Kicking Asphalt/ Aaron Pierce tops Chicago Test/ IRL Returns to Second Home/ Ten Years of Open Wheeler History
Kicking Asphalt
Many folks speculated that this day would never come but workers this week are laying asphalt in preparation for opening weekend this fall.
Judging from the photos that are courtesy of http://www.iowaspeedway.com/, the track seems to be on schedule for the opener featuring USAC’s Midget, Sprint and Silver Crown divisions on September 16-17. Weather permitting; the paving the 5-inch thick oval should take about two weeks to complete.
Crews began laying the asphalt near the outer edge of the track apron, and will eventually move to the center of the track covering the rock bedding beneath the entire 7/8 mile oval track. The track expects to host testing sessions prior to the opener.
Aaron Pierce tops Chicago Test
Aaron Pierce topped the speed charts Tuesday at Chicagoland Speedway turning a top speed of 177.398 mph (30.44 seconds). Bud Kaeding was six hundredths off
Pierce’s time. Wayne Reutimann Jr., Thiago Medeiros and Rich Tobias Jr. also
turned laps. Altogether the group turned 225 laps during the Hoosier Tire test. The only incident of the day came when Thiago Medeiros spun. Wayne Reutimann tested his new DRC chassis toping out at 170.508 mph. Reutiman’s Stealth chassis will serve as a backup car and is scheduled to be driven by Reutimann’s cousin, NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series driver David Reutimann at Indianapolis Raceway Park.
1. Aaron Pierce, Riley 177.398 mph; 30.44 sec.
2. Bud Kaeding, DRC 177.049 mph; 30.50 sec.
3. Wayne Reutimann Jr., DRC 170.508 mph; 31.67 sec.
4. Rich Tobias Jr, Stealth 168.224 mph; 32.10 sec.
5. Thiago Medeiros, C&R 167.701 mph; 32.20 sec.
IRL Returns to Second Home
Indy may be the IRL’s home track but Texas Motor Speedway is their second home. Ever since fisticuffs occurred in victory lane, Texas Motor Speedway has been the place to be. It all started in on a hot summer night in 1997 when USAC officials sent A.J. Foyt’s team went to Victory Lane. Arie Luyendyk came to Victory Lane to protest, claiming he was the rightful winner. Foyt handed the Dutchman his version of Texas Justice slapping Luyendyk silly. An overnight review of scoring performed by USAC resulted in a reversal the next day and Luyendyk was proclaimed the champion of the race. A.J. Foyt disagreed with the review and to this day he refuses to give the winners trophy back. Track promoter, Eddie Gossage was forced to make Luyendyk a second one. Since then the IRL added two dates a year, one at night and the season ending daylight race in the fall. In 2005, TMS cut back the IRL’s appearances due to the addition of a second Cup date. Even though there is only one Texas stop on the 2006 schedule, look for a tight finish. Over the last 10 seasons. Six of the 25-closest finishes in IndyCar Series history, including two of the five-closest races have occurred at Texas. The best finish of them all occurred in 2002 when Sam Hornish nosed out Helio Castroneves by 0.0096 of a second to win both the Chevy 500k and to claim the Indy Racing League Championship over Castroneves.
Ten Years of Open Wheeler History
If you do make your way to the lone star state this weekend, make sure you stop by the “10 Year Experience.”
The mini museum on the grounds of TMS features lots of Open Wheeler history from Sam Hornish’s championship winning car from the 2002 finish,
to Carl Edwards to the Foyt/ Luyendyk rumble complete with boxing ring
It doesn’t get any better than this.
Rahal Letterman Changes Chassis
After a not so hot start, Rahal Letterman Racing will switch chassis for all its three cars to Dallaras for oval events starting this weekend.
Images appearing in this blog courtesy of Iowa Speedway, www.IowaSpeedway.com, FOX, NASCAR Images, and R.E. Technologies.
Many folks speculated that this day would never come but workers this week are laying asphalt in preparation for opening weekend this fall.
Judging from the photos that are courtesy of http://www.iowaspeedway.com/, the track seems to be on schedule for the opener featuring USAC’s Midget, Sprint and Silver Crown divisions on September 16-17. Weather permitting; the paving the 5-inch thick oval should take about two weeks to complete.
Crews began laying the asphalt near the outer edge of the track apron, and will eventually move to the center of the track covering the rock bedding beneath the entire 7/8 mile oval track. The track expects to host testing sessions prior to the opener.
Aaron Pierce tops Chicago Test
Aaron Pierce topped the speed charts Tuesday at Chicagoland Speedway turning a top speed of 177.398 mph (30.44 seconds). Bud Kaeding was six hundredths off
Pierce’s time. Wayne Reutimann Jr., Thiago Medeiros and Rich Tobias Jr. also
turned laps. Altogether the group turned 225 laps during the Hoosier Tire test. The only incident of the day came when Thiago Medeiros spun. Wayne Reutimann tested his new DRC chassis toping out at 170.508 mph. Reutiman’s Stealth chassis will serve as a backup car and is scheduled to be driven by Reutimann’s cousin, NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series driver David Reutimann at Indianapolis Raceway Park.
1. Aaron Pierce, Riley 177.398 mph; 30.44 sec.
2. Bud Kaeding, DRC 177.049 mph; 30.50 sec.
3. Wayne Reutimann Jr., DRC 170.508 mph; 31.67 sec.
4. Rich Tobias Jr, Stealth 168.224 mph; 32.10 sec.
5. Thiago Medeiros, C&R 167.701 mph; 32.20 sec.
IRL Returns to Second Home
Indy may be the IRL’s home track but Texas Motor Speedway is their second home. Ever since fisticuffs occurred in victory lane, Texas Motor Speedway has been the place to be. It all started in on a hot summer night in 1997 when USAC officials sent A.J. Foyt’s team went to Victory Lane. Arie Luyendyk came to Victory Lane to protest, claiming he was the rightful winner. Foyt handed the Dutchman his version of Texas Justice slapping Luyendyk silly. An overnight review of scoring performed by USAC resulted in a reversal the next day and Luyendyk was proclaimed the champion of the race. A.J. Foyt disagreed with the review and to this day he refuses to give the winners trophy back. Track promoter, Eddie Gossage was forced to make Luyendyk a second one. Since then the IRL added two dates a year, one at night and the season ending daylight race in the fall. In 2005, TMS cut back the IRL’s appearances due to the addition of a second Cup date. Even though there is only one Texas stop on the 2006 schedule, look for a tight finish. Over the last 10 seasons. Six of the 25-closest finishes in IndyCar Series history, including two of the five-closest races have occurred at Texas. The best finish of them all occurred in 2002 when Sam Hornish nosed out Helio Castroneves by 0.0096 of a second to win both the Chevy 500k and to claim the Indy Racing League Championship over Castroneves.
Ten Years of Open Wheeler History
If you do make your way to the lone star state this weekend, make sure you stop by the “10 Year Experience.”
The mini museum on the grounds of TMS features lots of Open Wheeler history from Sam Hornish’s championship winning car from the 2002 finish,
to Carl Edwards to the Foyt/ Luyendyk rumble complete with boxing ring
It doesn’t get any better than this.
Rahal Letterman Changes Chassis
After a not so hot start, Rahal Letterman Racing will switch chassis for all its three cars to Dallaras for oval events starting this weekend.
Images appearing in this blog courtesy of Iowa Speedway, www.IowaSpeedway.com, FOX, NASCAR Images, and R.E. Technologies.
posted by Blake Johnson at 6:48 PM
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