Fans Can Ride With Favorite Driver at Infineon
Ticket holders can bid on the chance to take a pre-race lap around the circuit with stars of the IndyCar Series on Aug. 27. The auction will be held in the Wine Country Winner's Circle at 11:30 a.m. on race day. Drivers who will be up for grabs are Marco Andretti, Helio Castroneves, Scott Dixon, Dario Franchitti, Bryan Herta, Sam Hornish Jr., Tony Kanaan, Danica Patrick, Buddy Rice and Dan Wheldon. The top bidder for each driver will watch a portion of pre-event ceremonies on the start/finish line and take a parade lap around with their driver. All proceeds will benefit youth groups in Sonoma County through Speedway Children's Charities, the charitable arm of Infineon Raceway.
Antonio Pizzonia Returns To Champ Cars
Rocketsports Racing is happy to announce the return of Antonio Pizzonia to the Champ Car paddock this weekend as he will pilot the #18 Rocketsports Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone teaming up with Nicky Pastorelli for the Grand Prix de Montreal. Pizzonia turned heads on the Rocketsports Racing team back in March when he tested a Champ Car for the first time. With only a few hours of seat time, he was running laps close to the best times that were posted by other Champ Car teams at that venue, which resulted in a very positive test and left a strong impression with the Rocketsports team owner, Paul Gentilozzi. He signed a one-race deal with the team to make his Champ Car debut in Long Beach, California piloting the #8 Rocketsports Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone. He qualified 11th (which is the best starting position the team has earned thus far in 2006, matching Pastorelli's Portland start) and by 11 laps into the race, he was running in the sixth spot. He held his own in his first Champ Car event and finished the day in the top-ten, 10th overall.
"I am so excited to be returning to the Champ Car paddock," said Pizzonia. "I am really looking forward to having another opportunity to run with the Rocketsports team and think that we can have a good weekend together in the #18 Rocketsports car. I am familiar with Circuit Gilles Villeneuve from my past days in Formula One (raced in Montreal in 2003 as a driver for the Jaguar Racing Team in F1), so that is a definite plus for not only me as a rookie Champ Car driver, but it will also be a nice advantage for the team. I hope to have a good weekend, enjoy myself, and leave Montreal with a good finish for Rocketsports."
Paul Tracy Penalized
Paul Tracy was fined $25,000 and docked three championship points Tuesday for taking out Champ Car points leader Sebastien Bourdais in the final turn of the Grand Prix of Denver. Two weeks ago, Tracy was put on probation for three races, fined an undisclosed amount of money and stripped of seven championship points for causing a crash that led to a fight with fellow Canadian driver Alex Tagliani at the July 30 San Jose Grand Prix. This latest penalty extends Tracy's probation through the Lexmark Indy 300 in Surfers Paradise, Australia, on Oct. 22, the next-to-last race of the season. With the loss of 10 points over the past two races, Tracy, who drives for Forsythe Racing, has fallen from fourth to sixth in the standings.
In Denver, Bourdais passed Tracy for second place near the end of Sunday's race. Tracy locked his brakes, slid into Bourdais, and both cars failed to finish. Afterward, Bourdais got out of his car and charged at Tracy. The two exchanged words, and Bourdais shoved Tracy. Forsythe Racing vice president Neil Micklewright said the penalty for the Denver incident was "simply wrong and not appropriate, but we have to accept the decision of the series even if we don't agree with it." -- No penalty was assessed to Bourdais by Indianapolis-based Champ Car.(Forbes)
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