More Front Wing

In this week’s More Front Wing podcast we cover almost as much ground as third-year IndyCar driver for Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing, Josef Newgarden, who was the mover and shaker of the weekend at the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg as he improved from his 22nd place starting position to finish in 9th. Josef spoke with MFW Co-editor Paul Dalbey on his bi-polar weekend in St. Pete, new race procedures for the 2014 Verizon IndyCar Series season, the performance of the new Honda twin-turbo V6, who his fantasy pick for the 40th Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach is, and much more.

Also, Paul and Steph sit down to review the Verizon IndyCar Series opening weekend at the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg in detail, from Will Power’s early promise to The Restart, Juan Montoya’s relaxed demeanor, the strong performance of Ed Carpenter Racing’s road course ringer Mike Conway, and a whole lot in between. Steph also shares a couple of stories and observations from her time on-site in St. Petersburg before  moving on to preview Paul’s upcoming coverage of the 40th running of the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach.

To listen, use the player below or search for More Front Wing on iTunes.

It’s our Verizon IndyCar Series season preview podcast! Paul and Steph kick off the new year with a closer look at what we hope Verizon will bring to table as IndyCar’s new title sponsor, review in detail a long list of incoming rule changes, reflect on the coming and going of traditions at the Indianapolis 500, and discuss our predictions for who we think will be the Sunoco Rookie of the Year, the winner of the Indianapolis 500, and the Verizon IndyCar Series 2014 champion.

To listen, use the player below or search for More Front Wing on iTunes.

We promised we’d be back before March, and we snuck it in just in time — it’s the rarely seen off-season More Front Wing podcast!

On this episode we catch up with James Hinchcliffe, who was in his hometown of Toronto this week for a media tour. MFW’s Steph Wallcraft caught up with James about the many changes he’ll be facing this season — including sponsor, powerplant, and chief engineer — and some of the other hot topics in IndyCar such as what he thinks about racing against his countryman Jacques Villeneuve, the double-header weekends that just won’t go away, whether IndyCar needs a woman on the grid, and much more.

In addition, MFW co-editors Paul Dalbey and Steph Wallcraft are joined by MFW contributor John Lingle to take a look at some of the other big names either confirmed for or considering Indianapolis 500 runs this year, the rumors that Cosworth is taking a look in IndyCar’s direction, the Garage 34 theory, the Panther Racing National Guard litigation, and plenty of other topics.

To listen, use the player below or search for More Front Wing on iTunes. We hope you enjoy it. Leave us a comment below or on Twitter @MoreFrontWing and join the conversation!

A seven-month schedule with an earlier start – possibly as early as January – and a trio of international races to start the points-paying season are the plans in the works for the IndyCar Series in 2015.

In an interview with More Front Wing’s Paul Dalbey, Hulman and Co. CEO Mark Miles laid out in detail the goals that he and his team are working toward as they look past the coming year.

“My hope would be that in 2015 the North American schedule would begin earlier in March than we will in 2014,” Miles said. “I don’t know whether that’s a couple of weeks or a little more, but I see March generally as North American races.

“But prior to that in 2015 – essentially in February, but if it was the last week of January into February that could work – we’re looking for three strong international races that would be the first races in the championship.”

It may raise concerns for some to start the regular season away from North America, but Miles feels doing so is an important part of the fiscal stabilization of IndyCar.

“We think there’s an important economic opportunity in some international markets,” he said, “so in February, where we don’t have a lot of options for climate in the States, why not go abroad.

“I see the championship being all of February, March, April, May, June, July, and August, a seven-month series that we think would be a very cool schedule and an important economic opportunity in the way of those international expansions.”

For this points-paying pre-season tour, there are specific markets with which IndyCar is having active conversations.

“We’re looking anywhere from the Middle East to more in South America all the way down to South Africa,” Miles said.

However, one region that is off the table is Europe, largely due to concerns of climate. “In February, there are not a lot of places you’re going to race in Europe,” he pointed out.

He also says he is not focused on Asia in the early points-paying period. “We think the greater potential for Asia might be a three-race sponsored series after the championship ends in the fourth quarter of the calendar year,” he said.

That three-race sponsored series, currently being considered for after the conclusion of the 2015 season, is being envisioned as three races over four weeks.

Such a program won’t be ready for roll-out in full by the end of 2014, but there is currently some potential for a one-off exhibition event next year.

“There is one conversation going on where I can imagine a one-off, one-time possibility of a non-points race after Labor Day internationally,” Miles said. “That’s not something I can go into at the moment, but it’s a one-off thing that is not strategic for us.”

Such conversations inevitably raise the question of a return to Australia and the Surfers Paradise event. When asked if such a return is under consideration for this exhibition tour, Miles said, “We’ve had some conversations with (the Surfers Paradise/V8 Supercars groups). We’re looking for the strongest possible situations for races, and if that included Australia that would be fabulous. Time will tell.”

Miles would be “disappointed” if no title sponsor signs for 2014

Miles also spoke around IndyCar’s sponsorship difficulties and indicated that there are some very promising conversations under way at the moment.

“I think great progress is being made, and I’ll be disappointed if we don’t have a title sponsor on board in 2014,” Miles said. “We’re very optimistic about that. We’ve got a couple of serious, advanced conversations going on. None of these things are over until they’re over, but it’s encouraging. These are great organizations that we’d be pleased to partner with.”

Although it’s easy to point at IndyCar’s flagging television ratings as an indication that the future is bleak, Miles insists that sponsor interest in the series remains strong.

“I would say (there’s) almost frenetic activity,” he said. “There are a lot of great conversations going on about sponsorship of IndyCar, from title through other category sponsors, and I’m very bullish about our prospects for adding sponsors in the coming weeks and months.”

Leaders Circle payouts to double by 2018

Another method of stability that Miles and his team are actively examining is the Leaders Circle program. Miles is of the belief that bolstering and extending that program is the best path economically for the series.

“For 2018, not that many years from now, our hope is that we could have 22 to 24 teams participating annually in the Leaders Circle program and about double the compensation there per team,” Miles said.

Miles states that IndyCar aims to have the Leaders Circle funding be an important source of revenue for teams with an eye to expanding the field slightly and firming up financial stability throughout.

When asked whether a plan also exists to add to race prize payouts, Miles said, “I don’t see how that’s feasible at this point.

“We’re in a place where we’ll have to defer that ambition, and immediately when new monies are available they’re more likely to go into Leaders Circle because that’s really important to have the full complement of strong teams in the Series,” he said. “When we get that to the place it needs to be, you can be sure our desire will be to add a lot more for the winners and podium finishers.”

Hear the full interview

Miles also spoke with MFW’s Paul Dalbey on a variety of other topics, including a thorough explanation of Hulman and Co.’s internal restructuring, his team’s overall marketing strategy for IndyCar, the importance of transparency and cooperation with stakeholders by a sanctioning body, and how his philosophies differ from those of his predecessor with regard to connecting with the sport’s fans. To listen to the full audio, use the player below. (Due to technical upgrades, the audio will also become available on iTunes on December 27.)

Here it is — our 100th More Front Wing podcast! We’re so excited to have reached this milestone and even more excited to spend it sharing the stories of the best and most favorite IndyCar memories from every corner of the IndyCar Nation.

You’ll hear from folks hailing from Speedway, Indiana to the United Kingdom, Australia, and everywhere in between as they share their stories of the moments that hooked them on IndyCar. Some people recall their first live Indianapolis 500 experience, others had memorable experiences with drivers, and a number of folks mentioned great times with other IndyCar fans.

We’re also extremely grateful to have heard from a number of the members of the media who have kindly offered their time and expertise to the podcast over the years, including ESPN.com contributor John Oreovicz, Crash Gladys of Speedfreaks, the dynamic duo from NBC Sports Network Motorsports Talk Tony DiZinno and Chris Estrada, TrackSide Online’s Patrick Stephan, and many others!

A few people submitted photos for us to share as well, which are at the bottom of this post. And the entries keep coming, so we’re going to add them to the comments section below as we get them. If you’d like, please feel free to add yours.

Putting this together was a very personal and humbling experience for all of us.  We’re extremely grateful to all of you who participated and continue to listen to our podcasts and support us, and for the opportunity we have to go into our fifth season of IndyCar racing still going strong.

Thanks to all — and enjoy!

To listen, use the player below or search for More Front Wing on iTunes.

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Amy Woedl (also known as Open Wheel Mom) says Pippa Mann welcomed her son Gage into her garage at IMS this year and went above and beyond to amaze a young fan.

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John Oreovicz submitted this photo of the September 1975 issue of Road & Track showing the Ferrari picture that sparked his fascination in auto racing. “You can see the marks from the edges of tracing paper from when I drew this car,” he adds.

In this episode of the More Front Wing podcast, co-editor Paul and contributor John discuss the highs and lows of the Shell and Pennzoil Grand Prix of Houston and all the stories in between.  From the opening moments of Friday’s practice session through the terrifying crashing of Dario Franchitti on Sunday afternoon, the MFW crew covers the weekend from all the angles and looks back on what went right and what went wrong.  The guys also discuss the Tony Kanaan/Chip Ganassi/Chevrolet announcement and what it could mean in 2014 for Chevrolet, Honda, and several other teams.

To listen, use the player below or search for More Front Wing on iTunes.

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On this week’s podcast, we sure had a lot of catching up to do! We took a break during the Baltimore-Houston lull, and while we were away we learned about the Grand Prix of Indianapolis, the Tony Kanaan to Ganassi rumors, the official departure of IZOD, and more. Paul, John, and Steph got caught up on it all before digging into a preview of the coming weekend’s Shell and Pennzoil Grand Prix of Houston.

We’re also joined by the driver of the #26 machine for Andretti Autosport in Firestone Indy Lights and this year’s Indianapolis 500, Carlos Muñoz. Carlos spoke with us on a number of topics, including the very tight battle for the Indy Lights championship, his very successful debut at Indianapolis, why superspeedways seem to suit his driving style when he came through the ranks in Europe, how he views the prospect of racing against fellow countryman Juan Pablo Montoya next year, and much more.

To listen, use the player below or search for More Front Wing on iTunes.

On this week’s More Front Wing podcast, we turn the spotlight onto the run for the 2013 Firestone Indy Lights championship. With two races left to go, the top four drivers are separated by only nine points — and with the Mazda scholarship on the line for the racer who can come out on top, every one of them is racing for their careers and their dreams.

We caught up with the driver currently at the top of that points battle, Schmidt Peterson Motorsport’s Sage Karam. Sage discussed racing for the title as a rookie in Indy Lights and the rivalry that’s developed between him and the second-year driver running for his former team, Carlos Muñoz of Andretti Autosport, and how he uses that in combination with his desire to win it all for the USA to stoke the fires of his motivation. He also shared his hopes for his own career as it enters a critical stage and spoke candidly about the changes coming for series and how he sees them combining to make an impact on its health.

Steph Wallcraft and John Lingle add to the discussion by going into detail about the adjustments new Indy Lights promoter Dan Andersen has already made and plans to make in the new future that should see that series make quick strides toward recovery — and we also eat a little crow as we discuss the signing of Juan Pablo Montoya to Penske Racing in IndyCar for 2014.

To listen, use the player below or search for More Front Wing on iTunes.

On this week’s More Front Wing podcast, we spend some time focusing on the two Mazda Road to Indy championships that will see their seasons end at the Shell and Pennzoil Grand Prix of Houston: the Pro Mazda Championship and USF2000.

The USF2000 title fight has come down to two drivers who also happen to be good friends and teammates at Cape Motorsports with Wayne Taylor Racing: Canadian Scott Hargrove, who carries a 44-point lead into Houston, and the American who hopes to unravel that lead, Neil Alberico. We speak with both of these drivers as they prepare themselves for the most important battle yet in their careers going into the Grand Prix of Houston, with each of them gunning for that all-important Mazda scholarship that will allow them to move up the ladder into Pro Mazda next season.

The Pro Mazda title has already been clinched, of course, and so we look back on the career-defining dominant season put forth by Andretti Autosport’s Matthew Brabham and discuss his future as he heads up the ladder into the Firestone Indy Lights championship in 2014.

Steph is joined this week by MFW contributor John Lingle. In addition to the development series discussion we also touch on some of the big stories in the IndyCar world over the past few days: the loss of the Grand Prix of Baltimore, the decision by Juan Pablo Montoya to remain in NASCAR next year, and the 2013 Indianapolis 500 champion’s struggles as he works to secure himself a ride for 2014.

To listen, use the player below or search for More Front Wing on iTunes.

On this week’s More Front Wing podcast, we’re very pleased to be joined for the first time by the driver of the #12 Verizon Team Penske IndyCar, Will Power. He gave us insight into his perspective of the incidents between him and Scott Dixon at Sonoma and Baltimore, was forthright on his feelings about people suggesting that Team Penske are being intentionally unsportsmanlike, and offered defense of IZOD IndyCar Series race director Beaux Barfield. He also discussed the state of his sometimes-frosty relationship with Dixon’s teammate Dario Franchitti, shared how he plans to help his own teammate Helio Castroneves secure his first series title, and gave his opinion on how the series could handle double-file restarts at street courses going forward for the mutual benefit of series participants and fans alike.

Paul and Steph are also joined by AutoRacing1.com contributor Brian Carroccio, who as a native of the greater Baltimore area shares his thoughts on how the city has received the event, what sort of crowd it attracts, and what can be done to bolster it for the future. He also helps us break down the insanity and attempt to make sense of the Grand Prix of Baltimore presented by SRT.

To listen, use the player below or search for More Front Wing on iTunes.