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5.15.2012 (via Autoweek.com) - Andretti Autosport's Marco Andretti finished with the top speed Tuesday during IndyCar practice at Indianapolis Motor Speedway after being third on Monday. His best lap was 223.676 mph, which is the fastest of the month so far.
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5.14.2012 (Via Curt Cavin, IndyStar.coom) – With the DW12 new to oval racing for this Indianapolis 500, two Andretti Autosport drivers shared their thoughts with The Star today about driving in traffic so far at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
James Hinchcliffe
Question: Does the car punch a bigger hole in the air due to the additional bodywork it has compared to last year’s car?
JH: Yes.
Q: What is your takeaway from that and what did you learn from practicing as a team yesterday?
JH: I’ve had a lot of fun reading everybody’s comments about drafting. There’s a lot of different stories out there. We were just trying to stay in line and work on the car through the corners, so we made a decision to try and not pass each other. So, I can’t sit here and tell you we’ll be able to drive by guys because I don’t know; we didn’t do it. But based on what I felt, I think we’re going to be able to pass here. Not that we couldn’t in the past, but in some cases it might actually be easier because that last five car lengths it really sucks up. I think it could make for some good racing.
Q: How is the turbulence when your car is closely following another?
JH: It’s not great, but it’s Indy. It’s kind of like it was last year in that respect. I don’t have a ton of experience at this place, but if you compare mile-and-a-half tracks, through the corners it’s fairly similar. But on the straights it’s different. The initial draft is about the same, but that last five car lengths (the car) really sucks up quick. The only problem that I can predict is guys who don’t have enough (to pass) then get that last-minute tow and make a late dive. That’s when you get into trouble here because it’s one lane (through the corner).
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5.14.2012 (Via Marshall Pruett, SPEED) – One of the most heartwarming images found on the Indianapolis pit lane this year is the one-off helmet livery Andretti Autosport's Ryan Hunter-Reay revealed over the weekend.
Depicting his fallen friend Dan Wheldon, shown celebrating his final victory last May, Hunter-Reay told SPEED.com the choice to honor Wheldon at the race he's most heavily associated with was an easy choice.
"I felt like that was the most sincere form to honor a true champion, and also, our current Indy 500 champion," he said. "Like you say, a helmet is very personal, and the whole IndyCar community is like that. I felt like this was the way I could express my respect for Dan in the most visible way a driver can when he's in the car."
After losing his mother to cancer in 2009, RHR has been one of the most vocal proponents within the paddock to drive awareness and raise funds for cancer research, and the 31-year-old says one lucky fan will get to take the Wheldon tribute helmet home later this month to support two of his favorite charities.
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5.14.2012 (Via Racer Magazine) – Speeds increased for the second day of practice for this year's Indianapolis 500. While only pacesetter Josef Newgarden topped 220mph on Saturday, six drivers recorded fastest laps over the 220 threshold on Sunday, led by AFS/Andretti Autosport's Sebastian Saavedra.
Saavedra's best speed of 221.526 came in a draft with his Andretti Autosport teammates. Second and third were the two Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing DW12-Hondas of Bryan Clauson and Newgarden, each also over 221.
The single Chevrolet led four Hondas, with a six-four split of Hondas to Chevrolets in the top 10.
Several drivers who didn't post a Saturday lap – Ryan Hunter-Reay, James Hinchcliffe, Wade Cunningham, Ana Beatriz and Townsend Bell – all recorded their first times on Sunday. Marco Andretti had shaken down two of the sister Andretti cars on Saturday, and completed laps in both his primary No. 26 RC Cola entry and Beatriz's No. 25 car this afternoon. Cunningham completed the third and final phase of his Rookie Orientation Program.
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5.13.2012 (Via Racer Magazine) – OK, so let's get the bad stuff out of the way first because, man, I'm tired of making excuses. I've only got half as many points as my teammates, James Hinchcliffe and Ryan Hunter-Reay, but that's reflective of bad luck – and a couple of mistakes – and not because we've been lacking pace.
One thing that's been hurting us is that we've been changing personnel on the No. 26 RC Cola car, and racing is all about consistency. Dad has now moved to work on Ryan's car, but before that he was on mine and he got so hands-on that my engineer Allen McDonald and I had to literally justify every change we were making to the car.
Well, if Dad's doubting us and he's the boss, we're not going to go against what he's suggesting! So at Barber we followed his wishes, which was a bit on the conservative side and so we effectively qualified a racecar and left too much understeer in it. Almost every single change I had wanted to make was how my teammate Hinchcliffe set up his car, and he was contending for pole!
Dad being Dad, he publicly and honestly fell on his sword on TV and admitted he'd played it wrong. And then I did the same the next day when I broke an element of the front wing on EJ Viso's car when he braked sooner than I expected. Without that, we'd have had a top-six finish.
So I'm not way off the pace or anything I'm worried about. Even without the setup I wanted, I only missed out on the Firestone Fast Six at Barber by 0.15sec, and in Brazil, I was just half a tenth off. Unfortunately, missing by even that much can be the difference between starting fifth and starting 10th; it seems the IZOD IndyCar Series is even more crazy-competitive in 2012 than it was when we all had the same engines last year!
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5.12.2012 (Via Larry Hawley, FOX59) – About 15 years ago the traditional double duty at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway involved an open wheel and stock car machine.
With the times of the IndyCar's 500 mile race in Indianapolis and NASCAR's 600 mile race in Charlotte no longer matching up, the only opportunity to do such now comes within an open wheel series itself.
Still only a few have chosen to attempt racing in both the Freedom 100 race in the Indy Lights Series on Memorial Day Friday and then turning around on Sunday to race in the Indianapolis 500.
Sebastian Saavedra has made the decision to do it twice.
"It's a challenge for sure," said the 21-year old driver from Colombia who will attempt to run in both races for a second time in three years. "Everytime we have something like this, we can actually make possible I love to go for it."
Saavedra did so back in 2010 when he was a member of Bryan Herta Autosport, competing in both the Freedom 100 and the Indianapolis 500. He would end up finishing ninth in the lights race and 24th in the big race and learned a lot about balancing the two different machines at the same time.
"The challenge is going to be to switch on the car you are driving at the moment," said Saavedra of trying to focus on one series at a time during the next two weeks. "The practice helps a lot, but in the end its how much can you focus on each car without making a mistake remembering the other car.
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5.10.2010 (Via City of Baltimore) – Today, Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake announced the details of a proposed 5-year agreement with Race On, LLC, a company contracted with Andretti Sports Marketing, who will run all commercial and operational aspects of the Grand Prix of Baltimore on Labor Day weekend 2012. Following a public review period, the final contract will be presented to the Board of Estimates on May 16, 2012 for a vote.
The Race On and Andretti Sports Marketing team bring well-known local business leadership, coupled with one of the most respected names in auto racing. As part of Race On’s proposal, Andretti Sports Marketing, led by racing legend Michael Andretti, will provide a “turn-key” solution to run the Grand Prix of Baltimore, including sponsorships, public relations, marketing, hospitality, ticket sales, track build, grandstand layout, and logistics.
The new Race On agreement guarantees payment for cost sharing City services, regardless of the number of tickets sold and safeguards admissions and amusement tax revenue in an escrow lock box. The City has terminated its agreement with Downforce Racing, which failed to meet City-imposed benchmarks contained in the previous motorsports agreement.
“The Grand Prix was a great event for Baltimore that boosted our local economy and showcased our city on the international stage,” Mayor Rawlings-Blake said. “This has been a difficult process, but Race On and Andretti Sports Marketing have what it takes to move forward and make this world-class sporting event successful for Baltimore.”
Race On, LLC, a minority-owned Maryland company is led by J.P. Grant of Grant Capital Management and Greg O’Neill of BMW Construction Specialists, Inc. Race On, LLC and Andretti Sports Marketing have the full support and approval of both the IndyCar and American Lemans Series to successfully promote and execute the Grand Prix of Baltimore.
“We have assembled a great, world-class team that will ensure the Grand Prix of Baltimore is a success,” said J.P. Grant. “I grew up in Baltimore. This event is great for the city I love and will become a new tradition Baltimoreans can be proud of for years to come.”
“Our company has a history of resurrecting races in cities such as Toronto, Milwaukee and St. Petersburg, Fla., so we are confident we can do the same for the Grand Prix of Baltimore," said Michael Andretti, CEO of Andretti Sports Marketing. "By combining our decades of motorsports expertise with the substantial backing of local investors and community support, we believe the Grand Prix of Baltimore can become one of the most prominent sporting events on the Eastern Seaboard. We're thrilled to be working with Race On, J.P. Grant, Greg O'Neill and the city of Baltimore.”
Full details about the Grand Prix of Baltimore will be announced after the final approval of the contracts by the Board of Estimates on May 16.
About Andretti Sports Marketing: Andretti Sports Marketing, LLC. is based in Indianapolis with regional offices in Toronto, New York and Fort Lauderdale, Andretti Sports Marketing, LLC manages turn-key marketing solutions for its professional sports marketing clients. Led by racing legend Michael Andretti, Andretti Sports Marketing collaborates with MDC Partners’ agencies within the sports marketing industry to provide a seamless North American activation footprint. For more information on Andretti Sports Marketing, visit http://www.andrettisportsmarketing.com.
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"INDY Live" will be on the air May 15, 17, 22 and 24 with Mike King as host. The radio show, starting at 7 p.m. each day, originates from the Brickyard Crossing Restaurant and is open to the public.
Autograph sessions will be held during commercial breaks for attendees. The lineup for all five Andretti Autosport drivers is:
(7-7:30) — Marco Andretti
(7:30-8) — James Hinchcliffe, Ana Beatriz, Ryan Hunter-Reay
(7:30-8) — Sebastian Saavedra
5.7.2012 (Via racer.com) – Hi, good to be back on Racer.com!
I'm writing this from the Andretti Autosport shop today, where I'm getting a new seat made. Being 17, I've grown a bit in the last year, and although I've only put on five pounds in weight, I've gotten taller so I've been getting higher in the car and also my knees were rubbing on the steering wheel. I wouldn't want to blame any results on not being comfortable, but being lower in the car suits my judgment and perspective better.
As any racecar driver will say, you want everything on your side. The Star Mazda Series is more competitive than ever in 2012. I've learned a lot about this car from last year, and we're capable of winning races this season, but we definitely have more fast rivals than before. We're battling drivers with GP3 and Formula 3 experience, so the standard at the front is very high. That's why I really enjoyed our battle with Gabby Chaves for second place in Barber Motorsports Park, because he has GP3 experience and at the end of one of the most fun battles of my career, we finished ahead of him, so that was really satisfying.
As well as physically growing, I'm growing as a racer, I think. For example, one of the things I've improved is looking after the tires. Last year I was too aggressive with the tires and used to burn them off too soon. With the Mazda engine producing around 270hp but the whole car weighing not much more than 1,000lbs, it's easy to light up the rears so avoiding that is vital if you want to be fast at the end of a race.
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5.3.2012 - Dr Pepper Snapple workers in Williamson enjoyed a surprise visit by Marco Andretti. Marco was able to see a number of DPS products being made including an in depth look at Mott’s applesauce, ranging from the local apple orchards to the finished sauce being loaded onto trucks for shipment. In addition, Marco took time to sign autographs and pose for photos. It was an exciting day at the factory, and the Dr Pepper Snapple employees were thrilled to host Marco.
