>>>Danica Patrick: The series’ most popular driver wants a fast start to forget about the second half of 2008, when she slumped after her breakthrough victory last spring in Japan. Patrick, 26, also makes her debut in the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach on April 19, and will try again to win the prize she covets most: the Indianapolis 500.
>>>Ryan Briscoe: This could be a breakout year for the Australian, who won three races for Team Penske last year. Briscoe, 27, has proved he can win on both oval tracks and road courses, and with Penske’s strong cars, he could make a run at the series championship.
>>>Dario Franchitti: The Scotsman of Italian descent won the Indy 500 and the series title in 2007, made a brief attempt at NASCAR stock car racing last year and is back in IndyCar. Franchitti has the credentials and the team to be strong — he’s now with reigning series champ Scott Dixon at Target Chip Ganassi — but will Franchitti, 35, show any signs of being rusty?
>>>Dan Wheldon: Few burn with the intensity of this Englishman, but because he left Ganassi to join Panther Racing, it’s questionable whether …Â More info
Ex-Champ Car drivers accustomed to curvier road courses struggled after ’08 merger with IndyCar. This year, with a better mix of road layouts and traditional Indy ovals, they should be more competitive.
The IndyCar Series enters its first full season of reunification with a shuffled list of racing venues and question marks involving several of its top drivers.
A year ago the series ended its long split with the nation’s other major open-wheel racing circuit, the Champ Car World Series, by absorbing Champ Car and some of its teams and tracks. But contractual obligations prevented IndyCar from immediately adding Champ Car’s crown jewel race, the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach, in 2008…Â More info
If there’s a heaven for snowmobiles, it’s in an unobtrusive western Maine warehouse whose owner calls it the state’s best-kept secret.
Shiny, restored power sleds dating back a half-century line the shelves of the United Sports Antique & Vintage Snowmobile Museum. They include long-discontinued brands, rare if not one-in-the-world models, behemoths pushed by rear engines, and one that would work well in a James Bond flick with its exhaust pipes jutting menacingly from the front hood…Â More info
…a few random things to point out today. First off, Travis Pastrana and Johnny Knoxville have teamed up for a new Jackass type of TV series that is going to be airing on MTV soon. Apparently, it features stunts from all genres of extreme sports and anything that falls in between. What does this have to do with BMX? Well, not a whole lot at the moment although there are a couple clips in the trailer below that show a BMXer by the name of, Hubert Kowland. Who is Hubert Kowland you ask? Maybe he just owns a BMX bike but I’ve never heard of him. I’m not sure if more BMX is scheduled to be involved in this, but judging from my experiences hanging out with Hoffman and Knoxville last summer, I’m sure Hoffman and others will be involved. I’m just wondering what kind of stunts will be going down, cause the trailer looks ridiculous! It’s like Jackass hyped up on steroids but without all the sick vomiting and bodily fluid antics…Â More info Â