Backstretch Motorsports

RICHMOND, Va., Friday, June 27, 2008 - Tony Kanaan won the PEAK Motor Oil Pole Award presented by Advance Auto Parts for Saturday’s SunTrust Indy Challenge at Richmond International Raceway.

The Andretti Green Racing driver recorded a four-lap qualifying effort of 1 minute, 4.3333 seconds, 167.876 mph in the No. 11 Team 7-Eleven machine. The pole is Kanaan’s second of the season and the 10th of his IndyCar Series career.

[read more…]

WEST ALLIS, Wis., May 31, 2008 - Marco Andretti became the youngest pole winner in IndyCar Series history when he claimed the PEAK Motor Oil Pole Award for the ABC Supply/AJ Foyt 225 at The Milwaukee Mile. The 21-year-old will be joined on the front row by 19-year-old Graham Rahal.

Andretti, driver of the No. 26 Team Indiana Jones presented by Blockbuster Dallara/Honda/Firestone, captured his first career pole with a four-lap average speed of 168.079 mph. At the age of 21 years, 79 days old he eclipsed the mark of Tomas Scheckter, who was 21 years, 260 days old when he won the pole at Texas in June 2002.

[read more…]

INDIANAPOLIS, Sunday, May 4, 2008 - Ten drivers completed all four phases of the Indianapolis 500 Rookie Orientation Program at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway as the track opened for the 92nd Running of 500-Mile Race.

Will Power (left) was the quickest among a class of 13 rookies, the most since 1997. The rookies have two days of practice on the historic 2.5-mile oval before the track is opened to all drivers on May 6.

Power’s fastest lap in the No. 8 Aussie Vineyard-Team Australia entry was 40.7804 seconds, 220.694 mph.

[read more…]

As Indianapolis mayor Greg Ballard waved the the green at 12:02 PM, the Month of May that leads up to the 92nd running of the Indianpolis 500 officailly began the on track phase.

Today was the first of two days of Rookie Orientation Program at the fabled Brickyard. 13 driver were expected to participate. The rookie class for the 92nd Indianapolis 500 take their first laps around the 2.5-mile speedway as they must complete the ROP, a set of four phases of 10 laps each at increasing speeds. The first phase, drivers have to meet a minimum speed of 205.00 MPH increasing each session to a final phase of 215 + .MPH.

Veteran drivers are serving as another set of eyes with the IRL officials , watching corner entry and exits, straightaway handling and giving critque as needed.

[read more…]

He missed the last race, the first of the new season. He crashed his primary car at a test. So his IndyCar Series debut had to wait until the street course at St Petersburg.

And did he ever make up for it.

Graham Rahal becomes not only the youngest driver to win a IndyCar Series race (19 years and 93 days old.), he becomes the first of the transition drivers to do so. He held off defending race champion Helio Castroneves.

It was a good day for the Newman/Haas/Lanagan driver to say the least.

[read more…]

Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg Fast Facts

Castroneves eyes three-peat as IndyCar Series returns to St. Petersburg
Firestone Indy Lights teams ready to tackle doubleheader weekend
Transition Teams find more familiar turf on street course.

Castroneves hopes to dance in Victory Lane
Helio Castroneves, the winner of the past two races at St. Petersburg and the winner of ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars” last November, hopes to return to Victory Lane for a third consecutive season. The affable South Florida resident has led 135 laps at St. Petersburg the last two seasons. Only two drivers have ever won three consecutive races at the same track. Dan Wheldon won three in a row at Homestead-Miami Speedway (2005-07), and Scott Dixon has captured three in a row at Watkins Glen (2005-07). Castroneves finished fourth in the season opener at Homestead-Miami.

[read more…]

ALMS — IN THEIR OWN WORDS: LOOKING BACK, LOOKING AHEAD

“It’s all downhill from here.” Such an expression no doubt was circulating through the American Le Mans Series paddock following the season-opening Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring. America’s greatest sports car race traditionally has been the first event on the Series schedule and it prepares a driver, car and team to a degree that no other race in the world can for the grind of a full-season effort, which continues April 5 in St. Petersburg. Here’s how some of the newer faces in the Series paddock viewed Sebring and the rest of the 2008 season.

Christian Fittpaldi and Joel Feinberg both made their first starts at the 12 Hours of Sebring.

[read more…]