2010 Firestone Indy Lights Thread

All about the IRL Indy Pro Series and the Atlantic Championship

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Post by mlittle » Sun Jun 20, 2010 1:56 pm

Current Firestone Indy Lights Top-10 Standings
1st} J.K. Vernay, 192 pts(2 wins)
2nd} Charlie Kimball, 169 pts
3rd} James Hinchcliffe, 164 pts(1 win)
t-4th}[4]Sebastien Saavedra, 160 pts(1 win)
t-4th}[5]Martin Plowman, 160 pts
6th} Stefan Wilson, 128 pts
7th} Philip Major, 118 pts
8th} Gustavo Yacaman, 106 pts
t-9th}[9]Pippa Mann, 98 pts
t-9th}[10]Adrian Campos, Jr., 98 pts
---Additional Wins: Wade Cunningham, 1 win
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Winslow to race at the Glen w/SSM

Post by mlittle » Thu Jul 01, 2010 3:02 pm

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-----James Winslow and the No. 77 Sam Schmidt Motorsports team will return to Firestone Indy Lights at Watkins Glen International, team officials announced June 29, “I’m excited to get back into the car,” Winslow said. “I haven’t raced since April, so the almost three month break has me itching to get back out there. The team overall have done a great job in my absence, but I’d love to get back out there and contribute some great results for the organization and for myself.”

In three starts this season, Winslow has a best finish of seventh in St. Petersburg, though it’s not the most accurate reflection of his talent. Despite starting deep in the pack at both Barber Park and Long Beach, Winslow has shown the ability to make passes happen where others couldn’t and move through the field. “I’ve shown my potential, but I want to get in some top finishes and avoid the bad luck we were plagued with before,” Winslow said. “I think we could have had podium finishes at Barber Park and Long Beach had luck not turned against us.”

Winslow's No. 77 Focal Point/Sam Schmidt Motorsports car is the same chassis and crew that Wade Cunningham used when he won Schmidt's fifth Firestone Freedom 100 title back in May. Focal Point Lighting, a company out of Chicago, will serve as the primary sponsor of the car, “James has shown he has the talent and ability to run competitively in this series," team owner Sam Schmidt said. "We’re pleased to have him in the car again and give him another opportunity to run up front and hopefully score some top 5 for us.”
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Vernay wins at the Glen

Post by mlittle » Mon Jul 05, 2010 3:13 pm

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-----There have been eight different winners in as many Firestone Indy Lights races at Watkins Glen International. J.K. Vernay added his name to that list in the Corning 100. Vernay, driving the No. 7 Lucas Oil/CJ/Sam Schmidt Motorsports car, overtook pole sitter James Hinchcliffe entering the "Bus Stop" on Lap 19 of the 3.4-mile, 11-turn circuit and went on to his third victory of the season and strengthened his championship points lead.

Hinchcliffe, driving the No. 2 TMR-Xtreme Coil Drilling car, finished 0.2135 of a second behind. It was the closest margin of victory of the season and the second closest on a road course in series history. It also was the fourth time in six races that the margin was less than a second. Sebastian Saavedra, who won at Iowa Speedway on June 20, finished third in the No. 29 William Rast/Bryan Herta Autosport car and Martin Plowman was fourth in the No. 27 Automatic Fire Sprinklers/KEP Printing car for AFS Racing Andretti Autosport.

Vernay has led laps in three races this season -- in his three victories. The series rookie won the first two events of the season and has finished on the podium in five of the six races. He takes a 37-point lead over Hinchcliffe into the race at Toronto in two weeks. "It was a really hard race," said Vernay, 22, of France. "I didn't know the track when I arrived. The track is so beautiful but so complicated. We improved practice after practice, and by the race the car was fabulous. Three wins for a rookie is not bad."

Hinchcliffe led the field to the green flag on a Lap 17 restart after the No. 28 car driven by Stefan Wilson, who started on the front row for the first time, dropped fluid on the racetrack. He was 0.9973 of a second ahead after 18 laps. Hinchcliffe said his car slid on the remnants of the oil dry compound, which reduced his momentum climbing the hill entering the right-left turn combination.

"This was not the result we were looking for," said Hinchcliffe, who posted his third podium finish of the season. "There’s no doubt that the No. 2 car was the fastest of the field. On that second lap of the restart I got into the (oil dry compound) put down for Stefan Wilson’s motor. I said under caution that I was surprised that they were letting us go green with so much stuff on the track. I saw it, I knew it was there. I just tried not to drive down the inside of the track and get a good run. I got a bit sideways out of Turn 1 and gave JK the run. We were all over him at the end but there was nothing we could do. It was just unfortunate. My boys deserved better."

James Winslow, who started last in the field, climbed to fifth in the No. 77 Focal Point/Sam Schmidt Motorsports car (his highest finish of the season). Philip Major was sixth in the No. 49 Sam Schmidt Motorsports entry. “We totally transformed the car for the race," Winslow said. "We didn’t get many laps in practice and qualifying because of a sump problem. I ran over a curb and it lost all the oil. Full credit to the team for finding the setup. I found the car more comfortable and I was able to push."

Charlie Kimball, who was second in the standing entering the race, finished 11th. The No. 26 Levemir FlexPen car for AFS Racing Andretti Autosport experienced a broken fuel relay switch on the pace laps. It was replaced and he joined the race on Lap 4.
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Post by mlittle » Mon Jul 05, 2010 3:17 pm

Current Firestone Indy Lights Top-10 Standings
1st} J.K Vernay, 242 pts(3 wins)
2nd} James Hinchcliffe, 207 pts(1 win)
3rd} Sebastien Saavedra, 195 pts(1 win)
4th} Martin Plowman, 192 pts
5th} Charlie Kimball, 188 pts
t-6th}[6]Stefan Wilson, 146 pts
t-6th}[7]Philip Major, 146 pts
8th} Gustavo Yacaman, 130 pts
9th} Adrian Campos, Jr., 124 pts
10th} Pippa Mann, 114 pts
----Additional Wins: Wade Cunningham(1 win)
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Wire-to-wire for Verney in Toronto

Post by mlittle » Tue Jul 20, 2010 3:52 pm

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----TORONTO – Race leader J.K. Vernay was anticipating a final-lap maneuver by James Hinchcliffe in an attempt to swipe the checkered flag in the Toronto 100. Instead, Vernay noticed in his mirrors that Hinchcliffe’s car was headed for the Turn 5 tire barrier. Vernay, driving the No. 7 Lucas Oil/CJ/Sam Schmidt Motorsports car, led all 50 laps in recording his fourth victory of the Firestone Indy Lights season and increase his championship points lead.

“I didn't take risks because I had the chance to lead and didn't have to pass,” said Vernay, who has stood on the podium in six of the seven races. “But I'm not focused on the championship. My goal is to win the championship, for sure. But I prefer to be focused race after race, great qualifying, because on the road courses it is really important. If you start on pole, second, the first two rows, really it's a big deal. I really wanted to win here because I know that on the road track, on the city track, I'm really quick. I finished second in the World Cup in F3 for a rookie in my car. I know that I'm confident.”

Dan Clarke, driving the No. 40 Wasteco Deans Knight Special, was second (his best finish of the season) and Gustavo Yacaman finished third (also a season best) in the No. 10 Cape Motorsports with Wayne Taylor Racing entry. “We really were struggling at the beginning of the year. It’s a new car, new team, but we did a great job this weekend,” Yacaman said. “Everyone on the team worked together and succeeded as a team, which is the way to go. This race is really challenging. It’s a really long race and physically challenging. You’re just bouncing off of every wall and so close to them. I’ve never been closer to the wall in my life before, not even on an oval. But I’m just really excited. The car was really good and the guys just did an overall awesome job.”

Vernay was pursued by fellow front-row starter Hinchcliffe throughout – leading by 1.1112 seconds on Lap 35 following a Lap 33 restart and by 2.6053 seconds on Lap 48. On the final lap, Hinchcliffe outbraked himself entering Turn 3 with Clarke and Yacaman capitalizing. Entering Turn 5, Hinchcliffe’s No. 2 TMR-Xtreme Coil Drilling car got the short end of bumping with the No. 26 Levemir FlexPen car driven by Charlie Kimball.

Kimball went on to fourth place, with Stefan Wilson fifth in the No. 28 Bryan Herta Autosport car. Toni Kasemets, competing in his second Firestone Indy Lights race, finished sixth in the No. 5 Andersen Racing Flexofit Allied car. “It was a really long, hard, hot race,” Kimball said. “The No. 26 Levemir car was good from green to checkered. I could fight all day. Except for a mechanical issue during qualifying (started seventh), we were in the top five all weekend. On to Edmonton and, if not a win, definitely a podium finish."

AFS Racing Andretti Autosport teammate Martin Plowman recovered from a broken front wing assembly early in the race to finish seventh. Pippa Mann finished eighth in the No. 11 Sam Schmidt Motorsports car, while Rodrigo Barbosa was ninth in the No. 18 PDM Racing car.


Top-10 from Exhibition Place...................
1} J.K. Verney, Sam Schimdt Motorsports, 50 laps
2} Dan Clarke, Walker Racing, -1.747 sec
3} Gustavo Yacaman, Cape Motorsports, -2.745 sec
4} Charlie Kimball, Andretti Autosport, -3.569 sec
5} Stefan Wilson, Bryan Herta Autosport, -4.267 sec
6} Tonis Kasemets, RLR-Andersen Racing, -6.822 sec
7} Martin Plowman, Andretti Autosport, -8.163 sec
8} Pippa Mann, Sam Schmidt Motorsports, -30.440 sec
9} Rodrigo Barbosa, PDM Racing, -46.648 sec
10} James Hinchcliffe, Team Moore Racing, -1 lap
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Post by mlittle » Tue Jul 20, 2010 3:57 pm

Current Firestone Indy Lights Top-10 Standings
1} J.K. Vernay, 295 pts(4 wins)
2} James Hinchcliffe, 227 pts(1 win)
3} Charlie Kimball, 220 pts
4} Martin Plowman, 218 pts
5} Sebastien Saavedra, 211 pts(1 win)
6} Stefan Wilson, 176 pts
7} Gustavo Yacaman, 165 pts
8} Philip Major, 164 pts
9} Dan Clarke, 154 pts
10} Adrian Campos, Jr., 141 pts
----Additional Wins: Wade Cunningham, 1 win
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Hinch Wins in Edmonton..........

Post by mlittle » Wed Aug 04, 2010 9:44 am

(from SU, 25 July 2010)
----EDMONTON, Alberta – It became apparent early in the Edmonton 100 that front-row starters James Hinchcliffe and J.K. Vernay would again duel for the victory. On Lap 9, pole sitter Hinchcliffe in the No. 2 TMR-Xtreme Coil Drilling held a 0.5214 of second advantage over Vernay’s No. 7 Lucas Oil/CJ/Sam Schmidt Motorsports car. The next closest competitor, Martin Plowman, was 4.69 seconds back.

Following a restart for the only full-course caution (stalled car of Carmen Jorda in Turn 9), they remained within a half-second of each other. Halfway through the 50-lap race, Hinchcliffe couldn’t shake Vernay, leading by 0.5966 of a second. Plowman was 5.9 seconds arrears.

The front-runners retained that comfortable distance on the 1.973-mile, 14-turn City Centre Airport circuit through the remaining laps, and Hinchcliffe celebrated Christmas in July with his second victory of the Firestone Indy Lights season. He also transformed the pole start at Long Beach into a trip to Victory Circle.

“To finally (win in his home country in open-wheel) feels extra special,” said Hinchcliffe, an Ontario native. “That cool down lap was a lot of fun, seeing all the fans in the stands. And thanks to all them for coming out because it's such a great event. It certainly wasn't easy. J.K. made me work for it.

“I think obviously the race was largely impacted by qualifying. And for us to sneak that pole out was a huge accomplishment. It led a lot to today. I have to thank the team, our boys a ton. From when we rolled off the trailer the car was quick.”

Vernay, who attempted to overtake Hinchcliffe in Turn 2 of Lap 44, closed to 0.2857 of a second on Lap 44 and crossed the finish line 1.2273 seconds behind. Hinchcliffe closed to 55 points of the championship leader heading to the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course on Aug. 8.

“It was a great race with James,” said Vernay, who recorded his seventh podium finish in eight starts. “He had a great race, no mistakes, nothing for me to pass. I really tried to push hard and to take him, but he didn't give me a real chance.

“Canada has been good for me. One victory (Toronto), one second place. We have to continue like that for the next race and trying to push hard and to work with my engineer.”

Plowman finished third in the No. 27 Automatic Fire Sprinklers/KEP Printing car for AFS Racing Andretti Autosport – his season high on a street/road circuit. He’s the only driver in the series to finish in the top 10 in all races and the only one to complete every lap.

"Starting third, I was hoping that we had something to challenge the leaders,” he said. “We were very strong in practice. For whatever reason, it wasn't quite there today. I seemed to be running a race all by myself. I was containing my teammate (Charlie Kimball) behind me, but I didn't have enough to keep up with the leaders. We'll take the points.” Kimball was fourth in the No. 26 Levemir FlexPen entry for the second consecutive race.

Dan Clarke, runner-up at Toronto a week earlier, finished fifth in the No. 40 Wasteco Deans Knight Special for Walker Racing, and Sebastian Saavedra advanced two positions in the No. 29 William Rast/Bryan Herta Autosport car to sixth. Teammate Stefan Wilson finished seventh and Adrian Campos Jr. moved up one position to eighth in the No. 22 TMR-Xtreme Coil Drilling car.

Top-10 from Edmonton....................
1} James Hinchcliffe, Team Moore Racing, 50 laps
2} J.K. Vernay, Sam Schmidt Mtrspts., -1.227 sec
3} Martin Plowman, Andretti Autosport, -9.561 sec
4} Charlie Kimball, Andretti Autosport, -11.699 sec
5} Dan Clarke, Walker Racing, -12.532 sec
6} Sebastien Saavedra, Bryan Herta Autosport, -24.677 sec
7} Stefan Wilson, Bryan Herta Autosport, -28.725 sec
8} Adrian Campos, Jr., Team Moore Racing, -41.567 sec
9} Gustavo Yacaman, Cape Motorsports, -47.068 sec
10} Philip Major, Sam Schmidt Mtrspts., -51.002 sec
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Post by mlittle » Wed Aug 04, 2010 9:48 am

Current Firestone Indy Lights Top-10 Standings
1st} J.K. Vernay, 335 pts(4 wins)
2nd} James Hinchcliffe, 280 pts(2 wins)
3rd} Martin Plowman, 253 pts
4th} Charlie Kimball, 252 pts
5th} Sebastien Saavedra, 239 pts(1 win)
6th} Stefan Wilson, 202 pts
7th} Gustavo Yacaman, 187 pts
t-8th}[8]Dan Clarke, 184 pts
t-8th}[9]Philip Major, 184 pts
10th} Adrian Campos, Jr., 165 pts
---Additional Wins: Wade Cunningham(1 win)
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Clarke Gaining Confidence As Season Proceeds On.............

Post by mlittle » Wed Aug 04, 2010 9:58 am

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----Dan Clarke enters the Mid-Ohio 100 with added confidence after placing second at Toronto and fifth at Edmonton in the past two races. Clarke, who competed in Champ Car for a couple of seasons, is driving the No. 40 Wasteco Deans Knight Special entry for Walker Racing. He's eighth in the championship standings with five races remaining. Here is an interview of him w/TrackSide Online's Patrick Stephan on his outlook towards the remainder of the 2010 Indy Lights season and his future plans in North America.


Past North American Open-Wheel results..............
----2006(ChampCar): 14 starts w/CTE-HVM Racing[1-3rd, 1-4th, 1 pole at Road America], 12th in points
----2007(ChampCar): 13 starts w/Minardi Team USA[1-2nd], 13th in points
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Martinez To Race w/Genoa Racing at Mid-Ohio

Post by mlittle » Wed Aug 04, 2010 10:00 am

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----David Martinez will join the Firestone Indy Lights grid for the event at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course on Aug. 6-8. The 28-year-old native of Monterrey, Mexico, will drive Genoa’s No. 36 entry with sponsorship from Quamtel and the Racing for Mexico program.

“I am extremely happy and proud to be able to drive the Quamtel car and to be part of this program with Genoa,” Martinez said. “There has been a great amount of effort put into making all this happen, we have an impressive group of professionals working with us behind the scenes, and we are very confident that all the hard work and preparation will pay off with a top-notch program and a strong result on the track. Genoa and Quamtel have put a lot of hard work into making this happen and they have put their trust in me, so now it’s my turn to make it happen on the track.”

Martinez has 19 years of racing experience, including: Champ Car, A1GP, The Rolex 24 at Daytona, The 12 Hours of Sebring, and Formula Atlantics. With previous success in the “major leagues” of motorsport, Martinez has chosen the Firestone Indy Lights in order to re-ascend the ladder to the IZOD IndyCar Series.

"I have not previously driven the Indy Lights car, and we won’t have a chance to test before the event, so I’ll have to adapt quickly,” Martinez said. “With a great team, a great car, and a great engineer behind me, I’m confident that after a few laps I’ll have the feel for it, so we can start working through our event plan. Mid Ohio is a track that I love and one that I’ve had success at in the past so I feel very comfortable to make my IRL debut there.”

The Mid Ohio event and future 2010 events will showcase his talent and help prepare him for a full campaign in 2011. “It’s a pleasure to have David aboard," said Genoa owner Mark Olson. “He’s a pro, and it’s always a pleasure to work with professionals. Naturally one wants to manage expectations a bit, but we have great engineering, great equipment, and a great driver, so we’re expecting a great result. We’ve assembled a pretty good plan for getting David up to speed, continually developing David and the car with each stint, and then going for a result at the appropriate time."
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Mann to Miss Mid-Ohio Race..........

Post by mlittle » Wed Aug 04, 2010 10:01 am

Image


-----Pippa Mann will not be taking part in the upcoming Firestone Indy Lights event at Mid-Ohio this weekend, while she recovers from surgery on her broken hand. The 26 year-old Englishwoman broke the third metacarpal bone in her left hand when she hit the barriers in practice for the Toronto 100 last month. Mann made it through qualifying and the race to bring the car home in eighth position, but x-rays later confirmed a break that extended down to the joint.

Mann raced at Edmonton the following weekend - completing the two back-to-back Canadian rounds of the championship. Returning to Indianapolis, Mann underwent surgery on the injury, where a small plate was inserted into her hand and secured with screws.

Although the procedure was successful, Mann will miss the Mid-Ohio road course race to ensure a complete recovery. “It has only been a week since the operation, and while physical therapy is going well, I still have very restricted movement," Mann said. "I have to take a long term view, and I don't want to risk undoing the work the doctors have done, or making my recovery much longer than it needs to be.”

Mann hopes to be back driving the #11 Sam Schmidt Motorsports car at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma later this month. She will travel with the team to Lexington in Ohio this weekend to be present for the race at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.
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Lesson learned at Mid-O Propels Plowman

Post by mlittle » Thu Aug 05, 2010 2:06 pm

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----Martin Plowman had a moment of clarity at the Mid-Ohio race weekend last year and it’s made all the difference in the results of the young Englishman ever since.

“Last year was a huge education for me,” Plowman said. “I started out the year not having a car that was capable of winning, but my mentality was to win as all costs. I drove outside my limits and I made more mistakes. When we got to Mid-Ohio last year, I realized that I had to dig deeper and make the car better for me to perform and not overdrive the car. The results started coming.”

Plowman, who drove from eighth to fifth at Mid-Ohio last season for Panther Racing, has finished in the top 10 in every race since and is the only driver to complete every lap of every race through the first eight rounds of the 2010 championship. He’ll match James Davison’s series record of consecutive races without a DNF should he complete the Mid-Ohio 100 on Aug. 8. But Plowman, who moved to AFS Racing Andretti Autosport in the offseason, is quick to credit his team for his consistency and his third-place position in the point standings.

“From Day 1, we’ve realized that we were with a strong team and fought for every position,” Plowman said. “We’ve grown in confidence together and we have the pace to win for Day 1. We just haven’t had a win. The results are now starting to show. I never worry about the car. The team’s preparation is second to none. Every nut and bolt is never overlooked. The worse thing that’s happened this year was a broken windscreen that rubbed on my hand. A lot of the credit goes to the team. They look after the car so well and that leads to the consistency that we’ve had all year.”

The confidence in his the No. 27 Automatic Fire Sprinklers/KEP Printing crew is one reason Plowman tries to repay his team with top results. He scored his first podium at Iowa after narrowly missing his first pole in June and returned to the podium with a third-place result at Edmonton on July 25. Now he’s aiming for the top step of the podium at Mid-Ohio – a track he says suits his driving style.

“We had a good test there in preseason and again during the season,” Plowman said. “It’s a track where I have a lot of special memories. It’s critical to get a good starting position. So we’ll do everything we can to get the first pole and the first win.”

But if he can’t get the win, he’ll fall back on the lessons he learned a year ago. “At this point in the season, I have to go out and finish the best I can,” Plowman said. “If you have a fifth-place car, you have to do what you can to finish fifth. If you’re capable of winning, you must win. The records will achieve themselves if I don’t make mistakes."
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Plowman Wins At Mid-Ohio

Post by mlittle » Tue Aug 10, 2010 2:38 am

Image


---Martin Plowman started on the pole for the first time in his 24 Firestone Indy Lights races. He led his first laps in two seasons of competition. And the Englishman won his first race since competing in the Asian-Pacific (karting) Championships in Japan.

“It’s been a long time coming,” Plowman deadpanned after driving the No. 27 Automatic Fire Sprinklers/KEP Printing entry for AFS Racing Andretti Autosport to Victory Circle in the Mid-Ohio 100. “To finally get it after so much hard work ... I’ve got such a great team behind me in AFS Andretti. Michael (Andretti), Gary (Petersen) and Stu (Kenworthy) my engineer. But also my parents and all of Team Plowey that couldn’t be here today. They are working hard to get me into IndyCar next year."

Plowman became the fifth different winner in nine Firestone Indy Lights races this season. "I put in 40 consistent laps," he said. "I knew the only way I could beat (front-row starter) Hinch (James Hinchcliffe) was not make a mistake and that’s what I did. I’m with a great team this year and the results are starting to pay off.”

Dan Clarke finished 0.8443 of a second behind in the No. 40 Wasteco Deans Knight Special for Walker Racing, tying his season high. Charlie Kimball finished third for his seventh top five. "I really credit a lot of this to Derrick, not only putting me in the car and getting me back in a race car, but also just all the dedication he's put in just making sure that everybody's doing their absolute best and we're getting the best out of everything," Clarke said. "That's really why we've got this momentum now.

"We're in the top three, top four every session. I feel it's great to get another podium. The championship's pretty messed up for us, missing that first race, having a couple of bad races. But I think maybe sixth or fifth place is in grab if we keep this momentum going."

Plowman led every lap of the caution-free race, but through Lap 35 didn’t have more than a 0.7949 of a second advantage over James Hinchcliffe in the No. 2 TMR-Xtreme Coil Drilling car on the 2.258-mile, 13-turn circuit. On Lap 36, however, Hinchcliffe’s car ventured off course in Turn 5, dropping him to seventh.

Hinchcliffe, second in the standings entering the race, was pushing to both overtake Plowman for his third victory of the season and subsequently gain more points championship leader J.K. Vernay, who was running eighth. It obviously didn’t work out that way.

Suddenly, Plowman didn’t see the yellow and white car in his mirrors and nursed his lead over Clarke to the twin checkered flags. Plowman extended his streak of running at the finish to 19 over two seasons (last year with Panther Racing). He’s started and finished in the top 10 in every race.

Bryan Herta Autosport teammates Stefan Wilson and Sebastian Saavedra finished fourth and fifth, respectively, while Adrian Campos Jr. was sixth in the No. 22 TMR-Xtreme Coil Drilling car. Hinchcliffe did cut the points deficit from 55 to 53, and Plowman moved into a tie for second with 306 points.


Top-10 from Mid-Ohio..................
1} Martin Plowman, Andretti Autosport, 40 laps
2} Dan Clarke, Walker Racing, -0.844 sec
3} Charlie Kimball, Andretti Autosport, -4.173 sec
4} Stefan Wilson, Bryan Herta Autosport, -7.621 sec
5} Sebastian Saavedra, Bryan Herta Autosport, -7.804 sec
6} Adrian Campos, Jr., Team Moore Racing, -8.318 sec
7} James Hinchcliffe, Team Moore Racing, -11.676 sec
8} J.K. Vernay, Sam Schmidt Mtrspts., -16.477 sec
9} James Winslow, Sam Schmidt Mtrspts., -48.167 sec
10} Philip Major, Sam Schmidt Mtrspts., -50.368 sec
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Post by mlittle » Tue Aug 10, 2010 2:42 am

Current Firestone Indy Lights Top-10 Standings
1st} J.K. Vernay, 359 pts(4 wins)
t-2nd}[2]James Hinchcliffe, 306 pts(2 wins)
t-2nd}[3]Martin Plowman, 306 pts(1 win)
4th} Charlie Kimball, 287 pts
5th} Sebastian Saavedra, 269 pts(1 win)
6th} Stefan Wilson, 234 pts
7th} Dan Clarke, 224 pts
8th} Philip Major, 204 pts
9th} Gustavo Yacaman, 202 pts
10th} Adrian Campos, Jr., 193 pts
---Additional Wins: Wade Cunningham, 1 win
The Sci-Fi Station Come by and visit when you get the chance. :)
The Wayward Tarheel I'm even in the blogosphere.... :shock:

mlittle
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Location: At the F1 Idiots Bar.............where else?
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Hildebrand's Firestone Five

Post by mlittle » Thu Aug 19, 2010 11:06 am

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With J.R. Hildebrand, the 2009 Firestone Indy Lights champion, competing in his second IZOD IndyCar Series race this weekend at Infineon Raceway, we decided to ask him for five reasons why he loves Firestone Indy Lights. He didn’t disappoint............

1. The Indy Lights car is actually, in a number of ways, very similar to an IndyCar to drive. They're both Dallaras and both run on Firestone tires, two key components to a car's behavior. And if you think the Indy Lights car doesn't slow down well, don't sweat it. Neither does the IndyCar.

2. The oval racing is tremendous. If you get up front with some guys that you trust, it's like a cross between restrictor plate racing and the rental car beach scene from "Days of Thunder." With open-wheel cars.

3. As heavy as they may be, it's not all bad. The cars are brick ***houses. I never went through a street-course session without hitting a wall -- all season -- and it never ended my day.

4. You have to be good on ovals and street courses to win the championship, which I think is a good thing. At least that was the case last year. It makes the team and driver with the best total package stand out.

5. You get to say that you know Danica Patrick, especially if you drive on the same team as her like I did. And you get hella props from all your non-racing buddies, as long as you change the subject quickly so they don't have time to ask a bunch of questions that you have no answer for. Instant rock star status.
The Sci-Fi Station Come by and visit when you get the chance. :)
The Wayward Tarheel I'm even in the blogosphere.... :shock:

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