or who had the charge to grab the championship and maybe the race from Penske Racing and JPM (obviously, Graham Rahal).

Scott Dixon, and the PR Department of Target Chip Ganassi Racing were the consummate ghosts. Little was being speculated about in pre-race press releases and interviews from this organization about their chances at the Sonoma Raceway finale and the IndyCar season.

However, at race's end and at post-race press conferences - the floodgates of strategic possibility thinking opened up ... and a few folks were surprised at the final tie-breaking results.

Target Chip Ganassi's race strategist, Mike Hull in the Winner's Circle with race winner and 2015 Verizon IndyCar Series Astor Cup winner, Scott Dixon. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2015)

Post Race Press Conference:

THE MODERATOR: The mindset going in, [describe] what you needed to accomplish today.

MIKE HULL: I'm sorry, I can only do two things at once. We knew we had to win the race. We knew that before we arrived here. We did get the opportunity to come, IndyCar extended the opportunity with the rule book for us to come here and test two weeks ago. We spent half a day with Scott on the racetrack, and Friday we used all day and we virtually wore the tires out trying to understand what we would need today, and that's what we did today, and we worked on what we call the mechanical balance of the race car to achieve what we achieved today.

It just really is important when you have a driver like Scott as an owner like Chip and people that work for us and a sponsor like Target that you do get the most out of every day, and I think that's what we did today, but it started well before today in terms of having a race-able product.
----
Q. Mike, a couple of drivers told me it's very difficult to overtake here. Was your strategy before the race built on pit stops to bring Scott to the front?

MIKE HULL: [Mike pulls out a sheet of graph paper - and waves it - with three pitstops noted on it] ... Pit on lap 61, that's what ‑‑ well, we came in on 62, so even we make a mistake.

We wanted it to be a three‑stop race, so what we did was we worked really hard from the very beginning of the weekend to create a three‑stop event for us this weekend, and we knew we had to get to 61. If we could get to 61 as everybody thinned out on the racetrack with the track position gained throughout the stops, we thought we had a chance to win the race. We didn't think it would turn out quite the way it did in terms of we thought there would be two or three other guys there trying to make it hard on us, and at the end it was a little easier than what we thought to be honest about it, but it was still very difficult. I think what you do as a race team when you deal with strategy is you look at what you have. If you know you have a driver and car capable of winning the race, then what you simply do is work for the pit windows that you need to have to achieve something at the front.

But the bottom ‑‑ the denominator is we had to win. We had to win the race.
(ht: VICS)

During the race broadcast on NBCSN, Mike Hull was interviewed at the TCGR pit box immediately after the second round of pitstops where Scott Dixon was able to leap-frog pass from P3 (behind P1 - Will Power and P2 - Josef Newgarden) to the lead of the race on a 6 second timed pit stop - (paraphrased) "All I asked from our pit crew before the race was 18 seconds of work. We train for hours and hours for just this circumstance and I needed for them to give me three pitstops at 6 seconds apiece - two down, one to go!"

Now that's a Triple-Down.

Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing's Graham Rahal as he follows TCGR's Tony Kanaan up the drag strip straight after exiting the Carousel turn during the early part of the GoPro Grand Prix of Sonoma. 
Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2015)  

This excerpted and edited from Tribute Racing -

Dixon takes victory and championship after wacky race in Sonoma
By: Josh Farmer - AUGUST 30, 2015

After a two hour Wild West showdown, Scott Dixon eventually emerged as the 2015 Verizon IndyCar Series champion after taking the win in the GoPro Grand Prix at Sonoma Raceway.

Pole sitter Will Power picked up from where he left off in qualifying yesterday as he jumped into an early lead over Josef Newgarden. The drama started early as the leaders made their first pitstops on lap 15. Newgarden came in right behind Power but was blocked by Power’s Team Penske teammate Simon Pagenaud as stopped right in front of Newgarden. Newgarden sped out through Pagenaud’s pit stall and only lost a small amount of time to Power.

Meanwhile, a few teams including Sebastian Saavedra and Marco Andretti, elected to roll the dice on strategy and stretch their fuel longer than the lead contenders before the lead cycled back around to Power on lap 25.

Penske Racing's Juan Pablo Montoya is running P4 on Lap 9 with Target Chip Ganassi's Scott Dixon closing in from P5 to track him down in the Bus Stop complex of turns. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2015)

A yellow flag for Luca Filippi’s throttle failure on lap 33 brought the field down down pit road. At this point, Scott Dixon’s Target Chip Ganassi Racing pit crew saw that it was time to go to put their driver in position to take the championship and performed a trademark Ganassi pitstop to get the Kiwi to the front of the queue.

A number of drivers on an alternate strategy stayed out which put the drivers had been leading the race down the leaderboard. The race would get dramatic as Juan Montoya rear ended Power, damaging his front wing and bringing out a yellow while Tony Kanaan would take the lead.

Kanaan held the lead on the restart but the same strategy that put him in the lead took him out of it when he pitted on lap 51, which handed the lead over to Dixon.

With Montoya burried in the field, Dixon assumed the points lead and would need a clean final pitstop and no mistakes on the track. On lap 63, the crew did exactly that and was perfect while his closest rival Newgarden stalled on pit road, taking him out of contention.

With Dixon up front, Montoya’s efforts were beginning to shrink but drama involving his season long championship rival, Graham Rahal.

Rahal had been struggling to find the handle on his car for much of the day but found himself in seventh place, his hopes still alive.

His hopes came to an end when Sebastien Bourdais rear ended him at the end of the dragstrip and spun him out. With Rahal out if the picture and Bourdais assesed a penalty for avoidable contact, Montoya soon found himself in a tiebreaker scenario with Dixon.

He would still need to pass one more car to get the points lead: Ryan Briscoe.

Montoya’s black tires would seem to prove better than Briscoe’s red tires and he chopped a few tenths a lap off his lead while Dixon was smooth sailing up front.

Dixon crossed the line 6.1115 ahead of Ryan Hunter Reay and it was enough to take the championship as Montoya couldn’t get to Briscoe.
----
Hunter-Reay claimed his second straight podium while Charlie Kimball capped of the season with his third podium of the year.

Tony Kanaan claimed fourth and Ryan Briscoe completed his fill in duties for James Hinchcliffe with a fifth place finish.

Montoya would have to settle for second in the championship, followed by teammate Power and Rahal, who entered the race second in points. Helio Castroneves made it three Penske cars in the top five. A strong end to the season lifted Ryan Hunter-Reay to sixth in the standings while Josef Newgarden’s pit miscue dropped him to seventh in points.
(Reference Here)

The transporter for Penske Racing's Juan Pablo Montoya was located right across from the garage station of Target Chip Ganassi Racing's Scott Dixon. Here, Montoya is sitting on the stoop, watching the garage across the way (see reflection in mirrored door behind JPM). Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2015)

Sour grapes flooded the wine country racetrack's paddock area with the talk about the influence of having this race be awarded with twice the number of points given out for the results of the season finale race.

This excerpted and edited from STUFF -

IndyCar runner-up Juan Pablo Montoya questions Scott Dixon's series triumph
By: stuff.co.nz - Last updated 11:20, September 1 2015

IndyCar series runner-up Juan Pablo Montoya has questioned whether Scott Dixon was a deserved winner, saying the Kiwi had a "s**t" season.

Montoya was furious the crucial final race at Sonoma on Monday carried double points.

Dixon won, and his Colombian rival finished sixth at Sonoma, so lost the championship on countback [tie-breaker] after leading all season.

Montoya did not take it in good humour, lashing out at the post-race press conference.

"Dixon had a s**t season all year and had one good race, and we paid the penalty."

Montoya wants the double-points system reconsidered, though he holds little hope that it will be changed.

"We'll see if they [IndyCar] change it, but they like the excitement for the last race," he said.

"Is it fair? No, but we go into the last race of the year knowing it's a double‑points race.

"Is it fair for a normal championship? No, it's not fair, but it's the rules they want to play with, and if you don't like the rules, don't race."
----
"It sucks, but when you make the last race double-points on a road course and you change the tyre and you do everything you did for this weekend and you put so many variables, it doesn't even matter what you do all year."

Dixon, who was one of six drivers still in with a title chance, won the 2003, 2008 and 2013 series.

He has finished runner-up in the series twice and has been third four times in a 13-year IndyCar career.

WHAT DIFFERENCE DID DOUBLE POINTS MAKE?

Actual championship standings

1 Dixon 556
2 Montoya 556
3 Power 493

Standings without double score for Sonoma

1 Montoya 528
2 Dixon 506
3 Rahal 478

Standings with no double scores at all *

1 Montoya 478
2 Dixon 474
3 Rahal 448

* Montoya got double points for winning the Indianapolis 500
(Reference Here)

Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing's Graham Rahal had a season for the ages. Driving the troubled Honda-powered and aerodynamically outfitted Steak 'N Shake Dallara, he entered the race just 34 points behind Juan Pablo Montoya in P2 and finished P4 in the season championship after his car was pushed off of the track by four-time champion Sebastien Bourdais. Here, Rahal finishes the Bus Stop complex of turns on his way to finishing P4 in the VICS championship. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2015)

For Graham Rahal's part, he agrees with JPM on the assessment about double points being awarded for any race (from post-race transcript):

Q. Graham, Juan came in here and not a fan of the double points. He was not, at least. But aside from that, how do you think the championship from that standpoint is going?  Should they drop them from Indy or keep them just at Indy and drop them from the end?

GRAHAM RAHAL: I don't think any race should have double points.

Q. What about the double‑header part?

GRAHAM RAHAL: Those are two races. Just like Indy, why there's points for qualifying is stupid. I know what they're trying to do, trying to make it more interesting, trying to get everybody ‑‑ but everybody is already hanging out on the line, and all you're doing is benefiting the big teams. Like for instance, us, it killed us this year. Definitely is not to our advantage.

Obviously there's two sides to me here on this weekend because obviously if it had been single points or normal points, I'd have been in trouble. I think it made it interesting, you know, at the end. If I look, I finished fourth. If I'd finished one more position up, I think I would have tied Power for third and fourth, and obviously the No. 1 and 2 tied, and I think we would have beat Power on a head‑to‑head on a tiebreaker, I think. But it was interesting.

However, I don't think any race should be valued above another. I know people will say the Indy 500 should, but I think every race is equally important if you're looking at a championship. Anyway, just my take.

Just like we tried the double‑file restarts and all that stuff. We don't need gimmicks in this sport to make it exciting I don't think.
(ht: VICS)

The No. 98 Bryan Herta Autosport Honda Dallara driven by soon to be 2015 Verizon IndyCar Series Rookie-Of-The-Year Gabby Chaves as it negotiates the Bus Stop complex of corners (with wheel up) at Sonoma Raceway during the GoPro Grand Prix of Sonoma season finale race. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2015)

Besides that it was a great day for Scott Dixon and the 2015 Verizon IndyCar Series championship, it was also a great day for Bryan Herta Autosport and their rookie Mazda Ladder Series driver, Gabby Chaves.

Post Race Press Conference:

GABBY CHAVES (No. 98 Bowers & Wilkins / Curb Honda): "It was a very eventful race for us. We barely made it to the start.

Actually we didn't even make the starting grid, so we started about half a lap back. We had a battery problem so that was unfortunate. We think we had the right strategy and had the right pace, but once we started being it was just like we didn't really know where to go and it was hard to get rhythm behind other cars that we were much faster than.

Twice we got caught out by a yellow flag, right as we were pitting and had to bail out from pitting. We obviously lost position trying to do that and screwed up our strategy.

It was just a rough day all around, but I think our pace is good and we have to work on a few things.

I am happy with the way our Bryan Herta Autosport team worked out this year and we couldn't do it without our sponsors, Bowers & Wilkins, Castrol Edge, Deltro Electric, Alarm.com, and of course having Honda in our car. It was a fun season and I look forward to what 2016 has to bring." (ht: VICS)

Scott Dixon signs a hat during the post race - post championship press conference.
 Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2015)

Post Race Press Conference:

Q. You made both championship, first Champ Car and then IndyCar later on when it was founded. Is there anything in those championships from the technology point of view, you're very impressed, aero package, engine, whatever?

CHIP GANASSI: Well, I mean, all of it is. It's a matter of ‑‑ I think from our point of view, we're just the race team. I mean, we look at the rule book, this guy to my right and I, you look at the rule book each year and you figure out what the rules are, and you go out and try to win races with what the sanctioning body gives you, what the drivers give you, what the engine manufacturers give you, what the tires give you. You've got all these sort of inputs and you've got to take all those sort of inputs and you have to make something of it, and whoever makes the best of that package, whatever it is, is going to be the champion at the end of the year. And that's how it's been for every championship.

Each one ‑‑ none are the same. None of the championships are the same because the rules are different, a little different each year. The points systems are different. You know, the technology is different. We've done it with different engine packages, we've done it with different tires, we've done it with different cars and we've done it with different drivers.

My hat's off to Mike here on my right for putting the team together so many times over the years that just takes all these inputs that you have from different constituencies in the sport. In actual fact we have very little control ‑‑ teams have no control over the sanctioning body, we have no control over the rules, we have no control over the engines, we have no control over the tires.

We give our opinion, but I think rarely ‑‑ if we give our opinion, they do the opposite, you know. But it's just a matter of taking all those things that they give you and putting them in a ‑‑ I refer to it as baking the pie.

You put all those ingredients together and you put it in the oven and at the beginning of the season. You hope at the end of the season the pie comes out good, and fortunately it did here today.
(ht: VICS)

What a fitting end to an arguable Top 5 best ever competitive season, in the history of American open-wheel racing championship seasons.

With a "Triple-Down" strategy on 6 second pitstops combined with a "Double-Up" on awarded race points for bonuses and finishing place, we are able to crown and add a rare 4-Time open-wheel series champion through a tie-breaker, based on winning three races, during this 2015 Verizon IndyCar Series championship season.

BRAVO ... that was one great pie!

... notes from The EDJE


TAGS: GoPro Grand Prix of Sonoma, Scott Dixon, Sonoma Raceway, Target Chip Ganassi Racing, Mike Hull, Chip Ganassi, Chris Simmons, Juan Pablo Montoya, Will Power, Graham Rahal, Penske Racing, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, The EDJE, Dicken Wear, The Motorsports Report,

Josh Farmer, STUFF,  

GODSPEED JUSTIN WILSON - August 24, 2015

 GODSPEED JUSTIN WILSON

With deep sadness, the parents of Justin Wilson, Keith and Lynne, his wife Julia, and his brother Stefan share the news that Justin passed away Monday, August 24, 2015 after succumbing to injuries suffered during the Verizon IndyCar event at Pocono Raceway on Sunday, August 23.

Justin was a loving father and devoted husband, as well as a highly competitive racing driver who was respected by his peers.

Race car driver Justin Wilson, who enjoyed success in multiple motorsports series (F1, ChampCar, Indycar, IMSA) during a two-decade professional career, died from a head injury sustained in the Verizon IndyCar Series ABC Supply 500 race Aug. 23 at Pocono Raceway. He was 37.

Statement on the passing of Justin Wilson - Art St. Cyr, president, Honda Performance Development

“To say that we are heartbroken over the loss of Justin Wilson would create the false impression that our pain is localized.

At a time earlier in the season, when we were in a continuing struggle to remain competitive in the Verizon IndyCar Series, Justin was the guy who WANTED to be with Honda, and he demonstrated that time and again. That allows you to take the measure of the man, and we will be forever grateful for his loyalty, and the gracious and gentlemanly way he represented our company, on and off the race track.

He was our friend, and our comrade.

All of our thoughts and prayers are for his wife, Julia, daughters Jane and Jessica; his parents Keith and Lynne; his brother Stefan; and his many friends around the world.”

Statement from race team Andretti Autosport - He was a tremendous racer, a valuable member of the team and respected representative to our sport. While Justin was only part of the Andretti lineup for a short time, it only took a second for him to forever become part of the Andretti family. His life and racing career is a story of class and passion surpassed by none. Our thoughts and prayers remain with the Wilson family and fans worldwide.

Motorsports Journal - So brutally sad to hear about the passing of race car driver, engineer, and great friend to most all he met ... Justin Wilson. May peace surround the fans, friends, & family Justin leaves behind.

In lieu of flowers and other remembrance, please consider a donation to:

Wilson Children’s Fund
c/o INDYCAR
4551 W. 16th Street
Indianapolis, IN 46222

Video from still photography from two races run in 2014 Verizon IndyCar Series. The Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach and the MAVTv500 at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California.

The main qualifying sequence was captured as Justin Wilson was set to make his qualifications run under the direction of IndyCar Race Control Director, Beaux Barfield. Asset Credit: Edmund Jenks (2014)

... notes From The EDJE


TAGS: @justin_wilson #GodSpeed #JustinWilson, #indycar, #RIPJustinWilson, #imsa, #ChampCar, #FormulaE, #RestInPeace, #F1, #BadAssWilson, The EDJE

Pocono Indy Car Race with an ugly ending. (By Josh Farmer)

POSTED ON AUGUST 23, 2015

BY JOSH FARMER

Contributor to The Motorsports Report

Hunter-Reay wins chaotic ABC Supply 500 as Wilson is injured

Content

Ryan Hunter-Reay took his second win of the 2015 season at the ABC Supply 500, but the celebration was muted by a serious accident involving his teammate, Justin Wilson.

Josef Newgarden was the early man to beat after two aborted starts. The Tennessean made a bold 4-wide pass for the lead and preceded lead the opening stint. Following the first round of pitstops, the yellow flag flew for Jack Hawksworth’s car losing a wheel which brought the remainder of the field down pit road and cycling the lead back to Newgarden.

Newgarden picked up where he left off on the restart as Tony Kanaan soon roared to life and picked his way through the pack and took the lead on lap 55. Following the next round of pitstops, Team Penske’s Simon Pagenaud managed to take the lead by the virtue of making better fuel mileage than his rivals.

Polesitter Helio Castroneves soon joined the fight and took the lead before the second yellow flag of the day on lap 85 flew for Jack Hawksworth and Charlie Kimball coming together.

Following a round of pitstops, Castroneves maintained the lead only for a corner as Tony Kanaan passed him while championship changing drama unfolded behind them on lap 93. Second place man Graham Rahal was riding in the back of the pack after a fueling issue cost him several valuable seconds. Rahal was hit by Tristan Vautier who dove down low as the two went three wide with Justin Wilson and they crashed in turn three.

Kanaan held the lead briefly until his rookie teammate Sage Karam took the lead briefly before being forced to pit after just a few laps at the front.

Karam would catch a lucky break as the yellow flag flew once again for debris from Ed Carpenter’s Chevrolet on lap 109 which brought the field down pit road again. Gabby Chaves inherited the lead as he along with Will Power and Justin Wilson stayed out under the yellow.

The Columbian rookie did not back down and diced with Penske giants Helio Castroneves and Will Power for the lead before being forced to pit under green. Meanwhile, Ryan Hunter-Reay rose to the occasion and took the lead for the first time of the day.

Much like Karam’s luck, Chaves would regain the lead as the yellow would fly once again for Tony Kanaan’s spin on lap 132 and crash in the short chute. He would lose the lead on the restart to Simon Pagenaud but the yellow flew again for Marco Andretti’s crash in turn one.

Hunter-Reay picked up the lead on the restart and held for 12 laps until a fox ran on the track on lap 163, bringing out another yellow. Ryan Briscoe and Justin Wilson stayed out under the yellow as the rest of the field pitted as the field geared up for the restart on lap 167. Karam didn’t get going which produced a spectacular display as the field went seven wide going into turn 1 and nearly making it stick but Helio Castroneves crashed, which inevitably brought out another yellow.

The majority of the field pitted again in order to top up with fuel to insure that they would go the distance.

After four laps of yellow, the race restarted and saw its longest green flag stretch since the opening and featured rookie Sage Karam, Josef Newgarden and Takuma Sato taking turns at the front.

Karam soon extended his lead comfortably but fuel was becoming a concern for the young rookie. With 21 laps to go, Karam spun coming out of turn 1 and hit the outside wall head on. Scattering debris across the track.

While trying to avoid the debris, Wilson was struck by a piece of the nosecone from Karam’s crash.

The Briton was extracted from his car and was airlifted to Leigh Valley Health Network Cedar Crest Hospital for an apparent head injury.

The race was never red flagged and Gabby Chaves picked up the lead once again. With seven laps to go the race restarted and Ryan Hunter-Reay wasted no time roaring to the front and took the lead for good as Chaves would fall out himself with an engine failure with three laps to go, which ended the race under yellow.

The celebration was muted as Hunter-Reay’s thoughts were with his teammate.

“Obviously, first and foremost, we’re thinking about Justin Wilson,” he said. “With heads exposed and when you get flying debris, it’s a bad luck deal. Our thoughts are with him. I know him and his family well, they’re great friends of ours. Really, really just thinking about Justin right now.”

IndyCar officials announced that Justin Wilson is in a coma and has suffered a severe head injury following the accident and is listed in critical condition.

Tags : ABC Supply 500, Pocono Raceway, Ryan Hunter-Reay

ABOUT JOSH FARMER

Josh Farmer has covered motorsports since 2012 with a focus on the Verizon IndyCar Series, the TUDOR United Sportscar Championship and the FIA World Endurance Championship.