Aug. 31 newsstand

Today's news
Detroit News: MIS might return to expanded IRL schedule
While the schedule is pretty much set for 2008 (it looks like there will be 17 races, with a "new market" as a replacement for Michigan), 2009 is open. IRL PR guru John Griffin hints at adding races, which might be step No. 1 at luring Michigan back.

Says John Griffin: "Long-term, we're going to expand our schedule, and to do that, we're going to have to start earlier and end later by moving some things around, so I certainly think the opportunity is there. We may have more to say about that by Saturday."

Saturday, BTW, is when Brian Barnhart and Terry Angstadt are to address the assembled media, and apparently might be discussing scheduling. Reading between the lines, I'm wondering if Champ Car venues like Long Beach & Edmonton are two of the races on the "expansion" list.

Speaking of venues, Daytona is not on the 2008 calendar as a testing venue.

DGP news
Weekend schedule

Detroit Free Press: Dixon not happy with driving tactics
Says Scott about the points race: "The unfortunate part is that there are two races to go. You can lose (the title) just as easily as win it."

Toledo Blade: Castroneves' climb began in Detroit
Helio on running on the streets: "On a street course, you don't have much room for mistakes. If you go a little bit deep on the exit of a turn, and if something happens, the margin of error is much smaller. Plus, because of the walls, it gives you the impression you're in a narrow area, so it's very different."

Florida Today: Castroneves dances with a title and the stars

IndyCar.com: Gil de Ferran returns for the weekend
Asked if his future plans might include the IRL, Gil said "I've learned you never say never."

Scotsman.com: Dario bids to put wheels in motion in Detroit
Says Dario: "This weekend, though, we have to make everything count. We have to work together as a team and ensure we head to the final race a week later in Chicago in a winning position."

Detroit Free Press: Herta likes switch to ALMS
An event notebook catches up with former AGR IndyCar driver Bryan Herta.

Detroit News: A crash course of the DGP
Some storylines to watch this weekend

Defiance Crescent-News: IndyCar Series heads to Motown
The Sam Hornish Jr. update from the hometown paper.

Meet the NIMBYs: Supporters & whiners in the DFP's letters to the editor section

The Detroit Free Press' Eric Sharp gets the ride of his life, courtesy of the two-seater

And finally
Former Indy 500 starter Johnny Parsons is shooting to run at Springfield this weekend.

Roger Penske is attempting to build a test track in Mooresville, N.C.

Aug. 30 newsstand

Better late than never ... a long day at the office necessitated a very late posting.

Driver/other stories
Indianapolis Star: Team issues come to fore at Sonoma
The dreaded "team orders" are discussed in Curt Cavin's pre-Detroit piece.
Says Bobby Rahal on TK's blocking: "It's been done before; it's called teamwork."
Says Rick Mears: "That's not competing. Franchitti made a mistake and Tony protected him from (the repercussions). The people behind them didn't get the chance to capitalize on somebody else's mistake. I don't like it for the sport; it's not racing."

Detroit Free Press: IRL points leader Dixon not happy with driving tactics
Dixon not happy with AGR's blocking, although Dan says he'd do it for Scott.
Says Scott: "I know it's going to happen. No one ever gets penalized for it, the blocking tactics."

Detroit News: Second place unfamiliar to Franchitti
A story that focuses on Dario somehow drags in a quote from Mad Max Papis, saying, "Dario was a little impatient, but who's not impatient when you're going after a championship?"

Detroit Free Press: Wheldon drives with style, aggression
Dan expects a lot of "overtaking" to take place on the long backstretch between Turns 7 & 8 at Belle Isle. On this side of the pond, we call it "passing."

Royal Oak Daily Tribune: Castroneves wants to be out front
Says Mr. Samba, "I'm going to try to spoil a little bit of their celebration and be in front of them. I don't want to get in trouble."

CanWest News Service: Castroneves hoping for victory dance
Expect to see that headline overdone over the next few weeks.

AP: In the spotlight: Helio Castroneves
Another Dancing with the Stars story.

IndyCar.com: Mike King says the final two races are important whether or not you're in the title chase.
http://www.indycar.com/news/story.php?story_id=9824

WTHR: Sarah's finally getting hitched
Says the soon-to-be Sarah O'Gara: "I'm a simple person, so it's simple," referring to her dress. "But to see me in a white dress, I think it's going to freak a lot of people out." No further comments.

This Memphis Commercial Appeal story has a brief note on Sam's attempt to qualify for a few end-of-the-year Cup races on time.

DGP stories
CanWest News Service: DGP pivotal in IRL championship
TK is happy Roger changed the course from the CART days. “I think Roger (Penske) listened to me and changed the corner where I crashed twice and broke my arm so I’m feeling much more comfortable. I don’t remember the number but it’s on the back straightaway. It’s a lot tighter and wider.”

Grand Rapids Press: Grand Prix returns to Motor City
Says Bud Denker: "When people come back this weekend, they are going to say, 'Wow.' We have been talking about bringing this race back for the last two years, and the challenges weren't to bring it back but to ensure the facilities meet the world-class standards set by Roger Penske."

Detroit Free Press: Penske says Detroit's auto fortunes will revive
DFP columnist Tom Walsh checks in.

IndyCar.com: Take a lap around Belle Isle with Helio

AP: If you go to the DGP
Please take note of the parking regulations. There is no parking on Belle Isle.

Windsor Star: DGP notebook

IndyCar.com: Detroit mayor Kwame Kirkpatrick says this is "our time to shine" as a city.

MLive: Labor day weekend brings racing back to Detroit

MLive: Five reasons to watch racing this weekend

Detroit Free Press: Ethanol fuel pumps up racers

Firestone press release

Today's IRL news & notes press release includes several quotes from P.J. Chesson. He likes being a part of Roth Racing. "The way I look at this, this is the greatest thing that's happened. I believe that everything happens for a reason." Helio Castroneves is also quoted ... and the Belle Isle course is discussed in-depth.

And finally
The Windsor Star's Bob Duff takes a spin in an IndyCar

You can read Robin Miller's latest SpeedTV chat here. The CC-Phoenix cancellation is a major topic of discussion. Suicide watch is on over at ChampCarFanatics.com.

Aug. 29 newsstand

Typical Wednesday ... everyone's gearing down from the weekend and gearing up for Belle Isle.

Driver news & other stories
AP: Once-dour Dixon relaxed, smiling and surging
Scott Dixon is in a better mood. Is it the companionship of fiancee Emma, or is it the fact that Dario Franchitti is running into every obstacle imaginable (literally) in the points chase.

Detroit News: Faith keeps pace: Andretti's season does a 180
Marco suddenly isn't scared anymore. And, as long as he doesn't get in his teammate's way, he seems to be doing rather well.

A.J. Foyt checks in with his USA Today column
A.J. discusses Darren Manning's tough day at Sonoma, and then talks about Sammy Hagar and Cabo Wabo.

Anderson (IN) Herald-Bulletin: AGR feeling the pain
Local race nut Ken De La Bastide -- who can usually be found at a short track near you -- checks in.

At IndyCar.com, Scott Goodyear rehashes the Dario-Marco incident, and puts the blame on AGR.

Looking ahead to Belle Isle
Detroit Grand Prix preview
The weekly installment of "Everything you ever wanted to know about ..."

USA Today: Castroneves eager to return to revamped Belle Isle
Helio returns to the place where first gave Tony Stewart the idea to invent climbing the fence. Um, sorry, I've been watching too much NASCAR on TV (we need more ICS races to watch). Anyway, Helio is back at the track where he became "Spiderman," and is impressed with the Roger Penske-promoted event. "When Roger wants to do something, you know it's going to be done right. The island is much nicer. It's become a first-class operation."

IndyCar.com: It's been a long time since contenders raced at Belle Isle

Allan Brewer of Motorsport.com tells us Helio is reveling in his return to the Isle

Crain's Detroit Business: Penske puts passion into improvements at Belle Isle
Curt Cavin's byline shows up everywhere. Says Roger Penske: “This should really be terrific. I can’t wait.”

Detroit News: With Penske driving, Grand Prix will be a first-class operation
Columnist Daniel Howes tells us, "Racing won't fix what ails Detroit, but it won't hurt."

Detroit Free Press: Grand Prix is show-off time
The DGP is a good B2B opportunity for some Detroit businesses.

SportsTicker: Let's get physical
Bruce Martin rehashes the no-power steering story, especially with another roadie coming up.

DGP official press release

And, for a good laugh, we knew the NIMBYs would check in. Here's one writing in the Detroit Free Press. That said, I do agree with her that the IRL should be at the Brooklyn racetrack. But, not to copy IUPUI's old lame marketing slogan, "Why not both?" But, I guess we'd instead have to lock the Frances & TG in a room to get a solution with those tracks.

Schedule stuff
TMS 2008 schedule has familiar feel
The Fort Worth Star-Telegram tells us about the 2008 Texas Motor Speedway schedule, which includes the IndyCar race two weeks after Indy.

Says Eddie Gossage: "I definitely hope and expect they'll [IRL] be back in 2010 and beyond. Obviously, there are some things we have to iron out and that's why we timed the contract the way we did."

I'm trying not to, but ... put on them dancing shoes
Helio Castroneves is going to be on Dancing with the Stars
Among the stories: Indianapolis Star, IMS, Detroit News

Non-IRL news
Champ Car cancels the Phoenix GP, initially scheduled to be the season finale. The Arizona Republic tells us that the title sponsor pulled out and other corporate sponsors were difficult to find. The 1,000 ticketholders will be refunded. For those keeping score at home, that is now 3 races Champ Car has had to cancel this season.

Silly Season update (Aug. 28)

2007 lineup
Andretti Green Racing (4)
7-Danica Patrick (Motorola, 3rd-year FT driver, 1st year with AGR). Confirmed for 2008.
11-Tony Kanaan (7-11, 5th year FT driver, all with AGR, 2004 champ). Under contract through 2008.
26-Marco Andretti (NYSE Group, 2nd year FT driver, all with AGR). Likely for 2008, although Grandpa Mario has been hinting at wanting to get Marco in the F1 ladder series.
**Update, Aug. 22: Robin Miller, who began this Marco-to-CC stuff by tossing something against the wall to see if it sticks, has said Marco is happy with AGR and staying.**
27-Dario Franchitti (Canadian Club, 5th year FT driver, all with AGR). Free Agent at the end of the year.
**Update, Aug. 28: Dario's options seem open, whether they be the IRL team or the ALMS car with AGR.**
**Update, Aug. 20: Jaime Camara's name is getting mention a lot in connection with AGR, but nothing concrete is being mentioned beyond that.**
**Update, Aug. 17: NASCAR.com and several other outlets say Dario is one of a few options for Richard Childress' Nextel Cup team for 2008, but some published reports say it's an unlikely option.**

Team Penske (2)
3-Helio Castroneves (Team Penske, 6th-year FT driver, all with Penske, 2-time I500 champ). Under contract to Penske through 2008.
**Said in early August that he would be "interested" in NASCAR (but every race driver is "interested" in other series). Helio has said he's staying with Penske, at least for next year.**
6-Sam Hornish Jr. (Team Penske, 8th-year FT driver, 4th with Penske, 3x ICS champ)
**Has been heavily rumored to be pondering NASCAR, and is running ARCA/Busch races this year**
**Aug. 26 update: Hornish says he's unhappy with the IRL in an Indianapolis Star story, but is noncommittal one way or another. Still 50/50, but seems to be tilting to NASCAR. His number will be 37 if he goes to Cup.**
**Aug. 18: Hornish says he's still 50/50 in several published reports, right before finishing 25th at Michigan in a Busch race.**
**Aug. 12: Hornish answers questions at Kentucky ... smiling, laughing, gives 5 reasons he wouldn't go to NASCAR (he gives the reasons why he wouldn't, didn't say he won't, though) ...
They are ... I couldn't have Helio for a teammate, we've got great fans in the IRL, the schedule is a little bit more over there, the Indy 500, it's not IndyCars. See it on YouTube.
**If Sam leaves, Ryan Briscoe has been mentioned as a possible replacement in several places, including Curt Cavin's blog**

Target Chip Ganassi Racing (2)
9-Scott Dixon (Target, 5th-year FT driver, all with TCGR, 2003 champ). Likely for 2008.
10-Dan Wheldon (Target, 5th-year FT driver, 2nd with TCGR, 2005 champ). Confirmed for 2008.
**Aug. 27: Chip Ganassi has said Wheldon will remain with TCGR's IndyCar team for 2008.**
**Aug. 13: According to Motorsport.com, Indy Pro Series points leader Alex Lloyd will test with TCGR at Sebring later this week. Does this portend a future ride in a red car?** (thanks to Jeff Ianucci at MyNameIsIRL for the link & info).

Rahal Letterman Racing (2)
8-Scott Sharp (Patron, 12th-year FT driver, 1st with RLR, 1996 champ). Will be at RLR as long as Patron has the $
17-Ryan Hunter-Reay (Ethanol, rookie, former CC driver). Replaced Jeff Simmons at RLR before Mid-Ohio race. Will be wih RLR at least through the end of the year. Will likely be the ICS Rookie of the Year.
**Aug. 18: A Mexican CC-fan site is trotting out the annual CC-fan fantasy that RLR is considering jumping the pond to CC, with Ethanol in tow. Again, no legitimate sources have corroborated it, so consider it a fan fantasy until future notice. Robin Miller seems to think there's no way it happens. Aug. 27 update: Scott Roembke said that fantasy was a bunch of people putting 2 + 2 together and equaling 6. RLR is staying in the IRL.**

Panther Racing (2)
4-Vitor Meira (Delphi, 6th-year FT driver, 2nd with Panther). Hard-luck driver hasn't had much luck this year.
55-Kosuke Matsuura (Panasonic, 4th-year FT driver, 1st with Panther). May be on his way out, with Hideki Mutoh waiting in the wings.
**60-Hideki Mutoh is slated to run the season-ender at Chicago, as announced in a presser at Mid-Ohio. May jump into Super Aguri seat currently held by Matsuura in 2008**

Dreyer & Reinbold Racing (2)
5-Sarah Fisher (AAMCO, 6th FT season, 2nd with D&R). Has sponsorships from AAMCO and AAA.
**Aug. 11: Fisher says in AP article that D&R is going down to one car next year, and it would be difficult for her to sell herself given her performances this year. But with her gaining sponsorship from AAMCO and AAA, I would anticipate she wouldn't have much difficulty finding a ride. Later in the weekend, she said she was misquoted, but it was also stated that D&R *is* considering dropping one of its two entries for 2008.**
15-Buddy Rice (RollCoater, 6th-year FT driver, 1st with D&R). Has had a lot of success this season, given the fact that D&R generally has struggled.

Vision Racing (3)
2-Tomas Scheckter (Joost, 6th-year FT driver, 2nd with Vision). Has been increasingly stronger. If someone is going to bring Vision its first win, this guy will likely be it. However, he might be snooping around, or possibly be the odd man out of Vision goes to two cars, according to some observers.
20-Ed Carpenter (Hitachi Power Tools, 4th-year FT driver, 3rd with Vision). Confirmed for 2008. I'd expect he'll have a ride at Vision as long as he wants one.
22-A.J. Foyt IV (Indy Vision, 4th-year FT driver, 1st with Vision). Third at Kentucky won't hurt his chances, but he is a free agent until funding can be found.
**Aug. 27 update: Only one car is a definite for Vision next year (Carpenter's). The other two drivers have been told they can look for other opportunities, according to the Indy Star. TG would like to field three cars, but it'll depend on funding.**
**Aug. 20 update: A couple of published stories quoted TG as considering going to a two-car team next year if sponsorship can't be found for the third car. Scheckter & Carpenter currently have sponsored rides, but speculation has centered on Scheckter leaving if there is contraction. In his Aug. 20 blog, Curt Cavin said he's not ready to say Scheckter is out, but there could be some shuffling in the works.**

A.J. Foyt Racing (1)
14-Darren Manning (ABC Supply, 3rd-year FT driver). Contract extended through 2008.
**Update Aug. 27: Foyt is exploring the option of adding a second car, pending funding.**

**Part-Time Entries**
SAMAX Racing (1)
23-Milka Duno (Citgo - rookie). Duno is on probation. She has run six races of an initially-planned 10-race part-time schedule. She skipped Kentucky to film Speed Racer. Who knows what SAMAX's plans are for next year.

Roth Racing (2)
25-Marty Roth: Has landed sponsorship from Dussault Apparel for the season finale at Chicagoland. Also slated to run Belle Isle, according to the Aug. 1 Detroit Free Press.
73-P.J. Chesson: Will run Chicagoland with Dussault Apparel sponsorship.
**Aug. 22: P.J. Chesson joins the team for Chicago.**
**Roth Racing is planning to run the full 2008 schedule as a two-car team, according to a team press release.**

Racing Professionals (1)
Jon Herb: Has stated he's trying to squirrel together a sponsorship package for Chicagoland. Plans to race.

Beck Racing (1)
Alex Barron: Although Beck ran some early-season events, the Beck machine hasn't been seen since Indy.

With Mutoh, Roth's two cars, Herb's one car and the Duno car, the car count could hit 23 for the Chicagoland race. Curt Cavin, in his Aug. 8 Indy Star blog, said he expects 22 cars for Chicagoland, but it appears 23 might be entered.

FUTURE ENTRIES?? (2008+)
Fernandez Racing: From Curt Cavin's blog (8/8/2007), Adrian Fernandez's team still has its IndyCar equipment and Tom Anderson is apparently interested in a return to the IRL, but things "haven't been worked out." Cavin says on Aug. 13 that he knows of two individuals to keep an eye on for new 2008 teams, but hasn't seen any sign of $$ backing them.

Kingdom Racing announced its plans to field a team for 2008 on Aug. 16. Led by Houston businessman George Del Canto, the team plans to be based on a Christian philosophy, with several pastors and Christian leaders on the board of directors.

PDM Racing would like to run a partial season of ovals in 2008 and become full-time in 2009. It would be more than good to see this longtime program back in the ICS full-time.

Cheever Racing ... the Aug. 28 IRL press release quotes Eddie's nephew Richard Antinucci as looking to get into the ICS (and get the team back into the ICS) long-term, if, of course, the $$ comes together.

Aug. 28 newsstand

Looking ahead to Belle Isle
Detroit News: A close finish: Series hinges on Belle Isle
This preview addresses most of the key stories in the ICS of late -- the points chase, NASCAR rumors, Danica, the Helio-TK contact, even rehashing the Sam-TK incident at the Glen.

Detroit News: Return of racing brings needed park fixes
Belle Isle is a key spot in Detroit, but the park has fallen into disrepair of late. The race has helped fix the island.

IndyCar.com: Man behind the mission
Bud Denker has helped transform Belle Isle for the IndyCar Series.

Jack Arute says TCGR's lessons learned at Sebring can pay off in Detroit.

Roger Penske talks about the event (IndyCar.com video).

IRL press release: Belle Isle fast facts
Everything you ever wanted to know abut this race, and then some.

IRL news & notes

Official Detroit GP website

More on Texas being extended
Fort Worth Star-Telegram: Usual one-year deal upped to two

TMS date announced: June 7, 2008

The IndyCar.com version

More on Infineon
SpeedTV: Robin Miller asks "what was AGR thinking?"
Says the IRL's biggest fan, "if the 34-year-old Scotsman doesn't win the IRL championship, he can reflect on the mindless strategy from his leaders as the Motorola Indy 300 wound down."

USA Today: Teammate tangle costs Franchitti IRL points lead

Paddock Talk's Anne Proffit speaks of Dario's season, likening it to his 1999 CART points chase.

And finally
Indy Star: Castroneves on "Dancing With the Stars?"

IndyCar.com: Four questions with Sam Hornish Jr.
Mr. Sam discusses bowling.

Aug. 27 newsstand: Sonoma redux

A plethora of stuff today ... Sonoma race recaps & news.

Today's news
Curt Cavin checks in with a Silly Season update in the Indy Star.
Among the items:
*-Wheldon will remain with Ganassi in 2008.
*-Carpenter is guaranteed a ride with Vision, but the other two drivers are free agents if funding can't be found for the cars.
*-Foyt is going to pick up Darren Manning through 2008, and is exploring the possibility of adding a second car.
*-Dario says his options next year are the ICS or the AGR ALMS team.
*-RLR is *not* going to Champ Car, playing down the annual CC fan fantasies that the team might be considering the jump.

A lot of the same ground is covered in AutoWeek.

Dallas Morning News: TMS, IRL agree to two-year extension
TMS agrees to an extension until 2009, which coincides with the end of the Milwaukee contract. Eddie Gossage is *insisting* on being the race after Indy again, saying the attendance has dropped 18% since then.

Gossage is playing hardball, and this is, next to Indy, the IRL's most important venue. "Our ticket sales have dropped by 18 percent in the two years that there's been a race scheduled between Indy and our race ... you don't have to be a genius to understand why. It's not a lack of promotion. It's having a considerable effect, and if it were to continue at that pace for a couple of years, we wouldn't have an interest in holding IndyCar races."

Eddie Gossage is a showman ... one of the most pro-IRL people out there until it's negotiation time. Problem is, TMS (not the IRL) moved their race back one week, opening up the (lucrative) week after Indy. If TMS wants the race after Indy, then it needs to negotiate to move the date back up to the week after -- like it was before a couple of years ago. Not coincidentally, the attendance drop also came after Texas II was dropped from the schedule and a second Cup race came to TMS.

AP notebook: Kanaan gives up points to protect teammate
The lead item is about Infineon, but a new venue is to be announced soon. Speculation centers on potential street parades in L.A., San Diego, San Antonio or Washington, D.C. Although the article doesn't mention it, Daytona is also a possibility. John Griffin says it's in the U.S. and is a place where the IRL hasn't raced before.

Infineon redux: Dario punts Marco while Dixon zooms past
Now, we return for another installment in As The Vision Turns

San Francisco Chronicle: Franchitti's mixup opens door for Dixon
The verbal war after Marco & Dixon tangles begins ... even without the AGR guys getting into it.
Says Dixon about AGR's alleged (OK, seriously, anyone with two eyes knows what was going on) blocking, "Tony Kanaan was not playing fair at all. We were warned at the drivers' meeting ... they must have been watching another race."

Michael says to Dario, "I hope he sleeps well tonight." Dario says he won't talk to Michael "until I can talk with Michael face to face."

Indy Star: Gift-wrapped victory
Says Dixon of AGR, "What goes around comes around. All in all, it doesn't matter. They took each other out."

San Jose Mercury-News: Dixon capitalizes on late-race collision
Says Dixon, "It was sort of ironic when Marco and Dario hit each other." The writer also estimates the crowd at 40,000.

Adds Dario, "Marco was out there trying to win the race, and we were out there trying to win a championship. He had his priorities, I had mine. You saw what happened."

AutoWeek: If Franchitti loses IndyCar title, he'll remember Infineon
Curt Cavin checks in with his AutoWeek column.

Napa Valley Register: Dixon takes lead with win

Sacramento Bee: Dixon prevails at Infineon

Contra Costa Times: Franchitti suffers special hurt
Is ABC writing this colunn? Lots of Ashley Judd quotes, including this Marco nugget, "He's a good kid and we all make mistakes."

Autosport: Dixon unhappy with AGR tactics
Says Dixon, "There were definitely two sections of the lap that (Kanaan) was making it very slow and very pronounced that he was trying to give Dario a gap."

He adds, "I think it's six races in a row we've earned more points than them. That is obviously going to cause a bit of questioning within the team and obviously a lot of stress. We've just got to play on that."

IndyCar.com: Team player: Kanaan sacrifices championship drive to protect teammate
Translation: Kanaan blocks like crazy for teammate.

Marin Independent Journal: Not every teammate on Franchitti's side
Dario says, "Obviously it would be a perfect day, right up until Marco and I got together in Turn 1." Uh, duh.

IndyCar.com: King of the road
Says Scott, "The race was all about strategies. We were trying to save fuel early on. All kinds of people were trying to do the same things. Very hard to tell what was going on until sort of the last stint."

That might explain why the race was a snoozer for 68 laps, followed by 12 pretty darned entertaining ones.

AP story

IndyCar.com: Free passes? Forget it
Especially if Tony Kanaan is between you and Dario Franchitti.

Scotsman.com: Franchitti left to rue costly intervention

San Jose Mercury-News: Patrick finds trouble in the pits

Easton Express-Times: Teammate takes out Marco

Looking ahead
If you're going to Belle Isle, there will be no parking on the island. The Detroit News tells you to take shuttle buses at three suburban spots or one near the Fox Theatre downtown.

Interestingly ...
This NASCAR blogger is saying what I've been saying for years ... the IRL has the most entertaining product in motor racing, if only people would take off their fenders and discover it.

Aug. 26 newsstand - Infineon race day

You've probably read the qualifying stuff already, so we'll focus on the "news" pieces for today.

Top story
Indianapolis Star: Hornish not happy with IRL
Sam Hornish Jr. speaks his mind about as candidly as he has about things in the IRL since his flirtation with taxicabs.

He says he hasn't been in a good mood since Watkins Glen, et al ...

Says Mr. Hornish, "It seems like I'm the first guy (in the IRL) to get an example made of me. I like driving (these cars), and I like being competitive on the road courses, but . . . I don't know ... I guess you're going to have to (come to) NASCAR races to find out if I'm in any better of a mood over there."

Still says his mind isn't made up. But you can read between the lines ... start buying Mobil 1 No. 37 merchandise, Sam fans, and get ready for Ryan Briscoe in the 6 car. Losing Sam would be the biggest blow for the IRL since Tony Stewart's defection -- a home-grown American star.

But there's still Danica, right?

Anyway, Brian Barnhart also tells Helio & TK to "knock it off" with their on-track duels.

More news
San Francisco Chronicle: Patrick has front row seat
This is the notebook from Saturday, but a couple of interesting notes ... IRL will be back at Infineon in 2008, and Terry Angstadt says the league is set to announce a race "that would be an absolute blockbuster in a new market."

Driver stuff
Sacramento Bee: Franchitti's career takes a turn into the fast lane
Great Dario quote: "Scott Dixon and I were like the invisible men. We'd win races and all that stuff but fly under the radar. Be careful for what you wish for, I guess. You win the Indy 500, and everything starts going crazy."

San Jose Mercury News: Fortune smiles on Franchitti

Napa Valley Register: Franchitti shows little fear in Sonoma

AP: Streaking Kanaan a longshot to take IRL crown

Lehigh Valley Express-Times: Marco slowed by detour

Danica on the front row
Never mind the guy on the pole, of course ... you know, the Indy 500 champ & ICS leader
Indianapolis Star
San Jose Mercury News
Napa Valley Register

Looking ahead to Belle Isle
Only a week away ...
Detroit Free Press: Many of the greats have driven here
A good history of the Detroit Grand Prix, from F1 to CART to the IRL
Detroit Free Press: Penske got wheels turning to bring back race
Detroit Free Press: From around the world to our little island
Journal Register: Andretti cramming for Belle Isle test
Detroit Free Press: Belle Isle race info and Belle Isle by the numbers

Aug. 25 newsstand

After Day 1 at Infineon, we're treated to a number of good Saturday race-weekend stories. Enjoy.

The season battle
Indy Star: Trio of factors to decide title
Three drivers (Dario, Scott & TK), three tracks (Infineon, Belle Isle & Chicagoland -- one of each type the ICS runs on) and three races remain for the championship. Curt Cavin points out that TK only needs to gain 16 points a race -- the difference between first and fourth -- to win the title.

Terre Haute Trib-Star: Kanann hopes to reel in Franchitti
A points chase piece as part of Tom Reck's racing notes column.

Express-Times (Lehigh Valley, Pa.): Franchitti owns smaller lead lap
Says TK about the points battle, "Dario has the same car that I do, he's on the same team and he has the same resources. So the smartest thing I can do at this point is distract Scott so the team can win the championship."

Vallejo Times-Herald: Steady Dixon may just win championship
Says Scott, "Hopefully we can just close enough to (Franchitti) and then have a go at him over the next two stages. We'll see how it goes, but he looks pretty tough."

SpeedTV: Title contenders get serious at Infineon
Says Dario: “I was asked again and again earlier in the season if the good luck would last. I kept saying it wouldn’t, and it didn’t.”

IndyCar.com: Franchitti's lead could easily evaporate over Infineon hills.
A notebook from Friday with a couple of quotes about the points chase.

AP: After winning Indy & walking away from 2 scary crashes, Dario still leads IndyCar
A retrospective on Dario's season so far. Interesting quote: "The Indianapolis 500 is such a big part of our season and, when Dan (Wheldon) and I were teammates together, he would show up at the track and would always be talking about Indy, Indy, Indy. That was I guess when I started to get this passion for the 500 because I saw how much it meant to him and some of the other guys."

The power steering story put forth by the AP a few days ago comes up again in the San Francisco Chronicle. The drivers would like either paddle-shifting, power steering or both.
Says Helio, "If not power steering, then paddle shifting so we can keep our hands on the steering wheel. If they can't do that, they could change the suspension, but that would be complicated and cost a lot of money." Danica says, "if you want to make my job easier, I'm all for it."

Sam, part XXXVII
Sacramento Bee: IndyCar's Hornish looks at new wheels
Key quotes from Sam: "You've got to look for new challenges. When you're a pro, you're always looking at options. You want to be pushed." ... "What I love about stock car racing is it's a huge new challenge for me; that's motivational. Roger will have no problem filling my seat whichever I choose. ... But I'm still looking down both roads." From Helio:"We need to know what my teammate is going to do, if he's going to stay one more year in IRL or if he's going to NASCAR. You know, in this business I've learned, never say never."

Jim Petz's Q&A from the L.A. Times has an item on Sam (he thinks he'll make the jump to cabs eventually), and also on Cristiano da Matta (he showed up at Long Beach and a few other places).

On the twisty, narrow Infineon racetrack
Friday's IRL post-practice daily notes and quotes
Says hot shoe Helio Castroneves, "Right now, we’ve seem to have hit the right spot with the setup of the Team Penske car. I know the Andretti Green guys will be surrounding me."

Contra Costa Times: IRL standouts overcome penalties
Brian Barnhart laid down the law to Helio & TK, and they had to sit out the first 25 minutes of Friday's practice. They ended up posting two of the fastest times on the day. Also, Scott Sharp damaged his car Friday, but it should be OK.

IndyCar.com: Second-half comeback
Marco Andretti is rolling up points, but Helio Castroneves leads practice on Day 1.

Looking ahead to next week
Detroit News: Grand Prix fuels push to restore Belle Isle
The Detroit island is being spruced up, in part because of next week's race.

The Detroit Free Press gives you a ride around the track in the pace car.

Non-IRL news
NASCAR.com confirms 1995 Indy winner Jacques Villeneuve's future plans: run Bill Davis' truck this fall, then run the 2008 Nextel Cup season.

And, finally
Marin Independent-Journal: Engineer Joe Huffaker to be inducted into the Infineon Raceway Hall of Fame. Huffaker has fielded cars for A.J. Foyt & Jerry Grant, among others.

The Indianapolis Star has a nice piece on safety equipment manufacturer Bill Simpson.

Aug. 24 newsstand

It's Friday of race weekend
So let's get into the nitty-gritty.
Today: IndyCar practice, IPS quals
Saturday: ICS practice, 12:30 p.m. EDT; IPS race 2:45 p.m. EDT (30 laps); ICS qualifying, 4 p.m. EDT; GrandAm race to follow
Sunday: IPS race 1:20 p.m. EDT (30 laps); IndyCar Motorola Indy 300, 3:30 p.m. (live - TV ESPN, Radio-IMS Network). Audio/video/T&S of IRL events (ICS & IPS) can be found at IndyCar.com.

Race previews
San Francisco Chronicle: Call for caution at 220 mph
TK is calling for people to keep their heads on while they're behind the wheel, saying, "The fans love it, and they're just jumping up and down, but we're just praying."

Contra Costa Times: IRL aims to curb road rage
A similar story to the one above.
Great quote from Sam Hornish Jr.: "There's people that feel like they ought to be winning, and maybe they're not. And they give you less room than what you need. And there's also people who feel like since they have won a couple races this year that you should just move out of their way."

San Francisco Chronicle: The shear terror of a win
Great headline. Danica's two goals: win a race, and then avoid TK's clippers when she does.
"This is something you do when someone steals your wife or burns your house down or crashes your car. It's not for winning. Cutting my hair off is a horrible thing."

S.F. Chronicle: Race preview and Drivers to watch
A few facts & figures about the weekend, as well as capsules on some of the key drivers.

Sonoma News: Motorola 300 arrives at Infineon

IndyCar.com: Ins and outs of pit stops
How a car does in the pits will make a big difference this weekend.

Opinions & more
Herald-News (suburban Chicago): IRL stays old school
While NASCAR and the NHRA have adopted gimmicks to determine their points championships, the IRL still does it the traditional way -- making all of the races in the season count exactly the same. (what a novel concept!) The writer tends to point out that the IRL season points chases have managed to stay close, while insinuating NASCAR & NHRA penalize people who happen to have a good first part of the year. A decent opinion piece from David Allen.

Mike King says championship momentum will come from this weekend's race.

The Detroit News' Angelique Chengelis has a piece that's mostly about NASCAR, but references next week's Belle Isle race.

The Marco Beat
Lots of stories about the defending Infineon champ in this week's press.
Sacramento Bee: The more fun he has, the faster he goes.
Says Marco, "I thank God every day that there's racing. I don't know what else I'd do."

The Express-Times: California has been kind to Marco
Veteran journalist Chuck Givler checks in with Marco's hometown paper.

Inside Bay Area: Andretti back in groove
Says Marco: "Whenever we finish the race, we seem to be well into the top five ... but I couldn't get out of my own way at the beginning of the season."

Napa Valley Register: Marco the Magnificent

Other driver stories
Defiance Crescent-News: IndyCar getting to nitty-gritty
An update on Sam Hornish Jr.'s season, with Sam saying he'd like to vault Wheldon into fourth and "see if third is still possible."

Paddock Talk has a Q&A with the 2006 Indy winner and 3-time ICS champ.

The Marin Independent Journal has a piece on former IndyCar Series driver Memo Gidley and IPS driver J.R. Hildebrand, both of whom will run in this weekend's support races.

Non-IRL news
1995 Indy 500 winner Jacques Villeneuve is going to test a NASCAR car with Bill Davis Racing.

Aug. 23 newsstand

Looking ahead to Infineon today ...
USA Today: High finishes turn around Andretti's "disaster" of a second season
Marco went from parking his car and being "scared" to having a pretty good second half. The defending Infineon champ's victory last year might have validated him -- and his team -- says AGR's Kyle Moyer. "It was a tall order for a 19-year-old kid. It showed that he belonged. A lot of people really knocked us for putting him in an IndyCar too soon. It showed everybody we knew what we were doing."

Contra Costa Times: IRL's Castroneves is complete package
Helio on his season so far: "We actually don't know what's going on, because if we did, we could fix it."

Vallejo Times Herald: Castroneves: 'This place is enjoyable'
Apparently, Helio likes Sonoma's track.
In this Q&A, he's asked about the driving (a recent hot topic). "I see a lot of guys that are trying too hard, and when you try too hard, it makes them make ... I don't want to say, mistakes, but maybe not very solid decisions. When those solid decisions are very wrong, that's when you're going to have an accident happen. It's just a matter of frustration."

Even IndyCar.com gets in on the Castroneves love
Helio is fine with the poles, but he'd like to finish first, too.

Napa Valley Reigster: From young go-karters to IndyCar go-getters
Helio & TK's friendship is an old one. They talk about it in advance of this weekend's race.

San Francisco Examiner: Get ready for IRL
A basic, and short, race preview.

And, even a story about traffic from the Marin Independent Journal.

IPS stuff
Lloyd can clinch title this weekend (from AP)

A similar Lloyd story from IndyCar.com.

Staying in the IPS, the Cincinnati Enquirer has a piece on driver Brad Jaeger.

Driver/team news
STR F1 driver Vittoriano Liuzzi is looking to the States, although he says "more Champ Car than Indy."

Eurosport: Roth expands to two-car assault.
More on Marty Roth's reentry into the ICS with P.J. Chesson.

IndyCar.com: Vitor is getting some speed in the air
Vitor Meira takes a ride with the Blue Angels.

IndyCar.com: Four questions with Sarah Fisher
Apparently, Andy "hasn't done squat" as far as wedding plans. Then again, Andy is in charge of making Sarah's car go fast, so he has been busy.

Series-related stuff
Brian Barnhart and Terry Angstadt will be at AutoWeek next week. Send them a question.

IRL news & notes press release
Top story: Teleconference from Alex Lloyd & Darren Manning. Lloyd says he thinks he'll be in the ICS next year, but also says, "I'm just waiting to see what's around the corner ... the great thing is, I've had a lot of people call me up, asking me what my plans are."

Also, the anatomy of a pit stop (with quotes), notes on Andrew Prendeville & Lloyd testing ICS machines (for RLR and TCGR, respectively), and J.R. Hildebrand's IPS ride this weekend with RLR.

And, for your amusement
... or not, read Robin Miller's latest chat on SpeedTV.com. Of interest, he says Marco tells him he isn't going anywhere, and doesn't think Dario is headed south, CC's Tony Cotman has apparently met with Tony George and some teams might consider buying IndyCars and running the 500 next year, and there are about 37 questions about his hard card being pulled by Champ Car. This is usually interesting to read the questions from the delusional faction of the CCF crowd.

Aug. 22 newsstand

Today's big news: P.J.'s back
What we've speculated before -- that Marty Roth is running two cars at Chicagoland in the season finale -- has now been confirmed.

The first car was for Roth. The second was for the IPS points leader, but when Alex Lloyd couldn't test it (he tested with Ganassi at Sebring instead), P.J. Chesson was offered the ride. Both cars will carry Dussault Apparel sponsorship, and have very unusual paint jobs.

IndyCar.com story
Some stuff from P.J.: "Marty is just so enthusiastic; you can tell how much he loves the sport. He wants to be competitive at the highest level and he's really committed to it. I wouldn't mind racing with him full time."

The Dussault Apparel press release has this from Jason Dussault ... "Fast cars, passion, rock and roll and fashion, it all works so well together."

Gene Simmons is undoubtedly behind the deal -- his name is on the car. The cars have a huge green monster on them, and they are hosting a contest at Dussault's site and IndyCar.com to name the monster. Roth is planning to run two full-time cars next year.

My take: More cars on the grid is always good news for the IndyCar Series, and I've always thought Roth would be a better owner than driver. This looks like step one in getting to that point. It's also *great* to see P.J. Chesson in the car again -- he's quite possibly the strangest, but one of the most engaging, personalities in motorsports. Why hasn't he been in a car since he and Jeff Bucknum wiped each other out at Indy last year? It's easy to speculate that it's because there aren't a lot of sponsors that would care to have someone of P.J.'s personality wearing their company's logo next to his tattoos. Dussault seems to be a *perfect* fit for P.J., and if they stay with Marty, I could see P.J. being their driver.

If Milka starts, this brings the car count to 23 for the final race (the usual 18 + Roth's 2 cars + Milka + Mutoh + Herb).

Race preview
Everything you ever wanted to know about the upcoming Infineon race, from the Kansas City Star.

Firestone is bringing its softest, highest-grip tire (also used at Mid-Ohio) to this race.

Other stuff
AP: Power steering could help Danica & others on road courses
A tech story from the AP. This story seems as stale as the bread in the back of my fridge, coming from WG, but SI is apparently running it today.

Scott Dixon says the cars are hard to turn. "Once you go so fast, you create a ton more downforce, and that makes the steering wheel a lot heavier to turn. It definitely is a big car for anybody." Adds Helio, "Hopefully, they look into that. If not, we're just going to have to become like big weightlifters."

IRL tech guru Les MacTaggart says the ICS hasn't installed power steering for a good reason -- largely in that the bigger drivers would still have an advantage, and it would just be a more expensive advantage. However, MacTaggart also said paddle-shifters are almost a certainty for next year's cars.

AutoWeek: BB is yelling at the drivers, and Helio & TK are talking about forming a driver's association, because of the stuff from the last couple of weeks.

Helio Castroneves was on the IRL teleconference this week.
Among the good stuff:
*-He's committed through 2008 to Penske. He just doesn't know what his teammate is doing.
*-A lot of stuff about his relationship with Tony Kanaan, whom he calls a "special" friend.
*-Getting married in December, at his fiancee's church. "There are a lot of politics involved."
*-On Dario, "People are talking about him retiring this year. He’s feels like he’s not ready to retire. It is good to see. I have to say that now he’s in a tough situation because he’s only eight points in front of Scott (Dixon), and it’s definitely going to produce a great finish at the end of this championship, and hey, the best man will win."

IPS notes
RLR/Andersen has a new driver, as J.R. Hildebrand will run the Infineon weekend.

If I were Tony George

... and I'm not -- the closest I've come to being TG is that I've hung out at his track a lot, spent a lot of hours watching his racing series and we used to attend the same house of worship.

Anyway, if I were TG and were the czar of open-wheel racing in America, what I would do to improve the product.

Of course, this fantasy requires having an unlimited amount of cash -- which nobody has except the Federal Reserve Bank and the U.S. Mint -- but I digress.

One thing I really can't stand are sports talk show hosts who spout off their opinions on everything, assuming that you care because they have a microphone and you've bothered to stumble onto their station. Anyway, because I'm bored, I'm going to do the same thing. Just navigate somewhere else if you can't stand to read it.

Schedule
One reason NASCAR is appealing to so many drivers is the number of races they run. To me, 36 is overkill (I'm sure it is to team members, too), but there has to be a healthy medium in there between NASCAR -- which has a 10-month-long season and never seems to take a week off -- and the current ICS schedule, which crams 17 races into a 6-month window, and then leaves us yearning for more for the next 6 months. (Hey, it's better than the once-every-three-weeks schedule we had a decade ago).

I understand the desire to get away from the football behemoth, but one can't disappear from sight forever -- especially when the "other guys" are tossing their debris yellow on the season and having an excitingly contrived "chase" to a "championship." However, a good happy medium would include a 25-race schedule, move Motegi into the fall (and couple it with another Japanese or Asian race for economies of scale) and create some balance.

To stay away from football, I'd begin in late January -- possibly the week in-between the NFL conference championships and the Super Bowl -- with the season opener.

A perfect schedule:
(3) Big ovals (2+): Indy 500, Michigan, California (reinstate the last two) (I'd love to see Pocono, too, but it won't happen as long as the Mattolis are around)
(8) Medium ovals (1.1-1.5): Homestead, Kentucky, Texas (2 races), Nashville, Kansas, Chicagoland, Las Vegas (reinstate)
(5) Short ovals (1.0 or less): Milwaukee, Richmond, Phoenix (paired with reinstated Copper World), Iowa, Sacramento (if it gets built)
(5) Roadies: Daytona (roval), Watkins Glen, Mid-Ohio, Road America, Sonoma (OK, I'd like to dump it, but it is on the schedule for now)
(2-3) Temporaries (as few as possible): St. Pete (as long as AGR wants to promote it, it's going to be there), Belle Isle (not a fan of this track, but it's on the schedule for at least 3 more years), Long Beach* (if CCWS goes belly-up).
(1-2) Foreign races: Motegi, another Asia/Pacific Rim race (Suzuka?) in the fall, before the season finale stretch.

Ovals: 17 (counting Motegi)
Permanent roadies: 6 (counting Suzuka ... pair with ALMS on the domestic circuits)
Temporary circuits 2-3 (again, pair with ALMS on the domestic circuits)
Total races: 25-26

Marketing buzz
This series BADLY needs a hook. The best thing to do ... reinstate the Triple Crown.

3 holiday weekends over the fall -- Memorial Day, 4th of July, Labor Day.
Memorial Day: Indy 500
Fourth of July: California or Michigan 500
Labor Day: Texas 500 (OR run Texas 500 as the season finale in October if it's too close to NASCAR date/June race date)
All 3 races on ABC, at least one in prime time. Give a *big* bonus to whomever wins.

The other thing that needs to happen is, this series needs to promote the heck out of the drivers.

That's one thing NASCAR has always had a leg up on us on.

I was joking with my wife today that I should freak out some NASCAR fans and put an "8" (with the RLR number font) in my Accord's back windshield. Not that I'm a huge Sharp fan -- I respect all of the drivers and really don't have any massive favorites -- but I wondered "how many times am I going to hear 'hey, you got ripped off. That's a cheap, knockoff "8", not Dale's "8.'" Or, do the same with Helio's "3." Or Danica's "7" (seriously, would anybody think I was a Robby Gordon fan ... I think not).

But NASCAR has managed to promote not just fandom of the drivers, but an emotional attachment. You can't pass a pickup truck in these parts that doesn't have a number in the back -- some standing by themselves, some being watered by Calvin. But, when you see the "6," you think not of Sam, but of Mark Martin. The "7" is Robby Gordon's number, even though Danica is a heckuva lot more popular. The "9" says Kasey Kahne, not Scott Dixon. Heck, watch a cab race, and the drivers even refer to each other by number (of course, it's usually to make sure they never mention the other guy's name). I just can't imagine TK saying, after Kentucky, "y'know, ah'lmost got ran over by the 3 raght thar, and even if he did, if anyone except the truly faithful would've known who he was referring to.

Can IndyCar get to that level? The driver lineup is currently as stable as it has been in the history of the league. Nearly everyone on the circuit is an ICS veteran, to the point where RHR is going to be the ROY even though he had never turned an IndyCar wheel until the middle of the year. It's time to build brand identification and -- with the help of sponsors -- saturate the market (it doesn't help that the most visible ICS team has its hands tied with the tobacco regulations on "non"-sponsor Marlboro). Find a way to get TK cardboard cutouts and "11" stickers in 7-11s. Get Hornish & Helio into Mobil 1s -- an associate sponsor of Penske. Get Dario & Scott into liquor stores. Help get Dan & Scott (along with Reed Sorenson) in Target stores and provide some brand identification. Get Danica's face in every cell phone store that sells Motorolas. I understand, part of this is sponsor-driven. Some sponsors -- Ethanol, for example -- have been great about using the ICS and its drivers in its marketing (Simmons was everywhere shilling Ethanol when he was with RLR).

But the league and the teams can help the sponsors brand their products. Companies like 7-11 and Target and Motorola and Argent and Aamco and AAA and Patron and Canadian Club and Delphi and Marl ... uh, anyway, they've made an investment in the ICS. They've made an investment in the drivers. But they have to understand the symbiotic relationship that exists -- more exposure for their drivers means more people know of them and begin looking for that logo on the racetracks. And, in turn, it means more eyeballs seeing their advertisements.

Branding brings eyeballs. Eyeballs develop an emotional attachment. Eyeballs also bring more sponsors and more $$ into the series, which brings more cars, more races, more teams, et al. To me, this is the key point where IndyCar racing has been deficient since Mario, Big Al, JR, Rick, A.J., Sneva and Gordy all retired within a couple of years of each other.

Drivers
The connection with the short tracks *must* be reinstated. I liked the WoO program a few years back, but there has to be a path to the ICS, rather than roadblocks thrown up. Also, cultivating and developing young American drivers like Phil Giebler and the next Dave Steele are also vital.

Rules
No major tweaking of the rules. I like the "wave-around," although I'd like to see the pace car on the track for restarts instead of pulling off one lap too early. I'd like to see the blocking enforced more. That, and go back to the pre-2006 tire compounds. The high-side pass has become a distant memory in the last two years.

Car count
There's not a soul alive that thinks 18 is an acceptable number. The car count needs to be in the 25 range, which means courting some of the IPS teams and some other teams (Fernandez, et al) to come back to the ICS.

The 2003-present IndyCar Series package has produced some of the best oval racing I've ever seen, and the road racing isn't as bad as I had feared it could be (that said, I'm not much of a road-racing nut). However, to get the car count back, at least one more engine supplier needs to be found -- and I'd love to try to get the manufacturer support that exists in the sports car world, with Porsche, GM, Honda/Acura, et al, duking it out every weekend. I'd legislate the end of engine leases, too, but that would probably kill the manufacturer support, so find a way to make them affordable while keeping the reliability that Honda has been able to create. End badging rules -- if Speedway & Menard & Cosworth want to make engines and a financially-dire Detroit can't badge them, so be it. Diversity is still good, and the mid-1980s Indy 500 cars were rarely badged (the March-Cosworth being the dominant power plant of the day). Another chassis supplier would be a good thing -- luring Panoz back into the ICS (especially with any partnerships with ALMS on weekends), inviting Lola to build a chassis for the next cycle, et al.

There are two things, IMO, that are holding the series back in the eyes of potential customers.
1. Lack of emotional connection with the drivers. I've read plenty of stories where fans say they really like what they're seeing -- especially at the Southern races like Richmond. But "they're NASCAR fans." They've made an emotional connection with the drivers in NASCAR. That has to happen here, too. Right now, too many people are watching ICS races and wondering "who are those guys? I don't know any of them." And they conclude that IndyCar racing is boring or bush-league without ever giving it a shot.

2. Low car counts. 18 cars *makes* the series look minor-league in the eyes of people who are used to watching 35-43 cars on a track every weekend. There needs to be a way to add 10 cars to the grid, whether it's through lowered costs (updating the Panoz would help until the next chassis cycle), more competition in engines & chassis ... I'm not sure. Every other series has had to resort to gimmicks -- Lucky Dogs, competition yellows, championship "chases," rules that change every week, Power 2 Pass, mandatory use of undesirable tire compounds, et al -- to try to gain favor with fans. The ICS hasn't had to do any of that, and has continued to put together something that most would've thought unthinkable in OW racing a few years back -- close, wheel-to-wheel open-wheel racing at 200+ mph with some hair-raising finishes. It has become everything NASCAR claims -- fan-friendly, exciting racing, close finishes, wheel-to-wheel throughout the field. The only obstacle now is, getting people hooked onto it more than one Sunday a year.

Aug. 21 newsstand

Almost nothing today ... most of the SF-area papers are all rehashing the same Danica story that we tossed up yesterday.

The entry list for Sonoma is posted. No surprises -- 18 cars, the same usual suspects without any part-timers running.

IndyCar.com runs another championship trail story ... this one focusing on the fact that two twisty courses remain in the title chase.

Scott Goodyear talks about teamwork at IndyCar.com.

Speed TV rehashes the Dario-to-Childress rumors.

Is Marco Andretti old enough to be hanging out at places like this? Heck, is he old enough to know who Alfonso Ribeiro (no relation to Andre, of course) is? Apparently, because they're hanging out together. Last question: will the Champ Car Fanatics crowd look at Marco's shirt and say "look at that sponsor. It's obvious Marco's going to CC!!!"

IPS driver Logan Gomez says he'd like to take some ICS tests coming soon in the Times of Northwest Indiana.

Curt Cavin's blog usually has some good stuff to read, and today's is no different. He discusses the Sam/Dario rumors (convinced Sam is gone, to be replaced by Briscoe; expects Dario to not go) and the schedule (anticipating 16 races, BB says a 17th still being worked out, mentions Daytona).

Speaking of blogs, Pressdog has a one-on-one Q&A with IPS driver/stunt double Leilani Munter.

Silly Season update (Aug. 20)

2007 lineup
Andretti Green Racing (4)
7-Danica Patrick (Motorola, 3rd-year FT driver, 1st year with AGR). Confirmed for 2008.
11-Tony Kanaan (7-11, 5th year FT driver, all with AGR, 2004 champ). Under contract through 2008.
26-Marco Andretti (NYSE Group, 2nd year FT driver, all with AGR). Likely for 2008, although Grandpa Mario has been hinting at wanting to get Marco in the F1 ladder series.
**Update, Aug. 15: Some Italian website is floating rumors of Marco going to CC's NHL team to join Graham Rahal. It hasn't been corroborated by anything resembling a credible source.**
**Update, Aug. 22: Robin Miller, who began this Marco-to-CC stuff by tossing something against the wall to see if it sticks, has said Marco is happy with AGR and staying.**
27-Dario Franchitti (Canadian Club, 5th year FT driver, all with AGR). Free Agent at the end of the year.
**Update, Aug. 17: NASCAR.com and several other outlets say Dario is one of a few options for Richard Childress' Nextel Cup team for 2008, but some published reports say it's an unlikely option.**
**Update, Aug. 20: Jaime Camara's name is getting mention a lot in connection with AGR, but nothing concrete is being mentioned beyond that.**

Team Penske (2)
3-Helio Castroneves (Team Penske, 6th-year FT driver, all with Penske, 2-time I500 champ). Under contract to Penske through 2008.
**Said in early August that he would be "interested" in NASCAR (but every race driver is "interested" in other series). Helio has said he's staying with Penske, at least for next year.**
6-Sam Hornish Jr. (Team Penske, 8th-year FT driver, 4th with Penske, 3x ICS champ)
**Has been heavily rumored to be pondering NASCAR, and is running ARCA/Busch races this year**
**Aug. 18: Hornish says he's still 50/50 in several published reports, right before finishing 25th at Michigan in a Busch race.**
**Aug. 12: Hornish answers questions at Kentucky ... smiling, laughing, gives 5 reasons he wouldn't go to NASCAR (he gives the reasons why he wouldn't, didn't say he won't, though) ...
They are ... I couldn't have Helio for a teammate, we've got great fans in the IRL, the schedule is a little bit more over there, the Indy 500, it's not IndyCars. See it on YouTube.
**If Sam leaves, Ryan Briscoe has been mentioned as a possible replacement in several places, including Curt Cavin's blog**

Target Chip Ganassi Racing (2)
9-Scott Dixon (Target, 5th-year FT driver, all with TCGR, 2003 champ). Likely for 2008.
10-Dan Wheldon (Target, 5th-year FT driver, 2nd with TCGR, 2005 champ). Likely for 2008.
**Aug. 13: According to Motorsport.com, Indy Pro Series points leader Alex Lloyd will test with TCGR at Sebring later this week. Does this portend a future ride in a red car?** (thanks to Jeff Ianucci at MyNameIsIRL for the link & info).

Rahal Letterman Racing (2)
8-Scott Sharp (Patron, 12th-year FT driver, 1st with RLR, 1996 champ). Will be at RLR as long as Patron has the $
17-Ryan Hunter-Reay (Ethanol, rookie, former CC driver). Replaced Jeff Simmons at RLR before Mid-Ohio race. Will be wih RLR at least through the end of the year. Will likely be the ICS Rookie of the Year.
**Aug. 18: A Mexican CC-fan site is trotting out the annual CC-fan fantasy that RLR is considering jumping the pond to CC, with Ethanol in tow. Again, no legitimate sources have corroborated it, so consider it a fan fantasy until future notice. Robin Miller seems to think there's no way it happens.**

Panther Racing (2)
4-Vitor Meira (Delphi, 6th-year FT driver, 2nd with Panther). Hard-luck driver hasn't had much luck this year.
55-Kosuke Matsuura (Panasonic, 4th-year FT driver, 1st with Panther). May be on his way out, with Hideki Mutoh waiting in the wings.
**60-Hideki Mutoh is slated to run the season-ender at Chicago, as announced in a presser at Mid-Ohio. May jump into Super Aguri seat currently held by Matsuura in 2008**

Dreyer & Reinbold Racing (2)
5-Sarah Fisher (AAMCO, 6th FT season, 2nd with D&R). Has sponsorships from AAMCO and AAA.
**Aug. 11: Fisher says in AP article that D&R is going down to one car next year, and it would be difficult for her to sell herself given her performances this year. But with her gaining sponsorship from AAMCO and AAA, I would anticipate she wouldn't have much difficulty finding a ride. Later in the weekend, she said she was misquoted, but it was also stated that D&R *is* considering dropping one of its two entries for 2008.**
15-Buddy Rice (RollCoater, 6th-year FT driver, 1st with D&R). Has had a lot of success this season, given the fact that D&R generally has struggled.

Vision Racing (3)
2-Tomas Scheckter (Joost, 6th-year FT driver, 2nd with Vision). Has been increasingly stronger. If someone is going to bring Vision its first win, this guy will likely be it. However, he might be snooping around, or possibly be the odd man out of Vision goes to two cars, according to some observers.
20-Ed Carpenter (Hitachi Power Tools, 4th-year FT driver, 3rd with Vision). I'd expect he'll have a ride at Vision as long as he wants one.
22-A.J. Foyt IV (Indy Vision, 4th-year FT driver, 1st with Vision). Third at Kentucky won't hurt his chances.
**Aug. 20 update: A couple of published stories quoted TG as considering going to a two-car team next year if sponsorship can't be found for the third car. Scheckter & Carpenter currently have sponsored rides, but speculation has centered on Scheckter leaving if there is contraction. In his Aug. 20 blog, Curt Cavin said he's not ready to say Scheckter is out, but there could be some shuffling in the works.**

A.J. Foyt Racing (1)
14-Darren Manning (ABC Supply, 3rd-year FT driver). He's turned up some decent results for A.J. this year. According to Curt Cavin (Aug. 25), he's working on an extension with Foyt.
**Update Aug. 25: Cavin says "there are rumors" the team is interested in two cars for next season.

**Part-Time Entries**
SAMAX Racing (1)
23-Milka Duno (Citgo - rookie). Duno is on probation. She has run six races of an initially-planned 10-race part-time schedule. She skipped Kentucky to film Speed Racer. Who knows what SAMAX's plans are for next year.

Roth Racing (2)
25-Marty Roth: Has landed sponsorship from Dussault Apparel for the season finale at Chicagoland. Also slated to run Belle Isle, according to the Aug. 1 Detroit Free Press.
73-P.J. Chesson: Will run Chicagoland with Dussault Apparel sponsorship.
**Aug. 22: P.J. Chesson joins the team for Chicago.**
**Roth Racing is planning to run the full 2008 schedule as a two-car team, according to a team press release.**

Racing Professionals (1)
Jon Herb: Has stated he's trying to squirrel together a sponsorship package for Chicagoland. Plans to race.

Beck Racing (1)
Alex Barron: Although Beck ran some early-season events, the Beck machine hasn't been seen since Indy.

With Mutoh, Roth's two cars, Herb's one car and the Duno car, the car count could hit 23 for the Chicagoland race. Curt Cavin, in his Aug. 8 Indy Star blog, said he expects 22 cars for Chicagoland, but it appears 23 might be entered.

FUTURE ENTRIES?? (2008+)
Fernandez Racing: From Curt Cavin's blog (8/8/2007), Adrian Fernandez's team still has its IndyCar equipment and Tom Anderson is apparently interested in a return to the IRL, but things "haven't been worked out." Cavin says on Aug. 13 that he knows of two individuals to keep an eye on for new 2008 teams, but hasn't seen any sign of $$ backing them.

Kingdom Racing announced its plans to field a team for 2008 on Aug. 16. Led by Houston businessman George Del Canto, the team plans to be based on a Christian philosophy, with several pastors and Christian leaders on the board of directors.

Aug. 20 newsstand

Today's newsstand ... *light*.

Already looking forward to Infineon
San Gabriel Valley Tribune: Danica waiting for victory.
Apparently, Danica is flattered that people keep asking the never-ending question, "when are you going to win?" (while Danica is talented, the 7 car has always been AGR's fourth-best machine).

IndyCar.com: Friends, rivals, countrymen
A look at Helio and Tony ... interesting timing, considering the last time they were on the track, they touched while not racing for position.

IndyCar.com: Heavy logistical load
From Sonoma to Detroit to Chicago, a busy three-week closing stretch awaits the ICS teams.

Some IPS drivers are using their tests ... Alex Lloyd (TCGR) and Andrew Prendeville (RLR) have tested IndyCars within the last week.

Non-IRL stuff
I normally don't use blogs as sources without direct sources, because anyone with a computer can write anything. However, this was just too juicy to pass up, so take it for what it's worth (and with a grain of salt).

Murphy The Bear -- an ALMS-centric blog -- is crediting anonymous sources for a scenario that has Champ Car being sold to Don Panoz and ALMS/IMSA, possibly ranging from IMSA taking over the sanctioning operations to suspending the 2008 CC season. It seems to have throw-it-to-the-wall-and-see-if-it-sticks credibility, but it apparently was enough to draw a response from Steve Johnson (who seems to be about as credible as Saddam's press guy was during the early Iraq war). Usually, such high-level guys tend to ignore blogs.

Aug. 19 newsstand

Off-weekend, and Sunday/Monday coverage tends to be race-centric.

What we've got today ...

Sam, I am
Defiance Crescent-News: All about seat time for Hornish
Says Sam after his 25th-place finish in Saturday's Busch race: "The best part about today was having the opportunity to run as many laps as we did and finish the race."

Dario to RCR?
An AP story says Richard Childress is looking seriously at Dario, and a decision on whether or not to add a fourth car will be made in 30-to-45 days.

Autosport.com says that Dario has been snooping around the south for some time, including a deal with Ganassi.

Sam & Dario are also mentioned in this NASCAR silly-season column in the Nevada Appeal.

Come fly with me, part 14 & Infineon previews
San Francisco Chronicle: Franchitti not flipping out over pair of close calls.
A redux of the two crashes, with some detail from Dario, Danica and a few others. Also has the Infineon-weekend schedule.

Boston Herald: A Kanaan-do feeling.
TK feels he can win the title, but (let's spin the cliche wheel here) he's taking it one race at a time. Also has some notes on AJIV finishing third at Kentucky.

The Vallejo Times-Herald has a piece on Danica Patrick.

Sonoma News: Infineon test redux. Also, one from the Sacramento Bee.

The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel's Dave Kallman notes that Danica isn't too keen on her teammates whacking her hair if she wins.

News flash: NASCAR fans don't care other forms of racing exist (in other news, the earth revolves around the sun).
The Detroit Free Press finds quite a few of them who don't miss the loss of the IRL at Michigan at all. Says one fan about OW racing, "That's boring." (He also admits that he's never attended an OW race, nor does he intend to. Might it be a good idea to actually *watch* a race before you make value judgements?).

Aug. 17/18 newsstand

We missed yesterday due to work commitments, but we're back today with a bucketload of stuff.

Sam's all over the news today
Toledo Blade: Hornish unsure about NASCAR future.
Sam acknowledges the annoying monopolo-NASCAR-centric media assumption that every talented OW driver should be driving the bricks on wheels ... "That's been a big topic of debate - ever since I won my first race in IndyCar."

One interesting quote from this story, though, "This was an extracurricular activity to running our IndyCar program, so most of the focus is on that, and this is a secondary thing. What people don't really understand is that the times that we're out here racing the stock car - that's my practice time. If we're at the track, it is usually in the car, racing."

Sam speaks himself in a NASCAR.com Q&A. (Warning: former Indy Star writer Raygan Swan's line of questioning will make you want to throw things at your computer ... she calls the minor-league Busch Series the "second most competitive circuit in the country" and, my favorite, she compares being fifth in ICS points to 15th in a NASCAR series ... and, even interjects, "now, if we can just get him to make up his mind on when he's coming" ... like it's NASCAR's birthright to have every top driver from every series).
Says Sam: "I'm still right down the middle. I'm just very fortunate that I have the option of either direction that I want to go next year."

Jackson Citizen-Patriot: Open or shut case: Hornish's dilemma
Says Sam: "We've had in place since about the middle of last year, a plan that we were going to see through in its entirety."

Canada.com: Lure of stock-car success lures Hornish to NASCAR event
Says Sam: "It's something I'm thinking about all the time," Hornish said. "I know I would miss the Indy 500, but having won it last year, that would make it easier to live without."

Defiance Crescent-News: Hornish set to race in Busch race at MIS
Sam's hometown paper checks in.

Slap yourself if you've heard this story before: When is Indy champ going to the cabs?
Usually, this tired old story gets trotted out about the first week of June every year ... when is the Indy 500 winner going to NASCAR. We get it in August this year. According to NASCAR.com, Dario Franchitti has had "preliminary discussions" with Richard Childress about running a Cup car. A few things that might give this legs -- Dario is 34, had considered stepping away last year, has now won the Indy 500, and he's spent the last two weeks showing off his pilot skills in IndyCars. However, Sam Hornish Jr. says he doesn't see it happening (or, for that matter, he has noticed nobody else has tested a Cup car).

A possible new team for '08?
According to the Houston Chronicle, Houston businessman Greg Del Canto is beginning Kingdom Racing, with the goal of running in the 2008 IndyCar Series. No more details have been given.

Probation violations
Since the entire field is on probation, Brian Barnhart is apparently levying some cash penalties. According to the Indianapolis Star, BB will fine Dario Franchitti for running over Kosuke Matsuura, and will also fine Helio Castroneves for touching TK. The fines will be announced at Infineon.

More on Dario
The Albuquerque Tribune's Charles Googe thinks Dario is going to win the title, and opines on the events of the last couple of weeks.

Looking ahead
Oakland Tribune: Danica, not Dario, looks for liftoff.
A piece from Thursday's test at Infineon. Dario talks about his propensity to fly, and Danica says she's got a better shot at getting win No. 1 on a roundy-round than a roadie.

More on the Iowa deal being extended through 2009
Des Moines Register. With a little bit more detail than the day-of-announcement story. Rusty Wallace plans to add some grandstands to handle the crowd.