You were wondering where reigning ICS Champ Scott Dixon has been, right? Well wonder know more because it looks like he returned briefly to the Shire in Middle Earth for a few days before returning to IMS for "tasting tires". Say what?

At any rate, enjoy this interview that's actually longer than 60 seconds.



Man, he sure says “Man” a lot. I guess that’s just Iceman being Iceman, man.

From hither and yon they came this weekend, all with one goal: victory. A finer assembly of talent you might not find, as waves of talented drivers gathered in one place to test their driving skills in an endurance race unlike any other.

That place, was New Castle, Indiana. That race was the Robopong 200.

For what greater test can their be but to match men and women with nearly identical go-karts – yes, I said GO-KARTS – in a test of endurance racing the likes of which is seen but once a year. The entry list included such talents as IndyCar drivers Dan Wheldon, Ed Carpenter, Vitor Meira, Will Power, Jay Howard, AJ Foyt IV, Tomas Scheckter, Bryan Herta and everybody’s boyfriend - Mr Scott Goodyear. Indy Lights drivers Alex Lloyd, Cyndie Allemann, Logan Gomez, Phil Giebler, Robbie Pecorari, CR Crews, Pablo Donoso were there as well, as was Conor Daly, son of Derek.

And who emerged from this “who’s who” to claim the undisputed crown of open-wheel racing? (OK, maybe that’s a touch overstated.) Why none other than the Lewis/CKS Racing team of Billy Lewis and Jeremy Warren.

Who?

(Full results here.)

"I don't like talking about acting because that's business and pretty boring. And politics can get you in trouble. But I'll always talk about racing because the people are interesting and fun, the sport is a lot more exciting than anything else I do, and nobody cares that I'm an actor." - the late, great Paul Newman.

It seems as if we've been waiting all summer, but the news finally arrived.

WESTPORT, Conn. - Paul Newman, the Academy-Award winning superstar who personified cool as the anti-hero of such films as "Hud," "Cool Hand Luke" and "The Color of Money" — and as an activist, race car driver and popcorn impresario — has died. He was 83.

Newman died Friday after a long battle with cancer at his farmhouse near Westport, publicist Jeff Sanderson said. He was surrounded by his family and close friends.

(MORE from The Associate Press)

Here are the statements from Newman/Haas/Lanigan.

“On behalf of Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing, my wife Bernadette and myself, I want to express our most sincere condolences to Joanne and the entire Newman family on the loss of a great human being. Paul and I have been partners for 26 years and I have come to know his passion, humor and above all, his generosity. Not just economic generosity, but generosity of spirit. His support of the team’s drivers, crew and the racing industry is legendary. His pure joy at winning a pole position or winning a race exemplified the spirit he brought to his life and to all those that knew him. We will truly miss him.”

- Carl A. Haas, co-owner of Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing

"We truly lost a great man. Most of us knew him as Butch or Fast Eddie from the theater or from our living rooms at home. He was much more than a great actor. His legacy will be his five children, his wife, Joanne and all the sick children around the world who desperately needed his help. Paul was a man of character who cared about the world and the people who lived in it. Putting a smile on a young person’s face and helping people in need was a virtue he excelled at. Little did anyone realize a child born of such humble beginnings could affect our lives in so many positive ways. We should all learn to live by his example. We will miss him dearly but will never forget him."

- Michael Lanigan, co-owner of Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing

A month ago our good buddy yaumb penned a salute to the man in somber anticipation of this moment. It respectfully reads:

From what I understand from friends in the know, Paul Newman won’t survive past September.

That makes me sad on so many levels. For my kids, he’s the voice of Doc Hudson from Cars. For my parents, he’s one of the greatest actors of the 20th century. For me, though, he was always the racer who let acting get in the way of superstardom on the track.

That’s not to say he wasn’t a star race driver. He was racing in the 24 Hours of Daytona until very recently, and for a septuaginarian that really isn’t an easy thing to do. But he had a passion for racing and a competitive streak a mile wide. Had Newman decided to make racing his sole career, he could have made Dale Earnhardt look like a minor star in the motorsports firmament.

(MORE from YAUMB)

Don’t get your knickers in a twist, but with Dan Wheldon in the IndyCar series and two more Brits in the Indy Lights program (programme?), the Panther Racing logo may as well be a Union Jack.

Panther Racing added a second English driver to its Firestone Indy Lights lineup on Sept. 26 as it announced that Pippa Mann will drive for the past series champions next season.

Mann, who competed in the World Series by Renault the last two seasons, will join Martin Plowman as part of the team's developmental lineup. She is the first female driver to sign with the team, which has won two IndyCar Series and one Firestone Indy Lights title.

(MORE from IndyCar.com)

This means either the National Guard will no longer sponsor the team or the new slogan will be Paul Revere’s cry of “The British Are Coming!”

“If I see the panic alarm come up on the steering wheel, I’m not going to slow down any. I’m actually going to try to speed up.”


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By the way, Russ, not to be a buzzkill but I don’t think that car is capable of going “250...280 miles an hour.” Even the awesome toothiness that is Dan Wheldon can’t get it to go THAT fast.

When you get right down to it, part of what makes any sport connect with fans is the feeling that any fool could do this. Sure, you probably couldn’t do it well, you might even get killed trying, but whether it’s running, hitting, kicking, throwing, or especially driving, you can probably handle most of this stuff. The only thing separating you from those superstars on TV is God-given talent and a lifetime of experience.

And as such there really are no set qualifications for being an IndyCar driver. The IRL is filled with drivers with varying amounts of experience and savings accounts, most of whom can drive at an elite level at which the rest of us can only marvel. But admit it, that hasn’t stopped you from thinking if you hit the lottery you could do at least as well as Marty Roth or Dr Jack Miller.

Which brings us to Stanton Barrett, whose main experience is, well, I’ll let the press release tell you.

Stanton Barrett, who after running 22 of 29 races now ranks 23rd in the NASCAR Nationwide Series point standings and is an accomplished stunt driver, will drive the No.98 Curb/Agajanian/Team 3G car during the team's inaugural season in the IndyCar Series season in 2009, team officials announced.

Let’s get this straight: Mr Barrett is saying that his qualifications for being an IndyCar driver are (a) that he’s the 23rd best driver in the 2nd best stock car division and (b) he’s an accomplished stunt driver. This means his areas of expertise would include things like driving cars into other cars, driving cars into things other than cars, and driving cars very fast into cars and things other than cars. Smells like the next Paul Tracy to me, folks.

Barrett will begin the next chapter of his racing career when the 2009 IndyCar season begins in April with the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg.

Because when you’ve been driving ovals for the last few years, it’s a good idea to start you IndyCar career on a street course. Although in fairness he probably drove most of those stunt cars on streets, right?

"I am thrilled to be joining Team 3G and the IndyCar Series in 2009," said Barrett. "I feel the time is right to move to the IndyCar Series. They have a lot of momentum, and I think they will continue to grow in popularity with fans and corporate marketers."

This doesn’t make it a bad decision, but maybe “the time is right” because driving in IndyCars cost about one quarter of what it does is stock cars, and corporate marketers, like the rest of us, a little strapped for cash right now.

"My Dad and my Godfather, Paul Newman, have been a huge influence in my career and they have always wanted me to try Indy Cars."

It’s important to mention that Paul Newman is his Godfather, because this is why Barrett will be racing for Newman/Haas/Lanigan next year...oh, wait. Nevermind.

Team 3G is a newly formed team co-owned by racing industry veterans Greg Beck and Steve Sudler.

"Stanton will integrate nicely with the IndyCar Series competition," Beck said. "He has plenty of oval experience from driving in NASCAR, and has road racing experience from early in his career."

Now this, this is ridiculous. Have we not learned from the likes of Franchitti and Hornish and Allmendinger and Montoya that “oval experience” does not translate across racing vehicles of different weight, downforce and horsepower? Good grief. Might as well say “he can drive fast and turn left, so he’s ready”.

"He will have to get used to driving without fenders or a roof, but his stunt driving experience should suit him well with the full fields in the IndyCars Series."

Are. You. Kidding. Me? Seriously? “…his stunt driving experience should suit him well with the full fields in the IndyCars Series.” That might be the quote of the year from a press release. Can you imagine the poor PR peon who put this together? He or she probably typed it as a joke – no doubt auditioning for pressdog – and forgot to take it out.

Look, none of this says Barrett’s going to be a bad driver, because only time will tell whether or not he can successfully compete in the IndyCar series. But this year we all watched Brett Sherman struggle to translate his stock car skills to the Indy Lights series, and with a top-notch team like Panther Racing no less. Barrett may feel like he’s ready for this, but you can’t help but wonder how long this self-proclaimed “eXtreme-sports extremist” will stick around.

On a positive note, one thing his stuntman experience gives him lots of nickname potential. Early favorite: The Fall Guy.

From today’s Ask the Expert, alarmingly entitled “On Australia, Pressdog and others”.

Question: Not that you need the info or anything, but I was wondering if you ever go to any of the other IndyCar blogs or sites, like Isitmayyet, mynameisirl, 16thandgeorgetown or pressdog? (John, Indianapolis)

Answer: I do not regularly visit these sites, but I have on occasion. A friend of mine is a fan of mynameisirl and pressdog, so I look at them once in a while. They're all entertaining and good for the sport. The people who do the work are to be commended. Pressdog, for one, attends several races and from what I've seen works his tail off for his readers.

Indeed the ‘dog does work his tail off, and on his own dime no less. Big hug for giving us ink, Curt, even though you admittedly don’t “regularly visit these sites”. Ahem.

Oh, and thanks to "John in Indianapolis". The checks in the mail, friend.

At times like this your humble wishes he had one of those BREAKING NEWS graphics to spew all over the front page fo this site.

Vitor Meira and A.J. Foyt have had a mutual admiration for their competitiveness and driving styles. Now they'll be working together to produce victories in the IndyCar Series.

Meira has signed to drive the No. 14 ABC Supply Co. Honda-powered Dallara for A.J. Foyt Racing in 2009 with an option for 2010. He'll get a jump-start on the season by competing in the non-points Nikon Indy 300 on the streets of Surfer's Paradise, Australia, on Oct. 26.

(MORE from IndyCar.com)

Good for Vitor to find work within the series, although the prospects of IndyCar employement for Danger Mouse sound a touch on the bleak side.

"There's no hard feelings," said Manning, of North Yorkshire, England. "We had a good couple of years of improvements. Getting me on board was part of making his team better and I think we did that. I wish him well. We had a good relationship and I expect that to continue no matter what I end up doing."

This is purely conjecture, but you gotta think what Manning ends up doing isn’t relating to racing in the IndyCar series where at times over the last two years he has admitted to “getting knackered”. The guy can drive, sure, but you can’t substitute training in a gym with 12-ounce curls at the pub.

Then again, maybe Manning would rather just hang out on Food Network.

UPDATE: I had too many complaints about the auto-start video so I'm reducing it to a link. Click here to see Manning's culinary festival.

Never underestimate the difficulty of television broadcasting. It's a difficult job involving preparation, focus, and above all a ton of assistance from a lot of people. Often the people who like you are yelling at you, the people don't like you are giving you the silent treatment, and the entire time you're trying to communicate with all of them while there's a sporting event going on. At times, hilarity ensues.

Here's a little test to see if you're up to the task of television broadcasting. Fire up a recording of your favorite race and jack the audio into a set of headphones. Next turn on a video camera and point it at the TV screen. Plug a microphone into the camera, put the headphones on your head, and start yammering away in your best announcer voice for a few minutes. Let me know how far you get before you blurt out your first "uhh..." Now, once you're done go ahead and upload it to YouTube so we can all have a good laugh.

The point is this award celebrates those moments beyond the "uh...", where the fine line between a reporter relaying the story and becoming the story gets blown to smithereens. Whether these gaffes were resulting from a lost train of thought, being caught off guard, or simply the result of an especially nasty hangover, we salute these nominees for their demonstrations of excellence in broadcasting that resulted in unintentional humor.

Jack Arute (Motegi, Day 1) - Before America awakened on a Sunday morning to hear of Danica Patrick's first IndyCar victory, IndyCar fans had to endure two separate days of broadcasting into the wee hours. Lucky for us Jack Arute was LIVE in Japan, showing us weepers (wet spots on the track) and rain ghosts (Japanese hand puppets), and getting Dan Wheldon to say "Shagalicious, baby". Now that's filler, people. In fact, before the show was postponed he'd even gotten Brian Barnhart on the air to discuss longitudinal rotations and the coefficient of friction, instantly rendering thousands of viewers unconscious.

Jack Arute (Motegi, Day 2) - The second day from Twin Ring Motegi featured less rain and more actual racing, but for the first time in years Jack didn't bring an egg to help describe the shape of the track. Pity. He did however utter a now infamous line they may forever haunt both him and race winner Danicker when he greeted her while getting out of her car by asking "When are you gonna win AGAIN?" Lucky for him she was weeping with joy at the time, overriding her natural instinct to otherwise kick him in the family jewels.

Jack Arute (Iowa) - Another victory lane interview for Arute, but this time with Dan Wheldon on the occasion of his 15th win. Wheldon was caught up in the moment of vanquishing his foes on the field of battle and felt the need to express his masculinity by kissing Jack on the head. To the shock and horror of the viewing audience, Jack kissed Dan back. Not that there's anything wrong with that, it's just that ... well, quite frankly there are a lot of things wrong with that.

Jack Arute (Watkins Glen) - Every once in a while Jack tries this Jedi mind trick thing with someone he's interviewing where he tries to get them to think this is a personal conversation. He's all like "Pay no attention to the screaming cars, don't mind that guy with the camera, and this microphone is just hear to help me when I'm not chain-smoking cigarettes. Really, this is between you and me - no one else will know. These aren't the droids you're looking for." At The Glen he tried to get Vitor Meira - who had just become the latest victim of the "Hulk smash!" driving techniques of EJ Viso - to fall for these shenanigans. After Meira shrugged off Arute's question about what the league would do to Viso, Jack leaned in ever so slightly and asked "What are you going to do about it?" Vitor was still unmoved, although looking back the best answer might have been "I'm going to send Danica over to kick his ass, Jack."

And the winner is...



Scott Goodyear - That's right, he said: "...he was surprised by his...boyfriend...the guy...that he had back in karting days..." In a matter of just a few seconds at Nashville, Goodyear bested an entire season of work by Jack Arute. All the hand puppets and the kissing and the Jedi mind trickery, all for naught. Oh well, better luck next year, Jack.