INDYCARNATION

EDMONTON, Alberta – Kevin Martin toured the IZOD IndyCar Series garage area July 22 much like Danica Patrick did during the opening night of the Taste of Edmonton – incognito.

The Olympic gold medal-winning skip of Team Canada, however, was the center of attention (and it wasn’t because of the gold medal from the Vancouver Games he was toting) of Dreyer & Reinbold Racing assistant engineer Daniel Louks, who just happens to be president of the Circle City Curling Club. Indianapolis? Who knew?

“It’s always something I’ve been interested in and now it’s one of my passions,” said Louks, who attended the Games in February specifically to watch the curling competition. “We’ve been trying to get more people in Indianapolis involved. It’s a sport you can play at almost all ages and it’s a great way to get people active in the winter. It’s less an individual sport; it’s a full-on team sport. A lot of the things that interested me in racing apply to curling.”

Martin, an Edmonton resident, is grand marshal of the Honda Indy Edmonton.

“I don’t get star-struck very often, but it was pretty cool,” Louks said. Check out the Circle City Curling Club HERE.

Martin received tutorials about the speed and technology of the cars and multi-functional steering wheels from IZOD IndyCar Series drivers Justin Wilson and Will Power.

“To be asked by Northlands to serve as grand marshal for both the Capital EX Parade and the Honda Indy Edmonton is a huge privilege,” he said after leading the annual parade watched by more than 200,000 people lining the streets July 22. “I’m really looking forward to be able to tell the world’s best and fastest open-wheel race drivers to start their engines.”

Thanks coach, says Matos

De Ferran Dragon Racing’s Raphael Matos received some coaching from longtime friend and former open-wheel champion David Empringham during last week’s Honda Indy Toronto. They used to work together in the Atlantic Series, and Matos won both of his Atlantic starts on the Edmonton City Centre Airport circuit.

“He is the kind of guy who pushes me very hard and he sees the specific areas I am lacking,” said Matos, the 2009 IZOD IndyCar Series Rookie of the Year. “He made me focus on one problem at a time. You cannot fix all the problems in the car at once. You have to fix the main issue and go from there. That really helped me focus on what was working and better communicate what I was feeling with the engineers.”

Team Penske seeks continuation of great results

Team Penske has won the pole in Edmonton each of the past two seasons (Ryan Briscoe in 2008 and Will Power in 2009) and it’s earned three podium finishes and one victory (last season with Power).

“It’s a very tough, fast circuit and the No. 3 Team Penske car has done well, finishing second the last two years,” Helio Castroneves said. “I love the fans in Edmonton. They appreciate our racing and they always seem to draw a big crowd.”

Penske Racing earned its 150th open-wheel racing victory as Power won on the Toronto street circuit. Sixteen drivers have combined to produce the record number of wins since 1968.

Good results on the tarmac

Target Chip Ganassi Racing’s Scott Dixon and Dario Franchitti are two of nine current IZOD IndyCar Series drivers to make at least four starts on airport courses (CART previously held races at the Burke Lakefront Airport in Cleveland). Of the nine, Franchitti and Dixon are among only four to have recorded a victory: Franchitti in Cleveland, 2001; Dixon in Edmonton, 2008; Paul Tracy in Cleveland, 1993, 2005, 2007; Will Power in Edmonton, 2009.

Drivers visit with young hospital patients

Power and Firestone Indy Lights driver Philip Major visited with about 80 patients at Stollery Children's Hospital in Edmonton as part of the Racing For Kids program. ... Power’s grandmother, Jean Ella (Buchan) Power, was born in Brandon, Manitoba, but grew up and worked in Lethbridge, Alberta. … Ryan Hunter-Reay and Mario Andretti will be at the IZOD Haskell Invitational on Aug. 1 – along with vintage Indy cars – at Monmouth Park in Oceanport, N.J. ... Vitor Meira's wife Adriana is working on her MBA in Miami. ... Sam Schmidt Motorsports driver Pippa Mann, who suffered a broken bone in her left hand during the Toronto race weekend, has been cleared by the Indy Racing League medical director to drive in the Firestone Indy Lights Edmonton 100.

 

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