Mid-Ohio Saturday Notebook – 2
Also added a photo of the new paint scheme on Dale Coyne's truck below.
08/08/09 After the rain this morning we heard lot of complaints about how bad the current IndyCar is in the wet. Apparently the car likes to run close to the track with a stiff suspension setup (the car handles OK when it is riding low and close to the track to generate maximum downforce. But in the wet you want a softer suspension setup and that means a higher ride height or the car will bottom out. Up high the car doesn't handle at all we are told and ditto with a soft suspension setup. The car also has a lot of weight up high that affects the handling………We ran into Derrick Walker who, as you know is running Justin Wilson's brother, Stefan Wilson, in the Indy Lights series. He hopes to get back into IndyCar next year………Nelson Philippe's father tells us that Nelson wants to be in IndyCar full time in 2010. Philippe recently signed to run a few races for Conquest Racing…….All the IndyCar drivers we talked to want more HP with the Push-to-Pass button. They say the 5 or 10 HP they get now does almost nothing and they would like to see around 75 HP like Champ Car had……..Rumors still persist that Danica Patrick will move to Ganassi Racing which in turn will enable Scott Dixon to move to De Ferran motorsports as that new teams needs at least one driver that has experience with the current car since Takuma Sato has none, and speculation is that Sebastien Bourdais will move back to the USA and race again for Newman/Haas/Lanigan – he was good on the ovals in CART and we know how good he is on the road courses. Many think running sports cars for Peugeot just won't cut the mustard for this long time open wheel driver……..Milka Duno being 8 seconds off the pace had people in the paddock shaking their heads – is this a sport or a
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| Dale Coyne Racing's new truck paint scheme |
show?…………….Dale Coyne Racing's transporter showed up to Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course with a new look. In honor of the team's first win at Watkins Glen in July, Coyne had the transporter outfitted with a new vinyl wrap design that includes a large photo of the entire team, including Justin Wilson's daughter Jane, celebrating in Victory Lane. "The trailer was looking old and tattered and we knew a wrap would freshen it up," team owner Dale Coyne said. "We've been meaning to wrap it but it's been a busy schedule and we haven't been in the shop long enough to do it. After Watkins Glen, we thought it would be a good tribute to the team and everybody that's been with us to do one like this. I've never seen one like this and I don't think anyone has. So, we came up with this idea and put the design together and got it done." According to Coyne, the photo honors not just the current team members, but every person that has worked for Coyne over the years. The transporter will keep its current look for the remainder of the season. Mark C.