Be sure to watch on indycar.com at 4 p.m. (EDT) July 31 as the 2010 IndyCar Series schedule will be announced.
Also, watch practice and qualifications throughout the day for the IndyCar Series and Firestone Indy Lights on the 1.5-mile Kentucky Speedway oval. On-track schedule
SPARTA, Ky. – Little-publicized (until now) statistic: Dan Wheldon has completed 1,810 of the 1,828 laps through 11 IndyCar Series races, more than any driver.
Another: Wheldon, driving the No. 4 National Guard Panther Racing car, has eight top-10 finishes, one behind the top two in championship points — Scott Dixon and Dario Franchitti of Target Chip Ganassi Racing.
Wheldon, who’s 30 points out of fifth place, is pleased as steak and kidney pie to get back on a 1.5-mile oval this weekend at Kentucky Speedway to improve his overall standing and extend those stats. In six starts at the speedway, the 2005 series champion has an average finish of fifth (best of third in 2004 and ‘05) and average starting position of 6.3 (high of second in ‘05).
Last year, Wheldon started third and finished fifth in the car Franchitti will drive in the Meijer Indy 300 Presented by Red Baron and Edy’s. Overall, Panther Racing has amassed one victory, five top-five finishes and a pole start.
“Kentucky is the type of place where we should be good,” he said. “We’ve been doing our homework and I’m pretty hopeful after looking at what happened at Toronto and Edmonton we know the areas where we need to continue to work and that will only help us at places like Kentucky. Honestly, it should help us at all the tracks we go to, especially now that we know the path we need to follow.”
TK carries the torch
Tony Kanaan was cleared by Indy Racing League medical officials to compete in the 200-lap race at Kentucky Speedway after a scary pit lane fire one-third of the way through the race in Edmonton on July 26.
Kanaan, who suffered superficial burns to his chin and left side of his nose, thanked crew members of competing teams who drenched him and the No. 11 Team 7-Eleven car with water seconds after seeing the flames.
“He’s the Incredible Hulk,” Andretti Green Racing teammate Danica Patrick said.
Actually, Kanaan has a super-hero nickname for himself for the weekend: TK “The Torch” is a sticker on the car.
“It was amazing how quickly they responded and I am glad I’m OK,” Kanaan said. “It looked a lot worse on TV than if you saw me right now. We have great people working for us, the firesuit, helmet and gloves worked fine and I’m glad nobody was hurt. We just have to move on.”
Mutoh enjoys the Bluegrass state
After three-consecutive races on road courses, Hideki Mutoh is looking forward to getting back on the oval at Kentucky Speedway. The second-year driver qualified fourth for his first IndyCar Series race at the 1.5-mile oval last year and has even better memories from his first visit to Kentucky.
“I have good memories here,” Mutoh said. “In 2007, when I was in (Firestone) Indy Lights, I was on pole. I led the whole race and I won the race, so I’m very happy to be here.”
Hometown Hero for Kentucky event
Sgt. Andrew Wiglesworth is the Panther Racing National Guard “Hometown Hero” for the race weekend at Kentucky Speedway.
Each IndyCar Series event in the United States, a National Guard member from a local unit is recognized for their contributions to the Guard. The honoree has a special hero card produced, which they sign during the IndyCar Series driver autograph session. They’re also recognized during pre-race activities.
A full-time firefighter in Cynthiana, Ky., Wiglesworth served in Afghanistan in 2008-09, and his ability to command was demonstrated and recognized, resulting in a battlefield promotion to Sergeant.
Notable
In the nine previous years that Kentucky Speedway has hosted an IndyCar Series event, not a single driver has been able to amass more than one pole start. Five previous pole sitters are entered: Dixon (2008), Kanaan (2007), Helio Castroneves (2006), Danica Patrick (2005) and Sarah Fisher (2002). … Luczo Dragon Racing rookie Raphael Matos won the pole and finished sixth in the Firestone Indy Lights race at Kentucky Speedway in 2008.
Conquest Racing announced it has ended its partnership with the Rubicon Sports Agency.
Rubicon Sports Agency had been brought on by Conquest Racing in April and was responsible for the development of the team’s commercial platform, including attracting new and maintaining existing commercial partners.
Conquest Racing will not attend the IndyCar Series races at Kentucky Speedway and Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, but an announcement regarding Conquest’s end-of-season plans is expected next week.
ResponseLogix's second quarter '09 sales grew 88% over first quarter '09, continuing quarterly growth trend. (PRWeb Jul 30, 2009)
Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/ResponseLogix/Sales/prweb2689714.htm
Hastings Manufacturing Company, LLC a nearly 100-year old American manufacturer of piston rings, announces the promotion of Kevin D. Willison to the position of director of information technology. (PRWeb Jul 30, 2009)
Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/2009/07/prweb2689324.htm
Ford chose Loft on Lake as the perfect setting to show their newest vehicle, the Transit Connect, to the media and small business owners in the Chicago area.. (PRWeb Jul 30, 2009)
Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/2009/07/prweb2690364.htm
Endless Resources, a provider of marketing lists for automotive, mortgage, consumer, B2B and investor leads, is encouraging businesses to seize sales opportunities with the new "Cash for Clunkers" program that helps people replace their less fuel-efficient cars. (PRWeb Jul 30, 2009)
Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/2009/07/prweb2692124.htm
Hastings Manufacturing Company, LLC a nearly 100-year old American manufacturer of piston rings, announces the promotion of Kevin D. Willison to the position of director of information technology. (PRWeb Jul 30, 2009)
Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/2009/07/prweb2689324.htm
Eddie Jordan tells BBC 5 Live that Michael Schumacher’s return will help improve Kimi Raikkonen’s performances as the Finnish Ferrari driver “will not want to be disgraced”.
