Oh, the places we’ll (hope to) go!

Yesterday, INDYCAR announced that the IZOD IndyCar Series will race in China during the 2012 season. With seemingly a whole world of possibilities for the sport moving forward, we wanted to know: What is the ONE track you’d add to the schedule if you could?

We were amazed at the outcome, with votes and opinions pouring in. Thanks to everyone who participated on twitter and facebook. We appreciate your opinion and hope you have fun reading the results!

The Runners-Up:

One vote each: Vancouver, Eurospeedway Lausitz, Spielberg, Zandvoort, Denver, Streets of Linz, San Jose GP, Brands Hatch, Key West, Austin (TX), Boise (ID), Daytona, Pikes Peak, Road Atlanta, Monaco, Charlotte Motor Speedway, Homestead, Streets of Columbus (OH), Rockingham (UK), The Springfield Mile, Walt Disney World Speedway, San Jose, Dijon-Prenois, Mexico City, Streets of Chicago

Two votes: Montreal, Spa-Francorchamps, Las Vegas Strip, Kansas, Silverstone, Nazareth, Mount Tremblant, Ovals (anywhere)

Three votes: Surfers Paradise, Circuit of the Americas, New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Gateway, Mosport

 Four votes: Kentucky Speedway, Portland

Six votes: Laguna Seca

Eight votes: Richmond International Raceway, Phoenix, Watkins Glen

Nine votes: Cleveland

Ten votes: Chicagoland Speedway, Pocono, IMS Road Course

(Are you getting excited?!) Here are your Top Three:

#3: Michigan International Speedway (13 votes)

#2: The Milwaukee Mile (15 votes)

And the #1 place (by a HUGE margin) that you’d like to see on the IndyCar schedule:

ROAD AMERICA! (45 votes)

 

 

Simona’s Off-Season Workout Playlist

Yesterday, we asked for some help in compiling a great playlist for Simona to work out to in the off-season. Between our fans on facebook and twitter, we came up with a terrific, 99-song playlist for her! Not only is she sure to be motivated during her two- or three-a-days this winter, but now YOU can refresh your playlist with the help from your social media friends!

Thanks to everyone who contributed to the list. Now it’s time to get rockin’!

1. Stronger – Britney Spears
2. Survivor – Destiny’s Child
3. Anything by Saxon
4. Pre-1987 Whitesnake
5. We Found Love – Rhianna
6. In the Dark – DEV. Faster
7. Kill Pussycat – Oakenfold
8. Let it Rock – Kevin Rudolf
9. Don’t Stop Me Now – Queen
10. Sheer Heart Attack – Queen
11. Let’s Turn it On – Freddie Mercury
12. Iron Maiden – Iron Maiden
13. Push It – Salt & Peppa
14. I’m So Excited – The Pointer Sisters
15. Eye of the Tiger – Survivor
16. Anything by Eisbrecher, Oomph! and Rammstein
17. Wildest Dreams – Iron Maiden
18. You and I – Lady Gaga
19. Run to the Hills – Iron Maiden
20. Rocky 4 Soundtrack
21. RESPECT – Aretha Franklin
22. Ace of Spades – Motorhead
23. Hot Rockin – Judas Priest
24. The Fire Burns – Killswitch Engage
25. Barracuda – Heart
26. Pedal to the Medal – Kazzer
27. Because I’m Awesome – The Dollyrots
28. Combat Disco Music – Apparatjik
29. Don’t Stop Believin – Journey
30. Under and Over It – Five Finger Death Punch
31. Riot – Three Days Grace
32. I Can’t Drive 55 – Sammy Hagar
33. We Will Rock You – Queen
34. Anything by Beastie Boys
35. Wasted Generation – Steel Dragon
36. Highway Star – Deep Purple
37. Reach for the Sky – Firehouse
38. It’s Raining Men – The Weather Girls
39. Not Afraid – Eminem
40. Lose Yourself – Eminem
41. Walk – The Foo Fighters
42. My Own Worst Enemy – Lit
43. Just a Girl – No Doubt
44. Suite Madam Blue – Styx
45. Crystal Ball – Styx
46. Miss America – Styx
47. Pork Chops & Gravy – The Ink Spots
48. I’m Shipping Off to Boston – Dropkick Murphys
49. Nightrain – Guns N Roses
50. Bad to the Bone – George Thurogood
51. She’s Got the Jack – AC/DC
52. Who Are You – The Who
53. Welcome to the Jungle – Guns N Roses
54. Kickstarts – Example
55. Green Light – Roll Deep
56. Rock Party Anthem – LMFAO
57. Wild Side – Motley Crue
58. Kickstart My Heart – Motley Crue
59. Rock This Town – Stray Cats
60. Anything by Sam Cooke
61. Higher – Creed
62. Disney Matterhorn ride yodel music
63. Don’t Stop Me Now – Queen
64. Chapel Song – We Are Augustines
65. Porkchop Sandwich – ZZ Top
66. Unbreakable – Pride of Lions
67. Speedway at Nazareth – Mark Knopfler
68. Wasted Years – Iron Maiden
69. The Swiss national anthem
70. Possum Kingdom – Toadies
71. Tubthumping – Chumbawumba
72. Speed Racer – Alpha Team
73. Life in the Fastlane – Eagles
74. The Distance – Cake
75. The Final Countdown – Europe
76. Just Couldn’t Tie Me Down – The Black Keys
77. Aeroplane Blues – The Black Keys
78. Far Beyond Driven – Pantera
79. Blame it on the Alcohol – Glee Cast (for the cooldown)
80. Country Girl Shake it for Me – Luke Bryan
81. Loca Loca – Shakira
82. The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner – Iron Maiden
83. Anything by Slayer
84. Anything by Pantera
85. Gypsy Lullaby – The Screamin’ Cheetah Wheelies
86. That’s Right – Lyle Lovett
87. Guitar Hero – Amanda Palmer
88. Short Dress Gal – Carolina Chocolate Drops
89. Real Wild Child – Iggy Pop
90. Tough it Out – Webb Wilder
91. Song #2 – Blur
92. School’s Out for Summer – Alice Cooper
93. Jesus Built My Hotrod – Ministry
94. Black Magic Woman – Santana
95. Le Disko – Shiny Toy Guns
96. The Cities Alive – Rosehot
97. Thunderstruck – AC/DC
98. Stand My Ground – Within Temptation
99. Control – Mute Math

 

HVM Racing Statement Regarding Dan Wheldon

The following is a statement from HVM Racing Owner, Keith Wiggins:

“The IndyCar community – drivers, teams, fans – arrived at the track today to compete and celebrate a championship. Instead, we lost one of the sport’s best. Dan Wheldon was a champion on the track and a great ambassador for the sport. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Dan’s family.

It’s in moments like this that you witness the strength of the IndyCar community. Even though we compete against each other week after week, it’s like we’ve lost a member of our own family. We’ll go forward into the 2012 season by reflecting on the great memories we have of Dan Wheldon.”

 

HVM Racing Kicks Off an Action-Packed Weekend at Las Vegas

October 14, 2011 – Las Vegas, NV – Simona De Silvestro and her HVM Racing team have arrived in Las Vegas for the IZOD IndyCar Series World Championships. With any luck, the season finale will be the culmination of what has been a high-profile season for the team.

De Silvestro and the rest of the stars of the IZOD IndyCar Series arrived in Vegas on Wednesday to kick-off an entire weekend of events. Some of the highlights include concerts, parties, charity blackjack tournaments and unforgettable moments, like Thursday night’s closing of the famed Las Vegas Boulevard for a few parade laps.

Fans were invited to experience the fun at the racetrack as well. On Thursday and Friday, the cars were on track at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, preparing for Sunday’s race. The first two practice sessions went well for HVM Racing, with De Silvestro finishing P3 on Thursday and running over 222 miles per hour both days. Even though they did not have a good qualifying run and will start 30^th, De Silvestro is looking forward to an exciting season finale.

“I’m a little disappointed with the qualifying run, but I think the Nuclear Clean Air Energy car is really good in traffic,” said the Swiss driver. “We have some work ahead of us as we try to advance positions but we’ve done it before and I’m confident in what we can do. The track is pretty fun – it should definitely be a good show for the fans to end the season.”

The IZOD IndyCar World Championship at Las Vegas will take place on Sunday afternoon at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Pre-race activities will begin at 12 p.m. local time and the telecast of the 200-lap competition will be broadcast on ABC.

Simona’s Las Vegas Hide-and-Tweet

As Simona prepares for the IZOD IndyCar season finale race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, she decided to check out the area and get familiar with the attractions. She has four pairs of race tickets/paddock passes to give away to the people with the highest number of correct guesses as to which attractions she’s visiting.

You can either tweet your answers to @HVMracing or enter your guesses below as a comment. Entries will be accepted until 12 a.m. ET. and winners will be announced via twitter tomorrow (Wednesday, October 5). Good luck! Here are Simona’s clues:

1. “I’m about to enter the famous Las Vegas strip. This attraction was created in 1959 and cost only $4,000 to build and install.”
2. “I’m watching more than a thousand spigots of water dance to music ranging from Pavarotti to Sinatra.”
3. “I’m attending a show that features an international cast of acrobats, swimmers, divers & characters performing in, on and above water.”
4. “I’m in downtown Vegas, checking out a free nightly show of more than 12.5 million lights and 550,000 watts of sound.”
5. “I’m listening to an eclectic mix of live music at this legendary location that features a capacity of approximately 1,800 people.”
6. “I’m enjoying a South Beach ambiance! This location that offers 2 saltwater pools, 8 individual pools, cabanas & VIP bungalows.”
7. “Let the good times roll! I’m riding the attraction that lifts you 203 feet and drops you 144 feet.”
8. “I’m excited to do some laps here with Pork Chop and the other drivers of the IZOD IndyCar Series on Thursday, October 13.”
9. “I’m attending this critically-acclaimed show, known to put the entire audience in a state of ‘bluephoria.'”
10. “I’m staring up at one of the Vegas attractions. At 1,149 feet, it stands twice the height of any other building in the city.”

Day Ends Early for HVM Racing at Kentucky Speedway

October 2, 2011 – Sparta, KY – Simona De Silvestro and her HVM Racing crew had a positive outlook going into Sunday’s race at the Kentucky Speedway. Unfortunately, a series of issues ended the day early.

Throughout the race weekend, the Nuclear Clean Air Energy team worked hard to improve the car with each practice session. De Silvestro knew she was dialed in when she went out to qualify on Saturday afternoon, and put the car in P13 to start the race.

The first half of the Kentucky Indy 300 was fairly uneventful for De Silvestro and most of the field. The team planned to pit around lap 140, but brought the car in a few laps early due to a lack of fuel pressure. On restarting the car, as De Silvestro left the pits, with an overheated clutch, the car grabbed and turned her into the inside pit lane wall. After repairs, she was able to go back out for an additional few laps before the burnt clutch ended the team’s day early, putting them in P25.

“It’s obviously not the way I wanted to end this race,” said De Silvestro. “I feel like we had a solid run going. I was making passes and improving my confidence. It’s just unfortunate and I hope everyone in pit lane is okay. I’m proud of my Nuclear Clean Air Energy team for working so hard to give me a good car. We’ll keep trying and hope to bring home a good result at the season finale in Vegas.”

In two weeks, the stars and cars of the IZOD IndyCar Series will finish the 2011 season with grand fashion in Las Vegas. IndyCar has planned a plethora of activities and events for fans, leading up to Sunday’s race. The IZOD IndyCar World Championships at Las Vegas will take place on Sunday, October 16 at 3 p.m. ET. The telecast will air live on ABC.

Simona Delivers in Kentucky with Solid Qualifying Run

October 1, 2011 – Sparta, KY – Simona De Silvestro came to Kentucky with a goal to continue improving her confidence on the ovals. She accomplished that goal – and more – with her qualifying run on Saturday evening at Kentucky Speedway.

During the short race weekend on the 1.5-mile oval, De Silvestro and her HVM Racing team made the most of a packed Saturday schedule that included two practice sessions and the qualifying run. Despite only turning a few laps during the day’s first practice, the Nuclear Clean Air Energy team worked hard during the second session to give their driver a car that she was comfortable with for qualifying.

De Silvestro’s qualifying time of 216.924 puts her in P13 for the start of Sunday’s race.

“I feel very happy with the qualifying run,” said De Silvestro. “I think it’s one of the best positions – if not the best – that I’ve ever had on an oval. I think the Nuclear Clean Air Energy team did an awesome job. The car is really smooth, so it’s helping me with my confidence. I realize that the bigger challenge will come tomorrow in dealing with traffic, but the car has been pretty comfortable all day today, so overall I’m really happy.”

De Silvestro will aim for a solid result on Sunday as she and the other drivers of the IZOD IndyCar Series compete in the Kentucky Indy 300, starting at 2:45 p.m. ET. The 200-lap race will be broadcast live on Versus TV, with pre-race activities beginning at 2 p.m.

Simona Finishes 14th at Twin Ring Motegi

September 18, 2011 – Motegi, Tochigi, Japan – Simona De Silvestro persevered to a fourteenth-place finish during the final IZOD IndyCar race at Twin Ring Motegi.

Starting from the back of the grid, De Silvestro was able to advance to P21 after only 15 laps. She and her HVM Racing team did some large changes throughout the weekend to find speed on the very low grip and tricky circuit. They accomplished their goal on Sunday afternoon, finding speed, putting together some solid laps and gaining positions.

De Silvestro was running in P17 at lap 50. An incident on lap 57 allowed her to advance to P16 and another with two laps to go in the race moved her up to P15. A penalty issued to another driver during the last few laps of the race gave her one more position, putting the No. 78 Nuclear Clean Air Energy car in P14 to finish the final road course of the 2011 season.

“I think overall we can be happy with how the race went,” said De Silvestro. “Where we started was kind of tough, but the car was definitely better in the race. It was difficult to pass out there, but we made it happen a few times. I’m proud of the Nuclear Clean Air Energy team for the work they put in this weekend as we tried a variety of changes. Now we’ll look forward to finishing the season strong in Kentucky and Vegas.”

The stars and cars of the IZOD IndyCar Series head back to the Midwest to compete in two weeks at the Kentucky Motor Speedway. The Kentucky Indy 300 is the 16^th race of the season. Fans can catch all the action at the track on Sunday, October 2 at 2 p.m. EDT or on the telecast, airing live on Versus TV.

HVM Completes Qualifying Effort at Twin Ring Motegi

September 17, 2011 – Motegi, Tochigi, Japan – After an exciting week of travel to the other side of the world, Simona De Silvestro and her HVM Racing team completed their qualifying run for Sunday’s race at Twin Ring Motegi.

On a road course that the IZOD IndyCar Series has never run on, the Nuclear Clean Air Energy team did some experimenting to find speed during the three practice sessions. Unfortunately, the perfect lap just didn’t come together for De Silvestro as she ran in the second, and more challenging, qualifying group. She will start Sunday’s competition from P26.

“I really like the track here at Twin Ring Motegi,” said De Silvestro. “It feels like a European race course and suits my style. We struggled this weekend but I’m confident that we’ll be able to make up positions during the race. I’m proud of the Nuclear Clean Air Energy team for working so hard to make changes as we experimented this weekend. I’ll be doing my best tomorrow to show them it was worth the effort they put forth.”

De Silvestro will join the other drivers of the IZOD IndyCar Series for the Indy Japan: The Final, taking place at Twin Ring Motegi on Sunday, September 18 at 1 p.m. local time. For fans in the United States, the 63-lap race will be aired live on Versus TV at 11:30 p.m. ET.

Thank You Thursday (#TYThurs)

If you’re a fan of the IZOD IndyCar Series, you know what it’s like to be captivated by speed, power, talent, fun, etc. You know what it’s like to look forward to race day and cheer for your favorite driver or team. You know what it’s like to share in the passion of open-wheel racing.

Behind your favorite driver is a hard-working team. Behind that team is a sponsor (or multiple sponsors) that believes in the driver and the sport enough to provide financial backing so that the team can continue to roll out on the grid and entertain us each weekend.

So we’re declaring today “Thank You Thursday,” or #TYThurs. We’re asking you to show your appreciation for our sponsors (and other team’s sponsors too). If you’ve never tweeted them a thank you before, today’s the day! Maybe it’s just a quick thank you or the reason you love IndyCar. Send a tweet, write on our facebook wall or post a comment here. Let’s show them how glad we are that they’ve stepped up to be part of the greatest racing community in the world!

HVM primary sponsors:

The Nuclear Clean Air Energy campaign: @NuclearCleanAir

Entergy Nuclear: @EntergyNuclear

Secondary sponsor:

AREVA: @AREVAinc

Academic & Technology partner:

Purdue University: @PurdueU

Associate sponsors:

Lista office: (no twitter), http://www.facebook.com/listaoffice

Holtec International: (no twitter, but post your thank you below!)

BRM Watches: @MyWatchIsBRM

InterContinental Harbor Court Baltimore: @ICBaltimore

TDS Telecom: @TDStelecom

Baltimore Grand Prix: @BaltimoreGP

Rev1 Power Services: @Rev1PS

Dr. Garcon Footwear: @CasualFootwear

Beyond Payroll: @BeyondPayroll