All this moola can't land one of IndyCar's most colorful personalities a ride in 2012.

Good news on the IndyCar front this morning, folks:  Sebastien Bourdais and Katherine Legge are both returning to IndyCar racing in 2012 full-time with Dragon Racing which is owned by Jay Penske.

Both drivers signed contracts for a full-time 2012 IndyCar season and this is great news because Sebastien only made nine starts in 2011 with Dayle Coyne and hasn’t raced full-time since 2008 when he teamed Toro Rosso in Formula 1.

Katherine Legge returns to IndyCar after spending 2006 and 2007 in Champ Car and after three years in Europe racing with Audi’s DTM team.

This is great news to me because that means Paul Tracy doesn’t have a ride right now nor will anybody take the bait.  It’s time to stir the pot and fuel some tempers because Paul Tracy’s predicament has me in a very good mood today.

» Continue reading “IndyCar: Paul Tracy Talks But His Money Does Not”

Tags and Bryan Herta Autosport are ready for 2012. You'll get a half-assed applause from me on this move.

As we creep closer to the start of the 2012 racing seasons here at Lipstick and Lugnuts it’s important to keep tabs on where all our favorite drivers are landing for the year.

Autosport is reporting that Alex Tagliani has signed on with Bryan Herta Autosport for a full-time 2012 ride in the IndyCar series.

Unfortunately, Alex Tagliani is not one of my favorites (nor will he ever be) but I feel obligated to be at least semi-productive on a Monday.  I report this news because I like Bryan Herta and always have.

Why should we be familiar with Bryan Herta Autosport?  Because Dan Wheldon won the 2011 Indianapolis 500 behind the wheel of a Bryan Herta ride and I will mention Dan Wheldon’s name at any opportunity I am presented.

Anyways, Tags leaves Schmidt Motorsports and Bryan Herta is excited to have the Canuck aboard in 2012:

We are very proud to have Alex Tagliani join our team for our first full season of IndyCar competition. He brings a wealth of experience and enthusiasm to the program, and is the perfect fit for us. (Brian Herta via Autosport.com)

Tags is thirty-nine years old and has been in IndyCar since 2009 where he won the pole for the 2011 Indianapolis 500 and finished fifteeth in the 2011 standings.

Indy Karting Classic winner Tony Stewart (C) with event teammates Alex Tagliani (L) and John Andretti (R). (photo credit: www.indycar.com)

As a proud Hoosier, it’s my duty to report awesomeness in my home state especially when the likes of Tony Stewart are involved and this weekend was no exception to the rule.

Not many race fans know that every year, Conseco Fieldhouse (in Indianapolis, Indiana of course) and IndyCar hosts the Indy Karting Classic and yesterday was a very special day in Indianapolis.

Drivers like 2011 Sprint Cup champion Tony Stewart, 2011 NCWTS champion Austin Dillon, brother Ty Dillon, John Andretti and IndyCar driver Alex Tagliani were just a few of the names in the All-Star race.

Alex Tagliani and John Andretti were Tony Stewart’s teammates for the 30-lap event and about halfway through the race, Stewart took the lead from Austin Dillon who was a heat winner on the day’s events:

We had a slow start to the day, but we got better as the day went on and the track got better for us…Austin had some trouble with his brother and someone else and got choked down and we got a big run. The inside didn’t look so good and I thought the outside looked good, but then it didn’t look good at all. I thought I was going to go down the tunnel, out the parking lot and downtown. It was a little bit sketchy, but we had a fast kart at the end. (Tony Stewart via IndyCar.com)

Tagliani was the day’s best IndyCar finisher in second place while Firestone Indy Lights champion Josef Newgarden finished fourth in the day’s event.

Should NASCAR's disputes be settled with fists? Tony Stewart seems to think so.

Good morning, race fans.  We have some serious racing news to cover this morning.  When I say serious I sincerely mean it this week, not just sarcastically.

We have news to report of plane crash that occurred yesterday involving Rick Hendrick in Key West, Florida.  We also have news about Tony Stewart flapping his gums about how disputes should be settled in NASCAR.

And there are two Brians in the news this week as well:  one in NASCAR and one in IndyCar.  Want to guess which ones?  I’ll give you a hint about one:  he caused a lot of mayhem at Martinsville this past Sunday.  Yeah, that Brian.

So grab your caffeinated goodness, pop a squat and let’s catch up on some news today.

» Continue reading “Garage Gossip: Plane Crashes, Flying Fists And Attack Of The Two Brians”

Which drivers are in trouble in IndyCar this time? Would it shock anybody to find out Alex Tagliani is one of them?

Everybody saw how intense the racing was at Edmonton a few weeks ago, right?  In case it was overlooked, check out Erin’s splendid recap of  the race which will catch readers up in no time. 

So on Tuesday afternoon, IndyCar president Brian Barnhart handed down probation “penalties” to three drivers until the end of the 2011 IZOD IndyCar season:  Mike Conway, Alex Tagliani (shocking) and Ryan Hunter-Reay.  Why?

Mike Conway was placed on probation because he made contact with Ryan Briscoe at Toronto a few weeks ago and Oriol Servia at Edmonton two weeks ago.

Do I even have to elaborate on why Alex Tagliani was placed on probation other than the fact he’s been acting like a total jackass the last few weeks?  Tagliani made contact with Will Power at Toronto and Graham Rahal at Edmonton.

Ryan Hunter-Reay was placed on probation because he made contact with Ryan Briscoe at Alabama and Takuma Sato at Edmonton.

Anger management therapy or a good kick in the pants is what these three drivers need.  Normally, IndyCar drivers aren’t placed on probation unless “multiple” incidents of avoidable contact have taken place in a short span of time.  It’s no surprise these drivers had the warnings coming.

» Continue reading “Three IndyCar drivers placed on probation”

An intimidating sight just after the green flag. (Photo by Daniel Incandela via indycar.com)

When the IZOD IndyCar series landed in Edmonton this weekend, everyone was holding their breath.  There was an overload of drama from Toronto two weeks ago, and they were faced with another road course, a new configuration, and Mother Nature.  To say that this weekend would be eventful would be an understatement.

» Continue reading “Edmonton Indy: The Avoidable Penalties”

Yes, that is Helio Castroneves being restrained by a fellow Penske teammate after 2010's Edmonton Indy race. Behind him to the right is Brian Barnhart, the official who made a controversial "blocking" call that cost Helio the victory. (photo courtesy of www.edmontonsun.com)

Let’s take a nice, cool drink before diving into the mess that was Edmonton in 2010 – and fans thought there was drama two weeks ago?  Last year’s Edmonton Indy race was off the charts.  Let’s catch up real quick and give the skinny on last year’s controversial finish.  For the record:  I STILL believe Helio Castroneves was blatantly robbed of a victory and I’m not the only fan that shares that same opinion.

Why was Helio Castroneves the first driver to cross the finish line but not the winner of the race?  Why was he fined and place on probation by IndyCar officials the following week?  Why has Edmonton suddenly changed the layout of this year’s race?

Let’s take a few moments to answer some burning questions as we enter Edmonton for the weekend.  Prepare:  We’re entering a zone where tempers flared in 2010.

» Continue reading “IndyCar Teaser: Will Helio Get Even with Edmonton? Should “wankers” beware of Will?”

With this week being the 100^th anniversary of the Indianapolis 500, I want to give a shout-out to 2011 pole sitter Alex Tagliani who may not be one of the best-known drivers in racing, but certainly deserves recognition as being one of the most resilient.

This week will mark one of the proudest moments in his career as he leads the field of 33 cars down the front stretch to the green flag to start the 100th running of the Indianapolis 500. Let’s take a few moments and get to know him a little bit better:

» Continue reading “Driver of the Week: IZOD IndyCar’s Alex Tagliani”