Car FYI

Photo Credit: Chris Nagy/Car FYI Canada There’s a popular saying in motorsports that money buys speed. However, auto racing competition isn’t always the best source to generate money. Without sponsorships and/or other wealthy parties, the glory to capture victory is an expensive endeavour. Excluding the prestigious Indianapolis 500 where a sizable race purse can make a massive financial impact (for example 2023 race winner Josef Newgarden and his Team Penske organization took $3,666,000 US), the season-long point standings are a barometer for success. This weekend, the NTT IndyCar Series arrives at Thermal Club in Palm Springs, California for a non-points competition with where a driver and team can win a $500,000 American dollars on Sunday for 30 laps of racing.  The 2024 Thermal Club $1 Million Challenge event takes place on March 24th with two 10-lap heat races and a final 20-lap battle between 12 All-Star contenders. The first time in recent history that such a high-paying, no...

Photo Credit: Engine Developments Ltd. Too many times, forgetting an anniversary would end with someone spending time in the proverbial doghouse. This has apparently happened this year as the 2016 Verizon IndyCar Series season concluded with no major celebrations or recognition for what is 30 years since a major current partner of American open wheel racing began participation in the sport. The following article is a collection of the details I’ve learned as well as some insight from engine builder John Judd on what was a quiet 30th anniversary in the Verizon IndyCar Series. During the week where the 30th running of the Canadian street race now known as the Honda Indy Toronto, I was compelled to capture the flavour of the inaugural event. The viewing experience provided me some insight into a period of time where I was too young to absorb auto racing in the manner I do today. A race that featured television coverage with no regular onscreen statistics, the league used a local ...