Scott Dixon vs. Dario Franchitti at Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach

Scott Dixon and Dario Franchitti are teammates with Chip Ganassi's Team Target in the Izod IndyCar Series. Franchitti has won three IndyCar series championships. Dixon has won two.
Franchitti has Dixon beat at the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach. He won the race in 2009. The best finish for Dixon came last year when he finished fourth.
"Last year, we messed up man," Dixon said Thursday during a media lunch at the track in Long Beach. "We were not as consistent as we needed to be."
Dixon and Franchitti might be the drivers to beat in Sunday's Grand Prix of Long Beach. Dixon said he considers Franchitti to be his biggest rival in the race.
"You look at Dario, even if he has a bad day, they somehow turn it into something that achieves a lot of points," Dixon said. "To win championships, that's what you got to do.
"We're great friends first and foremost. We push each other to the limits. I think we're definitely stronger in different areas. That's nice to feed off. It's a healthy competition. It gets fierce as it does with anyone on the track."

Dario Franchitti on the road from NASCAR to the top of the IndyCar Series

Dario Franchitti won the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach in 2009. Last year, it wasn’t such a great race.
Franchitti finished 12th last year and called it a disastrous weekend.
“We struggled. We found out later I had broken my thumb the week before at St. Pete,” said Franchitti, the reigning and three-time IZOD IndyCar Series champion. “I hadn’t realized. We, the 10 car, we struggled. And I thought Ryan did a great job. Ryan was a very deserving winner last year. No doubt.”
Ryan Hunter-Reay was the surprise winner of the 2010 Grand Prix of Long Beach. Franchitti went on to win the Indianapolis 500 and the IndyCar Series championship, his second in a row.
It would be hard to argue that Franchitti isn’t the best open-wheel racer in the world right now. He is definitely the top driver in the IZOD IndyCar Series and probably has been for the past two years.
He also won the IndyCar Series championship in 2007 when he was driving for Andretti Green Racing, giving him three of the past four titles. The year he didn’t win the IndyCar Series championship, Franchitti dabbled in NASCAR, racing for Chip Ganassi Racing in the Nationwide and Sprint Cup Series in 2008.
The results in NASCAR were far from stellar. He broke his ankle in a crash. His team never secured the funding to race competitively. By most accounts, Franchitti’s venture into NASCAR was more of a disaster than last year’s Long Beach race.
When asked if he has been asked to return to NASCAR and if would ever consider returning to NASCAR, he said, “Yes and no, in that order.”
“When I started doing that, I wanted to be successful,” Franchitti said during a visit to Los Angeles and LA Live to promote the Grand Prix of Long Beach in April and the start of the IZOD IndyCar Series season in St. Petersburg, Fla., on March 27. “Obviously, I wanted to learn, do all that stuff. I was never really given the chance to do it, because of breaking my ankle, not having a sponsor. I think some people have kind of started painting it worse than it was. Ultimately with the Nationwide thing, last couple of races, I did qualify on the front row at Bristol. Qualified on the pole at Watkins Glen. Led a bunch of laps at Atlanta. Led a bunch of laps at Bristol, 18 laps. It wasn’t as bad as people made out.”
Since returning to open-wheel racing and the IndyCar Series, Franchitti has won two championships and two Indinapolis 500s. He was already an accomplished driver with Andretti Green Racing before his NASCAR stint. When he returned to the IndyCar Series, with Chip Ganassi’s Target team, Franchitti became the driver to beat. If anything, his struggles in NASCAR made Franchitti a better open-wheel racer.
“What it showed me was, I love Indy car racing. I love driving the car,” Franchitti said. “I love the diverse schedule. When I got into NASCAR, the two series gots together, which wasn’t lost on me, the irony of that whole thing. You wait 10 years for this thing to come together, you leave, and it comes together. It made me realize what I was missing.”
The timing of his switch from open-wheel racing to stock car racing couldn’t have been worse. The same year he started racing in NASCAR, the Champ Car and IndyCar series merged, ending a decade-long split of open-wheel racing in the United States. It didn’t take long for Franchitti to return to the type of racing he loves most.
“Had I not gone to NASCAR, I don’t think it would have set the change of events that allowed me to come and drive for the Target team,” Franchitti said. “The way it all worked, with me going away, with Chip coming back to Indy car. Had I stayed at Andretti Green, I don’t think I would have made the progressions to drive for Chip. It all worked out for me.”
Franchitti has won 26 open-wheel races in his career. He has won two Indy 500s and three IndyCar Series championships. He has won the 24 Hours of Daytona and the 12 Hours of Sebring. What is left for Franchitti to accomplish in his racing career? Perhaps the 24 Hours of Le Mans?
“I’d love to do that. I’d love to do the 24 Hours of Le Mans,” Franchitti said. “I’ve managed to win at Daytona. Won a class at Sebring. It would be nice to go to Le Mans and try to do that. It’s such a great race. I went there as a spectator in ‘09. My little brother was driving an Aston-Martin and I watched him.”

Two minutes with Michael Andretti

Michael Andretti, owner of Andretti Autosport, saw Ryan Hunter-Reay end a 28-race winless drought for his team. Hunter-Reay won the Izod IndyCar Series race at the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach. Tony Kanaan finished fifth, Marco Andretti was 14th and Danica Patrick was 16th.
Andretti talked about Patrick's struggles on the four road courses to start the IndyCar Series season, the crowds and excitement surrounding the Grand Prix of Long Beach weekend and the chances of Hunter-Reay being able to complete the IndyCar Series season.
Hunter-Reay's team only has enough funding through the Texas Motor Speedway race in June.

Ryan Hunter-Reay wins Izod IndyCar Series race at Long Beach

Ryan Hunter-Reay won the Izod IndyCar Series race at the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach ending a 28-race winless drought for Andretti Autosport. Hunter-Reay dedicated the win to his mother, who died of cancer in November.
“The car was so much fun to drive,” Hunter-Reay said. “That was some of the most fun I've had in a race car because it was handling so well. My mom was out there with me today. She just passed away recently. This race is for her. I was in a great zone. It was on the last couple of laps where I said (to myself), 'Thanks for being with me today, Mom.' We were the fastest car out there today. We deserved it. This is like a home race for me."
Hunter-Reay, who used to live in nearby Dana Point, was one of four drivers for Andretti Autosport in the Grand Prix of Long Beach. He is the only driver running a partial schedule for the team, making his win at Long Beach all the more incredible.
It was the first win for Andretti Autosprot since Tony Kanaan won at Richmond International Raceway in 2008.
"I am happy for Ryan, and I think he deserves this win,” said Kanaan, who finished fifth. “He was quick all weekend. We did all we could, but we lost a couple of positions on our pit stop. It was a hard race and seemed to be very physically demanding. I am happy for the Andretti Autosport team, and I feel like when one teammate wins, it is a victory for all of us. We are on the right track, and I am looking forward to heading into the ovals."
Justin Wilson recovered from a damaged front wing after getting clipped by Alex Tagliani and rallied for second place.
"I am really disappointed,” Wilson said. “Alex was a lap down and he nearly took Ryan (Hunter-Reay) out a couple of times. Once Ryan got past, it got him off line and slowed him up. I dove down the inside of Turn 8, and I braked pretty late. I just got the door slammed in my face. Even if you aren't going to give way to the leaders, you need to leave room at the apex to back out. Nothing you can do about it. We had to come in and change the front wing and we were just in mad fuel saving mode after that. It's just a shame that it happened.”
Wilson matched his best finish of the season. He was second at St. Petersburg, Fla. His runner-up finishes are also the best for his Dreyer & Reinbold Racing team since Robbie Buhl won at Walt Disney World Speedway in 2000.
“We had a great day,” Wilson said. “The Z-Line Designs car was fantastic. To have a front wing change and to come back in finish second is an amazing day."
Will Power, the pole winner, ran into some more hard luck at Long Beach and finished third. Power won the Grand Prix of Long Beach in 2008, the last Champ Car race. He won the pole at Long Beach last year, but Dario Franchitti won the race.
"Once Justin passed me, I tried for a couple of laps, but there was no point in putting the car in the wall,” Power said. “The Verizon Wireless car is still leading in points, and the team has a goal of winning the championship, so we are still in line for that.”
James Hinchcliffe won the first race of his Firestone Indy Lights career and his first in 18 career Indy Lights starts.
The win at Long Beach put Hinchcliffe back in the championship race. He is in third place, 41 points behind J.K. Vernay, the leader in the Indy Lights standings.
Hinchcliffe started on the pole at Long Beach and led all 45 laps of the race.
"It’s been a long time coming,” Hinchcliffe said. “We had a couple close calls last year. Even this year, we were on the pole in the first race at St. Pete and sort of got taken out there in the first corner. We didn’t get a chance to show what we had in the race.”
Hinchcliffe won the pole for the season opener in St. Petersburg, Fla., but rainy conditions led to some treacherous racing. Vernay won the race in St. Petersburg and followed with a win at Barber Motorsports Park in Alabama. Hinchcliffe finished fifth at Barber.
“Barber didn’t go great,” Hinchcliffe said. “We started P5 because of a problem with qualifying and finished P5. For us to come here and get pole, we were quick right off the truck, good in practice, pole position, to lead to lead light to flag was a really good feeling.”

Justin Wilson rallies for runner-up finish at Toyota Grand Prix of Long ...

Justin Wilson had his front wing damaged midway through the Izod IndyCar Series race at the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach. His team had to replace the damaged wing and Wilson rallied for a second-place finish.
It matched his best finish of the IndyCar Series season. He was also the runner-up in the race at St. Petersburg, Fla.

Will Power finishes third in Izod IndyCar Series race at Grand Prix of L...

Will Power finished third in the Izod IndyCar Series race at the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach.
Power has yet to finish worse than fourth in the first four races of the IndyCar Series season. He won the season opener in Sao Paulo, Brazil, and St. Petersburg, Fla. He was fourth in the IndyCar Series race at Barber Motorsports Park in Alabama.
Power has a 42-point lead over Helio Castroneves. Both drivers race for Team Penske.

Rahal finishes where he started - Press-Telegram

Rahal finishes where he started - Press-Telegram


LONG BEACH - Graham Rahal did not have a good weekend.
The 21-year-old son of Bobby Rahal qualified in the No. 22 spot for Sunday's Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach IZOD Indy Racing League main event.
That's where he finished, too, after he got into a wreck with Mario Romancini on the 60th lap. Romancini was attempting an inside pass on Turn 1 and his right front wheel hit Rahal's rear wheel, sending both into the tire barrier. The rear wing on Rahal's car was dislodged.
Rahal immediately got out of his car and went over and had a few words with Romancini, who was still sitting in his.
"I just said, `What are you thinking?"' Rahal said. "He said, `I'm sorry, I missed my braking mark a little.' It's a disappointing end to a disappointing weekend.
"We had problems with our drink bottle and our radio. It's been a tough day. To end it that way is just really frustrating."

Gamble pays off for Hinchcliffe - Press-Telegram

Gamble pays off for Hinchcliffe - Press-Telegram




LONG BEACH - Not everything is going J.K. Vernay's way in the Firestone Indy Lights series.
Vernay, the leader in the Indy Lights standings and winner of the first two races, had his top lap taken away when a caution flag came out during qualifying on Saturday for the Indy Lights race in the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach.
James Hinchcliffe won the pole and will start alongside Vernay, who won the season opener in St. Petersburg, Fla., and the following race at Barber Motorsports Park in Alabama.
Hinchcliffe said luck was on his side during qualifying for the Long Beach race. His team also factored in untimely cautions and used a risky tire strategy during the one-hour qualifying session.
"It's definitely a little bit of luck on our side," said Hinchcliffe, a driver for Team Moore Racing. "Part of the reason why we went so early with that last set of tires was because of so many yellow flags in the session; we wanted to make sure we didn't get held up and caught up in a yellow." 
Charlie Kimball, a driver from Camarillo, qualified third. He said he felt like his car was good enough to put on the pole, but he ran out of time when the final caution flew.

Grand Prix of Long Beach: Power on the pole, Tracy headed to Indy

Jimmy Vasser won the Toyota Pro Celebrity race and Will Power won the Izod IndyCar Series pole on a busy day of racing at the Grand Prix of Long Beach.
Paul Tracy used the Grand Prix of Long Beach as the stage to announce his entry into the Indianapolis 500. James Hinchcliffe won the pole for Sunday’s Firestone Indy Lights race.
But first, the Pro Celebrity race.
Vasser was the top pro, followed by Tanner Foust, a Formule Drift and X Games rally car driver. Brian Austin Green from “Beverly Hills 90210” fame was the top celebrity finisher coming in third.
Marty Nothstein was fourth followed by Oscar winner Adrien Brody in fifth.
Will Power won the pole for Sunday’s Izod IndyCar Series race, leading a pack of Team Penske drivers in the top five of the field.
Power has won three straight IndyCar Series poles and won the Grand Prix of Long Beach in 2008, the last Champ Car Series race. He has won five poles in his IndyCar Series career, including last year at Long Beach.
“We certainly have the car figured out, and I’m very happy that the Verizon car is P1 again,” Power said. “We’ve got to get the strategy right this weekend. I know sometimes it’s really hard to read, but we need to keep executing in races.”
Ryan Hunter-Reay, a driver from Andretti Autosport, will start alongside Power on the front in the IndyCar Series race.
Justin Wilson, a driver for Dreyer & Reinbold Racing, will start third next to Helio Castroneves from Team Penske. Ryan Briscoe, who also drives for Team Penske, will start fifth.
“I knew coming into Long Beach that I had to step it up in qualifying, and I think we really did that today,” Briscoe said. “Will got through without using an extra set of reds and had a sticker set at the end, which gave him a big advantage. But we’re right there, and we’ve got ourselves into good position to win the race on Sunday.”
Vasser went from winning the Pro Celebrity race to joining Tracy in announcing his entry in the Indy 500. Tracy will be driving a car for KV Technology Racing, owned in part by Vasser. If Tracy qualifies for the race, it will be his seventh time in the 500. He was the runner-up in 2002 to winner Helio Castroneves and finished ninth in last year’s Indy 500.
“I want to thank (co-owners) Kevin Kalkhoven and Jimmy Vasser of KVRT and GEICO for the opportunity to return to the world’s biggest auto race,” Tracy said. “I have won races and championships at the top level during my racing career, but what I’m missing is a win at Indy. I feel I have some unfinished business at the Brickyard and, with the support of GEICO and an outstanding team like KV Racing Technology, I feel good about our chances at this year’s 500.”




Hinchcliffe won the pole for the Indy Lights race. It was his second pole of the season and the second of his Indy Lights career. He edged out J.K. Vernay, winner of the first two races of the Indy Lights season.
Vernay actually posted the fastest lap in qualifying, but had it taken away when a caution flag came out before he completed his lap.
“He came through and set that time. I saw it, but at the same time I knew there was a yellow flag on the track and he had to drive straight through it,” said Hinchcliffe, a driver for Team Moore Racing. “He did exactly what anybody would have done and kept his foot on it. The rules are the rules and you can’t set your fastest lap when there’s a yellow flag on track.”
And finally, the team of Simon Pagenaud and David Brabham won the American Le Mans Series race in a LMP ARX-01c for Honda Performance Development.
Gunnar Jeanette and Elton Julian won the LMPC portion of the race in an Oreca FLM09.
Patrick Long and Joerg Bergmeister won the GT portion of the American Le Mans Series race in a Porsche 911 GT3 RSR.

Bryan Herta Autosport gears up for the Grand Prix of Long Beach

Bryan Herta Autosport got off on the right foot in the first day of practice for the Firestone Indy Lights race at the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach. Sebastian Saavedra, one of two drivers for Bryan Herta Autosport, was the fastest in practice and is in good position to capture the pole for the race.
The team, owned in part by Hart High graduate Bryan Herta, is in its second year of operation. Saavedra is the 2009 Indy Lights rookie of the year, with two wins under his belt already.
Stefan Wilson, the other driver for Herta's team, is the younger brother of Izod IndyCar Series driver Justin Wilson.
For more on the drivers and the team, go to the story in the LA Daily News.
Go to KHTS, AM 1220, for more on Herta's decision to expand to two Indy Lights teams and enter the Indianapolis 500.

Photo: Bryan Herta, left, talks with his driver, Sebastian Saavedra. Herta has a two-car team in the Firestone Indy Lights series. Both cars will be racing in the Grand Prix of Long Beach on Sunday. (Bryan Herta Autosport)

Sebastian Saavedra fastest in first day of Indy Lights practice at Long ...

Sebastian Saavedra turned a bumpy ride into fast time.
Saavedra, one of two drivers for Bryan Herta Autosport, was the fastest of the Firestone Indy Lights drivers in practice on Friday.
Saavedra said the track leaves little room for error.
“This kind of race track, you need to be in the limits to be able to be fast,” Saavedra said. “Very close to the walls, very close to everything to set up the car for the race.”
Saavedra will be making his second career start at Long Beach in the Indy Lights series. He added that the track seems a little bit more bumpy than he remembers from last year.
“Once you get used to it,” Saavedra said. “We made some changes and went back out again. The car is feeling great.”

James Hinchcliffe and his stop and go shoes

James Hinchcliffe was the second fastest Firestone Indy Lights driver in practice on Friday at the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach.
While his speed got him a date with reporters after the practice session, it was his footwear that got him some unexpected attention.
Hinchcliffe, a driver for Team Moore Racing, had the word “stop” written on his left shoe and the word “go” written on his right shoe. A professional race car driver doesn’t need any reminders which foot goes on which pedal. Hinchcliffe said the verbage was a result of the rubber on the inside of his shoes wearing down while he was working the pedals in his car.
The pedals are so close together inside his car that his feet rub together. The rubber wears down on his shoes, “which is obviously sort of counterproductive,” he said. To prevent the wear, Hinchcliffe puts white tape on the front of his shoes.
After taping up his shoes, he found a Sharpie and started doodling on his shoes.
“I just played a little joke on some people and put stop and go on my feet there,” Hinchcliffe said. “I’ve been subsequently told to switch it so that they’re wrong to really scare people.”
The creative juices are flowing in Hinchcliffe’s head in regard to his shoes. He is considering having them embroidered with the words stop and go so he doesn’t have to write the words every time he tapes his shoes.
He is also considering using a green Sharpie for go and red for stop.

Patrick Long back to repeat as American Le Mans Series winner at Long Beach

Patrick Long, a driver from Thousand Oaks, won the GT2 portion of the American Le Mans Series race at the Grand Prix of Long Beach last year. Teamed with Joerg Bergmeister, Long went on to win the GT2 championship in 2009. The win at Long Beach was one of five in a row for the driver tandem for Flying Lizard Motorsports in the No. 45 Porsche 911 GT3 RSR.
Repeating as Long Beach winners will be difficult. It's never easy to repeat as race winners, but it will be especially tough because of the number of cars and the different manufacturers that will be in the Long Beach race on Saturday.
"I want to defend what we had last year which was a victory," Long said. "But it's not going to be easy. I think a lot more cars, new drivers and a lot of yellow flags, it's going to mean you have to hit all your marks and have perfect strategy."
Corvette, BMW, Ferrari, Jaguar and Ford, in addition to Porsche, have entries in the newly formed GT class for the American Le Mans Series race at Long Beach.
"It's always great to be in Long Beach," Long said. "This is my back yard. I remember growing up here as a young Southern California kid trying to sneak into the pits to try to see Nigel Mansell or Rick Mears. Coming here is special to me."
Long has been keeping busy outside of the American Le Mans Series as well. He raced in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East opener at Greenville Pickens Speedway in South Carolina and he said he would like to find a ride for the NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Road America in Wisconsin.

Justin Wilson gives brother Stefan pointers for Grand Prix of Long Beach

Justin Wilson has won two IndyCar Series races and four more in the defunct Champ Car series. His younger brother, Stefan, is searching for his first win in the Firestone Indy Lights series. Both drivers will be in action Sunday at the Grand Prix of Long Beach.
Stefan Wilson will get first crack at the temporary street course in Long Beach driving for Bryan Herta Autosport in the morning.
Justin Wilson will go out in his Dreyer & Reinbold Racing entry with the Izod IndyCar Series drivers in the afternoon.
The Wilson brothers have raced together at St. Petersburg and Barber Motorsports Park in Alabama.
Justin Wilson said he wants to watch his brother race in Long Beach, but it's going to be challenging given how soon he has to race after the Indy Lights race.
"My younger brothers driving Indy Lights, so that's quite interesting to have him doing that while I'm doing the Indy car," Justin Wilson said. "Obviously our timetables are pretty tight against each other. It makes life hard, but I give him as much information as I can possibly give him and he works away at it."
Justin Wilson would prefer to watch his brother race from Grand Prix Vista Club from the rooftop of the Hyatt Long Beach, but he will most likely watch from the pits on the course.
"I'll probably end up watching it from pit lane, watching the timing and scoring, and try to get some of the TV footage from there," Justin Wilson said. "That's probably as good as its going to get for the time restriction that I have."

Three minutes with Izod IndyCar Series driver Helio Castroneves

Izod IndyCar Series Helio Castroneves, a three-time Indianapolis 500 winner and a Dances With The Stars champion, almost missed last year’s Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach.
He was involved in a tax evasion case in Florida and was acquitted of most of the charges the weekend of the race. He flew from Florida to California, qualified for the race and finished seventh.
He called last year’s Grand Prix of Long Beach a renewal, to his racing career, his life and his focus. He went on to win the Indianapolis 500, his first since winning back-to-back at the Brickyard in 2001-02, and added another win at Texas Motor Speedway.
He also had a daughter, Mikaella, in December with his girlfriend Adriana Henao.
And of course, he won Dancing With The Stars in 2007.
Castroneves was in Los Angeles on Tuesday and met with members of the media at ESPN Zone next to Staples Center. He talked about what he remembers most about his return to the IndyCar Series in Long Beach last year, what he would like his daughter’s first word to be and who he thinks will win this year Dancing With The Stars.