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David Phillips
Editor and ChiefDavid Phillips is a long-time contributor to print and electronic publications in the U.S. and abroad, including Racer, Autosport, AutoWeek, Motor Sport and SPEEDtv.com, oversees the daily updating of news stories and assigns, edits and contributes feature material for inRacingNews.com.
Chris Hall
iRacing.com Series WriterChris Hall has been writing since the nineties and moved into motorsports reporting in 2005, covering series such as ALMS, British GT, FIA GT, Le Mans and 2CV racing for Full Throttle magazine, Motorsport.com, The-Paddock.net, GTGateway.com, L' Endurance and, of course, inRacingNews. During 2008 and 2009, he worked with the RSS Performance Porsche Carrera Cup Team (and former British GT(C) champions) as a data engineer for a variety of drivers and models of 997s.
Jameson Spies
Contributing Writer19 years old, Jameson Spies lives in Quartz Hill, California. He grew-up surrounded by racing. His mother raced late models throughout Southern California while his father built and setup the car. Not surprisingly, Jameson began racing go-karts at the age of 13, and is now racing Spec Trucks at Toyota Speedway at Irwindale. He has a passion about all forms of racing and hopes to make a career out of it.
Jason Lofing
iRacing.com Series WriterJason is 21 years old and was born and raised in Elk Grove. California. A big time NASCAR fan, he hasn’t missed a race on Sunday in years. Lofing is also a huge San Fransisco Giants fan and tries to take in at least a couple games a year. Other than sim racing, his biggest (and far more expensive!) hobby is photography. Although he is rather new to sim racing, Lofing has already accomplished some pretty impressive results, qualifying for the 2011 iRacing Oval Pro Series in Season 1, 2011, winning the inaugural Landon Cassill Qualifying Challenge and finishing runner-up in the second one.
Ray Bryden
Technical contributorRay grew up in Nova Scotia, which means he’s a hockey nut, but in Nova Scotia’s two non-winter months he had to find other diversions, which meant watching F1 racing on weekends with his dad and brothers. Without the resources to get started in racing, he gravitated to computer versions of racing – first Atari games like Pole Position, followed by PC racing games like Indianapolis 500: The Simulation. Dozens of others came and went, until Grand Prix Legends came along and he decided sim-racing was his official hobby. Years were spent enjoying this both offline and online until a few years of fatherhood took priority. When free-time reappeared he heard about iRacing and signed up in 2008 and became so involved in the service that he wrote one of the first books on the subject of sim-racing, iRacing Paddock. When not writing for inRacingNews.com, his main occupation is as a research associate with Saint-Gobain working on advanced ceramic materials.
Patrick Atherton
Contributing WriterPatrick Atherton, originally from Adelaide in the state of South Australia, currently resides just outside of Melbourne, Victoria with wife of 17 years and 3 kids. A business manager by profession, but also dabbles with blogging, cartooning and fine art, having been published both as a writer in a short-lived South Australian motorsport yearbook and later as a cartoonist in a niche trade magazine. At the age of 19 he competed in club circuit events in an Austin Healey Sprite, later indulging in sprint karts between 1994 and 2000. Following the move to the State of Victoria he raced Road Race Karts (“Superkarts” as they are known in Australia) in the popular Rotax class, competing at Phillip Island, Oran Park, Mallala, Wakefield Park, Eastern Creek, Calder Park, Sandown and Winton. It was during this time he met former Australian F2 champion and inventor of Australia’s first, and most prolific race simulator rig, Jon Crooke. This culminated in an introduction to Papyrus’ legendary NR2003 simulation, and the subsequent sim racing addiction which brought him to iRacing.
Tim Terry
Contributing WriterTim Terry, aka the voice of Maritime stock car racing, fell in love with sim racing in 2004 after he joined the Sim Racing Network crew as a pit reporter. From October 2004 to SRNtv’s closure in June 2007, he’s covered prestigious races and leagues such as the Online 500, FLM Fall 400, Real Racing Online and the DMP Racing League – each as the lead broadcaster for the company. At the same time the wheels started to turn in another direction as he began announcing stock car racing locally. Terry became the assistant announcer at Scotia Speedworld in May 2007 and took over full duties in May 2009 when long-time voice Mike Kaplan retired from the track. Terry also became the series voice of the Parts For Trucks Pro Stock Tour in ’09 and continues to hold down both posts in 2011. He has also announced races for the Pro All Stars Series, Atlantic Open Wheel and Maritime League of Legends tours and has called races at six different Atlantic Canadian tracks. Terry can be heard online at WebRacingNetwork.com, RLMtv.com and OLRtv.com covering sim races. He also makes occasional appearances on PSRtv.com. In addition to inRacingNews, his articles and columns can be read on ScotiaSpeedworld.ca, MaritimeProStockTour.com and his own website at timterryonline.com.
David Allen
Contributing WriterNorth Carolina born and raised with over 15 years of computer/IT experience, I combine two of my biggest hobbies -- racing and technology -- here at inRacingNews. In my spare time I run a Nascar fan site and cure my own need for speed riding atvs. If it involves technology or racing I'll be there, but combine the two and I'll be looking a front row seat. Stop by and say hello anytime!
Allen Krier
Contributing WriterAllen was born in West Palm Beach, Florida but grew up in Atlanta and attended Georgia College and State University where he received a BS in Information Systems. Currently a resident of Albany, GA, he started sim racing in 2008 while in college when iRacing was first released to the public. Since then, Krier has been a two time iRacing Pro Series driver (2009 and 2010), picking up one Pro Series win at Daytona in ‘09. Besides sim racing, Allen’s other hobbies include RC Car racing as well as “attending and watching any sporting event that I can including going to the local dirt track.
‘Shootout’ Time Trials Coming To Indy 500
April 20th, 2010
LONG BEACH, Calif. — Traditions are changing once again at the Indianapolis 500 as a new “shootout style” qualification format will be in place for this year’s Pole Day.
The highlight is a 90-minute “shootout” in which the nine fastest cars make a dramatic, late-day run for the pole and will debut May 22 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
The winner of the PEAK Performance Pole Award presented by AutoZone will earn $175,000, an increase of $75,000 from 2009. The second-fastest qualifier will earn $75,000, with the final front-row starter earning $50,000.
IZOD IndyCar Series points also will be awarded after qualifying to all 33 drivers who earn a spot in the starting field.
“This new format for Indianapolis 500 qualifying will deliver even more action and intensity for fans,” said Jeff Belskus, president and chief executive officer of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Corp.
“Drivers will go all out during the first session on Pole Day to get a chance to make a run for the pole. Then they’ll need to dig even deeper to find the speed for the pole in the last 90 minutes. Plus there still will be plenty of spots up for grabs on Bump Day with all of the dramatic, last-minute bumping that generations of fans have loved about Indy.
“This is going to be a fantastic weekend of qualifying. I can’t wait to see it unfold.”
The top 24 spots in the 33-car field will be available through traditional four-lap attempts from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. (ET) on Pole Day. Each car will have up to three attempts during that time.
The times of the top nine drivers from the first segment of qualifying will be erased at 4 p.m., with all of those competitors guaranteed to start no worse than ninth.
The Fast Nine then will be required to make at least one four-lap qualifying attempt between 4:30-6 p.m., with one additional, optional attempt if time permits. Each driver’s best run during the 90-minute session will set their position within the top nine spots on the starting grid.
If inclement weather prevents the 90-minute shootout for the Fast Nine, their times from the opening session will determine starting positions.
The new format, however, is not necessarily a welcome change among some of the drivers.
“It’s cool, but the one thing for me is I’d like to stick with history and tradition,” said 2008 Indy 500 winner and pole winner Scott Dixon. “The compressed schedule, I don’t agree with. I think we should be there for three weeks. I know they want to put on a better show and they want to add more of the show, that’s the biggest thing they can do. The idea of having a shootout puts a lot more stress on the drivers and teams, but that is what racing is all about.
“We’ll see who comes out on top.”
On Bump Day, May 23, the final nine spots in the field will be earned through traditional four-lap qualifying from noon-6 p.m. Bumping will begin once 33 cars have qualified.
frank otis
May 9th, 2010 at 12:11 pmMy grandfather, father, and grand sons have all listened and watched the Indy 500 – this ruins a bit part of the tradition. The three weeks of qualification was something we all enjoyed. I really don’t like the new format nor does the rest of the family. Next it willl be the Indy 500 shoot out using the same format to determine the winner.
The problem is there is no respect for tradition this is something that Parnelli Jones, and Andy Granatelli would not like, I would bring back the roadsters and the Novi Special.
Frank Otis
John Schmidt
May 16th, 2010 at 5:14 amI agree with Frank. I was at Indy, every race, from 1960 to 1975. The roadster racing was phenomenal! Many times two and three abreast into turn one……..Jones, Foyt, Ward, Rathman, Sachs, Andretti, Rutherford, the Unsers, and many others. The Offy engine sound-wow! It was “dog eat dog” racing. Nowadays it’s single file at 200 mph plus and hope the engine will last.
John Schmidt
R. A. Ray
May 16th, 2010 at 1:03 pmI liked the old rules. Where the amount of fuel, size and weight of the car, and the amount of fuel (in BTU’s) be limited for the 500 miles, plus other deemed safety rules…should be the only rules applied….instead of deemed engines, chassis, and other restrictions to make it a ‘drivers’ race. Auto racing (INDY’s tradition) is about advancement in engineering. It is a team sport.
Jeff
May 16th, 2010 at 7:46 pmIf the powers to be want to maintain, or at least salvage, the tradition-rich Indianapolis 500, then changes such as this must go!
When you have a month of news, a month of practice, a month of qualifying and a month of anticipation, the event is all that much larger than life.
If their objective is to make the Indy 500 just another race, then changing the qualifying to one weekend before the race will make it just that.
I thought Tony George was gone!!?
nb
May 17th, 2010 at 2:54 amIt sucks they have to do this but the bottom line is that time trials have become completely boring. I agree I’d like to see the traditional format, but there are just not enough cars to keep it interesting for four full days anymore. You have pole day and the last 30 minutes of the last day.
Maybe this will add some excitement!
Ronald Edge
May 17th, 2010 at 2:17 pmThe Indy 500 will never be the same. I loved the month long events. and other changes will hit you in the wallet as well. Food will be more exspesive and any thing you have to buy in the speedway gates will cost more. I love tradition, I get goose bumps evry time I pass through the gates at Indy. if any more changes come the indy 500 will be just another race.
Chris
May 21st, 2010 at 12:23 amYou all are (probably) super old and super dedicated loyal fans. I admire that. I respect the traditions, they are the essence of Indy. However, I understand why they have done this, it is to bring in NEW, YOUNGER fans, and grow the sport and brand. This appeals to people who aren’t as aware of the tradition. I personally think it might be pretty interesting, if its not they won’t keep it. I guess you can just look at the bright side that if this helps grow the sport, that means more sponsors, means more drivers/teams, means talented young drivers like Rahal wont be sitting out most of the season.. Come on, it could really help overall!
Don E Rilco
May 23rd, 2010 at 10:53 amIf we dont like change. We should go back and un-invent the wheel.