Which All seems a very long time ago…
Felt like any euphoria I might be having over
IndyCar rolling out it’s new Dallara IR28 chassis, was quickly extinguished by
the propensity of pathetic volume issues when trying to listen to all three
days of the Portland weekend via IndyCar Radio. As it’s a really long way for
those paper cups and waxed string to stretch from Indianapolis to Portland, as
speak up Mark James!
Don’t want to say it was a boring race, but
in-between being able to hear ‘Ol Gravelly’, aka Mark James. It was funny
hearing Him call out my “go-to” radio station KIKI Hawaii.
As Honolulu’s KIKI FOX Sports Radio wasn’t
carrying the race, but instead had some lame Arse Stick ‘n Ball Sports Yahoos’
prattling away, Oh Never Mind!
Yeah, it’s really old news now that Rahal
Letterman Lanigan Racing (RLLR) sold it’s third IndyCar Charter to Dreyer &
Reinbold Racing. (DRR) As DRR will become a one car IndyCar Charter entry in
2027.
While Graham Rahal spilled the beans to David
Land Wayback’ at Portland (August 8th) that DRR would be forming a technical
alliance with the reconstituted two car RLLR entry, thus switching from
Chevrolet to Honda.
DRR was briefly a Powered by Judd, Err Lotus
engine customer in 2012 before switching to the Bowtie’, which they’ve run ever
since. And while I know they’ll bristle at this, effectively become RLLR’s
third Honda entity.
Which made it curious that IndyCar Radio’s
Davey Hamilton was denying this a week later during the Markham Morass…
Its been well documented that Marshall Pruett
claims the charter was sold for $13 million, setting a somewhat steep baseline
for future charter sales. While Conor Daly is the frontrunner for the
unannounced DRR driver.
The move appears to leave rookie IndyCar driver
Mick Schumacher out of a ride at RLLR next year, with us Wags’ ponderin’ where
Mick will land next season?
With IndyCar Radio’s Michael Young saying at
Markham there were already paddock rumblings of Mick having found a seat for
next year, while RLLR confirmed Graham Rahal and Louis Foster as its drivers
next season.
Yet I’d say it was “Eyes Forward” over the Road
America 6 Hours Sports Car Shemozzle, Err weekend, with most eyes focused
solely upon Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Where the long awaited Dallara DW12
replacement chassis was making its public debut.
As IndyCar wisely invited the media and public
to view the brand new Dallara IR28 IndyCar making validation runs on the IMS road
course over the August 2nd weekend.
Thanks to David Land, we got copious amounts of
“viewage” upon the new IR28, along with its startup, leaving the garage and at
“song” briefly. With Alexander Rossi being the first to drive Saturday, and
Alex Palou driving Sunday. Giving Chevrolet and Honda each one respective
driver fir the Dallara IR28’s first validation test.
Naturally, the debut came the week after the
annual Brickyard 400 and ironically was affected by rainy weather both days.
The lone IR28 racecar was a “Mule” chassis.
Running a 2022-spec, unbadged Ilmor first generation 2.4-litre twin turbo V-6
lump’, and sounded great!
Running without the new hybrid system, and just
weight ballast instead, as the hybrid system won’t debut until next year,
Arse-sumedly when the new second generation 2.4-litre engines arrive.
It was funny listening to the media Bullpen
Scrum’ sessions, as everyone acted like we’d just landed on the Moon! All
trying to beat others to their most important questions.
But like IndyCar’s project leader Mike O’Gara
said. This was just the first validation test, and the teams are pretty busy in
August. So, they won’t do any more validation testing until after season’s end.
With Mother Speedway’s Oval on the docket, along with Sebring’s short course
and Nashville’s Super Speedway.
And while it’s fantastic that a new IndyCar has
finally arrived, could we please quit talking about breaking track records! How
‘bout we just get the finished product delivered to all of the teams for St
Petersburg’s March 2028 season opener instead!
Since funniest thing I heard about the initial
test was the alternator that was supposed to be running with the hybrid kept
causing computer glitches…
Tuned into the majority of Sunday’s (August 2nd
) inaugural 6 Hours Michelin Endurance Cup Road America IMSA Sports Car race,
which seemingly turned into an Argey-Bardgie show!
The officiating was called into question, with
John Hindhaugh talking about the controversy caused by not calling a penalty on
Jack Achey Breaky Aitken’s tussle with Felipe Nasr, perhaps? Since know it was
one of the Penske Porsche Motorsport Boyz’.
Thus suppose the karmic whip caught up with
Aitken at race’s end when trying to pass the always aggressive Porsche
Hotschue’ Kevin Estre for second place. As Estre was having none of it, with
the two colliding and both wrecking out of the race!
This saw Ricky Taylor claiming the chequered
flag, with co-driver Felipe Albuquerque in the No. 10 Cadillac V-Series.R,
marking 792 days since Wayne Taylor Racing stood atop the podium, Aye Karumba!
As WTR’s last win came at Detroit in 2024, and
an emotionally relieved Wayne Taylor used how He was starting to doubt Himself
over everything He did!
Wayne
Taylor Racing’s return to Victory Lane “A big relief”
Think it had been a long time for WTR, Eh? Well
it had been even longer for Pfaff Motorsports, who gave the brand new Lamborghini
Temerario its maiden IMSA GT3 win. With the Canadian racing team having not won
since the 2023 Sebing 12 Hours, three-plus years ago, Crikeys!
Ironically, the win came on the heels of Pfaff
announcing it was leaving IMSA GTD Pro competition at season’s end…
Wayne Taylor Racing breaks through at Hot tempered Road America 6 Hours
