IndyCars - The off-season: Series news and comment until the March 2014 kick-off

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Sunday Morning at Homestead-Miami…Indy Pro 2000 do their first test of the day…

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Following the kids from USF2000, the guys in Indy Pro 2000 did Test # 3 of the weekend, with no real surprises, as the fast guys remain the fast guys.

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Here was the order of speed for the Indy Pro 2000 T-3 session, with times for the TOP FIVE: [R] denotes rookie

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1 - Parker Thompson, Abel Motorsports - time of 1:19.9506s for a speed of 99.511mph

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2 - Kyle Kirkwood [R], RP Motorsport Racing - time of 1:20.2312s for a speed of 99.163mph

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3 - Moises de la Vara [R], DEForce Racing - time of 1:20.3355s for a speed of 99.035mph

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4 - Rasmus Lindh [R], Juncos Racing - time of 1:20.4180s for a speed of 98.933mph

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5 - Nikita Lastochkin, Exclusive Autosport - time of 1:20.4460s for a speed of 98.899mph

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6 - Jacob Abel [R], Abel Motorsports
7 - Antonio Serravalle, Pserra Racing w/Jay Howard Driver Development
8 - Sting Ray Robb, Juncos Racing
9 - Parker Locke [R], Exclusive Autosport
10 - Damiano Fioravanti [R], RP Motorsport Racing

11 - Charles Finelli, FatBoy Racing!
12 - Danial Frost [R], Exclusive Autosport

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Notable:

  • This is Parker Thompson’s 21st birthday and he celebrated it with the TOP TIME. He was the only guy to crack the 1:19s on time. He still isn’t saying where he will land in 2019 - if at all.

  • Kyle Kirkwood hovered outside the TOP FIVE for most of the session, then put in a flyer with 1 minute to go and made the grade.

  • Singapore’s Danial Frost has still not turned a lap all weekend. We fear his car is terminal, at this point, and no one is talking.

Danial Frost

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Next, following a lunch break, the kids of USF2000 once again run…This time for Test 4…

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Sunday mid-day at Homestead-Miami…USF2000 comes back on track for T-4…

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The kids in USF2000 had lunch and then rejoined the fray for their 4th test of the weekend.
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Here was the order of speed for the USF2000 T-4 session, with times for the TOP FIVE: [R] denotes rookie

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1 - Manuel Sulaiman [R], DEForce Racing - time of 1:24.8466s for a speed of 93.769mph

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2 - Darren Keane, Cape Motorsports - time of 1:25.2162s for a speed of 93.363mph

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3 - Eduardo Barrichello [R], Miller Vinatieri Motorsports - time of 1:25.2756s for a speed of 93.297mph

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4 - Cameron Shields [R], Newman Wachs Racing - time of 1:25.2823s for a speed of 93.290mph

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5 - Yuven Sundaramoorthy [R], Pabst Racing - time of 1:25.5796s for a speed of 92.966mph

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6 - Braden Eves [R], Cape Motorsports
7 - Christian Rasmussen [R], Jay Howard Driver Development
8 - Jack William Miller [R], Miller Vinatieri Motorsports
9 - Anthony Famularo [R], BN Racing
10 - Bruna Tomaselli, Pabst Racing

11 - Nolan Siegel [R], Newman Wachs Racing
12 - Reece Gold [R], Cape Motorsports
13 - Nate Aranda [R], Team E-Jay Racing
14 - Matthew Round-Garrido [R], Jay Howard Driver Development
15 - Manuel Cabrera [R], Exclusive Autosport
16 - Hunter McElrea [R], Pabst Racing
17 - Colin Kaminsky, Pabst Racing

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Notable:

  • Darren Keane and Manuel Sulaiman traded the top spot a few times before Manuel finally got it, busting into the 1:24s on time. Darren has yet to confirm he is driving for the Cape brothers in 2019 - or for anyone at all.

  • Yuven Sundaramoorthy flies the flag for Pabst Racing, getting into the TOP FIVE for the first time, while Bruna Tomaselli also returns to the TOP TEN for the team. The other “Speed Boys,” Colin Kaminsky and Hunter McElrea, put in no time, this session. They may be done for the weekend.

  • Jack William Miller gets into the TOP TEN and Anthony Famularo returns there, while Reece Gold falls out of it for the first time and Nolan Siegel tickles it. All are 15-years-old or younger.

left to right, JW Miller and Anthony Famularo…

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…and Reece Gold and Nolan Siegel

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Next, the Indy Pro guys return to the track for the T-4 session…

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Sunday afternoon at Homestead-Miami…Indy Pro 2000 holds their 4th test of the weekend…

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…and a welcome face showed up to run, finally, and did what we expected he would, once on track.

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Here was the order of speed for the Indy Pro 2000 T-4 session, with times for the TOP FIVE: [R] denotes rookie

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1 - Parker Thompson, Abel Motorsports - time of 1:20.4619s for a speed of 98.879mph

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2 - Sting Ray Robb, Juncos Racing - time of 1:20.8769s for a speed of 98.372mph

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3 - Danial Frost [R], Exclusive Autosport - time of 1:20.9493s for a speed of 98.284mph

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4 - Rasmus Lindh [R], Juncos Racing - time of 1:20.9746s for a speed of 98.253mph

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5 - Kyle Kirkwood [R], RP Motorsport Racing - time of 1:21.2371s for a speed of 97.936mph

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6 - Jacob Abel [R], Abel Motorsports
7 - Moises de la Vara [R], DEForce Racing
8 - Nikita Lastochkin, Exclusive Autosport
9 - Antonio Serravalle, Pserra Racing w/Jay Howard Driver Development
10 - Damiano Fioravanti [R], RP Motorsport Racing

11 - Parker Locke [R], Exclusive Autosport
12 - Charles Finelli, FatBoy Racing!

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Notable:

  • Canadian Parker Thompson once again takes the cake - 2nd time in four sessions - and is making a statement: I’m the guy you want in your car. Veteran Sting Ray Robb gets another P2 and almost tops the session, while Rasmus and Kyle are right where they should be - TOP FIVE.

  • Finally, Danial Frost gets to drive his car and he immediately goes where we suspected he might - TOP FIVE.

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Next, USF2000 come out for the last time this weekend…

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Sunday afternoon at Homestead-Miami…USF2000 closes out the weekend…

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…and the results are a little skewed, as not everyone runs. That allows the youngsters to show their stuff, and they did.

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Here was the order of speed for the USF2000 T-5 session, with times for the TOP FIVE: [R] denotes rookie

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1 - Eduardo Barrichello [R], Miller Vinatieri Motorsports - time of 1:24.9935s for a speed of 93.570mph

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2 - Christian Rasmussen [R], Jay Howard Driver Development - time of 1:25.1114s for a speed of 93.477mph

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3 - Jack William Miller [R], Miller Vinatieri Motorsports - time of 1:25.1940s for a speed of 93.387mph

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4 - Anthony Famularo [R], BN Racing - time of 1:25.3979s for a speed of 93.164mph

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5 - Manuel Sulaiman [R], DEForce Racing - time of 1:25.5514s for a speed of 92.997mph

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6 - Matthew Round-Garrido [R], Jay Howard Driver Development
7 - Cameron Shields [R], Newman Wachs Racing
8 - Manuel Cabrera, Exclusive Autosport
9 - Nate Aranda [R], Team E-Jay Racing
10 - Nolan Siegel [R], Newman Wachs Racing

11 - Darren Keane, Cape Motorsports
12 - Braden Eves [R], Cape Motorsports
13 - Reece Gold [R], Cape Motorsports
14 - Yuven Sundaramoorthy [R], Pabst Racing
15 - Hunter McElrea [R], Pabst Racing
16 - Colin Kaminsky, Pabst Racing
17 - Bruna Tomaselli, Pabst Racing

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Notable:

  • While Eduardo’s time is excellent, Some of the top runners up to now were not competing, including Hunter McElrea - not on the track - and Darren Keane, who only put in 5 laps and retired, as did Braden Eves after 4 laps. But Eduardo beat both Christian Rasmussen and Manuel Sulaiman - both fast guys.

  • Also not on track were Yuven Sundaramoorthy, Colin Kaminsky and Bruna Tomaselli and Reece Gold only put in 7 laps. There’s just no way to know how this session would have played out if everyone was on the same program.

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That’s it for the kids from USF2000. There is one more session for Indy Pro 2000 left to go…

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Sunday afternoon at Homestead-Miami…Indy Pro 2000 ends their weekend…

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The middle rung of the Road to Indy ladder were the last guys to drive in anger today at Homestead-Miami Speedway, and they all came out - except for perhaps the top guy, as Parker Thompson parked it.

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Here was the order of speed for the Indy Pro 2000 T-5 session, with times for the TOP FIVE: [R] denotes rookie

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1 - Sting Ray Robb, Juncos Racing - time of 1:19.7509s for a speed of 99.761mph

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2 - Kyle Kirkwood [R], RP Motorsport Racing - time of 1:20.0066s for a speed of 99.442mph

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3 - Rasmus Lindh [R], Juncos Racing - time of 1:20.4198s for a speed of 98.931mph

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4 - Moises de la Vara [R], DEForce Racing - time of 1:20.4198s for a speed of 98.931mph

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5 - Nikita Lastochkin, Exclusive Autosport - time of 1:20.5869s for a speed of 98.726mph

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6 - Antonio Serravalle, Pserra Racing w/Jay Howard Driver Development
7 - Danial Frost [R], Exclusive Autosport
8 - Damiano Fioravanti [R], RP Motorsport Racing
9 - Jacob Abel [R], Abel Motorsports
10 - Charles Finelli, FatBoy Racing!
11 - Parker Locke [R], Exclusive Autosport
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Notable:

  • While Parker may have beaten him, had he been there, Sting Ray beat all the other fast guys who were there. In fact, he put in the fastest lap of anyone this weekend, so far…until the Lights run on Monday.

  • The only other guy to post a 1:19 this weekend is Parker Thompson and Robb beat his time by almost 0.2 seconds - a clear advantage. The sophomore is proving to be a contender to be reckoned with.
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    That’s it for Indy Pro 2000. On Monday, the Indy Lights take over the track for two test sessions that will total five hours of track time.

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IndyCar driver Scott Hargove collects another podium at COTA on Sunday…

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The Road to Indy ace and multiple Porsche Cup Champion took the Wright Motorsports GT3 Pro-class # 58 Porsche 911 GT3 R to a second P3 on the weekend at Circuit of the Americas, following the P3 he and co-driver Patrick Long garnered on Saturday (see post # 487). The circuit is hosting the season openers of the SRO Blancpain World Challenge America series.

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Pat Long (left) and Scott Hargrove - two podiums to start their season
PatScott

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Scott started the race from P10 and did one of his famous charges in the opening laps, bringing the car to P5 in one lap and collecting another spot a few laps later. Midway through the 90-minute race Scott handed the car to Pat in P4 and Long collected two more spots, but lost one late in the race to end up P3.

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Scott on the charge in the # 58 Porsche 911 GT3 R
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The race WINNERS were Toni Vilander and Miguel Molina in the # 61 Ferrari 488 GT3 for R. Ferri Motorsports. P2 was the # 9 Bentley Continental GT3 for K-Pax Racing, driven by Andy Soucek and Alvaro Parente, mimicking their performance on Saturday.

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The next rounds of Blancpain GT action will be at St Petersburg, this next weekend, as they support the NTT IndyCar series opener, but that will be GT4 and TCR classes, only. Scott next goes into action at VIRginia International Raceway, April 26-28.

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Monday morning at Homestead-Miami…The Indy Lights begin to test…

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Spring Training for the Road to Indy ladder system continues at Homestead-Miami Speedway, following two days of test for USF2000 and Indy Pro 2000. Now it’s time for the top rung of the ladder - the Indy Lights - to have their own time onthe track. Today they willput in five hours of testing with a T-1 session of 90 minutes and an afternoon marathon of 3 hours and 30 minutes.

But first, some housekeeping. In addition to the drivers mentioned in post # 479, we have two additional drivers here to test - Julien Falchero and Toby Sowery.

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French driver Julien Falchero has tested in a Lights car twice already for Andretti Autosport - Once at Homestead-Miami last December and then again at Circuit of the Americas, about two weeks ago. Both times he showed great speed, posting several P3s and several P2s for the team. But today, Julien will be driving for Belardi Auto Racing, in their # 4 IL-15, teaming with Lucas Kohl in the # 5 and Zachary Claman in the # 13.

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Julien Falchero

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England’s Toby Sowery was one of several good European drivers that rotated into the 2018 season of Pro Mazda (now “Indy Pro 2000”) on a limited basis, and to great affect. As with the other European drivers, Toby performed brilliantly, posting two P2s at his two outings for BN Racing at Road America. Today, Toby will drive in the # 2 car for BN Racing / Team Pelfrey, aside BN’s driver David Malukas.

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Toby Sowery

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continued…

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Monday morning at Homestead-Miami…The Indy Lights begin to test…(part 2)…

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The first session was a 90-minute session, starting right before noon. The results were a good mix of excellence from both rookies and veterans alike.

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Here was the order of speed for the Indy Lights T-1 session, with times for the TOP FIVE: [R] denotes rookie

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1 - Oliver Askew [R], Andretti Autosport - time of 1:16.0139s for a speed of 104.665mph

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2 - Robert Megennis [R], Andretti Autosport - time of 1:16.2383s for a speed of 104.357mph

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3 - David Malukas [R], BN Racing - time of 1:16.2514s for a speed of 104.339mph

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4 - Zachary Claman, Belardi Auto Racing - time of 1:16.4055s for a speed of 104.129mph

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5 - Ryan Norman, Andretti Autosport - time of 1:168470s for a speed of 103.530mph

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6 - Julien Falchero [R], Belardi Auto Racing
7 - Toby Sowery [R], BN Racing / Team Pelfrey
8 - Rinus VeeKay [R], Juncos Racing
9 - Lucas Kohl [R], Belardi Auto Racing
10 - Dalton Kellett, Juncos Racing

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Notable:

  • Rookie Oliver Askew waited until late in the session to exert himself, as did Rob Megennis and Dave Malukas. Then, they pounced and broke the hearts of Julien Falchero and Toby Sowery, both of whom were flirting with the top, at the time. Veterans ZCD and Ryan Norman then stomped on their broken hearts - Welcome to Indy Lights, boys!

  • Nevertheless, don’t count either Falchero or Sowery out. These are excellent drivers, and they will try to show that in the big afternoon session.

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The field will have lunch and then return for the 3 and a half-hour session in the afternoon.

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Monday afternoon at Homestead-Miami…The Indy Lights wrap up their testing…

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The 10 cars that came to test at Homestead-Miami Speedway spent much of the afternoon session in the pits and in the paddock, adjusting the cars and going over the morning’s data, but when they finally got on track it was once again a mix of veterans and rookies in the top spots.

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Here was the order of speed for the Indy Lights T-2 session, with times for the TOP FIVE: [R] denotes rookie

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1 - Ryan Norman, Andretti Autosport - time of 1:15.1962s for a speed of 105.639mph

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2 - Robert Megennis [R], Andretti Autosport - time of 1:15.3661s for a speed of 105.565mph

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3 - Julien Falchero [R], Belardi Auto Racing - time of 1:15.4966s for a speed of 105.382mph

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4 - Zachary Claman, Belardi Auto Racing - time of 1:15.7506s fora speed of 105.029mph

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5 - Oliver Askew [R], Andretti Autosport - time of 1:15.8627s for a speed of 104.874mph

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6 - Rinus VeeKay [R], Juncos Racing
7 - Dalton Kellett, Juncos Racing
8 - David Malukas [R], BN Racing
9 - Toby Sowery [R], BN Racing / Team Pelfrey
10 - Lucas Kohl [R], Belardi Auto Racing

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Notable:

  • Predictably, everyone went faster in the T-2 session - sometimes much faster. Ryan ended up turning the fastest lap of any car for the whole weekend.

  • Rob Megennis made a stab at taking the top spot in the final minutes and Julien Falchero did too, but they both only improved marginally and Ryan held on.

  • The two drivers with the least time in an IL-15, Toby Sowery (first time today) and Lucas Kohl were of course the slowest guys, but there is only 1.2 seconds between Ryan Norman and Lucas Kohl, so this is a group of fast runners.

  • No word yet from the Sowery and Falchero camps if they will be on the grid at St. Pete, this coming weekend, and for whom they will drive, if they are.

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That’s it for Road to Indy Spring Training for 2019. Next, we will analyse what we saw from all three series that tested.

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Spring Training at Homestead-Miami Speedway…What did we learn?

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Following three days of testing for USF2000, Indy Pro 2000 and Indy Lights at Homestead, we have a very good idea of who will be fast, right out of the gate, when we arrive at St. Petersburg, this weekend.

First and foremost, not everyone who tested has been confirmed to drive and we won’t know everyone who will start the season until the season starts. That said, we have to assess everyone who did test, because they MAY be in a car this year. So let’s get to it, starting with the kids in USF2000 - the bottom rung of the Road to Indy ladder:

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We have a points system - car positions for each test added together, then that number divided by the number of tests each driver ran in. A session with less than 10 laps for the driver is thrown out, as they never got up to proper speed and temps, for whatever reason.

The best performer (lowest number) was Darren Keane, a veteran driving for Cape Motorsports. Still unconfirmed, Darren’s score was 2 (P3, P1 and P2) and he also put in the Fastest Lap of the test for USF2000 - Outstanding, by every measure. Get this man a car!!

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Darren Keane

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Second best was Manuel Sulaiman, a rookie confirmed for DEForce Racing, with a score of 2.4. Manuel drove in all five sessions and topped 2 of them - P2, P1, P3, P1 and P5. Had Manuel not slipped in the T-5 test to P5, he would have gotten the top spot, and well-earned. Manuel was outstanding.

Manuel Sulaiman

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Third best was Braden Eves, a rookie confirmed for Cape Motorsports. Braden got a score of 2.75, based on his P1, P2, P2 and P6. Like Manuel, had he not slipped in the T-4 test he would have topped the test. Excellence, here.

Braden Eves

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Fourth best was Christian Rasmussen, a rookie confirmed for Jay Howard Driver Development. The Dane got a score of 4.4, based on his P5, P5, P4, P7 and P2. Christian slipped in the T-4 test but made up for it in the T-5 test, so this is about right for him, and very impressive.

Christian Rasmussen

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Fifth on our list is Cameron Shields, a rookie confirmed for Newman Wachs Racing. Cameron was a bit all over the map, with a P3, P11, P6, P4 and P7 for a score of 6.2. He was much more consistent at the Homestead test in December, where he topped everyone else. Cam is truly a title contender.

Cameron Shields

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Next, let’s look at Indy Pro 2000…(continued)…

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Spring Training at Homestead-Miami Speedway…What did we learn?..(part 2)…

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Topping Indy Pro 2000 was veteran Parker Thompson driving for Abel Motorsports. The Canadian was the Vice-Champion of the series last year, and it showed. Parker’s score was 2.25, based on P2, P5, P1 and P1. Had he not slipped a bit in the T-2 test he would have been even better, but what he did was enough to take it. Parker and Manuel Sulaiman in USF2000 were the only guys to top two sessions, all weekend. Parker is confirmed for ONLY St. Pete, at this point.

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Parker Thompson

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Second in points is Kyle Kirkwood, a rookie confirmed for RP Motorsport Racing. Kyle is the 2018 Champion of USF2000 and he looked like it, with a score of 2.8, based on P4, P1, P2, P5 and P2. While he was never out of the TOP FIVE, his P4 and P5 hurt him, compared to Thompson, but this guy is a monster, and will be the guy everyone will chase - especially if Parker doesn’t get a full season.

Kyle Kirkwood

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Third in points was Danial Frost, a rookie confirmed for Exclusive Autosport. Danial only got in one full test session the whole weekend but he posted a P3 in it, so his score is 3. While one session would normally not say much his T-4 time was completely consistent with his previous tests and races, so we are confident that his third in points is accurate. Danial is excellent.

Danial Frost

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Fourth in points was Sting Ray Robb, a veteran driving for Juncos Racing this season. Sting Ray was a bit of a surprise for us, as he has been a good but not great performer in the past. His score was 4.2 based on a P2, P8, P2 and P1. Had Sting Ray not gotten that outlier P8 he would have been the TOP driver. In the T-5 session his P1 was also the Fastest Lap for Indy Pro 2000 all weekend. Sting Ray may just be the biggest surprise of the season.

Sting Ray Robb

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Fifth on the list was Moises de la Vara, confirmed for DEForce Racing in 2019. Like Sting Ray, Moises was a bit of a surprise. His score was 4.6, based on a P3, P6, P3, P7, and a P4. It was the two tests outside the TOP FIVE that most hurt Moises, but this is still a lot better than we were expecting from him. Moises may be ready to stat winning races.

Moises de la Vara

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Next it’s the Indy Lights…(continued)…

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Spring Training at Homestead-Miami Speedway…What did we learn?..(part 3)…

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The guy on top of Indy Lights was the biggest surprise of the weekend, as rookie Rob Megennis, confirmed for Andretti Autosport, got the best score, with a 2, based on a P2 and a P2. We know that Rob is an excellent driver, but he’s been over-shadowed in the past by a few other guys in this field. It was his consistantcy that got him the TOP spot. Rob is for real.

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Robert Megennis

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Second best was veteran Ryan Norman, confirmed for Andretti Autosport. We have seen Ryan do well in previous tests and this is no surprise. Ryan’s score was 3, with a P1 and a P5. Ryan’s P1 was also the Fastest Lap of anyone at Homestead this weekend. Ryan is ready to be a champion.

Ryan Norman

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Tying for second place is Oliver Askew, a rookie confirmed for Andretti Autosport. Oliver also got a score of 3, and in the same way as Ryan - a P5 and a P1. Oliver was TOPS at the February test at Circuit of the Americas, so his 2nd in points is also no surprise.

Oliver Askew

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Fourth in points was Zachary Claman, a veteran confirmed for Belardi Auto Racing. ZCD got a score of 4, with a P4 and a P4. We expect Zachary to be a race WINNER in 2019, as he was in 2017, when he last drove in the Lights. With his 2018 IndyCar experience, the Lights should be relatively easy for him in 2019.

Zachary Claman

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Fifth in points was Julien Falchero, as yet unconfirmed and driving for Belardi at the test. Julien got a score of 4.5, based on a P3 and a P6. As good as this is, it is not as good as we though Julien would be, based on previous tests, but then, Julien was in an Andretti car in previous tests.

Julien Falchero

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It will be fun to see if these fifteen drivers meet the expectations that this test produced, and we will start to see that this Thursday, at St.Petersburg!

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We have another CONFIRM in Indy Lights…and a possible in the works…

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A day before the start of the 2019 season of Indy Lights, Frenchaman Julien Falchero has CONFIRMED that he will run the full season of Lights for Belardi Auto Racing in the # 4 IL-15, aside already confirmed veteran Zachary Claman in the # 13 and rookie Lucas Kohl in the # 5 car.

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Julien Falchero
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22-year-old Falchero is coming out of GP3 ,where he drove for Arden International in 2018. He also has experience in Formula Renault 2.0 and in LMP2 and LMP3 sports cars. Falchero tested well for Andretti Autosport in the Lights test at Circuit for the Americas in February, but tested for Belardi at Homestead, this last weekend

Said Julien, “I am really proud to be driving for Belardi Auto Racing, everyone on the team has welcomed me wonderfully and the first day of driving the car was great. I felt really comfortable in the car and I can’t wait to get to round one at St. Pete and to fight for the championship.”

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Not yet confirmed by either the team or himself, Brit Toby Sowery may be driving for BN Racing in the Lights, as he is listed on their driver roll, aside confirmed rookie David Malukas. Like Malukas, Sowery drove in Pro Mazda (now “Indy Pro 2000”) last season, but in only two races for BN Racing. Nevertheless, he went to P2 in both of them, impressing the hell out of everyone.

In 2017 and 2016 Sowery was in BRDC British Formula 3, where he collected 6 WINS and 21 podiums. The 22-year-old is very fast.

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Toby Sowery
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Let’s hope Sowery is indeed in the series and soon CONFIRMED.

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That's right, baby!!

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The off-season is OVER!!!

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Look for the thread for the first race of the season at St.Petersburg…Lets GO!

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Great news!..Pato O’Ward lands at Carlin for 2019…

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After losing his ride with Harding Steinbrenner Racing due to budget woes, just weeks before the start of the 2019 season, it was touch and go for the 2018 Indy Lights Champion to find a ride for the season, but announced today, Patricio O’Ward will drive in 13 races for Trevor Carlin this year.

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Pato O’ Ward

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O’Ward will team with Carlin’s full-timer, Max Chilton, starting with the 2nd race of the season at Circuit of the Americas. Charlie Kimball will be in the car for the other five races of the season, including this weekend at St. Pete. All three drivers will get a car for the Indy 500.

Said Pato, “I’m so excited to get this 2019 NTT IndyCar Series season underway and I’m extremely grateful for the opportunity that Trevor Carlin has given me to drive for his Indy car team and Team Chevy. I’m just thankful that he and the whole Carlin team really believe in me, and I’ll give it my all to show them that I’m ready to tackle any challenges ahead of us starting in a few weeks at COTA."

“I just don’t think I can properly express how excited I am for this opportunity. It’s been a very stressful past few weeks given my circumstances, and it’s been a bit of a hustle trying to find a new home in the NTT IndyCar Series for myself, but I couldn’t be happier about landing at Carlin.”

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We couldn’t be happier, either. Pato needs to be in a car. He is the future of IndyCar.

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Byrd-Hollinger-Belardi teams with Dale Coyne to give James Davison a ride at Indy…

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Last season Jonathan Byrd’s Racing, Hollinger Motorsport and Belardi Auto Racing all teamed with AJ Foyt Enterprises to put a single car into the Indy 500, piloted by awesome Aussie James Davison. The car was fraught with challenges and barely made the show, only to go out early. Not content with the one effort, Byrd, Hollinger and Brian Belardi want to try it again this year, but teamed instead with Dale Coyne Racing.

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James Davison

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So, why Dale Coyne? Because Davison loves the Coyne operation and has had great races with Coyne in the past, including the 2017 Indy 500, where “Davo” got a last-minute call to substutute for injured Sebastien Bourdais. Davison plugged into their program instantly and was FAST. He went from the P33 start he inherited all the way up to lead the race, but crashed out 16 laps from the end. In addition, Coyne has partnered with Jonathan Byrd’s before, getting a car for the late Bryan Clauson in the show.

Says Dale of the alliance, “We’re very excited to have James (Davison) come back to the team for the Indianapolis 500. He stepped in last minute for us with hardly any practice as a substitute driver to Sebastien (Bourdais) a couple of years ago and did a great job under the circumstances and showed he has the speed to run with the best of them.

“We’re also happy to be partnering once again with the Byrd family who have a long history with the Indy 500, as well as Hollinger MotorSport, and we look forward to working with Brian Belardi and his team.”

Dale Coyne

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Davison is an exciting and aggressive driver who always goes for the front, whether it’s in open-wheel cars or Xfinity cars or SportsCars. He will always be a great addition to any Indy 500.

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Just in case you missed it…

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…and what a shame, if you did, IndyCar has released race highlights from the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg:

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As we mentioned in the St.Pete race thread…

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…The rookie class had a stellar race, for those who could finish the race, (Marcus Ericsson’s car broke), but they also paid a price for it, as most of them are not used to this much time in a car that requires this much physical strength. Watch as Racer magazine’s Marshall Pruett interviews Felix Rosenqvist, Colton Herta and Santino Ferrucci on their great races:

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All these kids are going to be highly entertaining, this year.

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DragonSpeed builds their IndyCar for us to see…

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The team, helmed by former driver Elton Julian, came to St.Petersburg in their brand new Dallara chassis, mated to their brand new Chevrolet 2.2-liter, turbo-charged 6-cylinder engine. The car was driven by Brit Ben Hanley to a P18 finish in his IndyCar debut. It was a very hectic month prior to the race for the team, as they had to get the car assembled with no time to spare, but they made it and the car performed flawlessly.

Lucky for us, they took pictures! This will give us the opportunity to see the guts of an Indycar, and analyze it:
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This is the chassis/engine from the left side

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The large ramp at about a 45-degree angle is the left-side radiator. The dark hole right below the roll hoop is where the left-side fuel port will go and the fuel cell is sandwiched between the driver and the engine. It is self-sealing, in case of puncture, greatly reducing the chance of a fuel-related fire in the case of a crash.

The Chevy engine with the left-side turbo-charger is clearly visible, including the Chevy bow-tie on the manifold plenum cover. Note that the engine becomes a part of the chassis when it is bolted in, and no frame need be present to support it. This 70-year-old idea is the brainchild of the late Colin Chapman of Lotus fame and is universal in virtually all formula cars, now.

The bundle of snakes below and in front of the turbo are the exhaust manifolds. They are wrapped in a heat-resistant material to contain the extreme heat generated. That both saves the bodywork from melting and also makes sure that heat energy is not wasted, but instead spins the turbo quicker and with more authority, as the heat actually extracts the exhaust. Above the turbo is the intake manifold, made of carbon fiber.

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An uncovered exhaust - HEAT!
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Fresh air is pulled from inside the sidepod opening and into the turbo, where it is compressed and then forced into the engine, along with a squirt of fuel. There is thus no top scoop needed to get air to the turbo inlet, as in the past. This significantly cleans up the aero profile of the car.

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continued, tomorrow…

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DragonSpeed builds their IndyCar for us to see……(part 2)…

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Here is the right side of the chassis / engine
chevy%20engine

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In this view the slick-looking intake manifold is better seen. as it crosses over the right-side cylinder head. Everything above it is related to the fuel injection system, as well as the spark system. There is no distributor for the spark. Rather, each plug has its own digital induction discharge and it is ignited by the engine management computer. The computer also controls the fuel injection timing and can be driver-adjusted for mixture. That is, the driver can enrich or lean the fuel mixture, to a certain extent, using a dial on the steering wheel. Rich - more power and cooler running, whereas leaner saves fuel but runs a bit hotter.

The long studs surrounding the clutch basket and also coming out of the rear of the cylinder heads are the mounting points for the transmission. The transmission - like the engine - thus becomes a stressed member and part of the chassis. The car’s rear suspension is mounted to the transmission itself. Again, kudos to Colin Chapman, who was always asking each part of a car to do more than one thing, if possible, to save weight.

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Here is a more rear view of the Chevrolet
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Both turbos are clearly visible. The boost is controlled by a series-adjustable preset waste-gate that will not allow boost beyond a certain level. Extra boost is bled off through the secondary hole visible. The red lines going to each turbo are oil lines. What a fan hears at the track is coming out of the turbos un-muffled. That’s why race cars are loud, but turbo-chargers actually muffle the sound quite a bit, themselves. That is why the turbo-charged Indy Lights cars are much, much quieter than UF2000 and Indy Pro 2000 cars, which are normaily aspirated (sucking air into the engine, rather than pushing it in), and have no turbos.

The V-6 engine itself is everything silver, while everything else is added to it to manage it. The engine has dual overhead camshafts and four valves per cylinder. The small, round, black object at the bottom center is the clutch. It is a multi-disc clutch, like a motorcycle clutch, that allows for much greater grip in a smaller diameter area. The clutch is operated hydraulically, as it would be nearly impossible for a driver to actuate it for long manually before needing a new left leg.

The large silver pot right below the roll hoop is the oil tank. The engine has a dry-sump oiling system that draws oil needed from the tank, rather than from a pan underneath the engine crankshaft (a wet sump). This means that the engine - essentially a great air pump - is not affected by fluids sloshing around underneath the spinning crankshaft at ever-changing levels. This also protects the oil supply from possibly scraping on the ground and makes for a much tidier engine size for mounting.

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Elton Julian says the build went well, but a tiny bit behind schedule. Nevertheless, the car was ready to drive, last Friday, for the P-1 practice by pilot Ben Hanley and perforned well throughout their debut race.

Elton Julian (left) and Ben Hanley

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Thanks for the pics, boys, and good luck in 2019!

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