Race Weekend Central

Juan Pablo Montoya, Will Power Reveal Sleek 2016 Liveries

Juan Montoya Car

(Photo: IndyCar)

When the Verizon IndyCar Series heads to St. Petersburg, Florida this weekend, Juan Pablo Montoya and Will Power will roll onto the track with style. Montoya and Power each revealed their new liveries for 2016 on social media Wednesday, just a handful of days before the season-opening Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. The Team Penske …

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NASCAR 101: Who Didn’t Come Back to NASCAR This Year?

2014 Texas Ii Cup Marcos Ambrose Helmet Cia

(Photo: CIA Stock Photo, Inc. ©2014)

Here’s an interesting thought: How many drivers who raced in one of NASCAR’s national series in 2014 didn’t in 2015? It’s certainly intriguing to think about. Each year, hundreds of drivers make their way through the top three series, whether it’s as a full-time competitor, a one-off racer or somewhere in between. Of those, most …

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Open-Wheel Wednesday: Juan Pablo Montoya’s Sour Grapes

Indycar 2015 St. Pete Juan Pablo Montoya Trophy And Car Credit Chris Jones

(Photo: Chris Jones)

As the laps clicked off on the IndyCar season finale from Sonoma last Sunday, I watched, wondering if anyone had a shot at using the double points available to upset Juan Pablo Montoya, who had led the standings all year. In the beginning, it looked like he would cruise to the championship by holding steady inside …

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Open-Wheel Wednesday: The “Surprise” Champion, Stellar Seasons and More

Scott Dixon celebrates his race win and championship title at Sonoma

(Photo credit: INDYCAR)

Huston Ladner: So where does anyone want to begin? Matt Stallknecht: Man… where to even start. Toni Montgomery: Am I the only one who made the mistake of pretty much forgetting all about Scott Dixon? Matt: I completely forgot about him. Toni: And then wondering where the hell he came from. Huston: I doubt it. Matt: I figured …

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IndyCar Breakdown: 2015 GoPro Grand Prix of Sonoma

Crowd shot at Sonoma Raceway for the IndyCar finale in 2015 (credit: IndyCar)

(Photo Credit: IndyCar)

In a Nutshell: Scott Dixon earned his fourth IndyCar championship owing to his win at Sonoma Raceway on Sunday.  He started the race in ninth and though he should not have been counted out of the championship, still sat in third in the points standings. The caution for Luca Filippi on lap 32 may have …

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Pace Laps: Heartbreaking Losses and Replacement Drivers

Juan Pablo Montoya on track at Sonoma (credit: IndyCar)

(Photo: IndyCar)

IndyCar: Montoya Critical of Himself, INDYCAR Following Championship Loss – 1.179 seconds. That’s all that separated Juan Pablo Montoya from a Verizon IndyCar Series championship. Montoya, who led the points from the season-opening Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg in March, lost the championship in a tiebreaker to four-time champion Scott Dixon following a sixth-place finish …

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Scott Dixon Wins 4th IndyCar Championship

Scott Dixon at Sonoma celebrating his win and championship (credit: INDYCAR)

(Photo credit: INDYCAR Media)

Starting a lowly ninth on the grid, Scott Dixon and his team made the right calls to put him out in front and from there, Dixon cruised to his third win of the season. That third win would be the tie-breaker between he and Juan Pablo Montoya in claiming the championship. Once Dixon got out …

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Will Power Earns Pole for 2015 GoPro Grand Prix of Sonoma

Will Power on track at Sonoma (credit: John Cote/IndyCar)

(Photo credit: John Cote/IndyCar)

He may not be likely to defend his championship this year, but Will Power is starting the final race of the season on point, taking the pole position with a late flying lap to best Josef Newgarden for pole for the GoPro Grand Prix of Sonoma. Starting third is Ryan Hunter-Reay, followed by Simon Pagenaud. Then …

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Happiness Is… Busch (Beer, That Is), Tires, and the Championship

Pirelli tyres, tires, in the studio (credit: Pirelli)

(Credit: Pirelli)

One of the things that continues to perplex in the wonderful world of NASCAR isn’t the consistent use of lame debris cautions, the myriad of car configurations for this season or that there aren’t more road courses on the schedule.   For a change, the wonderment is pointed in another direction. With Joey Logano’s win …

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Happiness Is… A Green Light, Overload & Pocono

2015 Charlotte I Cup David Ragan Crew Guy Cia

(Photo: CIA Stock Photo, Inc. ©2015)

Well, that sucks.   With Rob Kauffman’s decision to take his ball and go play with the cooler kids on the playground, what once was a decent NASCAR Sprint Cup organization is left in shambles. But as Michael Waltrip Racing becomes another team left in the haze of exhaust and burnt rubber as the sport …

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Pace Laps: Missing Expectations, Flying Fists, and Surprise Contenders

2015 Watkins Glen Cup Jeff Gordon Car Cia

Photo Credit: CIA Stock Photography

Sprint Cup Series: Oh, What Might Have Been… Watkins Glen is sold every year as the last regular season “wild card” race, the last place an underdog can work his way into the Chase under the right circumstances. There were high hopes entering the weekend for defending winner AJ Allmendinger, Tony Stewart, Jeff Gordon and …

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Open-Wheel Wednesday: Sage Karam’s Spin Brings Drama

2015 Indycar Sage Karam Head Shot With Helmet

Photo Credit: IndyCar

One might not have expected the Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio to be a race filled with drama. In fact, after the grid had been set by qualifying, it would not have been outlandish to think that the finishing order would not be all that much different. Consider that the sum total for caution flags …

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