It's official, Bobby Unser and Justin Wilson are bookends in American Racing history.
Unser took pole at Phoenix in March 1979 at the opening round of the inaugral CART Championship. Wilson continued the form of Friday and has made history by becoming the final pole winner in Champ Car History. In doing so he has bagged a 15 point bonus and may well be on for the clean sweep on Sunday
Quite lliterally as I write this the Boston Bruins have just forced a deciding game seven against the Montreal Canadiens! That will more than likley wipe the smile off front row starter, Alex Tagliani's face. A quick review of the teams reveals that there were no takers on 'Tag's' amongst the teams who have been in from the start. Maureen O'Neil's PT Cruiser outfit is one of the late starters who have been given the chance to catch up with two squad selections this weekend. She has given herself a tremendous chance of doing serious damage to the leaderboard with the choice of Tagliani for Long Beach.
Hands up all of you who thought Franck Perera would qualify on row two? I have said on air from pretty much day one of this young man's career at the top level of American Open wheel racing that it will be shortlived. He will be back in Europe with a water tight F1 contract before you know it. This afternoon's performance in the second qualifying session will have not gone unnoticed on the other side of the Atlantic.
1 - J. Wilson, 1:06.902
2 - A. Tagliani, 1:07.084
3 - F. Perera, 1:07.180
4 - W. Power, 1:07.205
5 - P. Tracy, 1:07.352
6 - F. Montagny, 1:07.360
7 - N. Philippe, 1:07.415
8 - E. Bernoldi, 1:07.682
9 - G. Rahal, 1:07.703
10 - M. Dominguez, 1:07.745
11 - B. Junqueira, 1:07.786
12 - O. Servia, 1:07.858
13 - J. Vasser, 1:07.859
14 - E. Viso, 1:07.927
15 - A. Pizzonia, 1:08.463
16 - A. Figge, 1:08.489
17 - R. Moreno, 1:08.549
18 - D. Martinez, 1:08.645
19 - M. Moraes, 1:09.279
20 - J. Annala, 1:09.555
BREAKING NEWS!!!! -
Marco Andretti is in the wall on lap one and that has put a massive dent in his title hopes already. It is also a blow to many of you who have in your squads this weekend. He will finsh 18th here and will score no points in the Fantasy League.
- The Commish
Saturday, April 19, 2008
Friday, April 18, 2008
Long Beach Qualifying Update
Part one of part one is in the bag and Justin Wilson has struck first in his bid to join Helio Castroneves in the 'Pole Position Club' this weekend. He has taken provisional pole after the first qualifying session at Long Beach on Friday. The threat of Frank Montagny in the Forsythe car failed to materialize in qualifying after promising a great deal in practice. Walker Racing has put their recent troubles behind them with a tremendous effort by Alex Tagliani who claims a provisional third position. Paul Tracy will be somewhat disgruntled to find himself in P8 and he will be very keen to rectify that in final qualifying tomorrow.
The full provisional lineup is as follows:
1 - J. Wilson, 1:07.356
2 - O. Servia, 1:07.858
3 - A. Tagliani, 1:07.887
4 - M. Dominguez, 1:07.998
5 - G. Rahal, 1:08.172
6 - E. Bernoldi, 1:08.272
7 - F. Montagny, 1:08.325
8 - P. Tracy, 1:08.488
9 - W. Power, 1:08.519
10 - E. Viso, 1:08.532
11 - R. Moreno, 1:08.549
12 - A. Figge, 1:08.549
13 - A. Pizzonia, 1:08.658
14 - B. Junqueira, 1:08.813
15 - J. Vasser, 1:09.066
16 - F. Perera, 1:09.153
17 - D. Martinez, 1:09.381
18 - M. Moraes, 1:09.438
19 - J. Annala, 1:11.265
The full provisional lineup is as follows:
1 - J. Wilson, 1:07.356
2 - O. Servia, 1:07.858
3 - A. Tagliani, 1:07.887
4 - M. Dominguez, 1:07.998
5 - G. Rahal, 1:08.172
6 - E. Bernoldi, 1:08.272
7 - F. Montagny, 1:08.325
8 - P. Tracy, 1:08.488
9 - W. Power, 1:08.519
10 - E. Viso, 1:08.532
11 - R. Moreno, 1:08.549
12 - A. Figge, 1:08.549
13 - A. Pizzonia, 1:08.658
14 - B. Junqueira, 1:08.813
15 - J. Vasser, 1:09.066
16 - F. Perera, 1:09.153
17 - D. Martinez, 1:09.381
18 - M. Moraes, 1:09.438
19 - J. Annala, 1:11.265
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Transfer Window shut and locked as rain sets the field
No more entries please. The window has been shut and locked and won't be opened again until Sunday night.
But more importantly, the field has been set for tomorrow night's Japan 300, the first leg of the Indy Car double header brought to you by Ripley's Belive it or Not. Heavy rain throughout Friday meant that the final practice and qualifying was cancelled. Indy Car rules dictate that the field is set by the current points standings.
In theory, this means that Graham Rahal could start 4th on the grid in Japan (I wonder has anyone informed him of this yet?). In practice it means Helio Castroneves has secured pole position and the 15 bonus points that go with it.
The full lineup is as follows:
But more importantly, the field has been set for tomorrow night's Japan 300, the first leg of the Indy Car double header brought to you by Ripley's Belive it or Not. Heavy rain throughout Friday meant that the final practice and qualifying was cancelled. Indy Car rules dictate that the field is set by the current points standings.
In theory, this means that Graham Rahal could start 4th on the grid in Japan (I wonder has anyone informed him of this yet?). In practice it means Helio Castroneves has secured pole position and the 15 bonus points that go with it.
The full lineup is as follows:
1 - Helio Castroneves
2 - Scott Dixon
3 - Tony Kanaan
4 - Marco Andretti
5 - Dan Wheldon
6 - Danica Patrick
7 - Ed Carpenter
8 - AJ Foyt IV
9 - Hideki Mutoh
10 - Ryan Hunter-Reay
11 - Buddy Rice
12 - Darren Manning
13 - Vitor Meira
14 - Jay Howard
15 - Ryan Briscoe
16 - Marty Roth
17 - Townsend Bell
18 - Roger Yasukawa
Combined practice times from the first two sessions at Motegi
Hopefully this will be a bit of a help for those of you wrestling with your team selections for Motegi and Long Beach or both. Seems all of the nonsense written about this being a great opportunity for Danica (I'm looking at you ESPN) is once again proven to be just that, nonsense.
The weight regulations mean that she is unlikely to trouble the scorers in qualifying. Although its worth noting that Danica had her quickest laps early doors which may indicate that she could be good in the four lap qualifying format later on tonight.
The rest is up to you.
1 - Tony Kanaan, 27.2453
2 - Scott Dixon, 27.3067
3 - Dan Wheldon, 27.3259
4 - Helio Castroneves, 27.3556
5 - Ed Carpenter, 27.3960
6 - Marco Andretti, 27.4046
7 - Ryan Briscoe, 27.4638
8 - Danica Patrick, 27.5155
9 - Townsend Bell, 27.6356
12 - Darren Manning, 27.6844
13 - Ryan Hunter-Reay, 27.7585
10 - Hideki Mutoh, 27.6651
11 - AJ Foyt IV, 27.6732
14 - Buddy Rice, 27.7774
15 - Vitor Meira, 27.8480
16 - Marty Roth, 27.9084
17 - Jay Howard, 28.1630
18 - Roger Yasukawa, 28.7137
-
The Commish
The weight regulations mean that she is unlikely to trouble the scorers in qualifying. Although its worth noting that Danica had her quickest laps early doors which may indicate that she could be good in the four lap qualifying format later on tonight.
The rest is up to you.
1 - Tony Kanaan, 27.2453
2 - Scott Dixon, 27.3067
3 - Dan Wheldon, 27.3259
4 - Helio Castroneves, 27.3556
5 - Ed Carpenter, 27.3960
6 - Marco Andretti, 27.4046
7 - Ryan Briscoe, 27.4638
8 - Danica Patrick, 27.5155
9 - Townsend Bell, 27.6356
12 - Darren Manning, 27.6844
13 - Ryan Hunter-Reay, 27.7585
10 - Hideki Mutoh, 27.6651
11 - AJ Foyt IV, 27.6732
14 - Buddy Rice, 27.7774
15 - Vitor Meira, 27.8480
16 - Marty Roth, 27.9084
17 - Jay Howard, 28.1630
18 - Roger Yasukawa, 28.7137
-
The Commish
Monday, April 14, 2008
BREAKING NEWS - ROOKIE STATUS UPDATE!
Hello All,
I have just checked over my own rules and regs and there is a provision within the rules which means that there is no 'Rookie Bonus' designation for drivers competing at Long Beach.
On further review, it has been decided that the bonus rules will apply for all drivers at Long Beach except Graham Rahal. I'm letting you know now in case any of you based your selections on his ability to potentially pick up 'Rookie Bonus' points.
I hope that is all clear. I have edited the driver values on the home page to reflect this.
- The Commish
I have just checked over my own rules and regs and there is a provision within the rules which means that there is no 'Rookie Bonus' designation for drivers competing at Long Beach.
On further review, it has been decided that the bonus rules will apply for all drivers at Long Beach except Graham Rahal. I'm letting you know now in case any of you based your selections on his ability to potentially pick up 'Rookie Bonus' points.
I hope that is all clear. I have edited the driver values on the home page to reflect this.
- The Commish
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Full rules for Motegi & Long Beach
Hello All,
So we have finally reached that point of the season that is quite simply a logistical nightmare.
Two races on one weekend, more than thirty drivers, rookies all over the shop and some new and 'one time only' rules for this weekend of Fantasy League racing in bizarro world!
It is really quite simple.....well sort of:
All of you who entered in week one get to pick 5 drivers as per normal. These can be drivers appearing in either the Japan 300 Indy Car Race at Motegi or the Grand Prix of Long Beach. But be aware that the driver values have been radically altered to reflect the levels of competitiveness in both races.
Those of you who entered in week two will have the chance to redress the balance by picking 5 drivers for each race. Any drivers you keep from your current line up will be valued at the original price at which you acquired them, but all other members of your team will be valued using the latest Week 3 numbers. Can you please ensure that your drivers appear in the right team for each race?
For the purposes of clarity, the following are the team owners that are eligible to pick two teams this week:
- Tim Gray
- Matt Thompson
- Jeremy Scott
- Paul Lucas
- Maureen O'Neil
- Brett Johnson
Rookie bonus points could be key this weekend so make sure that you are familiar with the rookies status of the drivers in both events.
The closing date for final league rosters is Thurday, April 17th at 7pm EST or, if you prefer,
Midnight GMT.
Regards,
- The Commish
So we have finally reached that point of the season that is quite simply a logistical nightmare.
Two races on one weekend, more than thirty drivers, rookies all over the shop and some new and 'one time only' rules for this weekend of Fantasy League racing in bizarro world!
It is really quite simple.....well sort of:
All of you who entered in week one get to pick 5 drivers as per normal. These can be drivers appearing in either the Japan 300 Indy Car Race at Motegi or the Grand Prix of Long Beach. But be aware that the driver values have been radically altered to reflect the levels of competitiveness in both races.
Those of you who entered in week two will have the chance to redress the balance by picking 5 drivers for each race. Any drivers you keep from your current line up will be valued at the original price at which you acquired them, but all other members of your team will be valued using the latest Week 3 numbers. Can you please ensure that your drivers appear in the right team for each race?
For the purposes of clarity, the following are the team owners that are eligible to pick two teams this week:
- Tim Gray
- Matt Thompson
- Jeremy Scott
- Paul Lucas
- Maureen O'Neil
- Brett Johnson
Rookie bonus points could be key this weekend so make sure that you are familiar with the rookies status of the drivers in both events.
The closing date for final league rosters is Thurday, April 17th at 7pm EST or, if you prefer,
Midnight GMT.
Regards,
- The Commish
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Simon Speichert Speaks
Now that The Great Swallow (it's clearly not a merger) has occurred, I've been doing a great deal of thinking about what has been, over the past few years, North America's healthiest open-wheel racing series, the Atlantic Championship. After much speculation about its ownership and direction, including rumors that indicated IMSA would become the sanctioning body and run the series alongside its lesser-powered Star Mazda series, the series has defined a 2008 schedule and confirmed Kevin Kalkhoven and Gerry Forsythe retain ownership of the series.
Pre-season testing has continued with just under 20 cars participating, and a lineup of strong teams including Walker Racing and Forsythe Racing. Some may worry that an Atlantic drive is now a drive to nowhere, as the championship no longer feeds directly to a larger, more powerful series. But by sharing dates with North America's top 3 road racing series, Atlantic drivers and teams can hope for increased exposure. Sure, nobody comes to a Grand-Am race, so the Frankie Muniz t-shirts might not move so quickly out of the merchandise stands, but networking with sports car teams can do wonders for a driver's career. One only needs to look at the success of Atlantic champions Raphael Matos and Jon Fogarty in Grand-Am to realize team owners take Atlantic graduates seriously. Atlantic graduates also find themselves contending for open-wheel seats on a more international scale than the IndyCar series. Robert Wickens and James Hinchcliffe have done well in A1GP, and the former looks to be a strong contender in the World Series by Renault this year.
The schedule is an exciting one. The series visits historic American venues at Long Beach (hopefully not for the last time), Laguna Seca, Road America, and for the first time Road Atlanta as part of the Petit Le Mans weekend. Two new American tracks are on the schedule: Miller Motorsports Park and the yet-to-be-completed New Jersey Motorsports Park. I'm personally delighted to see Atlantics retain such a Canadian feel, with four races in Canada. The series' only tie-up with IndyCar results in a double-header in Edmonton. Trois-Rivieres sees the series headline in Quebec, the heart of open-wheel racing in Canada. And with Champ Car's demise, the Atlantics will race at the Sommet des Legends historic festival at Mont-Tremblant on the Canada Day weekend.
The Atlantic Championship doesn't need to be a feeder series to succeed. It has a long history of being a powerful regional championship with a Canadian twist. Canadian racing legends passed through the series, including Gilles Villeneuve and son Jacques, Paul Tracy and Patrick Carpentier. Today, fan favorite James Hinchcliffe and rising star Kevin Lacroix have the opportunity to build their own careers with Atlantic wins. It is in many ways an advantage not being tied to the success or failure of a single larger championship; indeed, Mazda's support of Atlantics as its premier championship can only serve to raise its profile among teams, drivers and fans. Perhaps soon, someone other than myself will watch a Mazda motorsport commercial and remark, "Hey! That's Carl Skerlong!"
Pre-season testing has continued with just under 20 cars participating, and a lineup of strong teams including Walker Racing and Forsythe Racing. Some may worry that an Atlantic drive is now a drive to nowhere, as the championship no longer feeds directly to a larger, more powerful series. But by sharing dates with North America's top 3 road racing series, Atlantic drivers and teams can hope for increased exposure. Sure, nobody comes to a Grand-Am race, so the Frankie Muniz t-shirts might not move so quickly out of the merchandise stands, but networking with sports car teams can do wonders for a driver's career. One only needs to look at the success of Atlantic champions Raphael Matos and Jon Fogarty in Grand-Am to realize team owners take Atlantic graduates seriously. Atlantic graduates also find themselves contending for open-wheel seats on a more international scale than the IndyCar series. Robert Wickens and James Hinchcliffe have done well in A1GP, and the former looks to be a strong contender in the World Series by Renault this year.
The schedule is an exciting one. The series visits historic American venues at Long Beach (hopefully not for the last time), Laguna Seca, Road America, and for the first time Road Atlanta as part of the Petit Le Mans weekend. Two new American tracks are on the schedule: Miller Motorsports Park and the yet-to-be-completed New Jersey Motorsports Park. I'm personally delighted to see Atlantics retain such a Canadian feel, with four races in Canada. The series' only tie-up with IndyCar results in a double-header in Edmonton. Trois-Rivieres sees the series headline in Quebec, the heart of open-wheel racing in Canada. And with Champ Car's demise, the Atlantics will race at the Sommet des Legends historic festival at Mont-Tremblant on the Canada Day weekend.
The Atlantic Championship doesn't need to be a feeder series to succeed. It has a long history of being a powerful regional championship with a Canadian twist. Canadian racing legends passed through the series, including Gilles Villeneuve and son Jacques, Paul Tracy and Patrick Carpentier. Today, fan favorite James Hinchcliffe and rising star Kevin Lacroix have the opportunity to build their own careers with Atlantic wins. It is in many ways an advantage not being tied to the success or failure of a single larger championship; indeed, Mazda's support of Atlantics as its premier championship can only serve to raise its profile among teams, drivers and fans. Perhaps soon, someone other than myself will watch a Mazda motorsport commercial and remark, "Hey! That's Carl Skerlong!"
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