Dan Wheldon Memorial ProAm (and RoboPong 200) info page

Posted on September 17, 2014 by setupsheet — Leave a comment

The 2nd annual Dan Wheldon Memorial ProAm kart race and 11th annual RoboPong 200 kart race will take place at New Castle Motorsports Park this weekend (September 20th & September 21st). Both events feature Verizon IndyCar Series drivers, Mazda Road To Indy drivers, and local media celebrities. More information on both events is below:

Admission:

  • FREE!   Pit passes are available for a very reasonable $10 donation

Weather:

Where:

  • New Castle Motorsports Park  – 5816 S County Road 125 W, New Castle, IN 47362 – just off of Interstate 70 at the Indiana State Road 3 (New Castle) exit.

Watch Live:

Even if you can’t be at the Dan Wheldon Memorial ProAm race live you can watch the proceedings here –> New Castle Motorsports Park live video and timing

Last year the event raised over $100,000, and this year will benefit: 

 Social Media Info:

Sponsors and Driver Line-Ups:

Sponsor Pro Driver Driver #2 Driver #3 Driver #4
Motorsport Graphic Design Marco Andretti PJ Chesson Tyler Graff Mark Dismore, Jr.
Performance Tire Service Ryan Briscoe Jeremiah Stotler George Clark Questin Vester
Machine of Awesome Ed Carpenter Taylor Kiel Adam Rovazzini Blair Julian
Indianapolis Motor Speedway Conor Daly Jimmy Simpson Tony George, Jr. Chris Owens
Target Scott Dixon Don Humphrey Carter Howard Todd Davis
AL Consulting Jack Harvey TBD Robert Dematti Anton Julian
CF Charities J.R. Hildebrand Larry Caplin Brent Brush Steve Knight
United Fiber & Data James Hinchcliffe Lindsey Brewer Matthew Brabham Nathan O’Rourke
Bell Racing USA Jay Howard Chris Wheeler Even Mehan David Malukas
Big Machine Records Tony Kanaan David Garbo Scott Borchetta Mark Borchetta
Comfort Revolution Sage Karam Sean Scott Andy Dunne Brennan Harrington
American Honda Josef Newgarden Holly Wheldon Dave Furst Chase Jones
Verizon IndyCar Series Spencer Pigot Mike Kitchel Brian Simpson CJ O’Donnell
Firestone Racing Sebastian Saavedra Zach Roehm Johnny O. Steele Mike Wortinger
CAPE Rhonda Trammell Chandler Horton Ryan Hoover Gijs VanGelder

Media:

When: 

Schedule for Saturday September 20, 2014

Time Activity Series
7am Gates Open
9am-9:20am Practice RoboPong 200
9:50am-10:10am Practice Dan Wheldon Memorial ProAm
10:10am-10:30am Practice RoboPong 200
11am-11:20am Practice Dan Wheldon Memorial ProAm
11:45am-12:15am Autograph Session Pro drivers
11:20am-11-40am Practice RoboPong 200
12:30pm-2:30pm Race Dan Wheldon Memorial ProAm
2:50pm-3pm Practice RoboPong 200
4:10pm-5:10pm Qualifying RoboPong 200

Schedule for Sunday, September 21, 2014

Time Activity Series
8:30am-9:15am Final Practice RoboPong 200
11:45am-12:30pm Pre-race RoboPong 200
1:10PM Race 11th annual RoboPong200

Verizon IndyCar Series, Mazda Road To Indy, and other ‘celebrity’ competitors in the RoboPong 200

  • Neil Alberico – Pro Mazda presented by Cooper Tire driver
  • Lee Bentham – former Formula Atlantic champion and currently Ed Carpenter Racing driver coach
  • Jordan Bernloehr – recently tested Cooper Tires USF2000 powered by Mazda
  • Ed Carpenter – Verizon IndyCar Series driver
  • Scott Dixon – Verizon IndyCar Series driver
  • Davey Hamilton, Jr. – sprint car driver and son of Davey Hamilton
  • James Hinchcliffe – Verizon IndyCar Series driver
  • Tim Hollowell – Cooper Tires USF2000 powered by Mazda driver
  • Sage Karam – Verizon IndyCar Series & TUDOR United SportsCar Championship driver
  • Nathan O’Rourke – Verizon IndyCar Series engineer for James Hinchcliffe
  • Josef Newgarden – Verizon IndyCar Series driver
  • Spencer Pigot – 2014 Pro Mazda presented by Cooper Tire champion
  • Jimmy Simpson – Indy Lights presented by Cooper Tire driver

 

 

Susie Wheldon addresses the crowd at the Dan Wheldon Memorial ProAm (Photo Courtesy of IndyCar)

Susie Wheldon addresses the crowd at the Dan Wheldon Memorial ProAm (Photo Courtesy of IndyCar)

 Highlights from the 2013 event:

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Posted in IndyCar

Mazda Road To Indy Chris Griffis Memorial Test driver bios

Posted on September 12, 2014 by setupsheet — Leave a comment

Indy Lights presented by Cooper Tire

 

Parker Kligerman – No. 7 Schmidt Peterson Motorsports

Parker Kligerman at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in May 2014 (photo courtesy of PK Racing)

Parker Kligerman at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in May 2014 (photo courtesy of PK Racing)

Basics:

About:

  • managed by Schmidt Peterson Motorsports driver coach Bob Perona
  • will be making his first venture into open-wheel formula cars since 2006, when he won 11 of 16 races on the way to the Formula TR Pro Series Championship
  • after hitting a funding dead end, he made the foray into front engine cars, spending a couple of seasons wheeling USAC Midgets
  • made his first stock car start in 2008 and in 2009 he scored 9 wins on the way to a runner-up finishing in ARCA
  • 50 NASCAR Camping World Series truck starts including a win and 5th in the 2012 championship
  • 51 NASCAR Nationwide Series starts, that includes a 9th in the 2013 championship
  • 10 NASCAR Sprint Cup starts, with 8 of them coming in 2014
  • is an analyst on NASCAR America on the NBC Sports Network.

Quote:

Ever since I drove a go-kart for the first time, my quest was to advance to the top levels of open-wheel racing,” said Kligerman. “After winning an open-wheel championship in 2006, I found myself on a different path; driving stock cars. I spent five years in the top three NASCAR divisions, but unfortunate circumstances rerouted my path earlier this year.

I’ve always looked for opportunities that can further my career, so I want to thank Sam [Schmidt] and Schmidt Peterson Motorsports for this opportunity in Indy Lights to test an open-wheel car for the first time in eight years. Although it will be a challenge, I’m looking forward to having fun and working with a championship-caliber, open-wheel team.

 

Alan Sciuto – No. 10 Schmidt Peterson Motorsports 

Basics:

  • Age: 26
  • Hometown: Orange, CA

About:

  • last race was a 2nd place finish behind Simona de Silvestro at the 2008 Atlantic Championship race in Long Beach
  • made Atlantic Championship debut as a 17 year-old in 2005, and scored a pole and two top 4’s in 3 races
  • contested the full 2006 and 2007 Atlantic Championship seasons, finishing eight both times
  • also has experience in Skip Barber, Formula Ford 2000, Formula BMW and Pro Mazda
  • had an outstanding karting career and was part of the 2003 Red Bull Formula 1 driver search

Dalton Kellett – No. 17 Pabst Racing 

Dalton Kellett (Photo Courtesy of Andersen Promotions)

Dalton Kellett (Photo Courtesy of Andersen Promotions)

Basics:

About:

  • just completed his rookie Pro Mazda presented by Cooper Tire campaign, coming home in 10th in the championship, which included one podium and nine top 10 finishes
  • made on Indy Lights start, at Baltimore, with Pabst Racing in 2013
  • contested the 2012 and 2013 USF2000 championships with Pabst Racing, amassing 8 top 10’s along the way
  • scored 3rd place in the 2011 Ontario Formula Ford Championship
  • had an impressive karting career that included coming 2nd in the Canadian Karting Championship in 2010
  • currently in his 4th year at prestigious Queens University in Kingston Ontario, studying engineering physics

Spencer Pigot – No. 42 Schmidt Peterson Motorsports

Spencer Pigot (Photo Courtesy of Andersen Promotions)

Spencer Pigot (Photo Courtesy of Andersen Promotions)

Basics:

About:

  • just won the 2014 Pro Mazda presented by Cooper Tire championship, leading in wins (6), poles (5) and laps led
  • 3rd place in the just completed 2014 Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada
  • 4th place in 2013 Pro Mazda Championship
  • 2nd place in both the 2011 and 2012 USF2000 championships, scoring 8 wins in 2012
  • two time Team USA scholarship winner
  • also has experience in Skip Barber and various Formula Ford series
  • had a successful karting career under the tutelage of Jay Howard
  • born in Pasadena, CA, grew up in Orlando, FL and currently lives in Indianapolis, IN

Quote:

My season in Pro Mazda had a great ending, but there were some points that were very challenging and helped me grow as a driver,” Pigot said. “I learned how to bounce back from setbacks, and I hope to put that new knowledge to great use next season in Indy Lights.

The Indy Lights car has more downforce, which is a lot of fun for me,” he said. “I really enjoyed the car last year in my test. It handles better and brakes better than the Pro Mazda car, and I can’t wait to get back to it with SPM, a team that knows this car better than anyone

Pro Mazda presented by Cooper Tire

Florian Latorre – No. 2 Cape Motorsports w/ Wayne Taylor Racing

Florian Latorre (Photo Courtesy of Andersen Promotions)

Florian Latorre (Photo Courtesy of Andersen Promotions)

Basics:

About:

  • just won the 2014 Cooper Tires USF2000 powered by Mazda championship, which included three wins, 8 podiums and top 10’s in all but one of the 14 races
  • contested the 2013 USF2000 series and came home in 6th places, scoring 2 podiums
  • his first year in ‘cars’ was in 2012 when he took part in the French F4 championship
  • has an extensive karting background, including the X30 Junior European Championship

 

Jose Gutierrez – No. 5 Juncos Racing

Jose Gutierrez (Photo Courtesy of Andersen Promotions)

Jose Gutierrez (Photo Courtesy of Andersen Promotions)

Basics:

About:

  • just completed his first full season in cars, a 7th place finish in the Pro Mazda presented by Cooper Tire championship, that included one win, one pole and two podiums
  • in 2013, contested partial seasons of Pro Mazda and Latam Formula 2000
  • his uncle and grandfather were both race car drivers
  • started karting at age four with impressive wins in the Rotax Mini Max Championship and Mexican Grand National Championship

Quote

I can’t wait to get back in the car,” said Gutiérrez. “It’s awesome to test with Juncos Racing in Indy. There are a lot of good memories there. Let’s keep the momentum from the win in Sonoma and try our best to be one of the fastest in the test.

Garett Grist – No. 6 Juncos Racing

Garett Grist (Photo Courtesy of Andersen Promotions)

Garett Grist (Photo Courtesy of Andersen Promotions)

Basics:

About:

  • just completed his first season in Pro Mazda presented by Cooper Tire with an 8th place championship finish that included, two wins, three poles, 100 laps led
  • was third in the 2013 Cooper Tires USF2000 powered by Mazda championship with one win
  • scored third in the F1600 Championship in 2012 and represented Canada at the Formula Ford Festival
  • 2011 saw him score second in the Ontario Formula Ford championship
  • started karting at age 6

Quote:

“I’m very excited for this weekend’s test at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway with Juncos Racing,” said Grist. “It’ll be my first time working with them, so we will see how it goes. It will be cool to try a different car to see the similarities and differences. I’m looking forward to working with them and continuing to learn.”

 

Austin Cindric – No. 7 Juncos Racing

Austin Cindric (Photo Courtesy of Andersen Promotions)

Austin Cindric (Photo Courtesy of Andersen Promotions)

Basics:

About:

  • just completed his second Cooper Tires USF2000 powered by Mazda season with Pabst Racing, scoring a second place finish in the oval race at Lucas Oil Raceway
  • his 2014 has also included races in Pirelli World Challenge and Global Rally Cross
  • started his open wheel career in Skip Barber after racing Legends cars in the Charlotte, NC area
  • racing is in his blood, he is the son of Team Penske president Tim Cindric and Megan (Trueman) who is the daughter of Jim Trueman

Quote:

“I am very excited about the opportunity to drive at the Chris Griffis Memorial Test with Juncos Racing,” said Cindric. “This test will be my first time in a Pro Mazda car. I expect to learn quite a bit in my two days with such an experienced group like Juncos Racing.”

 

Timothe Buret – No. 18 Juncos Racing

Basics:

  • Age: 19
  • Hometown: Montpellier, FRANCE

About:

  • tested a Formula E car for China Racing
  • competed in the 2013 V de V single seater championship in France

Quote:

“I am extremely honored to test with Juncos Racing, the 2014 Pro Mazda Championship team during the upcoming Chris Griffis Memorial Test,” said Buret. “My weekend objectives are to learn the Pro Mazda car, the team working method, and the Indianapolis Grand Prix Circuit to prepare for the 2015 championship. Ultimately this weekend is also a great opportunity to gauge my speed with the best Pro Mazda drivers.”

 

Neil Alberico – No. 27 Andretti Autosport

Basics:

 

Michael Johnson – No. 54 JDC Motorsports

Basics:

 

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One up, one down… the story of Portante’s Cooper Tires USF2000 powered by Mazda season

Posted on September 12, 2014 by setupsheet — Leave a comment

Peter Portante’s final 2014 Cooper Tires USF2000 powered by Mazda weekend mirrored so many of his other weekends this season; one up race, and one down race.  The 18 year-old from Plainville, Connecticut rode the quickest lap of the race to a 4th place finish in race #1, but contact on the second corner of race #2 led to a disappointing 17th place finish.

Portante’s racing season isn’t quite done yet, as he will be piloting a Pro Mazda presented by Cooper Tire car for Team Pelfrey during the Chris Griffis Memorial Mazda Road To Indy test on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course.  The test takes place on September 13 and 14, 2014.

Here is Peter’s blog, thanks for following along all season…

The 2014 USF2000 race season is finally over: The short season that really flew by and ended recently in Sonoma, California, at Sonoma Raceway, a track that I had never been to. The weekend really summed up my whole season. The first day of testing was never good, and unfortunately, going along with the usual pattern of my season, when the day was over we found out the setup on the car was very poor and not in the direction we needed for a strong run. The ArmsUp Motorsports guys got to work, we adjusted it and went out for practice the next day. We immediately put ourselves into the top 5, which felt great after the previous session. In the end, although we got to where we needed, it was very disappointing as we had lost so much seat time to silly errors. In racing, there is always all the small things that go wrong, and it becomes even worse when it is out of your hands.

In qualifying we would make some adjustments that would go a bit too much in one direction and ended up 6th, but the car was still very strong. As race one started, I was speedster by the lead pack of cars. I worked my way up from P6 all the way to P4 to catch the leaders but ran out of laps to pass them, as the laps I ran were 0.5 seconds faster than anyone else. In the second race, everything was looking good, but it all ended straight away on lap one with contact from another car. It was a disappointing way to end the 2014 race season, one that had already been filled with bad luck. It was always up and down, with us never really getting a chance to show ourselves, but now we have to look to next year.

Next year brings its own set of challenges.  First and foremost is raising a budget to go racing. Especially in racing where I don’t think I know one driver that doesn’t come from the top of society. But that’s how it goes, racing, the only sport where talent doesn’t necessarily mean you’re guaranteed anything. However, when I make, it won’t have anything to do with financial backing. I’d like to thank ArmsUp Motorsports for pushing on through all of the ups and downs and for giving me a chance this season. It wasn’t easy, but we made it through.

Peter Portante gets ready to turn the quickest lap in Cooper Tires USF2000 powered by Mazda race #1 at Sonoma Raceway. (Photo Courtesy of Andersen Promotions)

Peter Portante gets ready to turn the quickest lap in Cooper Tires USF2000 powered by Mazda race #1 at Sonoma Raceway. (Photo Courtesy of Andersen Promotions)

Some of Peter’s season stats:

  • points –> 6th
  • podiums –> 2
  • top 10’s –> 8
  • average starting position –> 7.6
  • average finishing position –> 9.3
  • percent of laps complete –> 86.3%

I’d like to thank Peter for agreeing to share a little bit of himself on The-Set-Up Sheet.  I hope you all caught a glimpse of his personality and what a great sense of humor he has.

…and he’s a pretty darn fine shoe too.

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2014 Pro Mazda presented by Cooper Tire Championship by the numbers

Posted on September 12, 2014 by setupsheet — Leave a comment

The 2014 Pro Mazda presented by Cooper Tire season featured a back-and-forth battle between veteran Spencer Pigot and rookie Scott Hargrove.  Pigot won the first four races on the way to scoring the most series wins, and took an early commanding lead.   Hargrove’s consistency and series leading 10 podiums allowed him to  storm back in the middle of the season, making a tight race of it.  A crazy championship deciding event at Sonoma Raceway saw both drivers leading the championship at different points during the weekend.  In the end, it was Hargrove’s second DNF of the season, that cost him a championship.

Make sure you checkout the Pro Mazda You Tube page for all the on-track highlights and the Road To Indy TV page for all the off-track highlights of the competitive 2014 season.

Here more numbers and stats behind the 2014 Pro Mazda presented by Cooper Tire season:

Series Stats

  • number of races: 14
  • number of drivers turning laps: 32
  • total laps: 424
  • total miles: 671.3
  • number of cautions: 21
  • number of caution laps: 57
  • % of laps under caution: 13.4%
  • number of penalties: 8
  • number of DNF’s: 31

 

Results

Driver Point Standings 

Spencer Pigot and Scott Hargrove engaged in a spirited championship fight all season long in Pro Mazda presented by Cooper Tire (Photo Courtesy of Andersen Promotions)

Spencer Pigot and Scott Hargrove engaged in a spirited championship fight all season long in Pro Mazda presented by Cooper Tire (Photo Courtesy of Andersen Promotions)

Rank Driver Points
1 Spencer Pigot 309
2 Scott Hargrove 299
3 Neil Alberico 239
4 Shelby Blackstock 235
5 Nicolas Costa 224
6 Kyle Kaiser 211
7 Jose Gutierrez 201
8 Garett Grist 199
9 Ryan Booth 173
10 Dalton Kellett 160
11 Julia Ballario 152
12 Kyle Connery 93
13 Michael Johnson 90
14 Pipo Derani 88
15 Michele Bumgarner 79
16 Bobby Eberle 66
17 Brandon Newey 63
18 Jay Horak 48
19 Felipe Donato 36
20 Jack Aitken 31
21 Alex Keyes 29
22 Jeff Harrison 29
23 Joey Bickers 22
24 Parker Nicklin 18
25 Anders Krohn 17
26 Vicky Piria 17
27 Carlos Conde 17
28 Clarke Toppe 16
29 Jason Rabe 13
30 Brian Lift 7
31 Stan Kohls 6
32 Jason Bedasse 4

Expert Driver Point Standings

For the second straight year it was Jay Horak and Bobby Eberle who battled for the Pro Mazda presented by Cooper Tire Expert Championship. This year it was Eberle who came out on top. (Photo Courtesy of Andersen Promotions)

For the second straight year it was Jay Horak and Bobby Eberle who battled for the Pro Mazda presented by Cooper Tire Expert Championship. This year it was Eberle who came out on top. (Photo Courtesy of Andersen Promotions)

Rank Driver Points
1 Bobby Eberle 202
2 Jay Horak 153
3 Jeff Herrison 88
4 Carlos Conde 66
5 Stan Kohls 37
6 Jason Rabe 23
7 Jason Bedasse 16

 Rookie Points Standings

Rank Driver Points
1 Scott Hargrove 299
2 Neil Alberico 239
3 Garett Grist 199
4 Ryan Booth 173
5 Dalton Kellett 160
6 Kyle Connery 93
7 Michael Johnson 90
8 Pipo Derani 88
9 Brandon Newey 63
10 Felipe Donato 36
11 Jack Aitken 31
12 Alex Keyes 29
13 Joey Bickers 22
14 Parker Nicklin 18
15 Vicky Piria 17
16 Clarke Toppe 16
17 Brian Lift 7

Team Point Standings

The 2014 edition of Juncos Racing, the Pro Mazda presented by Cooper Tire team champions (Photo Courtesy of Andersen Promotions)

The 2014 edition of Juncos Racing, the Pro Mazda presented by Cooper Tire team champions (Photo Courtesy of Andersen Promotions)

Rank Team Points
1 Juncos Racing 375
2 Cape Motorsports w/ WTR 346
3 Team Pelfrey 259
4 Andretti Autosport 238
5 JDC Motorsports 117
6 World Speed Motorsports 52
7 M1 Racing 45
8 HAVOC Motorsport 8

Other Tangible Numbers 

Wins

At Barber Motorsports Park, Spencer Pigot leads the first lap (one of 166 he led in 2014) from pole (one of five he scored in 2014) on the way to one of his six victories. (Photo Courtesy of Andersen Promotions)

At Barber Motorsports Park, Spencer Pigot leads the first lap (one of 166 he led in 2014) from pole (one of five he scored in 2014) on the way to one of his six victories. (Photo Courtesy of Andersen Promotions)

Rank Driver Wins
1 Spencer Pigot 6
2 Scott Hargrove 3
3 Garett Grist 2
4 Nicolas Costa 1
5 Jose Gutierrez 1
6 Kyle Kaiser 1

Laps Led

Rank Driver Laps Led
1 Spencer Pigot 166
2 Garett Grist 100
3 Scott Hargrove 91
4 Nicolas Costa 22
5 Kyle Kaiser 13
6 Neil Alberico 11
7 Dalton Kellett 8
8 Jose Gutierrez 4

Poles

Rank Driver Poles
1 Spencer Pigot 5
2 Garett Grist 3
3 Scott Hargrove 3
4 Nicolas Costa 2
5 Jose Gutierrez 1

Podiums

Scott Hargrove leads the field into Turn 1 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on the way to one his Pro Mazda presented by Cooper Tire leading 10 podiums. (Photo Courtesy of Andersen Promotions)

Scott Hargrove leads the field into Turn 1 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on the way to one his Pro Mazda presented by Cooper Tire leading 10 podiums. (Photo Courtesy of Andersen Promotions)

Rank Driver Podiums
1 Scott Hargrove 10
2 Spencer Pigot 7
3 Shelby Blackstock 6
4 Neil Alberico 4
5 Nicolas Costa 4
6 Kyle Kaiser 4
7 Garett Grist 2
8 Jose Gutierrez 2
9 Ryan Booth 1
10 Pipo Derani 1
11 Dalton Kellett 1

DNF’s

Rank Driver DNF’s
1 Ryan Booth 3
2 Nicolas Costa 3
3 Jason Bedasse 2
4 Shelby Blackstock 2
5 Scott Hargrove 2
6 Michael Johnson 2
7 Neil Alberico 1
8 Michele Bumgarner 1
9 Carlos Conde 1
10 Pipo Derani 1
11 Felipe Donato 1
12 Bobby Eberle 1
13 Garett Grist 1
14 Jose Gutierrez 1
15 Jay Horak 1
16 Dalton Kellett 1
17 Stan Kohls 1
18 Brian Lift 1
19 Brandon Newey 1
20 Spencer Pigot 1
21 Vicky Piria 1
22 Jason Rabe 1
23 Clark Toppe

The Averages

Average Starting Position

Rank Driver Avg. Starting Postion
1 Spencer Pigot 2.4
2 Scott Hargrove 3.1
3 Anders Krohn 4
4 Kyle Kaiser 4.3
5 Jose Gutierrez 5.4
6 Shelby Blackstock 6
7 Pipo Derani 6
8 Garett Grist 6.1
9 Neil Alberico 6.6
10 Nicolas Costa 7
11 Jack Aitken 9
12 Ryan Booth 9.1
13 Joey Bickers 9.5
14 Dalton Kellett 10.9
15 Julia Ballario 11.6
16 Clarke Toppe 12.5
17 Michael Johnson 12.6
18 Alex Keyes 13
19 Brandon Newey 13
20 Kyle Connery 14
21 Vicky Piria 15.3
22 Jeff Harrison 15.5
23 Stan Kohls 15.5
24 Brian Lift 15.5
25 Felipe Donato 16.2
26 Michele Bumgarner 16.3
27 Parker Nicklin 17
28 Jay Horak 17.2
29 Bobby Eberle 18.3
30 Jason Rabe 19
31 Carlos Conde 19.8
32 Jason Bedasse 20

Average Finishing Position

Rank Driver Avg. Finishing Position
1 Scott Hargrove 4.6
2 Spencer Pigot 5
3 Anders Krohn 5
4 Neil Alberico 5.9
5 Shelby Blackstock 6.4
6 Jack Aitkin 6.5
7 Alex Keyes 6.5
8 Pipo Derani 7.3
9 Nicolas Costa 7.6
10 Jose Gutierrez 7.9
11 Kyle Kaiser 8.1
12 Garett Grist 8.6
13 Dalton Kellett 9.1
14 Ryan Booth 9.2
15 Joey Bickers 10
16 Julia Ballario 10.4
17 Kyle Connery 10.8
18 Clark Toppe 11
19 Parker Nicklin 12
20 Brandon Newey 13
21 Michele Bumgarner 13.8
22 Felipe Donato 13.8
23 Jeff Harrison 13.8
24 Jason Rabe 14
25 Michael Johnson 14.1
26 Vicky Piria 15
27 Bobby Eberle 15.3
28 Jay Horak 15.5
29 Carlos Conde 16.5
30 Brian Lift 17
31 Stan Kohls 17.5
32 Jason Bedasse 18.5

Percent of laps completed (out of a possible 424 laps)

Juncos Racing driver Julia Ballario completed 421 of a possible 424 laps during the 2014 Pro Mazda presented by Cooper Tire Championship, the most of any competitor. (Photo Courtesy of Andersen Promotions)

Juncos Racing driver Julia Ballario completed 421 of a possible 424 laps during the 2014 Pro Mazda presented by Cooper Tire Championship, the most of any competitor. (Photo Courtesy of Andersen Promotions)

 

Rank Driver laps completed (%)
1 Julia Ballario 99.3
2 Spencer Pigot 96.9
3 Nicolas Costa 96.7
4 Jose Gutierrez 96
5 Ryan Booth 95.8
6 Garett Grist 95.5
7 Neil Alberico 95.1
8 Kyle Kaiser 94.1
9 Shelby Blackstock 92.9
10 Scott Hargrove 92.7
11 Michael Johnson 87.3
12 Dalton Kellett 86.8
13 Michele Bumgarner 62.7
14 Kyle Connery 58.3
15 Bobby Eberle 52.4
16 Jay Horak 34.7
17 Brandon Newey 33.7
18 Pipo Derani 23.4
19 Jeff Harrison 21.7
20 Anders Krohn 21.2
21 Felipe Donato 20.8
22 Carlos Conde 16.3
23 Vicky Piria 10.4
24 Clark Toppe 9.0
25 Jack Aitkin 8.0
26 Joey Bickers 8.0
27 Alex Keyes 8.0
28 Parker Nicklin 8.0
29 Jason Bedasse 4.7
30 Brian Lift 4.7
31 Jason Rabe 4.7
32 Stan Kohls 3.8

Pace

 

2014 Pro Mazda presented by Cooper Tire Champion Spencer Pigot showed amazing pace all season long. (Photo Courtesy of Andersen Promotions)

2014 Pro Mazda presented by Cooper Tire Champion Spencer Pigot showed amazing pace all season long. (Photo Courtesy of Andersen Promotions)

Number of times having the fastest race lap 

Rank Driver # of Fastest Laps
1 Spencer Pigot 6
2 Scott Hargrove 4
3 Neil Alberico 2
4 Nicolas Costa 1
5 Kyle Kaiser 1

Number of times having a race lap in the top 5 quickest laps

Rank Driver # of Top 5 Quickest Laps
1 Spencer Pigot 13
2 Scott Hargrove 12
3 Neil Alberico 10
4 Garett Grist 9
5 Shelby Blackstock 6
6 Nicolas Costa 6
7 Kyle Kaiser 5
8 Jose Gutierrez 4
9 Pipo Derani 2
10 Dalton Kellett 2
11 Ryan Booth 1

Average of quickest lap 

Rank Driver Avg. Quickest Lap
1 Spencer Pigot 2.4
2 Scott Hargrove 3.6
3 Neil Alberico 5.1
4 Garett Grist 6.4
5 Shelby Blackstock 6.5
6 Nicolas Costa 6.5
7 Kyle Kaiser 6.9
8 Jose Gutierrez 7.6
9 Anders Krohn 8
10 Alex Keyes 9.5
11 Clark Toppe 9.5
12 Joey Bickers 10
13 Pipo Derani 10
14 Ryan Booth 10.3
15 Kyle Connery 10.4
16 Jack Aitken 10.5
17 Michael Johnson 10.8
18 Dalton Kellett 10.8
19 Julia Ballario 12
20 Felipe Donato 12.6
21 Brandon Newey 12.9
22 Michele Bumgarner 15
23 Parker Nicklin 15
24 Vicky Piria 15.7
25 Jeff Harrison 16
26 Bobby Eberle 16.8
27 Jay Horak 16.9
28 Brian Lift 17
29 Jason Rabe 17
30 Jason Bedasse 19
31 Carlos Conde 19
32 Stan Kohls 20.5

 

Breaking Down the Points

Oval Points

Pro Mazda presented by Cooper Tire drivers dive into T1 at Lucas Oil Raceway (Photo Courtesy of Andersen Promotions)

Pro Mazda presented by Cooper Tire drivers dive into T1 at Lucas Oil Raceway (Photo Courtesy of Andersen Promotions)

Rank Driver Points
1 Spencer Pigot 54
2 Scott Hargrove 51
3 Garett Grist 41
4 Shelby Blackstock 36
5 Nicolas Costa 36
6 Neil Alberico 34
7 Ryan Booth 25
8 Julia Ballario 24
9 Jose Gutierrez 24
10 Kyle Kaiser 24
11 Anders Krohn 17
12 Kyle Connery 13
13 Michael Johnson 11
14 Dalton Kellett 10
15 Michele Bumgarner 8
16 Jack Aitkin 0
17 Jason Bedasse 0
18 Joey Bickers 0
19 Carlos Conde 0
20 Pipo Derani 0
21 Felipe Donato 0
22 Bobby Eberle 0
23 Jeff Harrison 0
24 Jay Horak 0
25 Alex Keyes 0
26 Stan Kohls 0
27 Brian Lift 0
28 Brandon Newey 0
29 Parker Nicklin 0
30 Vicky Piria 0
31 Jason Rabe 0
32 Clark Toppe 0

Street Course Points

Rank Driver Points
1 Spencer Pigot 110
2 Scott Hargrove 70
3 Shelby Blackstock 69
4 Kyle Kaiser 69
5 Nicolas Costa 60
6 Neil Alberico 57
7 Dalton Kellett 57
8 Julia Ballario 54
9 Ryan Booth 52
10 Pipo Derani 41
11 Jose Gutierrez 40
12 Garett Grist 36
13 Michele Bumgarner 35
14 Michael Johnson 35
15 Bobby Eberle 27
16 Kyle Connery 26
17 Jeff Harrison 18
18 Clark Toppe 16
19 Jay Horak 15
20 Felipe Donato 11
21 Brandon Newey 6
22 Jason Bedasse 4
23 Vicky Piria 1
24 Jack Aitken 0
25 Joey Bickers 0
26 Carlos Conde 0
27 Alex Keyes 0
28 Stan Kohls 0
29 Anders Krohn 0
30 Brian Lift 0
31 Parker Nicklin 0
32 Jason Rabe 0

Road Course Points

Rank Driver Points
1 Scott Hargrove 178
2 Neil Alberico 155
3 Spencer Pigot 145
4 Jose Gutierrez 136
5 Shelby Blackstock 130
6 Nicolas Costa 128
7 Garett Grist 122
8 Kyle Kaiser 118
9 Ryan Booth 96
10 Dalton Kellett 92
11 Julia Ballario 74
12 Brandon Newey 57
13 Kyle Connery 54
14 Pipo Derani 47
15 Michael Johnson 44
16 Bobby Eberle 37
17 Michele Bumgarner 36
18 Jay Horak 33
19 Jack Aitken 31
20 Alex Keyes 29
21 Felipe Donato 25
22 Joey Bickers 22
23 Parker Nicklin 18
24 Carlos Conde 16
25 Vicky Piria 16
26 Jason Rabe 13
27 Jeff Harrison 11
28 Brian Lift 7
29 Stan Kohls 6
30 Jason Bedasse 0
31 Anders Krohn 0
32 Clark Toppe 0
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2014 Indy Lights presented by Cooper Tire series by the numbers

Posted on September 5, 2014 by setupsheet — Leave a comment

The 2014 edition of the Indy Lights presented by Cooper Tire series came to a crescendo at Sonoma Raceway with the steady Gabby Chaves and late-charging Jack Harvey both completing the 1152+ miles of the season deadlocked on 547 points.  Chaves and Harvey each scored four wins in 2014, so the title was decided by whomever had the most second place finishes.  By a margin of five to one, Chaves led Harvey in that category.  You can pour over these stats all you want, but in my opinion Chaves winning the championship comes down to one thing, his prowess on the two staples of North American open wheel racing: ovals and street circuits.

If you missed any of the great action this year, you can watch all of the races on the Indy Lights presented by Cooper Tire YouTube page.

Series Stats

  • number of races: 14
  • number of drivers turning laps: 17
  • total laps: 567
  • total miles: 1152.509
  • number of cautions: 8
  • number of caution laps: 30
  • % of laps turned under caution: 5.3%
  • number of penalties: 1, a blocking penalty by Matthew Brabham during the Pocono 100
  • number of DNF’s: 14 

Driver Standings

Your three Indy Lights presented by Cooper Tire championship combatants: Zach Veach, Jack Harvey and Gabby Chaves. ((Photo Courtesy of Andersen Promotions)

Your three Indy Lights presented by Cooper Tire championship combatants: Zach Veach, Jack Harvey and Gabby Chaves. ((Photo Courtesy of Andersen Promotions)

 

Rank Driver Points
1 Gabby Chaves 547
2 Jack Harvey 547
3 Zach Veach 520
4 Matthew Brabham 424
5 Luiz Razia 403
6 Juan Pablo Garcia 372
7 Juan Piedrahita 337
8 Scott Anderson 309
9 Zack Meyer 274
10 Alex Baron 261
11 Lloyd Read 101
12 Ryan Phinny 91
13 Vittorio Ghirelli 90
14 Axcil Jefferies 60
15 Jimmy Simpson 42
16 Matthew Di Leo 28
17 Chase Austin 1

Driver Wins

  • 4 –> Gabby Chaves, Jack Harvey
  • 3 –> Zach Veach
  • 1 –> Matthew Brabham, Luiz Razia, and Alex Baron

Team Point Standings

Sam Schmidt collects another Indy Lights presented by Cooper Tire championship trophy (Photo Courtesy of Andersen Promotions)

Sam Schmidt collects another Indy Lights presented by Cooper Tire championship trophy (Photo Courtesy of Andersen Promotions)

Rank Driver Points
1 Schmidt Peterson Motorsports 403
2 Andretti Autosport 370
3 Belardi Auto Racing 357
4 Fan Force United 122
5 Team Moore Racing 111
6 BHA/JMM 56
7 MDL Racing 11

Team Wins

  • 5 –> Belardi Auto Racing, & Schmidt Peterson Motorsports
  • 4–> Andretti Autosport

Average Starting Position

Rank Driver Avg. starting spot
1 Gabby Chaves 2.6
2 Jack Harvey 3.1
3 Luiz Razia 3.5
4 Zach Veach 3.6
5 Matthew Brabham 3.9
6 Alex Baron 4.9
7 Axcil Jefferies 6
8 Chase Austin 7
9 Matthew Di Leo 7
10 Juan Piedrahita 7.4
11 Juan Pablo Garcia 8.4
12 Vittorio Ghirelli 8.5
13 Jimmy Simpson 8.5
14 Zack Meyer 9.2
15 Ryan Phinny 9.2
16 Scott Anderson 9.4
17 Lloyd Read 11.3

Average Finishing Position

Rank Driver Avg. finishing spot
1 Jack Harvey 2.9
2 Gabby Chaves 3.2
3 Zach Veach 3.6
4 Alex Baron 4.9
5 Axcil Jefferies 5
6 Luiz Razia 5.1
7 Matthew Brabham 5.3
8 Matthew Di Leo 6
9 Juan Pablo Garcia 6.7
10 Juan Piedrahita 7.4
11 Scott Anderson 8.4
12 Zack Meyer 8.6
13 Vittorio Ghirelli 8.8
14 Ryan Phinny 9.2
15 Jimmy Simpson 9.5
16 Lloyd Read 10.2
17 Chase Austin 11

Laps Led

Rank Driver Laps led
1 Jack Harvey 133
2 Gabby Chaves 123
3 Zach Veach 119
4 Matthew Brabham 111
5 Luiz Razia 45
6 Alex Baron 36
Schmidt Peterson Motorsports rookie Jack Harvey led the most laps in the 2014 Indy Lights presented by Cooper Tire season AND also completed every possible lap

Schmidt Peterson Motorsports rookie Jack Harvey led the most laps in the 2014 Indy Lights presented by Cooper Tire season AND also completed every possible lap

% of laps completed (out of a possible 567)

Rank Driver % of laps completed
1 Jack Harvey 100
2 Zach Veach 99.82
3 Juan Pablo Garcia 99.12
4 Gabby Chaves 98.59
5 Juan Piedrahita 92.59
6 Scott Anderson 91.53
7 Matthew Brabham 90.65
8 Luiz Razia 86.42
9 Zack Meyer 74.60
10 Alex Baron 49.38
11 Lloyd Read 32.10
12 Ryan Phinny 23.63
13 Vittorio Ghirelli 23.10
14 Axcil Jefferies 12.35
15 Jimmy Simpson 12.17
16 Matthew Di Leo 6.35
17 Chase Austin 2.47

Podiums

2014 Indy Lights presented by Cooper Tire champion Gabby Chaves, scored the most podiums this season (Photo Courtesy of Andersen Promotions)

2014 Indy Lights presented by Cooper Tire champion Gabby Chaves, scored the most podiums this season (Photo Courtesy of Andersen Promotions)

Rank Driver Podiums
1 Gabby Chaves 11
2 Jack Harvey 10
3 Zach Veach 9
4 Luiz Razia 5
5 Matthew Brabham 4
6 Alex Baron 3

Bonus Points Scored (pole, fastest lap, most laps led)

Rank Driver Bonus points
1 Jack Harvey 10
2 Zach Veach 9
3 Gabby Chaves 7
4 Matthew Brabham 6
5 Luiz Razia 3

Positions Gained & Lost from starting position

The always smiling Juan Pablo Garcia gained the positions during the 2014 Indy Lights presented by Cooper Tires season (Photo Courtesy of Andersen Promotions)

The always smiling Juan Pablo Garcia gained the positions during the 2014 Indy Lights presented by Cooper Tires season (Photo Courtesy of Andersen Promotions)

Rank Driver Spots gaind/lost
1 Juan Pablo Garcia +24
2 Scott Anderson +13
3 Zack Meyer +9
4 Lloyd Read +7
5 Jack Harvey +4
6 Axcil Jefferies +2
7 Matthew Di Leo +1
8 Alex Baron 0
9 Juan Piedrahita 0
10 Vittorio Ghirelli (-1)
11 Zach Veach (-1)
12 Ryan Phinny (-2)
13 Jimmy Simpson (-2)
14 Chase Austin (-4)
15 Gabby Chaves (-7)
16 Matthew Brabham (-19)
17 Luiz Razia (-22)

Points in the three oval races

His prowess on ovals and street circuits (the two distinctly North American racing disciplines), is what helped Gabby Chaves clinch the 2014 Indy Lights presented by Cooper Tires championship (Photo Courtesy of Andersen Promotions)

His prowess on ovals and street circuits (the two distinctly North American racing disciplines), is what helped Gabby Chaves clinch the 2014 Indy Lights presented by Cooper Tires championship (Photo Courtesy of Andersen Promotions)

Rank Driver Oval points
1 Gabby Chaves 137
2 Zach Veach 128
3 Matthew Brabham 113
4 Jack Harvey 95
5 Juan Pablo Garcia 86
6 Scott Anderson 82
7 Juan Piedrahita 78
8 Luiz Razia 58
9 Alex Baron 26
10 Zack Meyer 20
11 Chase Austin 1
12 Matthew Di Leo 0
13 Vittorio Ghirelli 0
14 Axcil Jefferies 0
15 Ryan Phinny 0
16 Lloyd Read 0
17 Jimmy Simpson 0

Points in the three street circuit races

Rank Driver Points
1 Gabby Chaves 132
2 Zach Veach 123
3 Alex Baron 105
4 Jack Harvey 103
5 Matthew Brabham 89
6 Juan Piedrahita 80
7 Juan Pablo Garcia 74
8 Zack Meyer 64
9 Luiz Razia 61
10 Vittorio Ghirelli 48
11 Scott Anderson 45
12 Matthew Di Leo 28
13 Lloyd Read 19
14 Ryan Phinny 1
15 Chase Austin 0
16 Axcil Jefferies 0
17 Jimmy Simpson 0

Points in the eight road circuit races

Rank Driver Points
1 Jack Harvey 349
2 Luiz Razia 284
3 Gabby Chaves 278
4 Zach Veach 267
5 Matthew Brabham 222
6 Juan Pablo Garcia 212
7 Zack Meyer 188
8 Scott Anderson 182
9 Juan Piedrahita 179
10 Alex Baron 135
11 Ryan Phinny 90
12 Lloyd Read 82
13 Axcil Jefferies 60
14 Vittorio Ghirelli 42
15 Jimmy Simpson 42
16 Chase Austin 0
17 Matthew Di Leo 0
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2014 Verizon IndyCar Series end of season stats – the bad boys (penalties) edition

Posted on September 2, 2014 by setupsheet — Leave a comment

The 2014 Verizon IndyCar Series season saw a total of 55 penalties called across the 18 races.  The equals an average of 3.05 penalties per race.  With seven penalties called, the drivers were most penalized during the Indianapolis 500.  There were a total of three races that saw no penalties called: Houston 2, Iowa and Milwaukee.  Below are list of all of the penalties per driver and by infraction.

 

Penalties per driver

Driver Number of Penalties
Will Power 5
Sebastien Bourdais 4
Carlos Huertas 4
Marco Andretti 3
Ryan Briscoe 3
Helio Castroneves 3
James Hinchcliffe 3
Ryan Hunter-Reay 3
Josef Newgarden 3
Graham Rahal 3
Sebastian Saavedra 3
Mikhail Aleshin 2
Mike Conway 2
Juan Montoya 2
Carlos Munoz 2
Martin Plowman 2
Ed Carpenter 1
Luca Filippi 1
Jack Hawksworth 1
Charlie Kimball 1
Buddy Lazier 1
Franck Montagny 1
Jacques Villeneuve 1
Alex Tagliani 1
Scott Dixon 0
Tony Kanaan 0
Simon Pagenaud 0
Takuma Sato 0
Justin Wilson 0

 

Penalties by infraction

Penalty Number of Penalties
pit speed violation 11
avoidable contact 8
pit safety infraction 8
entering closed pit 6
failure to follow direction 4
jumping restart 4
service in a closed pit 4
blocking 3
failure to heed blue flag 1
not packing up 1
passing pace car 1
passing under yellow 1
pit entry violation 1
pit exit violation 1
stopped in wrong pit 1
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2014 End of Season Verizon IndyCar Series Stats

Posted on August 30, 2014 by setupsheet — Leave a comment

How they started:

Average starting position

Rank Driver Average Start
1 Helio Castroneves 5.7
2 James Hinchcliffe 8.2
3 Ed Carpenter 8.3
4 Will Power 8.5
5 Simon Pagenaud 8.6
6 Scott Dixon 8.9
7 Tony Kanaan 9.2
8 Sebastien Bourdais 9.9
9 Ryan Hunter-Reay 10.2
10 Carlos Munoz 10.6
11 Juan Montoya 10.7
12 Josef Newgarden 10.8
13 Marco Andretti 12.4
14 Takuma Sato 12.6
15 Ryan Briscoe 12.8
16 Justin Wilson 13.1
17 Mikhail Aleshin 14
18 Mike Conway 14.2
19 Graham Rahal 14.4
20 Jack Hawksworth 15.6
21 Charlie Kimball 16.3
22 Sebastian Saavedra 17.5
23 Carlos Huertas 18

Poles

Driver 2014 Poles
Helio Castroneves 4
Will Power 4
Sebastien Bourdais 2
Takuma Sato 2
Ed Carpenter 1
Scott Dixon 1
Ryan Hunter-Reay 1
Juan Montoya 1
Simon Pagenaud 1
Sebastian Saavedra 1

Front Row Starts

Rank Driver Front Row Starts
1 Will Power 7
2 Helio Castroneves 6
3 James Hinchcliffe 5
4 Josef Newgarden 4
5 Tony Kanaan 3
6 Sebastien Bourdais 2
7 Juan Montoya 2
8 Takuma Sato 2
9 Mikhail Aleshin 1
10 Ed Carpenter 1
11 Scott Dixon 1
12 Carlos Munoz 1
13 Jack Hawksworth 1
14 Ryan Hunter-Reay 1
15 Simon Pagenaud 1
16 Sebastian Saavedra 1
17 Marco Andretti 0
18 Ryan Briscoe 0
19 Mike Conway 0
20 Carlos Huertas 0
21 Charlie Kimball 0
22 Graham Rahal 0
23 Justin Wilson 0

Top 10 starts

Rank Driver Top 10 starts
1 Helio Castroneves 16
2 Tony Kanaan 13
3 Scott Dixon 12
4 Will Power 12
5 James Hinchcliffe 11
6 Carlos Munoz 11
7 Simon Pagenaud 11
8 Sebastien Bourdais 10
9 Ryan Hunter-Reay 10
10 Josef Newgarden 10
11 Juan Montoya 9
12 Marco Andretti 8
13 Ryan Briscoe 7
14 Takuma Sato 7
15 Justin Wilson 6
16 Ed Carpenter 4
17 Jack Hawksworth 4
18 Graham Rahal 4
19 Mikhail Aleshin 3
20 Charlie Kimball 3
21 Mike Conway 2
22 Luca Filippi 2
23 Sebastian Saavedra 2
24 J.R. Hildebrand 1
25 Carlos Huertas 1

Firestone Fast Six Appearances

Rank Driver Firestone Fast Six Appearances
1 Ryan Hunter-Reay 6
2 Will Power 6
3 Helio Castroneves 5
4 Scott Dixon 5
5 James Hinchcliffe 4
6 Josef Newgarden 4
7 Simon Pagenaud 4
8 Sebastien Bourdais 3
9 Jack Hawksworth 3
10 Tony Kanaan 3
11 Ryan Briscoe 2
12 Takuma Sato 2
13 Marco Andretti 1
14 Mike Conway 1
15 Luca Filippi 1
16 Juan Montoya 1
17 Carlos Munoz 1
18 Sebastian Saavedra 1
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Not just a championship on the line…

Posted on August 29, 2014 by setupsheet — Leave a comment

There is still a race to win…

Understandably the focus of the MAVTV is one the championship fight between Will Power, Helio Castroneves and Simon Pagenaud, but come Saturday night there will potentially be a second Verizon IndyCar Series driver celebrating.  One who won a grueling 500-mile race.

The 2014 season has had 10 different drivers from seven different teams take the checkered flag first.

Veteran IndyCar winners like Tony Kanaan, Justin Wilson and James Hinchcliffe are looking to end their season on a high note.  Meanwhile, young upstarts like Carlos Munoz, & Josef Newgarden are looking to make their seasons by driving to victory lane.

Driver wins in 2014:

  • Will Power (3)
  • Ryan Hunter-Reay (3)
  • Mike Conway (2)
  • Scott Dixon (2)
  • Simon Pagenaud (2)
  • Sebastien Bourdais (1)
  • Ed Carpenter (1)
  • Helio Castroneves (1)
  • Carlos Huertas (1)
  • Juan Montoya (1)

Team wins in 2014:

  • Penske (5)
  • Andretti Autosport (3)
  • Ed Carpenter Racing (3)
  • Chip Ganassi Racing (2)
  • Schmidt Peterson Hamilton Motorsports (2)
  • Dale Coyne Racing (1)
  • KV Racing Technology (1)

Where the $$ is…

In total there are 16 drivers eligible for a total of $1,625,000.

Championship Finish Monetary Amount
1st $1,000,000
2nd $250,000
3rd $90,000
4th $75,000
5th $60,000
6th $50,000
7th $40,000
8th $35,000
9th $25,000
10th $15,000

Andretti Autosport pilot Marco Andretti currently holds down the last spot in the top 10 and numerically six drivers outside the top 10 have a shot to enter “the money.”   Those drivers are: Ryan Briscoe, James Hinchcliffe, Josef Newgarden, Charlie Kimball, Mikhail Aleshin and Justin Wilson.  Realistically though, it’s Briscoe and Hinchcliffe who could overhaul the third generation Andretti.

Sunoco Rookie of the Year:

The $50,000 Sunoco Rookie Of The Year award is still undecided, however, the window for Mikhail Aleshin catching Carlos Munoz is cracked just a touch.  Aleshin, a 27 year old Moscow native and former World Series By Renault champion will have to win the MAVTV 500 while the 22 year-old Colombian, Munoz will have to falter, finishing in 16th place or worse.

Aleshin needs to be looking over his shoulder for Jack Hawksworth, while Hawksworth can still be overhauled by Carlos Huertas.  Hawksworth, a West Yorkshire, UK native is currently 28 points behind Aleshin and needs to make sure that he finishes in the top 15 while hoping that the Russian falter to overtake him.   Huertas, a 23 year-old Colombian needs Hawksworth to exit the race early while scoring a top-5 finish himself.

 

 

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MAVTV 500 preview and stats

Posted on August 27, 2014 by setupsheet — Leave a comment

 Green Flag

800px-Auto_Racing_Green.svg

When the green flag drops on the MAVTV 500 on Saturday evening it will be the first time in 25 years that the Verizon IndyCar Series (CART, CCWS, IRL & INDYCAR) will have contested three 500 mile races in a season.  In 1989, 500 milers were contested at: Indianapolis, Michigan and Pocono.

Will this be the last time that occurs for the time being or will it become the new normal?

This will be the ninth straight season that the Verizon IndyCar Series championship will be decided in the final race of the season.  The two combatants, Will Power and Helio Castroneves are perennial runner-ups.  Each driver has been a bridesmaid three times, including five of the last six seasons.

Which of these two is ready to take the plunge and walk down the aisle?

Caution Flag

800px-Auto_Racing_Yellow.svg

Iowa Speedway has a treacherous bump in Turn 2, Milwaukee has the super slippery asphalt patches, and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway has it’s tricky Turn One.  At Auto Club Speedway it’s the seams in the eighteen year-old asphalt that creates the extra special challenge for the Verizon IndyCar Series drivers.  A season high 11 Indy Cars did not finish the 2013 MAVTV 500 due to contact with the wall or another car.  Many of those were caused by a driver being caught out by a seam.  A seam also cost Will Power the 2012 IndyCar Series championship.

Will Astor Cup contenders Helio Castroneves or Will Power be one of the drivers who gets “tripped” up by a seam this year?

Black Flag

800px-Auto_Racing_Black.svg

  • Will Power—> 5
  • Helio Castroneves —> 2

No, that isn’t how many poles, wins or podiums each of the championship contenders has, it’s the number of penalties that each driver has served.  Penalties at both races in Indianapolis and Pocono cost Power valuable points.  Helio Castroneves lost valuable points with costly penalties at Long Beach and Barber.

Will a black flag impact the championship race on Saturday night?

 

Debris Flag

800px-Auto_Racing_Oil.svg

As evidenced in 2013, the hot dusty climate of the Inland Empire doesn’t “play” nice with the twin-turbo charged V6 engines of the Verizon IndyCar Series. Sand and other debris combined with high 80 degree temperatures to precipitate a multitude of engine expirations, as well as many instances of teams having to pit to clean out the radiator inlets. With a forecast calling for close to triple digits and a steady 10mph breeze from the WSW, expect more of the same during the 2014 race.

Which team and driver will be able to best protect their engine from overheating and make it the 500 miles to have a shot at pulling into victory lane?

Blue Flag

800px-Auto_Racing_Blue.svg

The rookie battle on the high speed (200+ mph) ovals has been an interesting one to watch in 2014.  Carlos Munoz, with his previous Indy Lights presented by Cooper Tire experience on ovals has shone, averaging a finish 6.7 in three race.  Mikhail Aleshin, with zero oval experience has surprised, ranking as the eighth most proficient driver on the ‘big’ ovals.  His average finish is 11.7.  Carlos Huertas has taken a measured approach to the ovals which has brought him to Fontana with an average finish of 17.  That matched his steady finish at the Indianapolis 500.  Jack Hawksworth struggled to get comfortable on the big ovals during his season in Indy Lights and those struggles continued into this year.  He crashed during practice at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and missed the Pocono IndyCar 500 when he suffered a bruised heart in a practice crash.

Will Carlos Munoz continue his dominance, or will Mikhail Aleshin continue his oval progression and overtake the young Colombian?

Will Carlos Huertas and Jack Hawksworth continue to lag behind and be lapped by their rookie compatriots?

 

 Checkered Flag

512px-Auto_Racing_Chequered.svg

Going into the MAVTV 500 at Auto Club Speedway, Will Power has a 51 point lead in the chase for the Astor Cup and the $1 million dollar prize that goes with it.  Team Penske has dominated the the Super Speedway (over 200MPH) ovals this year.  Juan Montoya has an average finish of 3; Helio Castroneves has an average finish of 4; and Will Power has an average finish of 6.7.

Can the team continue their high-speed dominance?

Helio has an average finish of 5.5 at Auto Club Speedway in the latest Dallara chassis; Will Power has an average finish of 12.5 at the 2 mile D-shaped oval.  Projecting the points with those finishing positions (no bonus points) would give you a final tally of:

Will Power —> 663

Helio Castroneves —> 633

Can Power dominate the race like he did in 2013, and win his first championship?  Or can Castroneves improve on his average Auto Club Speedway finish while Power falters, like in 2012?

 

 

Driver starts at Auto Club Speedway

Driver Fontana Starts
Tony Kanaan 10
Helio Castroneves 10
Scott Dixon 7
Ed Carpenter 5
Marco Andretti 2
Charlie Kimball 2
James Hinchcliffe 2
Ryan Hunter-Reay 2
Juan Montoya 2
Josef Newgarden 2
Simon Pagenaud 2
Will Power 2
Graham Rahal 2
Sebastian Saavedra 2
Takuma Sato 2
Justin Wilson 2
Sebastien Bourdais 1
Ryan Briscoe 1
Carlos Munoz 1
Mikhail Aleshin 0
Jack Hawksworth 0
Carlos Huertas 0

 

Average starting position at Auto Club Speedway – all races

Rank Driver Avg. Fontana Start
1 Ryan Briscoe 2
2 Sebastien Bourdais 3
3 Marco Andretti 3.5
4 Juan Montoya 4
5 Will Power 7
6 Carlos Munoz 10
7 Scott Dixon 10.6
8 Tony Kanaan 10.9
9 Helio Castroneves 11.5
10 Ed Carpenter 12
11 Charlie Kimball 13.5
12 James Hinchcliffe 13.5
13 Ryan Hunter-Reay 16.5
14 Simon Pagenaud 16.5
15 Josef Newgarden 17
16 Sebastian Saavedra 17
17 Graham Rahal 20
18 Justin Wilson 21.5
19 Takuma Sato 23
20 Mikhail Aleshin rookie
21 Jack Hawksworth rookie
22 Carlos Huertas rookie

 

Average finishing position at Auto Club Speedway – all races

Rank Driver Avg. Fontana Finish
1 Ryan Hunter-Reay 6.5
2 Juan Montoya 7
3 Scott Dixon 7.3
4 Marco Andretti 7.5
5 Tony Kanaan 8.2
6 James Hinchcliffe 8.5
7 Ed Carpenter 9.6
8 Helio Castroneves 9.9
9 Charlie Kimball 10
10 Graham Rahal 10.5
11 Sebastien Bourdais 12
12 Takuma Sato 12
13 Will Power 12.5
14 Simon Pagenaud 14
15 Ryan Briscoe 17
16 Josef Newgarden 18
17 Justin Wilson 20.5
18 Sebastian Saavedra 22.5
19 Carlos Munoz 23
20 Mikhail Aleshin rookie
21 Jack Hawksworth rookie
22 Carlos Huertas rookie

 

Average starting position at Auto Club Speedway – DW12 races

Rank Driver Average Fontana Start (DW12)
1 Ryan Briscoe 2
2 Sebastien Bourdais 3
3 Marco Andretti 3.5
4 Ed Carpenter 6
5 Tony Kanaan 6
6 Will Power 7
7 Carlos Munoz 10
8 Charlie Kimball 13.5
9 James Hinchcliffe 13.5
10 Helio Castroneves 14.5
11 Scott Dixon 16
12 Ryan Hunter-Reay 16.5
13 Simon Pagenaud 16.5
14 Josef Newgarden 17
15 Sebastian Saavedra 17
16 Graham Rahal 20
17 Justin Wilson 21
18 Takuma Sato 23
19 Mikhail Aleshin rookie
20 Jack Hawksworth rookie
21 Carlos Huertas rookie
22 Juan Montoya no DW12 starts

 

Average finishing position at Auto Club Speedway – DW12 races

Rank Driver Avg. Fontana Finish (DW12)
1 Ed Carpenter 1.5
2 Scott Dixon 4
3 Helio Castroneves 5.5
4 Ryan Hunter-Reay 6.5
5 Marco Andretti 7.5
6 James Hinchcliffe 8.5
7 Charlie Kimball 10
8 Tony Kanaan 10.5
9 Graham Rahal 10.5
10 Sebastien Bourdais 12
11 Takuma Sato 12
12 Will Power 12.5
13 Simon Pagenaud 14
14 Ryan Briscoe 17
15 Josef Newgarden 18
16 Justin Wilson 20.5
17 Sebastian Saavedra 22.5
18 Carlos Munoz 23
19 Mikhail Aleshin rookie
20 Jack Hawksworth rookie
21 Carlos Huertas rookie
22 Juan Montoya no DW12 starts

 

Average 2014 starting position on 200+ mph ovals

Rank Driver Avg. 2014 start – 200+ mph oval
1 Will Power 2
2 Juan Montoya 5
3 James Hinchcliffe 5.7
4 Ed Carpenter 6.3
5 Carlos Munoz 6.7
6 Simon Pagenaud 7.3
7 Helio Castroneves 8.3
8 Tony Kanaan 9
9 Marco Andretti 9.3
10 Josef Newgarden 10.3
11 Scott Dixon 11
12 Mikhail Aleshin 12.7
13 Justin Wilson 12.7
14 Ryan Hunter-Reay 13.3
15 Takuma Sato 14.3
16 Sebastien Bourdais 17.7
17 Ryan Briscoe 17.7
18 Jack Hawksworth 18.3
19 Graham Rahal 18.3
20 Charlie Kimball 19.3
21 Carlos Huertas 21
22 Sebastian Saavedra 23.3

 

Average 2014 finishing position on 200+ mph ovals

Rank Driver Avg. 2014 Finish – 200+ mph ovals
1 Juan Montoya 3
2 Helio Castroneves 4
3 Will Power 6.7
4 Carlos Munoz 6.7
5 Simon Pagenaud 7.3
6 Ryan Briscoe 10.3
7 Marco Andretti 11.3
8 Mikhail Aleshin 11.7
9 Ryan Hunter-Reay 12.7
10 Scott Dixon 13
11 Ed Carpenter 13.7
12 Sebastien Bourdais 14.3
13 Tony Kanaan 14.3
14 Sebastian Saavedra 15.7
15 Josef Newgarden 16.3
16 Carlos Huertas 17
17 James Hinchcliffe 18
18 Jack Hawksworth 19
19 Justin Wilson 19
20 Charlie Kimball 19.3
21 Takuma Sato 19.3
22 Graham Rahal 21.3
Posted in Uncategorized

Goodbye old girl.

Posted on August 24, 2014 by setupsheet — Leave a comment

The Infiniti Pro Series was first announced in late 2001.  That means that 14 years and 167 (168 after today) races later the same Dallara chassis and Infiniti/Nissan based 3.5 liter V8 is making it’s final start as Sonoma Raceway.  Some nuggets about the venerable package:

  • Robbie McGhee took the first laps at Walt Disney World Speedway on April 8th, 2002.  Robbie Buhl was scheduled to be the test driver, but was suffering the ill-effects of a concussion sustained at Fontana during the IRL event in March.
  • 12 drivers started the first race at Kansas Speedway on April 8th, 2002.  A.J. Foyt IV beat Jason Priestly by 2 seconds to take home the first car’s first victory.
  • The car has raced at 29 different facilities.
  • 216 different drivers have taken the wheel of the Dallara/Infiniti combo.
  • 60 different drivers have won races while driving this car.
  • 51 drivers who have made Verizon IndyCar Series starts, have also made raced this car.
  • Whomever takes home the 2014 Indy Lights presented by Cooper Tire championship will be the 13th different champion in this car.  All but one, J.K. Vernay have gone on to competed in the Verizon IndyCar Series.

Race winners include:

Driver Wins
Alex Lloyd 10
Wade Cunningham 8
Thiago Mederios 7
Jeff Simmons 7
Mark Taylor 7
Esteban Guerrieri 6
Carlos Munoz 6
Gabby Chaves 5
J.R. Hildebrand 5
Rafa Matos 5
Josef Newgarden 5
J.K. Vernay 5
Richard Antinucci 4
Dillon Battistini 4
A.J. Foyt IV 4
Sebastian Saavedra 4
Tristan Vautier 4
Marco Andretti 3
Maime Camara 3
P.J. Chesson 3
Travis Gregg 3
Jack Harvey 3
Jack Hawksworth 3
James Hinchcliffe 3
Sage Karam 3
Zach Veach 3
Bobby Wilson 3
Gustavo Yacaman 3
Ana Beatriz 2
James Davison 2
Aaron Fike 2
Jay Howard 2
Hideki Mutoh 2
Mario Romancini 2
Junior Strous 2
Stefan Wilson 2
Alex Baron 1
Matthew Brabham 1
Victor Carbone 1
Ed Carpenter 1
James Chesson 1
Conor Daly 1
Paul Dana 1
Peter Demsey 1
Pablo Donso 1
Victor Garcia 1
Phil Geibler 1
Logan Gomez 1
Ryan Hampton 1
John Herb 1
Daniel Herrington 1
Arie Luyendyk, Jr. 1
Pippa Mann 1
Robbie Pecorri 1
Franck Perera 1
Martin Plowman 1
Luiz Razia 1
Cory Witherill 1
Brandon Wagner 1

Drivers with an Verizon IndyCar Series and Indy Lights presented by Cooper Tire start include:

  • Marco Andretti
  • Richard Antinucci
  • Dillon Battistini
  • Ana Beatriz
  • Jaime Camara
  • Tyce Carlson
  • Ed Carpenter
  • P. J. Chesson
  • Dan Clarke
  • Bryan Clauson
  • Wade Cunningham
  • Conor Daly
  • Paul Dana
  • James Davison
  • A.J. Foyt IV
  • Phil Giebler
  • Matt Halliday
  • Scott Harrington
  • Jon Herb
  • Jan Heylen
  • J. R. Hildebrand
  • James Hinchcliffe
  • Jay Howard
  • Ronnie Johncox
  • Sage Karam
  • Tonis Kasemets
  • Charlie Kimball
  • Jimmy Kite
  • Alex Lloyd
  • Arie Luyendyk, Jr.
  • Pippa Mann
  • David Martinez
  • Raphael Matos
  • Scott Mayer
  • Thiago Medeiros
  • Carlos Munoz
  • Hedeki Mutoh
  • Josef Newgarden
  • Franck Perera
  • Martin Plowman
  • Graham Rahal
  • Willy T. Ribbs
  • Billy Roe
  • Marty Roth
  • Sebastian Saavedra
  • Jeff Simmons
  • David Steele
  • Mark Taylor
  • Tristan Vautier
  • Stefan Wilson
  • Cory Witherill

The best moment that the old girl provided, was undoubtably this:

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