Panther Racing

If you didn't feel bad for JR Hildebrand for what happened at Indianapolis, you should now.

The Panther Racing driver had another tough break today, as he injured his knee in an obstacle course race earlier today at Texas Motor Speedway. ESPN.com is reporting that it was an ACL injury, but the rookie has yet to confirm that report.

Hildebrand did confirm that he does have a significant amount of swelling that will make some aspects of this weekend's IndyCar race at Texas Motor Speedway problematic, calling it "a hassle" in the report.

The injury occurred during a promotional event at TMS known as "Driven by Fitness." On an obstacle course, JR was competing against Penske Racing driver Ryan Briscoe when Hildebrand struck his knee on the final hurdle, which broke the board in half.

Hildebrand tumbled to the ground and laid there for several minutes. His knee was wrapped up, and it was clear by the grimace on his face that he is in significant pain.

Hildebrand said he expects to be able to drive the race car this weekend, according to the report. Practice and qualifying begin tomorrow (Friday) for the Firestone Twin 275s on Saturday night. Fortunately for him it is his left knee, so he won't be using it as much this weekend on the high-banked speedway at Texas.

Hildebrand was fitted for a brace that he will begin wearing as soon as it arrives. Practice for Saturday night's events begin at 1:30 on Friday, and qualifying is at 4:30.

You can view the video of the injury by clicking here.

Seven drivers will be the first to hit the track at Indianapolis Motor Speedway today in preparation for the 2011 Indianapolis 500. While none of these drivers will be favorites to win the race, they are getting some valuable experience for the next few weeks.

The Rookie Orientation Program kicks off later today as the drivers look to get accustomed to the speeds and driving lines of the track. Three American drivers (all from California) will join two drivers from England, one driver from Canada and one from China, to complete the day's Orientation.

Popular rookies James Hinchcliffe (Newman/Haas Racing) and JR Hildebrand (Panther Racing) will join James Jakes (Dale Coyne Racing), Pippa Mann (Conquest Racing), Charlie Kimball (Chip Ganassi Racing), Scott Speed and Ho-Pin Tung (Dragon Racing) in today's session.

Hinchcliffe and Hildebrand have gotten advice about the Speedway from Rick Mears and Al Unser Jr., and they have both competed here in the Firestone Freedom 100. Still, they both realize that this is a whole new beast they will be facing this month.

The cars are obviously much faster, bigger and heavier than what they raced in the Indy Lights Series. The competition will be much more difficult, making things a little crowded out on the track.

The Orientation Program consists of turning consistent laps at four speed phases: 200-205 mph (five laps) and 10 laps each at 205-210 mph, 210-215 and 215 or more. IndyCar president of competition, Brian Barnhart, expects drivers to complete at least three phases today.

Entering the Speedway this morning felt good, even though "Opening Day" doesn't kick off until this coming Saturday. Just being back inside the track and in the garage area was great, but it felt strange. With only these seven drivers and not many other people around, it had a different vibe to it.

As the morning continued, some of the drivers mentioned being "a little nervous" for the first time, but they all knew this is something that is going to make them well prepared for the next two weeks before the race. Practicing with the veterans will probably help them more, but this is the best way for them to start.

The qualifying session is going to be completely foreign to them all, and staying calm will be key. Hinchcliffe probably said it best when he spoke of how they wouldn't feel "rushed" today and they could ease into things.

These guys are going to have to get used to the speeds that go along with the Indianapolis 500. The pressure to make the race is going to be even greater this year, with at least 41 entries as of this morning.

Hildebrand says he is also feeling more pressure with his team finishing in second place in each of the last two years here with Dan Wheldon. He knows he has big shoes to fill, but he is excited to get going.

I am also ready to get things going. We still have a little more time before the cars will hit the track, but the anticipation here in the garage area is the same all around.

Despite a very cold and wet day in Indianapolis on Tuesday, the IZOD Indycar Series was able to take to the track for a nearly full day of practice.  A slight delay to dry the track pushed back the start to 1:06pm, but the cars were able to run for the rest of the day relatively uninterrupted.

36 cars pounded the diamond etched pavement for a total of 1590 laps on the day, nearly as many as had been run in the first three days combined (it's been a rainy week).  The top 21 drivers on the speed charts were all within .5755 seconds of each other, as drivers concentrated on race setups and driving in packs.

Scott Dixon topped the scoring chart, posting a lap of 226.55 mph.  Just behind him was Mario Moraes, driving for KV Racing.  Moraes posted a lap of 225.91 mph before things went very downhill for KV.

For KV, a day that started well ended with more headaches than the four car team needs.  Moraes spun in the middle of practice, doing some slight damage to the car, and ending his day of practice.  However, it was later in the day when EJ Viso found the wall that really wrecked the day. 

With just 10 minutes left in practice, the No. 8 PDVSA car slammed hard into the wall coming out of turn one.  Viso was taken immediately to Methodist Hospital where it was recently revealed that nothing was broken.  Viso will be recovering and is expected back at the track later this week.  The car didn't fair as well and will need a near total rebuild.

Andretti Autosport turned plenty of laps in all five of their cars today as they searched for the correct race setup.  Marco Andretti lead the team, posting the third fastest speed on the day.  "I think we're getting there, but it's still quite early for the Venom car.  We're getting a lot of answers on things in testing... We're also trying to prepare for the warmer weather that's supposed to be coming."

Andretti is referring to the five day forecast that shows a major warmup over the 58 degree temperatures the track saw today.  Pole day on Saturday has a forecasted high of 80 degrees, while Sunday is expected to be near 90.  The cars will lose a lot of down force as the track heats up, and the tires will have greater slipping.

This could explain why Ganassi and Penske Racing ran a limited schedule today.  Their cars saw little track time, mostly concentrating on simulated pit stops.  With highs expected in the mid 70's on Thursday and Friday, the teams will be looking for much greater speed in conditions similar to pole day.

Ed Carpenter and Panther Racing were able to add an associate sponsor to the No. 20 Fuzzy's Ultra Premium Vodka car, when DEEM joined the effort.  The Indiana mechanical and electrical company helped the team come in 21st on the speed chart today.  Carpenter was frustrated though, noting, "We found out we have a lot less tires available to us than we thought we were going to be allotted for the month so we only used on set of tires today.  I really would have liked to have run a lot more... but I'm happy with the progress we are making."

Carpenter went on to opine on what many had been wondering, how drivers felt about the new format.  "I finally realized that I really don't like this new two week format.  I prefer having a week to work on qualifying and a week to work on the race setup.  It feels weird this year.  I think I've made up my mind that I am not a fan of this shortened format for May."

While other drivers have been quieter on their discomfort with the new format, the sentiment appears to be common.  The wet weather appears to be the main reason, as teams are worried they will not have enough time on track.

Despite the concerns, teams must carry on tomorrow, with another challenging day with the weather.  Highs are expected to stay under 70 and the chance for rain and scattered storms continue.  If you can't make it to the track, you can watch practice live on Indycar.com.  Pole day airs live on Versus at 11am on Saturday when 24 cars will propel their way into the field.

Opening weekend finally came and went, with a lot of cars seeing action on the track.

After arriving at the speedway on Saturday morning, you could begin to smell the engines in Gasoline Alley. The cars emerged from the shop around 11am and the drivers began to make their way to the PIT area.

Within ten minutes, nearly every driver and car for the "Veteran" practice was ready to hit the track.

Tony Kanaan began his very busy Saturday in Danica Patrick's car. After taking it for a few laps, he then moved on to the next team car. He finally settled into his own car last, which completed his musical chairs segment of the day. All in all, he drove all five Andretti Autosport cars, and put three of them in the top seven positions.

After the first couple of hours of practice on Saturday, the Fast Five was compiled with the drivers most expected to see up there. Helio, Dario and Dixon were the top three. Dan Wheldon was fourth and Tony Kanaan had John Andretti's car in the top five.

Periodical rain clouds caused some delays here and there, but for the most part the early morning portion of the practice on Saturday went very well.

As the "Rookies" took the track later in the day, many people were anxious to see how Graham Rahal would perform. Rain became a bigger problem later in the day, and eventually ended the opening day.

Sunday began earlier with the rookies and drivers doing a refresher course at 11am. Many drivers were just trying to get settled in, and did so without a hitch.

As the veterans took to the track around 3pm, Helio once again flexed his muscle, getting back to the top of the charts, after Dixon knocked him off earlier. Helio posted a one-lap speed of 227.046mph. He was the only driver to reach the 227mph mark.

There were only two real incidents all weekend long. Ryan Hunter-Reay spun, exiting the pit road after a caution for a few raindrops. He didn't suffer any damage from the ordeal.

The biggest news of the day was the accident nearly involving two former Indianapolis 500 winners—Scott Dixon and Dan Wheldon.

Wheldon was low exiting turn four and slid up and into the SAFER Barrier wall, nearly clipping Dixon on the way. Wheldon did some damage to the National Guard machine, and reportedly suffered a bruised foot.

At the end of the weekend, the Fast Five results were as follows:

1. Helio 2. Franchitti 3. Dixon 4. Wheldon 5. Power

The first six actually all belong to Helio, Franchitti, and Dixon; primary cars and backup cars both.

There were a total of 1,365 laps logged this weekend.

The race was not won this weekend, and the speed charts really won't matter by the end of the week, but it was interesting to see how some of the teams approached the track this weekend.

It was a fun weekend, can't wait for all of this week's practices!

From Gordon Kirby's article, April 19, 2010:

"Since 1995 through today everyone saw this sport lose millions of fans," Randy Bernard added. "Some of them went to NASCAR. But I think a lot of them became uninterested as their hero or legend retired or left the sport. So I think what we have to do is build stars and we have to start from the grass roots and karting has to be a very big part of this. We've got to make those kids at the local go kart tracks become our future stars of the next ten or fifteen years. That to me is very important."

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Last year I was assembling a series of promotional events to suggest for the Richmond IndyCar event, only to find out that it was gone and forgotten. Here was the easiest one to enact:

...And an indoor go-kart track right outside the speedway, called "G Force Go-Karts". You go there and suggest that they hold a promotion: accept entries for heat races, by age brackets, to qualify for a final race. Run it over several weeks. Dixon or Briscoe will be the Grand Marshal for the final heats, waves the flag and presents winners of the two heats with tickets for the family and paddock passes. How many other customers at G Force Go Karts will want to buy their own ticket? And how much extra revenue did the promotion bring to the go kart track operators?

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Go Karting is another topic I don't know much about. It must be great for serious hobbyists to race along side with some of the current IndyCar Series stars, and reading about Dan Wheldon, Ed Carpenter and E.J.Viso racing karts during the offseason was pretty cool. I hope some potential future drivers benefitted from the experience.

Didn't know much about the live streaming setup that put the "Race to the Party" on my screen last week, either. That's a good way to move the karting idea up another rung on the ladder:

The plan is to send a notice, along with promotional banners and registrations, to any and every Karting Association or private track that expresses an interest. Like G Force Go-Karts, or Derek Daly's facilities, light 'em all up. That's a low-cost initiative.

Each track runs its heat race schedule, and the finals are run in conjunction with the nearest IndyCar race or area appearance by an IndyCar Series participant. Maybe Al Unser Jr. will be doing an appearance at a Macy's store, so he can Grand Marshal the Kart finals at the area track, that sort of thing.

And during an IndyCar race week, perhaps a Series Official or Team member could make the trip too. Scouting for talent perhaps, but attracting the desired local interest in the program and the upcoming IICS race none the less.

And the streaming? Show the finals races live on the internet, or tape them for airplay after a practice session has ended on the IndyCar website. Put them on YouTube.

Make it so that every kid or adult who goes to a Go-Kart track is aware that they can meet an IndyCar personality, perhaps race in event that might get him picked out of the crowd, and have all his friends watch the IndyCar-sanctioned event he raced in on the internet.

That's a lot of new eyeballs. Eyes on unknown drivers from people like you and me, eyes on IndyCar from people who aren't watching now.

Maybe the next Dan Wheldon is racing at G Force Go-Karts in Richmond, Virginia this weekend. Maybe it helps him drum up local sponsorship for a Formula Ford ride one day, when he can say:

"I won the IndyCar Ladder Series Kart Race last month. Here's the video. Here's the checkered flag that Al Unser Jr. signed and presented me with. Your sponsorship will help me to take that recognition to the next level."

Rung up.

Link to previous "Stay On Track" entries: 

http://bleacherreport.com/users/268808-andy-bernstein/archives/newest?rel=nofollow

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Vision Racing and Panther Racing will collaborate on Panther entries for drivers Dan Wheldon and Ed Carpenter for the 2010 Indianapolis 500, team officials announced yesterday.

Wheldon, 2005 Indianapolis 500 winner, will drive the No. 4 National Guard Honda that he races full time in the IZOD IndyCar Series for Panther. Carpenter will drive the No. 20 Honda.

"I am very pleased that we have this opportunity to partner with an excellent organization," Vision Racing Owner Tony George said. "This collaboration with Panther Racing will allow two teams that want nothing else but to compete and strive for success in the upcoming Indianapolis 500, the opportunity to do so to the best of their abilities.

"With this partnership between teams and drivers, we will also be able to maximize the potential of both parties, and field what I am sure will be a very formidable two-car effort.

"There are close personal and professional relationships within our two organizations that should allow us to put forth a cohesive effort we will all be proud of and have high expectations for achieving results."

Six-year IZOD IndyCar Series veteran Carpenter will make a return behind the wheel of the No. 20 that he has driven since Vision Racing's inception in 2005.

Carpenter, 29, from Indianapolis, finished the 2009 season by earning his career-best finish of second, matched his career-best start of fourth, led 35 laps, and drove to six top-10 finishes. He has made six Indianapolis 500 starts, with four top-11 finishes. He finished fifth and eighth in 2008 and 2009, respectively.

"I am very excited not only to be returning to the Indianapolis 500, but also working with Panther Racing," Carpenter said. "John Barnes has been a family friend for a long time, and I very grateful for this opportunity.

"I feel that with my experience, Vision Racing's experience, and Panther Racing's experience and success at Indianapolis that we will be a very competitive duo.

"It has been very hard watching from the sidelines so far this season, and I am very motivated to compete for my first win."

Panther Racing, which has claimed 15 IZOD IndyCar Series victories and two series championships, has finished second in the last two Indianapolis 500's, in 2008 with Vitor Meira and in 2009 with Wheldon.

"I believe the addition of Ed Carpenter and Vision Racing to the National Guard Panther Racing group is phenomenal," Wheldon said. "Ed's always been very quick, especially around the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and I'm very much looking forward to being able to have a teammate of his caliber.

"I know we'll work together well, and be able to move the team forward, which will give us both a chance to win the Indianapolis 500.”

Vision Racing suspended racing operations in January 2010. The partnership with Panther Racing opens the door for its return to IZOD IndyCar Series competition for the Indianapolis 500.

Ten years ago, Robby McGehee came to the Indianapolis 500 as a rookie.

The St. Louis native and graduate of Ole Miss University was 25-years-old
when he made his first laps at the famed 2.5 mile oval.

Robby got his start at the Skip Barber racing school when he was 15-years-old and 10 years later, he found himself running for Rookie of the Year honors for the 83rd Indianapolis 500.

Robby credits his mother for getting into racing. "When I was young, I had a sports car, she had a sports car, and we saw each other on the street. Of course the only thing to do is drag race, right?" Robby said.

Robby came to Indy in May of 1999 running for Conti Racing in a Dallara powered by Oldsmobile. The black No. 55 Energizer-sponsored car didn't go unnoticed at the Speedway. Robby qualified 27th for the 500 at 220.139, five MPH slower then pole-sitter, Arie Luyendyk.

Robby overcame a pit road incident that put chief mechanic Steve Fried into a coma for a few months. Robby used that determination to pilot his 55 car to a fifth place finish and he received Rookie of the Year Honors. Robby accepted the award on Fried's behalf.

"It was bittersweet because my chief mechanic was badly injured, but he was OK after a few weeks so I could enjoy it." Robby said of the 1999 500. Robby went on to record four top 10s in seven starts in his rookie season, finishing 16th in the final standings.

Those four top 10s caught the eyes of many Indy Racing League owners, including Indy 500 champion car owner, Rick Treadway. Robby ran his second season for Treadwayin the Meijer No. 5 car.  "I had the best success in that car, the car in 2000 was always awesome."

Awesome it was, posting four top 10s in nine races, and a career best second place finish in the Casino Magic 500 at the Texas Motor Speedway.

"Treadway was the power team at the time, we tested  for Firestone, had the best motors, and the best tires. I had a great relationship with the team and was always a confident drivers." Robby recalled on the 2000 season.

His success in 2000 led to a test with Panther Racing. The test was cancelled twice due to rain, and Mother Nature gave the ride to Sam Hornish, Jr., who went on to twin
championships with Panther.

Robby ran 2001 in the No. 10 Cahill Racing car. Sponsored by Olypus, Robby ran a half black, half white car at Indy, resulting in an 11th place finish after starting 14th. He finished off the year with four top 10 finishes, finishing 16th in points.

Robby went on to run for Beck Motorsports, posting one top 10 in 2002, and failed to qualify for the Indy 500. He returned in 2003, where he ran the Indy 500 for Panther racing. He qualified on Bump Day in the 31st position and finished 25th in the Panther No. 44.

He returned to the speedway in 2004 and ran for PDM Racing. He squeaked in as the last qualifier on Bump Day and started 33rd. He piloted the No. 18 Burger King car to a
22nd finishing spot. Robby ran the Texas race for RedBull Cheever Racing that season.

Robby has now hung up the racing gloves and is a newly crowned father to triplets. Robby's wife, Norma, gave birth to Harry, Robby, Jr., and Cammie. They were born on April 27th.

Robby spends his free time flying airplanes, golfing, and playing with his five dogs. He is the vice president at Huntleigh McGehee. He still resides in the St. Louis area.

Photo from motorsport.com

After racing on the bumpy city streets, the IndyCar Series returns to the speedier ovals this weekend at the Kansas Speedway.

Dan Wheldon, driver of the No. 4 National Guard Dallara for Panther Racing, will look to win his third consecutive race at Kansas; but this time, it will be tougher, not being part of the "big three" anymore.

For those of you unfamiliar with the "big three," they are IndyCar's three most dominating teams: Penske Racing, Target Chip Ganassi Racing, and Andretti Green Racing.

Wheldon took his two Kansas victories (2007 & 2008) with Ganassi, also finishing second twice in the race with Andretti Green (2005 & 2006). But he believes Panther Racing can carry him to victory once again.

"Obviously, I like Kansas City and I'm very confident about this weekend," Wheldon said. "Panther has had a lot success on the mile-and-a-halfs and we had a good test there last week so I'm ready to go."

With 15 career victories, 13 of those came on ovals for Wheldon.

"I'd never seen an oval, other than on television, when I came here 10 years ago but I really took a liking to racing on them," Wheldon said, who will be making his 100th career start this weekend.

"Kansas being our first oval race of the season and leading us into Indy is fine by me. I'd like to have some momentum going to my favorite place on the circuit next month," he went on.

Wheldon could look good at Indy also, winning the big race in 2005.

"Our National Guard team has done a great job in the pits and calling the races but I thought we were pretty competitive all weekend," he said. "It was good to score points heading into Kansas. We've got six ovals in a row and I think we're going to get stronger and stronger."

Even though he is currently second in IndyCar Series points, Will Power will unfortunately not be racing this weekend in Kansas.

The Australian was driving the No. 3 for Penske Racing, until Helio Castroneves was declared not guilty in tax evasion charges. Castroneves is now returning, leaving Power with no ride.

Castroneves did race in the No. 3 last week in Long Beach, while Power ran a third Penske entry for the first time since 1996, driving the No. 12 sponsored by Verizon Wireless.

Power will be back in the No. 12 in a month from now, at the prestigious Indianapolis 500. Roger Penske says he is looking to run Power in more races afterwards.

"I talked to Will and told him he's done a great job and we'll have a good car for him at Indianapolis," Roger Penske said Wednesday afternoon. "What I'd like to do is go to Indy and then try to keep it going with him so we'll see how it plays out.

"He could have been done when Helio came back, according to our contract, but that's not the way we treat people. He's a great kid and a very talented driver."

Power proved he should have a full-time ride last week in Long Beach, being quickest in Penske's No. 3 car. On Saturday, he stepped aside for Castroneves and moved to the No. 12 car, grabbing the pole with it.

Power led 16 laps in the race and finished second, giving a great performance to a new car and a pit crew who were only used to Grand-Am cars.

"It's going to be the first race I've missed in nine years," Power said. "It's going to be different just watching but I know I'll have a great car at Indy and I have to thank Roger for this opportunity."

The first two races this year, both street courses, saw some new faces running up front.

Justin Wilson is familiar with the position, but the team he drives for, Dale Coyne Racing, isn't. The team seemed to be on their way to victory in the season opener at St. Pete, until getting passed by Ryan Briscoe and Ryan Hunter-Reay to finish third.

Speaking of Hunter-Reay, he was able to bring the Vision Racing team to a second place finish, something the team has heavily struggled to do over the years.

But this weekend, it is expected these teams will once again find their way in the middle of the pack. Allow me to explain.

On road/street courses, it takes driver talent and a good engineer to find success. But when it comes to ovals, success relies more on aero development. For aero development, it takes big bucks.

And who has the big bucks? The aforementioned "big three". The "big three" has dominated the ovals over the years and that is not expected to change. Last year, not once has a smaller team beaten the "big three" on ovals.

As I always do, I will now make my predictions for this weekend's race at the Kansas Speedway.

As I close my eyes and use my psychic powers, I see Scott Dixon, driver of the No. 9 Target Chip Ganassi Racing car, on top of the podium.

The defending IndyCar Series champion definitely has no problems winning on ovals, with five of his six wins last year on them, including the Indianapolis 500.

Practice at Kansas starts Saturday at 10 a.m. ET, with qualifying later in the day. The race is set for Sunday at 4 p.m. ET, with the Firestone Indy Lights race at Noon ET.

So enjoy the race, and I'll be back in a month, previewing the biggest race in the world, the Indianapolis 500.

The 2009 IndyCar series season is upon us with the opening race in St. Petersburg, Florida scheduled for April 5.  Many questions remain to be answered about the upcoming season. 

Will Helio Castroneves be able to put his legal troubles behind him and be able to steer his Team Penske car to victory?  Will Scott Dixon make it three series championships for his career?  Also, can the rest of the field close the gap between them and the likes of Penske and Ganassi?

One of the most pressing issues this season is not on track related.  Two time Indianapolis 500 winner Helio Castroneves is currently standing trial on tax evasion charges. 

With no conclusion in sight, Team Penske has provided themselves with a very capable replacement in Will Power. 

It remains to be seen if Power is just warming Helio's seat until his legal issues are resolved, which at this point surely means it is for at least the season opener, or if or when Helio returns does Power get granted his release or stay on in a third car? 

Team Penske has denied the possibility of running three cars, but it would be rather difficult to kick Power out of the seat if he has a good showing in his Penske debut.

Scott Dixon is cool as ice behind the wheel.  In 2009, he will have an equally as cool customer as a teammate in 2007 series champion Dario Franchitti.  This duo could be tough to beat, on paper that is.  Their potential dominance could be reminiscent of Andretti-Green's in 2004.

The rest of the field has some major catching up to do.  Team Penske is solid with the resurgent Ryan Briscoe, the dark horse Will Power, and possibly Castroneves.  Target Chip Ganassi Racing is the automatic front-runner with reigning champion Scott Dixon piloting the No. 9 machine. 

Andretti-Green racing is the closest competitor to stopping the red and white brigade of Penske and Ganassi.  Tony Kanaan, a former series champion, would love to capture one more title before his career is through in a few years. 

Marco Andretti, if he can avoid the stupid mistakes he has been prone to make in his young Indycar career, Andretti will most certainly be willing to live up to the lofty expectations that his last name generates. 

Hideki Mutoh and Danica Patrick are not quite championship caliber drivers, but both could make some noise in 2009.

Dan Wheldon's move to a one car effort at Panther Racing is a bit puzzling.  Wheldon is undoubtedly fast, but will not having a teammate to gauge set-ups hurt him in the long run.  Look for Wheldon to be the lone gunman trying to hunt down the rest of the pack.

When it comes down to it, the balance of power in the Indycar series is a dead heat between Ganassi and Penske with Andretti-Green a sizable distance behind both teams. 

In the end, it will between Briscoe and Dixon to decide the championship.  Both drivers are well-balanced and have great equipment under them.