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Chaves Confirmed To '500' Ride With New Team

The worst kept secret in INDYCAR was finally announced...

Napa Returns With Rossi

A.J. Foyt Racing announced...

Carpenter Signs Pigot

Ed Carpenter Racing announced...

Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Hunter-Reay's Car Unveiled

(Photo courtesy of Vision Racing)

Although no announcement has been made, the TBA spot for Vision on the St. Pete entry list is going to Ryan Hunter-Reay, but I kind of expected IZOD to be displayed a little more prominently.

The use of the #21 seems a little weird to me, they didn't use Quatros #2, and the #37 which was prominent in the IZOD ads remains unused, just seems a little odd. In regards to Foyt's #2, Ed Carpenter left the possibility open for Vision adding a 3rd car later in the season while doing an interview in Indy for one of the local T.V. stations.

Wheldon vs. Franchitti In Indycar Helmet Bracketology


Congrats to Scott Dixon who will be moving on to join Vitor Meira in the Final 4 after beating out youngster Mario Moraes with 64% of the vote.

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The next matchup will be:


Dario Franchitti

Dan Wheldon
How is the U.S. Voting?

Monday, March 30, 2009

Indycar IZOD Commercial

Moraes vs. Dixon In Indycar Helmet Bracketology


Congrats to Vitor Meira who will be moving on into the final 4 after beating out Will Power with 55% of the vote.

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The next matchup is:

Mario Maraes

Scott Dixon
How is the U.S. Voting?

Sunday, March 29, 2009

Power vs. Meira In Indycar Bracketology


Congrats to Marco Andretti who will be moving on after receving 56% of the vote over Danica. Marco rounds out the Elite 8 after Power, Meira, Moraes, Dixon, Wheldon, Franchitti and Conway moved on earlier in the week.

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The next matchup is:


Vitor Meira

Will Power

How is the U.S. Voting?

Saturday, March 28, 2009

Versus Polo & Hat Giveaway


The Show is over and I have the question. At 3:15 the question will be posted in this post and you can leave your answer in the comments section. Remember you must leave your E-mail address with the answer so that I can contact you. Good Luck

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Q.)"The most difficult track I think on the entire series, flat......" -Davey Hamilton

What track was Davey talking about?

Danica & Marco Faceoff In Indycar Bracketology


Congrats to Mike Conway, who will be moving on with just 51% of the vote.

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The next matchup is an all AGR battle for the last spot in the Elite 8:


Marco Andretti


Danica Patrick

How is the U.S. Voting?

Friday, March 27, 2009

Ryan Hunter-Reay Confirmed At Vision

Cavin reports that Ryan has yet to sign a contract but the deal is done.

Some other interesting news is that Hunter-Reay will be piloting the #21 Dallara and not Quatro's old #2, or the #37 that IZOD has been using in all it's ads.

"It all happened yesterday and we're still getting the contract squared away but the team is scrambling to put my car together and thankfully I'm going to be racing Indycars this year. I really can't tell you how thankful I am that Tony stepped in because it was getting late and I know Terry Angstadt has been working real hard to help me and I appreciate his efforts. The entire IRL marketing and commercial department has been working relentlessly on several B to B deals as well as sponsorships and I can't thank them enough. I'm just very grateful right now. This will be a huge opportunity for me to race for Tony George at Vision." -Ryan Hunter-Reay

"I was talking with Tony (George) yesterday about those two teams (HVM,Coyne) when he said, 'I think we (Vision Racing) should do it" -Terry Angstadt

Q&A With Bryan Herta


After dominating the 1993 Indy Lights Championship winning 58% of the races and conquering 8 poles, Bryan Herta moved up the the Indycars in 94' with A.J. Foyt Enterprises. Through out his open wheel career, Herta drove for teams such as Andretti Green, Rahal, Foyt, Ganassi, Forsythe and Walker, making 179 starts between CART and the IRL compiling 4 wins, 37 top 5's and 10 poles.

In 2007 Herta made the move to the Sports car ranks where he competed for Andretti Green Racing in the American Le Mans Series. Herta was joined with former Indycar teammates Tony Kanaan and Dario Franchitti to take the LMP2 win in the 07' 12 hours of Sebring, finishing 2nd overall.

A few months ago rumors whorled that Bryan was interested in acquiring Playa Del Racing's Firestone Indy Lights equipment and on the 29th of January Herta announced the formation of Bryan Herta Autosport, which will challenge for the 2009 FIL championship.

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16th And Georgetown: It seems like a new team/driver is announced every week for the Firestone Indy Lights. How competitive will the FIL be in 2009?

Bryan Herta: I am really pretty amazed at the size and depth of the field this year in the Firestone Indy Lights series. We all know the problems we are facing from the issues with the US and world economies right now, but despite that it looks to me like this could be the largest and most competitive field the series has seen yet.

16th And Georgetown: How has it been taking off the drivers helmet and putting on the owners headset?

Bryan Herta: You should ask me that question again after we do our first race at St. Pete! Right now, I have really enjoyed the challenge of trying to put the right pieces in place to build a successful program. I’ve been lucky to have driven for some of the very best teams in the sport, so I feel like I’ve seen what makes the best teams different from the rest of the pack, and truthfully the #1 asset of any of the top teams are their people. Emphasis is put on the sponsorship dollars, but I’ll put a smaller team with the right people up against a bigger one without the right people any day of the week.

16th And Georgetown: Do you have any plans on moving up to the Indycar Series as an owner?

Bryan Herta: Definitely the goal for the team is to move into the Indycar Series. I would say there is not a timetable for that to happen yet, but it would be when we feel we have all the right pieces to move up and be competitive. Those pieces, of course, are driver, sponsor, crew, and opportunity. We are trying to do something a little different with the team and that will start to become clear from our first race. We really want to engage with and involve our fans and followers as much as we can, they are the lifeblood of the sport. Through our team site, http://blog.bryanhertaautosport.com/, we will have links to facebook, myspace, twitter, flicker, etc. We will be posting regularly with updates and videos on race weekends so people can truly follow the team’s progress up to and through the race. I have not seen any team reach out to the fans to the extent we are hoping to, so I’m excited to see what type of response we receive back.

16th And Georgetown: Any chance of you jumping back into an Indycar for either an entire season or for the 500?

Bryan Herta: I have not retired from driving so I suppose anything is possible. My energy and focus this off-season has been entirely on the creation of Bryan Herta Autosport, so I’d say my own driving has taken a back seat for now. If the right opportunity to run at Indy again were available, I’d be interested in that.

16th And Georgetown: What do you think the ratio of ovals, road, and street courses should be for the FIL and ICS?

Bryan Herta: My own personal preference would be 1/3 ovals, 1/3 street courses, and 1/3 road courses. I am encouraged by the direction the IRL is going with the schedule, so I think that ratio is possible in the future.

16th And Georgetown: What track not on the current FIL or ICS schedule would you like to see in the future?

Bryan Herta: Road America, no question.

Report: Hunter-Reay Announcement As Early As Friday


Terry Angstadt, President of the IRL Commercial Devision reported on last nights Trackside With Cavin & Kevin radio show, that Ryan Hunter-Reay could be confirmed for an Indycar Series ride as early as Friday saying:

  • "Inclusive of a very positive conference call with IZOD yesterday. So absolutely we've got a lot of people pulling in the same direction, and it's not there yet but I hope even by tomorrow we may very well have Ryan firmed up in a car" -Terry Angstadt

Briscoe vs. Conway In ICS Helmet Bracketology


Congrats to Dan Wheldon who won in dominant fashion wish 90% of the vote over ICS rookie Stanton Barrett.

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The next matchup is:

Ryan Briscoe


Mike Conway
I'm going to go ahead and leave up today's poll to prove how tight the contest actually was. At the time the poll closed 81 votes had been cast and MC won with 51% of the vote.


How is the U.S. Voting?

Thursday, March 26, 2009

HVM Test: IZOD On Car


As Chris over at Indy Racing Revolution pointed out, IZOD is currently on the HVM website as a sponsor, but if you want a little more evidence you can slide on over to HVM's twitter page where the above photo was found, notice the sponsorship. The tweeter also made an interesting note that it took just an hour to convert the car over from Ryan's setup who is one of the tallest drivers in the league to E.J's who happens to be one of the smallest. Which is pretty quick considering they would have to replace the seat and adjust the peddles among other changes.

“Today was the day Ryan drove the car. It was good to use his experience and confirm that we have a good car. In the last couple of years, since we last worked with Ryan, he has definitely matured and developed into a stronger driver.

“Ryan was able to give us some good input to further develop the car and we’re pleased with the results. We expect E.J. to benefit from this and have a good test tomorrow.” -Keith Wiggins


“It went really well considering I haven’t been in a car since Australia. It felt great to be in the car again. We hit the ground running. The team put together a really good racecar, one I feel I could be fast in.

“It was a good reunion with HVM. Thanks to Keith Wiggins and everybody at HVM for giving me the opportunity to test with them. I hope we can come to an agreement that leads to racing at St. Pete.” -Ryan Hunter-Reay


“It was great to have another good driver in the car. With Ryan working alongside me, it will really help us develop the car. I’m looking forward to testing tomorrow.” -E.J. Viso

Seems to be a pretty good sign for Ryan and while your checking out HVM's twitter page you can take a gander at mine.

Barrett & Wheldon Faceoff In Indycar Helmet Bracketology


Congrats to Mario Moraes who beat out the very popular Sarah Fisher with 62% of the vote.

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The next matchup is:


Dan Wheldon

Stanton Barrett
Congrats to Dan Wheldon who won in dominant fashion with 90% of the vote

How is the U.S. Voting?

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

VERSUS Hat & Nike Polo Giveaway


Thanks to the good people at VERSUS, 16th And Georgetown readers will have the opportunity to win your very own VERSUS merchandise.

This Saturday from 2-3pm est. VERSUS will air it's 4th and final preseason Indycar special titled Indycar: World Tour 2009, and judging by the first 3 specials this one should be a must see.

About 15 minutes after the conclusion of the show, I'll post a question about the special and the first person to leave the correct answer with their E-mail address in the comment section of the post will win a VERSUS hat and Nike Polo shirt.

Stay tuned for more VERSUS merchandise giveaways in the coming weeks.

Good Luck!!!

Sarah Fiser vs. Mario Moraes In Indycar Bracketology


Congrats to Will Power who compiled 71% of the vote, and will be moving on to the Elite 8.

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The next matchup is:

Sarah Fisher


Mario Moraes


How is the U.S. Voting?

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Lloyd Ruby Passes Away At Age 81

(Photograph by Lionel Deluy)

Lloyd Ruby who started 18 Indy 500's from 1960-77' has passed away at 81. Ruby, who's best finish in the Greatest Spectacle was 3rd in 1964 always had tough luck, and many fans and drivers alike recognized him as the greatest driver to never win the 500.

Born in Wichita Falls, Texas in 1928 Lloyd is probably best known for always wearing a cowboy hat, from his qualification shots in the 60's to just this past May where I saw him walking through the Gasoline Alley in Indianapolis.

"When I was coming up through the ranks of racing, Lloyd Ruby was my hero. He was honest and a hard racer. He didn’t pull bad things on you. You could run wheel to wheel with him and you didn’t have to worry about Lloyd. He made the race car talk. He was just as good as anybody. He was never secondary. Look at the record book. He should have won it five or six times. Things just seem to happen. You wonder why people with the ability of Lloyd were not able to win. But he won everything else." -Al Unser

"He is so respected by the other drivers he ran against back then. Everybody knows and loves him. He is one of the greatest guys there has ever been" -Donald Davidson

Lloyd will be missed


Monday, March 23, 2009

Rahal & Power Faceoff In Round 2 Of IRL Helmet Bracketology


Congrats to Marco who won yesterdays matchup with 60% of the vote

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The next matchup is:

Will Power
Graham Rahal


Congrats to Will Power who will be moving on with 71% of the vote

How is the U.S. Voting?

Camara & Andretti Battle It Out In Indycar Bracketology


With the closest vote so far, Mike Conway will be moving on with just 52% of the vote. Who says 1 vote doesn't matter?

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The next matchup is between:

Jaime Camara


Marco Andretti


Sunday, March 22, 2009

Conway & Mutoh Faceoff

Congrats to Dario Franchitti who blew out E.J. Viso with 81% of the vote despite E.J. having the sweetest looking name design in all of the world.

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The next matchup is:

Hideki MutohMike Conway


Congrats to Mike Conway, who came away with a 4% win over last seasons ROY Hideki Mutoh

Saturday, March 21, 2009

Points System

Pole position: +1pt
Laps led: +2pts

  1. 50pts
  2. 40pts
  3. 35pts
  4. 32pts
  5. 30pts
  6. 28pts
  7. 26pts
  8. 24pts
  9. 22pts
  10. 20pts
  11. 19pts
  12. 18pts
  13. 17pts
  14. 16pts
  15. 15pts
  16. 14pts
  17. 13pts
  18. 12pts
  19. 12pts
  20. 12pts
  21. 12pts
  22. 12pts
  23. 12pts
  24. 12pts
  25. 10pts
  26. 10pts
  27. 10pts
  28. 10pts
  29. 10pts
  30. 10pts
  31. 10pts
  32. 10pts
  33. 10pts

Dario & E.J.'s Helmets Battle It Out


Stanton Barrett will be moving onto the next round to face Dan Wheldon after receiving 69% of the vote with the win over Ed Carpenter.
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The next matchup is between:

E.J. Viso

Dario Franchitti
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Alright, its 2:26 am here in Indy, and as of now E.J. is getting killed with just 7% of the vote, and I'm pretty sure that I am the only one that has given him a vote. Sure the floral design leaves a little to be desired, but check out how he has "Viso" on the helmet....

That got my vote right there!!
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To my dissapointment, E.J. came up short (no pun intended) with just 19% of the vote. The 2007 Indy Champion will be moving on to face the winner of Stanton Barrett and Dan Wheldon

Friday, March 20, 2009

Carpenter & Barrett Faceoff In IRL Helmet Bracketology

As if 6 race wins including the 500 and the IRL Championship in 08' wasn't enough, Scott Dixon with 59% of the vote, will be moving on to face the winner of Sarah Fisher and Mario Moraes in the next round.

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Our next matchup is:

Stanton BarrettEd Carpenter
Congrats to Stanton who will be moving on with 69% of the vote.


Thursday, March 19, 2009

Scott Dixon/Raphael Matos In Indycar Bracketology

With a mind boggling 81% of the vote, Sarah Fisher demolished Milka Duno in yesterdays matchup.
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The next matchup is between:

Raphael Matos

Scott Dixon
Scott Dixon takes the matchup with 59% of the vote

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

HVM Will Not Test At Barber, Will Test 2 Cars Before St. Pete

HVM Racing who had planned to test Ryan Hunter-Reay in a shared ride with E.J. Viso this weekend has changed it's plans, and will pass on the opportunity. Instead they will schedule another road course test before the oppening race, where Ryan and E.J. will be piloting seperate cars.

Hunter-Reay who was fitted for his seat this week, was left without a ride after his sponsorship with Rahal-Letterman fell through at the end of last season. Ryan has been rumored to be signing with either HVM, Vision, or KV for the upcoming season

“We look forward to having Ryan test for us, but we want to make sure the timing of that test makes sense for everyone" -Keith Wiggins

Milka Duno & Sarah Fisher Faceoff In Indycar Bracketology

After a tight race, Vitor Meira will be moving on to the next round after reiceving 53% of the vote.
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The next matchup is between:

Sarah FisherMilka Duno

Congrats to Sarah Fisher for the 81% win over Milka