Doug Boles has been president of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for less than a year, yet has overseen some of the biggest changes in the iconic track's history.
Saturday will see the first IndyCar race not named the Indianapolis 500 at the track when the Grand Prix of Indianapolis runs a 14-turn road course in the infield.
Boles took time from his busy schedule to talk to The News-Sentinel about many topics:
V8 Supercars CEO James Warburton Predicts Ford Will Stay In The Race V8 Supercars CEO James Warburton "is hopeful one of Australia’s greatest sporting rivalries will continue," according to James Phelps of the Sydney DAILY TELEGRAPH. Warburton is "confident Ford will keep its war with Holden raging by recommitting to the sport." Holden "ended speculation over its future" in Australian motorsport earlier this week by re-signing with Red Bull Racing.
He has "now shifted the focus on to Ford." Warburton revealed V8 Supercars "were helping FPR to negotiate a new deal with Ford and discussions were ongoing." Warburton said, “A decision on the future is premature at this stage but we see little reason why they would not continue to support their fans." Daily Telegraph
Valencian Government Faces Investigation Over Purchase Of F1 Organizer Valmor Valencia's District Attorney "began a criminal investigation on suspicion of embezzlement of public money" in the Valencian Government's purchase of Valencia F1 race organizer Valmor, according to EL CONFIDENCIAL. Valencia's District Attorney is "reviewing charges presented" by socialist group Las Cortes Valencianas on April 25. The group claimed that "it is not clear what the general interest was for this use of public money." EL CONFIDENCIAL
The EP reported the Valencian Government bought Valmor in '01 to "be able to continue hosting an F1 Grand Prix in Valencia." To the socialists, "the Valencian Government could have committed embezzlement of public funds by using money from Valencians to buy an organization" that was known to have a debt of more than $50M. EP
Fans told to 'know your zones' when it comes to races at Indy in May Fans looking for the most efficient ways to avoid heavy traffic en route to the inaugural Grand Prix of Indianapolis on Saturday, May 10, and the 98th running of the Indianapolis 500 on Sunday, May 25, are encouraged to follow the Indianapolis Motor Speedway's KNOW YOUR ZONE driving routes and parking program.
Fans should plan their routes ahead of time for an easier, more efficient drive to the track. Now in its second year, the KNOW YOUR ZONE program is designed to help Speedway guests identify the best driving routes to parking lots located near their respective seating locations.
Dixon, driving the No. 9 Target Chip Ganassi Racing car, recorded a best lap of 1 minute, 10.4654 seconds on the course that was revised from the one used in the past by Formula One, MotoGP and sports cars.
Five different teams were represented in the top five of the 45-minute session, and the top 24 cars were separated by less than a second under a canopy of blue sky and summer-like temperature.
Each of the three Verizon IndyCar Series races this season has had a different pole sitter and winner.
Robert Talbott joins sponsor list for Rahal Robert Talbott announced today that it will sponsor the Rahal Letterman Lanigan (RLL) Racing team, of which IndyCar driver Graham Rahal is a member, during the 2014 Verizon IndyCar Series season, beginning with the Grand Prix of Indianapolis on Saturday, May 10. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
As sponsor, Robert Talbott will provide RLL with co-branded sportswear for the team during the 2014 season. Additionally, the Monterey clothier will provide Graham Rahal and select members of the RLL executive management team with a more complete wardrobe – including sport shirts, sweaters and jackets. This sponsorship comes on the heels of last year’s launch of Robert Talbott Motorsports®, which was created to support American motorsports and young drivers.
The yellow Pennzoil car of Johnny Rutherford in 1980
At a press conference earlier today, Pennzoil announced the return of an iconic look for its brand in the Verizon IndyCar Series at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Helio Castroneves will carry the “Yellow Submarine” scheme to celebrate the launch of Pennzoil Platinum and Pennzoil Ultra Platinum Full Synthetic motor oils with PurePlus Technology.
RUSTY BARRON (Vice President North America of Lubricants Marketing):” Pennzoil has a long and storied history with the IndyCar Series. Together, these three gentlemen represent 10 Indy 500 victories, and that’s just a snapshot of the history Pennzoil has in open wheel racing. Let me share a little bit of history with you. Pennzoil first appeared at this track as a sponsor of the successful car driven by Russell Snowberger in the 1930s. His success over a five year period attracted 27 other race teams and drivers to voluntarily select Pennzoil as a race engine.
KVSH Racing's Sebastien Bourdais led Thursday morning's opening practice session for the Grand Prix of Indianapolis. Practice session 2 will begin at 2 p.m. ET.
The ambient temperature was 70 degrees with a relative humidity of 76 percent and winds from the north at 7 mph. Skies were sunny. The track temperature was 94 degrees, according to Firestone engineers.
Level 5 team owner Scott Tucker subpoenaed in U.S. criminal probe
Race team owner Scott Tucker
(Reuters) - A U.S. grand jury has subpoenaed a company that a federal regulator has said is at the center of a deceptive payday lending scheme, a source familiar with the matter said.
AMG Services Inc was subpoenaed as part of a criminal probe conducted by the office of Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara. The grand jury is looking at possible violations of statutes covering wire fraud, money laundering and racketeering, the source said.
The criminal investigation comes as regulators, including the Federal Trade Commission and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, put payday lenders under increasing scrutiny. The industry posted $9.3 billion in revenues in 2012, according to investment advisory firm Stephens Inc.
LeAnn Rimes to sing National Anthem at Indy 500 Multiple Grammy Award-winning country music superstar LeAnn Rimes will sing the national anthem during pre-race ceremonies at the 98th running of the Indianapolis 500 on Sunday, May 25, at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
One of the world's most successful country music entertainers with a career spanning more than 20 years, Rimes was the youngest person to ever win a Grammy Award and was the first country artist to win the Grammy for Best New Artist.
Honda to supply Formula Lites engines Formula Lites is pleased to announce HondaPerformance Development as the official engine supplier to the Formula Lites series. Honda's production 2.4 liter, four-cylinder Honda K24 engine is set to power the Formula Lites Crawford FL15 chassis.
"We are pleased to partner with Honda Performance Development as the official engine supplier to the Formula Lites series. The Honda 2.4 liter production motor will be fitted to the Formula Lites Crawford FL15 chassis providing a high power, cost efficient, reliable package for our competitors," said Dennis McCormack.
'Dangerous' witness Gribkowsky to testify on Friday (GMM) Bernie Ecclestone's bribery trial will step up a gear on Friday.
SID news agency reports that Gerhard Gribkowsky, the jailed former banker who the F1 supremo is alleged to have bribed to the tune of $44 million, will make his first appearance at Ecclestone's Munich trial as the star witness.
It is on the conflicting accounts of Gribkowsky and 83-year-old Ecclestone that the whole corruption scandal turns.
Gribkowsky, already serving an eight and a half year jail sentence for receiving Ecclestone's money, is expected to confirm prosecutors' claims that he was paid in order to influence the sale of F1's commercial rights and keep Ecclestone in power.
IMSA Open to Selective Split Races in Future IMSA has not ruled out hosting additional split race events on a selective basis, following a successful trial run last weekend at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.
Sunday’s TUDOR United SportsCar Championship doubleheader featured separate Prototype/GT Le Mans and Prototype Challenge/GT Daytona races, each two hours in length, a format that was initiated due to lack of pit lane space.
“It was an experiment going into it. But it was implemented by necessity, simply because with 56 entries and a pit lane that can in no way accommodate that kind of content, we had no choice but to split them,” IMSA President and COO Scott Atherton told Sportscar365.
“There was a little trepidation going into it for obvious reasons. I think coming out of that weekend, it’s the rare exception that you’d find someone that wasn’t very happy with it in general.
Detroit bringing in double-decker suites imported from the London Olympics
2014 Detroit GP track map and grandstands
Roger Penske and crew are preparing Belle Isle for another Grand Prix, but with a twist of someone else’s making:
The weekend of IndyCar racing, showcasing the Motor City with seven hours of national TV coverage and double-decker suites imported from the London Olympics, is set to run May 30-June 1 in the shadow of the largest municipal bankruptcy in American history.
That could be bad news for a city given up for dead so many times it’s lost count. But it’s an opportunity the impresario and the city need, a chance to show how racing and corporate sponsors, the city and the state, are coalescing despite the burden of Chapter 9 and what it portends.
Yates talks about horsepower reduction Doug Yates from Roush Yates Racing Engines talks about what's coming in regards to reduced horsepower for Cup teams:
Yates: So where we are today is reducing RPM, talking about taking 500 RPM away. Effectively, that reduces speed on the racetrack and goes along with making the parts last longer. Talking about roller cams. The Cup series is the only series that has a flat tappet cam. It is a really hard application and it is probably the only series in the world that has a flat tappet cam. It gets it more like Nationwide and Truck so the parts could be passed down and they would last longer. If we need to reduce power more, we'd do it through a reduced throttle body size, reducing the air flow through the throttle body. Those are the mechanisms that will be utilized to reduce power.
Tesla posts Q1 net loss of $49.8 million Despite record production of 7,535 Model S electric vehicles, Tesla Motors Inc. said today it posted a $49.8 million net loss in the first quarter while revenue rose to $620 million.
The automaker posted net income of $11.3 million, or 10 cents a share, on revenue of $555 million during the same quarter last year.
The company sold 6,457 vehicles during the first quarter of 2014. Tesla reported a gross profit of $155 million, but a $44 million operating loss when accounting for r&d and sales and administrative expenses.
Fiat stock tumbles as investors question Marchionne's plan Fiat-Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne has an ambitious five-year plan to more than double profit and increase annual deliveries 61 percent. So far, investors aren’t buying it.
Fiat shares fell 12 percent, the most in 2 1/2 years, on skepticism that the CEO will be able to meet the 2018 targets he laid out during an investor presentation Tuesday.
The automaker’s weaker-than-estimated first-quarter results also cast doubt over the 55 billion euro ($77 billion) plan to expand Alfa Romeo, Maserati and Jeep into nameplates that can attract customers from Beijing to Berlin to Boston. In doing so, Marchionne is seeking to forge an automaker that’s big enough to challenge General Motors Co. and Volkswagen AG.
Efforts To Sell Silverstone Circuit Abandoned Following Failed Negotiations Efforts to find a "multi-million pound investor to take over Silverstone have been abandoned after negotiations failed," according to Kevin Eason of the LONDON TIMES. The British Racing Drivers' Club, which owns the historic circuit, has already "secured the future" with a £32M ($54M) deal to lease the "industrial land surrounding Silverstone but was looking for an operator to develop the circuit to compete with the glittering tracks springing up in foreign capitals." The BRDC has now decided to "hold on to the circuit and carry out its own planning for the future, while MEPC, which owns the industrial and technology park, is also investing." BRDC Chair John Gran "gave an assurance that Silverstone and the British Grand Prix -- on July 6 this year -- are safe." London Times
ECR signs new sponsor for Indy races Ed Carpenter Racing, the 2013 Indy 500 pole winning team, announced today that cmcglobal and DMCIndy, consulting and logistical project management companies, have signed as associate sponsors for the team’s race cars in the Inaugural Grand Prix of Indianapolis and the 98th running of the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race.
cmcglobal and DMCIndy, Indianapolis-based firms, will carry its company’s logos on the No. 20 Fuzzy’s Ultra Premium Vodka Chevrolet driven by ECR team owner/driver Ed Carpenter in the Indy 500. Mike Conway, winner of the 2014 Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach, will pilot the No.20 in the inaugural Grand Prix of Indianapolis on May 10 at the legendary Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
We hope to take them to victory lane with us on May 25.”
cmcglobal, founded in 1997, is the “One Resource” for all meeting, convention, trade show and special event needs. The firm’s highly-skilled professional’s work with a variety of corporations, non-for-profits, and associations to provide a wide range of services related to accommodation, transportation, special event production, group and team-building activities.
In addition, the No. 20 car also will spot the DMCIndy logo at the Grand Prix of Indianapolis and the Indy 500. DMCIndy is “The source for everything in Indianapolis”! Their hospitality professionals possess extensive knowledge and expertise in the design implementation of events and logistics. They are highly committed to providing exceptional quality destination management services.
“cmcglobal and DMCIndy are very excited to expand our current partnership with Ed Carpenter Racing,” said Jeff Cummings, president of cmcglobal and DMCIndy. “Ed and his team are proven winners on and off the track and we hope to be a part of another winning celebration with ECR on May 25 at the fame Brickyard.”
Hippino named official travel partner of KV Racing Technology
Hippino back with KVSH Racing.
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - May 7, 2014 - KV Racing Technology announced today that Hippino will be the team's official travel partner during the 2014 Verizon IndyCar Series season.
The new agreement expands Hippino's relationship with the team. In 2013, Hippino was a sponsor of the No. 11 KV Racing Technology with SH Racing car driven by Tony Kanaan. They began the 2014 season as a sponsor of the No. 11 KVSH Racing entry driven by Sebastien Bourdais.
"We are extremely pleased to have Hippino expand its relationship with KV Racing Technology," said KVRT co-owner Jimmy Vasser. "Hippino is an exciting company and we are pleased to partner with them and their founder and CEO EJ Falk who I have gotten to know well during the past year."
Butterball to appear on the #28 during the month of May.
INDIANAPOLIS (May 7, 2014) - The No. 28 Honda Indy car, piloted by 2012 Verizon IndyCar Series Champion Ryan Hunter-Reay, will now feature the Butterball brand for the inaugural Grand Prix of Indianapolis as well as the Indy 500.
"I couldn't be happier to welcome Butterball to the Andretti Autosport family as we participate in the great American tradition of racing in Indianapolis during the Month of May," said Michael Andretti, Andretti Autosport president, chairman and CEO. "We're proud to partner with such a storied and beloved brand during this special time of year and hope to be celebrating a victory feast this Memorial Day with Butterball on our table."
Butterball's sponsorship will run throughout the month of May with four-time IndyCar Series champions Andretti Autosport. Butterball, which accounts for approximately 20 percent of total turkey production in the country, will debut its branding on the No. 28 machine this week as practice for the Grand Prix of Indianapolis begins on the revamped road course at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Sunoco, NHRA Announce Partnership Sunoco, one of America’s largest fuel companies, will have a larger presence in motorsports when the 2015 racing season begins.
The company will become an official sponsor of the Nat’l Hot Rod Ass’n (NHRA) next year, after a Monday announcement confirmed the move.
The deal includes a comprehensive package of television spots, digital presence, on-site visibility and NHRA-themed consumer and retail promotions designed to increase attendance and television viewership.
Kahne’s Crew Chief Francis Penalized Kenny Francis, the crew chief for the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet SS team that competes in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, has been penalized for rules violations committed during qualifying May 3 at Talladega Superspeedway.
The infraction is a P3 level penalty and violates Sections 12-1 (actions detrimental to stock car racing) and 12-4.3(A)1-c (unapproved added weight and/or weight affixed improperly) of the 2014 rule book.
As a result, Francis has been fined $25,000. The infraction was discovered in post-qualifying inspection.
Red Bull F1 team announces new sponsor Infiniti Red Bull Racing is delighted to announce a partnership with SCOTT Sports, leading manufacturer of high-end cycling, running, moto and wintersports products. As official team supplier for Infiniti Red Bull Racing, SCOTT will supply various accessories to the pit crew such as the super-lightweight SCOTT Picton full face helmet and SCOTT LCG goggles.
"Racing is in our blood, no matter if moto or muscle power,” says SCOTT Sports vice president Pascal Ducrot. “We share the same passion, that's why we are super excited to team up with Infiniti Red Bull Racing and are proud to supply the most innovative F1 team with our products."
NASCAR and Camping World announce 7-year extension NASCAR announced Monday it has reached a seven-year agreement with Camping World to remain the entitlement sponsor of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series through 2022. The new deal ensures that Camping World will own exclusive rights as title sponsor for a total of 14-consecutive years, equaling the longest entitlement sponsorship in the history of the national series, which is celebrating its 20th season.
The renewed partnership aligns two brands in the midst of significant growth. Since originally becoming series entitlement sponsor in 2009, Camping World has expanded its number of stores by 35 percent, resulting in the company eclipsing $3 billion in annual revenue.
The Russian GP put out the following press release this morning after reports the race would be cancelled this year because of the situation in Eastern Europe (Ukraine, etc.) and the sanctions placed on Russia by the West.
"The 2014 FORMULA 1 RUSSIAN GRAND PRIX will go ahead as planned.
"Preparations are very much on schedule and the Venue will be ready this October to welcome all F1 Teams and fans to the Sochi circuit, that runs in between the Olympic stadiums, against a unique mountain backdrop.
All Three Mazda Road to Indy Development Series Head to Indianapolis The reconfigured Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course drew rave reviews last week when the Verizon IndyCar Series teams tested for the first time on the challenging new 2.439-mile, 14-turn layout in preparation for the upcoming inaugural Grand Prix of Indianapolis. The next generation of IndyCar Series stars will have their own opportunity to join in the fun this week as competitors on all three levels of the Mazda Road to Indy - the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda, the Pro Mazda Championship Presented by Cooper Tires and Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires - will be on hand for two races of their own on May 9/10.
Detroit GP and PNC Renew Partnership with Detroit Public Schools Continuing their partnership with Detroit Public Schools (DPS) by educating students through motorsports, the Chevrolet Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix and PNC today proudly announced plans for the 2014 Grow Up Great and Fifth Gear programs.
Building on the programs that have grown and developed with the Grand Prix since 2012, both the Grow Up Great and Fifth Gear programs combine a mathematics and science curriculum through real-world applications in motorsports to spark interest in DPS students for careers in science, technology, engineering and math. The programs are funded by a grant from the PNC Foundation under the stewardship of the Detroit Public Schools Foundation.
Daniel Burkett's Quest for Sponsorship: Episode #1 Road to Indy driver, Daniel Burkett, knows that the biggest obstacle to getting sponsorship is doing nothing and that is why he will stop at no length to get one, achieve his goal, and get what he wants! In this episode Daniel learns why perseverance, never giving up, and reading all the fine print are essential to landing a sponsor.
The last of Davey Hamilton's 11 Indianapolis 500 Mile Race starts came in 2011 with Dreyer & Reinbold Racing.
This month, Hamilton and Kingdom Racing has partnered with Dreyer & Reinbold Racing principal Dennis Reinbold – through an alliance with Chip Ganassi Racing Teams -- on an Indianapolis 500 entry with 2013 Indy Lights champion Sage Karam driving the Chevrolet-powered No. 22 car. Last week, the Ganassi organization announced an agreement with Karam on a multi-year deal as a development driver.
Karam, 19, of Nazareth, Pa., participated May 5 in the Rookie Orientation Program. The 2.5-mile oval opens for full-scale practice May 11, with qualifications May 17-18. The 98th running of “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” is May 25. Jeff Britton is Karam’s race engineer.
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