Today’s IZOD IndyCar Series and Mazda Road to Indy headlines:
1. Big names to participate in Wheldon karting event
2. Auto Club Speedway technical penalty update
3. Hamster Ball race part of Dixon’s tour
4. Inside the Numbers – 2013 IZOD IndyCar Series Season
5. Steering wheels focus of “How It’s Made”
1. Big names to participate in Wheldon karting event: A week after dueling for the Firestone Indy Lights championship at Auto Club Speedway in California, Sage Karam and Gabby Chaves will be karting teammates in the inaugural Dan Wheldon Memorial Pro-Am Karting Challenge at New Castle (Ind.) Motorsports Park.
The timed 2-hour race Oct. 26 beginning at 12:30 p.m. (ET) features INDYCAR drivers, team owner Bryan Herta and special guests comprising teams competing on the one-mile serpentine circuit. Admission is free and competitors will participate in an autograph session at 11:45 a.m.
Also, a silent auction will include a karting suit worn and signed by Wheldon. Proceeds from the event will benefit the Alzheimer’s Association, a cause Wheldon worked to raise awareness for after his mother was diagnosed in 2008.
“It’s a fitting tribute as Dan was a great champion of our work and took great interest in the programs for individuals in the early stages of the disease,” said Heather Hershberger, executive director of the Alzheimer’s Association Greater Indiana Chapter. “While saddened that Alzheimer’s has personally touched his family, we are inspired by this generous and moving tribute.”
Marino Franchitti will substitute for his brother Dario, who was injured Oct. 6 in a race incident in Houston, while reigning IZOD IndyCar Series champion Scott Dixon (a teammate of Wheldon’s at Target Chip Ganassi Racing) and former Firestone Indy Lights race winner and IZOD IndyCar Series driver Martin Plowman also will compete.
Other INDYCAR drivers participating:
James Hinchcliffe
JR Hildebrand
Simon Pagenaud
Josef Newgarden
Tristan Vautier
Sebastian Saavedra
Alex Tagliani
Conor Daly
Bryan Herta
Jay Howard
Sage Karam
Gabby Chaves
Zach Veach
Also scheduled to compete are Scott and Mark Borchetta of Big Machine Records, members of the Wheldon family and former IndyCar driver PJ Chesson.
The pro-am challenge will be part of the 10th RoboPong 200 race weekend, an endurance karting event that Wheldon won in 2005 – the same year he won the Indianapolis 500 and the IZOD IndyCar Series championship.
Many of the same INDYCAR drivers competing in the challenge will participate in the RoboPong 200, including former race winners Carpenter, Newgarden and Howard plus Will Power, Simona De Silvestro, Stefan Wilson, James Davison, Matthew DiLeo and Logan Gomez.
Admission is free. The race starts at noon (ET) Oct. 27.
2. Auto Club Speedway technical penalty update: There were no technical penalties issued following the IZOD IndyCar Series race at Auto Club Speedway on Oct. 19.
3. Hamster Ball race part of Dixon’s tour: Scott Dixon has participated in some interesting races during his career, but one in a giant hamster ball?
The IZOD IndyCar Series champion joined co-hosts Mark Steines and Christine Ferrare on the set of “Home & Family” – the Hallmark Channel daily show filmed at Universal Studios – to discuss the title-clinching race at Auto Club Speedway, his training regimen and life at home with his wife, Emma, and their two young daughters.
During the show, Dixon and Steines dueled on the Home & Family Speedway in giant hamster balls.
The visit was one of many during a champion’s tour in Los Angeles. Next week, Dixon will be a guest on “The Late Show with David Letterman.”
Also, series championship runner-up Helio Castroneves will be a guest on “The Ellen Degeneres Show” next week. He’ll also be a special guest Oct. 24 at the Windsor Spitfires hockey game, signing autographs and dropping the ceremonial first puck.
4: Inside the Numbers – 2013 IZOD IndyCar Series season: Some numbers to note from the 2013 IZOD IndyCar Series season.
1 – Driver to finish the season without a DNF – Helio Castroneves. Castroneves’ last DNF was at Kentucky in 2011, a span of 31 races.
4 – Races won by Scott Dixon, most of any driver…First-time winners in 2013…Poles won by Dario Franchitti, most of any driver.
5.42 – Average number of leaders in each race.
5.79 – Average running position for Will Power, best among all drivers, who competed in all 19 races.
7.83 – Average running position of IZOD IndyCar Series champion Scott Dixon.
8 – Different teams that won races.
10 – Different winners.
10.7 – Average number of lead changes.
15 – Races led by Will Power.
21 – Total positions gained by Simona De Silvestro over the final 10 percent of each race.
98.5 – Percentage of laps completed by Charlie Kimball. He completed 2,397 of 2,433 possible laps, most of any IZOD IndyCar Series driver.
351 – Laps led by Will Power, most of any driver.
403 – Total laps where Charlie Kimball improved his position, best among all drivers.
5. Steering wheels focus of “How It’s Made”: Target Chip Ganassi Racing will be featured on”How It’s Made” on the Science Channel at 9 p.m. (ET) Oct. 24 in a segment focusing on IndyCar steering wheels.
Earlier during the IZOD IndyCar Series season, the popular show featured how driver seats are crafted. “How It’s Made” visits assembly lines and private shops where raw materials become finished products right before the viewers’ eyes.
