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'Push to Pass' Thrills IndyCar in Kentucky

Posted: Aug 2nd 2009 12:04AM by Geoffrey Miller (author feed)
Filed under: Penske Racing, IRL

IndyCar Kentucky Speedway Ryan Briscoe Ed Carpenter Penske Racing Vision Racing Tony George IRL

Penske Racing's Ryan Briscoe needed every inch of the Kentucky Speedway top groove Saturday night to pull out a win over winless Ed Carpenter in the Meijer Indy 300, though that's not what people will remember.

The biggest story won't be Briscoe's triumphant return to victory lane in 2009 or how narrowly close the Tony George-owned Vision Racing team with Carpenter came to winning his first career race in some 94 tries.

Instead, the racing that the IRL IndyCar Series had become known for seemed to return with a bang in the hills of Sparta, Ky., thanks to a few rule changes for the series.

Continue Reading 'Push to Pass' Thrills IndyCar in Kentucky

IndyCar's Will Power Taking the High Road to Victory Lane

Posted: Jul 31st 2009 6:30PM by Holly Cain (author feed)
Filed under: Penske Racing, IRL

4 COMMENTS

Unfortunately lost in the hoopla accompanying NASCAR's annual visit to Indianapolis Motor Speedway last weekend was one of the best story lines in motorsports getting even better.

In only his fifth start of the season -- in a car and with a pit crew that he can't even fully claim his own -- Australian Will Power dominated the field to win the IndyCar race at Edmonton, Alberta, on Sunday.

You don't have to be an open-wheel fan to appreciate what Power's accomplished with great opportunity and sparing chance.

He started the season as a fill-in for Helio Castroneves but in four sporadic starts since in a third Team Penske car, Power has earned more points than four drivers who have competed the full 11 races to date. He sits only 48 points out of 10th place entering Saturday's race at the high speed Kentucky Speedway oval.

Continue Reading IndyCar's Will Power Taking the High Road to Victory Lane

Humpy and IndyCar? It Could Happen

Posted: Jun 27th 2009 3:44PM by Geoffrey Miller (author feed)
Filed under: Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Lowes Motor Speedway, NASCAR Tracks

1 COMMENT

Humpy Wheeler Indianapolis Motor Speedway Tony George

The rumor that wouldn't stop after the shuffling of Indianapolis Motor Speedway CEO Tony George's job duties finally has some teeth.

Humpy Wheeler -- the longtime and now ex-President and General Manager of Lowe's Motor Speedway -- told the Indianapols Star this week that he and his company are in talks with IndyCar officials about promoting the American open-wheel series.

Humpy's name first entered the IndyCar fold after he attended the Indianapolis 500 instead of the 50th-running of the Coca-Cola 600 in May.

Continue Reading Humpy and IndyCar? It Could Happen

After Crash, Andretti Looks to Make 500

Posted: May 13th 2009 10:14PM by Geoffrey Miller (author feed)
Filed under: Indianapolis Motor Speedway, IRL

4 COMMENTS

The first foray for Richard Petty into the world of IndyCar racing came to a nasty, grinding and gut-wrenching halt in turn one of the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Sunday afternoon.

That crash -- check the video later in the post -- kept Petty's No. 43 driven by John Andretti with assistance from longtime IndyCar player Dreyer and Reinbold Racing from qualifying for the 93rd running of the Indianapolis 500.

However, don't expect the hard incident to keep Petty or Andretti from making the 33-car field this weekend at the Brickyard.

Continue Reading After Crash, Andretti Looks to Make 500

'Nightmare' Over, Helio Castroneves Jumps Back into Race Car

Posted: Apr 18th 2009 5:31PM by Holly Cain (author feed)
Filed under: Penske Racing, IRL

0 COMMENTS

Effusive and emotional by nature, Helio Castroneves could offer up only a simple and humble greeting when he arrived at his team's trackside garage area in Long Beach, Calif., shortly after sunrise Saturday morning.

"Hey guys, I'm home," Castroneves, 33, told the Team Penske crew, who loudly applauded his arrival -- hugs and handshakes all around.

Continue Reading 'Nightmare' Over, Helio Castroneves Jumps Back into Race Car

Cleared of Tax Evasion, Castroneves Returns for Sunday's IndyCar Race

Posted: Apr 17th 2009 5:12PM by Holly Cain (author feed)
Filed under: Penske Racing, IRL

4 COMMENTS

There was no celebratory fence climbing, victory lane to visit or mirror ball trophy to hoist, but two-time Indy 500 winner and "Dancing With the Stars" champ Helio Castroneves scored the biggest victory of his life Friday when a Miami jury acquitted him of federal tax evasion charges that could have sent him to prison for six years.

And so this weekend, Castroneves will be seeing checkers instead of stripes.

Minutes after the early Friday afternoon verdict, his longtime racing strategist, Tim Cindric, sent Castroneves a text message: "We're ready for you" to which Castroneves responded, "I'm coming man."

And just like that, a Team Penske plane was immediately dispatched to Miami to transport Castroneves to the IndyCar Series race in Long Beach, Calif. where he will compete Sunday.

Continue Reading Cleared of Tax Evasion, Castroneves Returns for Sunday's IndyCar Race

Helio Castroneves Not Guilty in Tax Case

Posted: Apr 17th 2009 2:38PM by Holly Cain (author feed)
Filed under: IRL

6 COMMENTS

A Miami jury has acquitted two-time Indianapolis 500 champion Helio Castroneves on six counts of federal tax evasion and deadlocked on the final charge of conspiracy.

His sister and business manager, Katiucia Castroneves and sports attorney Alan Miller were also acquitted. The jury was hung on one charge for Katiucia.

It marked the end to a six-week trial and more than six days of deliberation which included calls for a mistrial from Castroneves' defense team.

Continue Reading Helio Castroneves Not Guilty in Tax Case

Partial Verdict for Helio Castroneves, Deliberations to Resume Friday

Posted: Apr 16th 2009 5:40PM by Holly Cain (author feed)
Filed under: IRL

1 COMMENT

The Miami jury deciding the fate of two-time Indy 500 champ Helio Castroneves has reached a partial verdict in the racer's federal tax evasion trial -- deciding unanimously on two of the seven charges against Castroneves on Thursday but remaining deadlocked on the others, which include the primary conspiracy charge.

The verdicts were not disclosed before court adjourned for the day. The jury will reconvene Friday for a sixth day of deliberation in the six-week old trial.

Castroneves, 33, is accused of failing to pay approximately $2.3 million in taxes on income from endorsement and licensing deals with a Brazilian sponsor and with Team Penske, which he's driven for since 2000.

Continue Reading Partial Verdict for Helio Castroneves, Deliberations to Resume Friday

Castroneves' Trial Takes Weekend Break

Posted: Apr 10th 2009 7:16PM by Geoffrey Miller (author feed)
Filed under: Penske Racing, IRL

3 COMMENTS

IndyCar driver, and perhaps more notably the former champion of TV's Dancing with the Stars, Helio Castroneves will have to wait at least two more days to learn the fate of his future.

The two-time Indianapolis 500 champion and driver for the esteemed Penske Racing operation faces charges of tax evasion, along with his sister Katitucia and attorney Alan Miller for what the Internal Revenue Service says was millions of dollars worth of evaded and unpaid tax returns.

And Friday, after both the prosecution and the defense finished their final statements, the jury deliberated for over two hours before closing up shop for the weekend.

Continue Reading Castroneves' Trial Takes Weekend Break

Petty's 500 Entry No 'Publicity Stunt'

Posted: Apr 7th 2009 1:18AM by Geoffrey Miller (author feed)
Filed under: Indianapolis Motor Speedway, IRL

50 COMMENTS

FanHouse's Holly Cain first jumped on the news Friday from the IRL IndyCar Series season-opener in St. Petersburg, Fla., and Monday NASCAR's 'King' officially announced his entry to open-wheel's highest affair.

Latest IndyCar Photos

** AUTO RACING PACKAGE FOR APRIL 8 AND THEREAFTER ** In this Friday, April 3, 2009, photo, Sam Hornish Jr. helps push his car up pit road during qualifying for the NASCAR Samsung 500 auto race at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, Texas. It almost reads like a misprint: former IRL star Sam Hornish Jr. is without a top-10 finish in 43 Sprint Cup starts, the equivalent of more than a year in NASCAR's top series. It's true, and it's not that much of a surprise, even to Hornish. He knew it would be a tough transition competing every week against the likes of Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt Jr. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Richard Petty looks over the car that John Andretti will drive for next month's Indianapolis 500 after an announcement at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Monday, April 6, 2009. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

Richard Petty, right, and driver John Andretti laugh during an announcement on their participation in next month's IRL Indianapolis 500 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Monday, April 6, 2009. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

Richard Petty, right, and driver John Andretti talk about their participation in next month's Indianapolis 500 after an announcement at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Monday, April 6, 2009. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

Richard Petty, right, and driver John Andretti pose next to the car that Andretti will drive for next month's Indianapolis 500 after an announcement at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Monday, April 6, 2009. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

Indie folk-rock artist Melissa Ferrick performs at the Canal Club in Richmond, Virginia, Friday, December 5, 2008. Her latest release, "Goodbye Youth" (Right on Record), serves up her most introspective material to date. (Chuck Myers/MCT)

MCT

Indie folk-rock artist Melissa Ferrick performs at the 9:30 Club in Washington, D.C., Friday, March 6, 2009. Her latest release, "Goodbye Youth" (Right on Record), serves up her most reflective material. (Chuck Myers/MCT)

MCT

ST. PETERSBURG, FL - APRIL 05: Tony Kanaan, drives the #11 Team 7-Eleven Andretti Green Racing Dallara Honda down Bayshore Dr. during the IRL IndyCar Series Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on April 5, 2009 on the streets of St. Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Doug Benc/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Tony Kanaan

Getty Images

Continue Reading Petty's 500 Entry No 'Publicity Stunt'