Although still have NO idea if we'll be able to
watch 'N listen to this coming weekend's Indy Lights season's twin finale; Did
the previous mixed B-I-G' BOYZ & selected Lights Driver's test session at
Sonoma garner the title contending trio any useful information?
Originally, I found the coverage upon the combined
Indy Lights/IndyCar Drivers test at Sonoma, Thursday, August 13th to be pretty
meager - having to actually visit Indycar.com's website; YIKES! As there's
nothing wrong with Dave Lewandowski's writing - I just
do NOT enjoy the "Tokyo fly-by-Night" graphics, not to mention the
extremely difficult to navigate NON User Friendly to 'Lucy Screen Reader LACK
'O Interface for Mwah Race Control web-page!
Whew! Try saying that last sentence FAST 5-times!
But credit to Messer Lewandowski
for being first with some news on the test. As the Top-3 Lights competitors Points-wise
Pre-Season Finale at... Wait for I-T!
Uhm, Sonoma? NO! The Lights Boyz will still be racing two weeks after
IndyCar wraps up its season at Sonoma, when will anybody S-E-E the Lights
Season Finale at Laguna Seca Raceway as support races to the Pirelli World
Challenge; this weekend but I digress...
Seven Lights drivers took part in the
proceedings, with five making their B-I-G' CARZ debut at Sonoma, with Spencer Pigot
getting the primo ride aboard Will Power's Team Penske No.
1 mount while Jack Harvey got some Seat-time behind the Schmidt Peterson
Motorsports Dallara-Honda set up by Ryan Briscoe and Ed Jones drove for Rahal
Letterman Lanigan Racing.
As the Bloody Brit' Harvey reportedly had to
leave early Friday, (for a Lights test?) while naturally, he drove for his
Lights team owner's "A Team!" With my favourite quip from Marshall
Pruett's report was Sean Rayhall commenting that his Cardio was good but his
arms felt like they weighed 500lbs after 63-laps aboard Charlie Kimball's #83 Ganassi
Dallara-Chevrolet.
As hopefully
Sean's Crowd Funding initiative panned out for this weekend's Double Header -
or Robin Miller's gonna have a set 'O Cooper tyres on his hands; Hya!
Former F1 driver Nelson Piquet, Jr. got a
surprise invitation to drive for Team Penske aboard Juan Pablo Montoya's #2
Dallara-Chevrolet, being loaned out by KVSH Racing which initially didn't plan
on participating - before giving Ryan Phinny
a ride aboard le 'Hamburgular's, nee SeaBasses (Sebastain Bourdais) #11
Dallara-Chevy.
As Phinny
who's a total unknown to Mwah - having snuck pass my Radar last year at Sonoma,
where he capped his five race Indy Lights comeback as eventual champion Gabby
Chaves team-mate at Balardi Auto Racing, Huh? Drove three races prior for Bryan
Herta Autosports and has an interesting sponsor.
the 25yr old Los Angeles, CA driver is
sponsored by Casamigos, an American Tequila company with one of its owners
being somebody named George Clooney. Yep, thee George Clooney;
Ariva-Ariva-Ariva!
While Phinny already knows KV-XP-Caladrocious'
thanks to his debutant IndyCar test this past February at Sebring when he was vying
for the team's second seat - which went to Monaco's Stefano Coletti instead.
As Ryan reportedly was noticed taking great
glee from spinning the tyres, which Rayhall was also prone to doing - along
with bangin' gears; Err slappin' Paddle shifters; Hya!
Hmm? Could Phinny's somewhat surprising tryout be
geared toward a future drive in Indy Cars? Especially if the series goes to
Mexico City next year - which would tie-in nicely with his sponsor, eh?
CouldPhinny and Casamigos be in Indy Cars in 2015?
Piquet, Jr. was reportedly brought in to give
Pigot a little friendly competition and see how
the 22yr old Californian faired against some top flight talent, albeit he's
done exceedingly well vs. another ex-Formula 1 driver; Carlin's rookie Max
Chilton this season.
Lastly, Mathew Brabham, the other Lights
driver to have previously tested an IndyCar, and sadly is currently sitting on
the sidelines, chauffeured Justin B-I-G' UNIT Wilson's #25 Dallara-Honda before
giving way to Marco Andretti during the afternoon session.
Jack Harvey leads the points table at 301, a
slim six points ahead of rookie Spencer Pigot,
(295) with fellow rookie Ed Jones a further 12-markers back, (283) with
62-points maximum on offer for the remaining two races - if I've done my math
correctly?
As the entire Mazda Road To Indy (MRTI) trio
of Open Wheel Racing categories, i.e.; USF2000, Pro-Mazda and Indy Lights will
serve as support races Saturday & Sunday to the Headliner Pirelli World
Challenge series, also hosting its season finale at Laguna Seca September 11-13.
While as I've already belabored the point.
Have NO idea if Y'all may or may not be able to tune into the MRTI events via Indycar.com's
website this weekend? So if anybody knows, please shoot me an answer via the
Comments section below...
As inquiring Minds wanna know; Chirp-Chirp,
Bueller? Who'll win the '15 Lights title, and more importantly, how many of
these talented Drivers will graduate to Indy Cars in the future...