August 18, 2025

Been a crazy few weeks around here with chemotherapy, another urinary tract infection and then I got COVID at Road America photographing what you see here of IMSA.

Finally feel normal again and ready to do this blog on IMSA  at Road America where it didn't rain or wasn't super hot. Usually, it rains for  IMSA weekend at some point but not this time.

I wanted my Team Penske and fishing friend Philipe Nasr to get the win but the BMW's of Bobby Rahal's team came away with Dries Vanthoor and Phillipp Eng getting the win. The second BMW came in second with Marco Whittman and Sheldon Van Der Linde.

The Aston Martin Valkyrie with Ross Gunn and Roman De Angelis is an amazing car to hear and see. It sits so low which of course is less drag and makes it so smooth as you watch it go but it didn't win.

Enjoy a look at all the classes running and some beautiful cars.

Thanks,

Rich Zimmermann

The Indy Cars, Indy NXT and USF Pro 2000 at Road America on June 22, 2025 for the XPEL Grand Prix.

July 14, 2025

My last blog was on the Indy Cars at Road America for the XPL Grand Prix.

To get into one of those Indy Cars you have to move up the Indy Car ladder and it's feeder series. That would be the Indy NXT, USF Pro 2000 and of course starting out in go karts that all Indy Car drivers still train in.

The June 22nd weekend I spent only a few hours at the track thanks to the heat and chemotherapy fun. Hopefully I'm done with chemotheraphy for a while and more tests to come to figure out where I stand.

Proof that the ladder series works is Myles Rowe who won Saturday in Indy NXT at Iowa Speedway! First win for him and we will see him in an Indy Car soon I believe. Couple photos here from 2021 at Road America when Myles was talking with my Vintage Indy Registry folks.

Enjoy a look at the USF Pro 2000 cars having a go at the track at Road America.

Thanks,

Rich Zimmermann

June 30, 2025

Just a short blog on Indy Car at Road America on June 22, 2025. It was too hot for this old photographer with cancer.

I went up just for a few hours on Saturday and took a few photos. Shouldn't have as it was 130F in pit lane and it whooped me after finishing chemotherapy a week or so before.

This week I received a new neph tube for future treatments that has knocked me down a bit more. They are only good for 90 days and this is my 4th neph tube.

Alex Palou won the race of course but Scott Dixon was very close to winning it. He was running out of fuel and pitted with just a few laps to go.

Great to see Santino Ferrucci on the podium in third with Felix Rosenqvist in second.

Stay cool and enjoy a few photos of Saturday's qualifying session.

Thanks,

Rich Zimmermann

May 19, 2025

One of the best auto racers to ever drive an open wheel race car was Jacques Villeneuve who was born to race.

His father Gilles Villeneuve past away when Jacques was very young in 1982 driving for Ferrari.  That took the racing bug out of Jacques for just a little while.

By 1994 he was driving a CART Forsythe/Team Kool Green Indy Car.  In 1995 he was driving for Team Kool Green and won the Indy Car Series Championship and the Indy 500!

1996 he moved to F1 and won the F1 Championship in 1997 for Team Williams.

Seemed like he could win in anything and tried NASCAR, Sports Cars and more.

Born in Canada but moved to Monaco when he was 7 and was raised in a Swiss boarding school until the racing bug took over at 17.

I had the pleasure to watch him drive in the Indy Lights and then the 1994 and 1995 seasons in an Indy Car.

Enjoy a few years of some great memories of a great racer and beautiful race car.

Thanks,

Rich

May 5, 2025

Are you ready for the 2025 Indy 500???? I think it's going to be a very interesting show and race on the 40th anniversary of Danny Sullivan's "Spin to Win" Indy victory.

So who are you hoping will win? For me it's Scott Dixon. If not him, then Helio, Pato O'Ward, Will Power, Santino Ferruci, Scott McLaughlin and Conor Daily! Tough choice with such talented group of drivers this year. And don't forget, Alex Palou or Colton Herta if he has a great day which we need for our American F1 racer with Andretti Global.

Going to be a great race to see in person but it's not gonna happen this year for me because of ongoing chemotherapy. Session #6 is the Friday of Indy 500 weekend and it's been pretty rough so far every Friday.  Session #3 was cancelled cancelled because of a urinary tract infection which then extends everything a week.

Enjoy a look at the Indy Cars at last years Indy 500 and a few other races as it's time to focus on Indy Car and IMSA!!

Also checkout the latest IndyCastBrasil.com episode on You Tube with my man Fabio and me discussing Indy Car and IMSA.

Thanks,

Rich Zimmermann

January 27, 2024

Let the racing season begin folks with the 24 hours of Daytona where it was snowing the other day! And rain of course because that is IMSA at Daytona and Road America.

The 24 Hours of Daytona never disappoints as this years was a wild ride!

I did not make it to Daytona this year but watched it of course since I'm dealing with some health issues.

Checkout some of the IMSA cars from Road America last year in 2024.

AND Felipe Nazr and Team Penske win again!!!  Congratulations my fishing buddy!!!!

Thanks,

Rich Zimmermann

December 16, 2024

Since June of 2023 our lives have here been a bit messy here with surgeries and non medical fun for my wife and me. A big Monday and Tuesday here this week but I hope and pray that we are on the right path now.

December 29th last year was really a bad day as all of us lost a great race car driver at just 56 and I think about him a lot. Gil de Ferran was a special racer and a prankster. Gil passed away last year of a heart attack on the Concours Race Track in Opa-locka.  Very sad day and he was having fun with his son that day at the track.

I did not know him very well but had some fun with him at the Milwaukee Mile and Road America.

So I feel the need to look and remember our friend as it's so close to a year that he has been gone.

Gil gave Team Penske it's 100th win and consecutive CART championships in 2000 and 2001.

The Milwaukee Mile put my photo of Gil in the Media Center at the Milwaukee Mile. It's also in one of the suites in the grandstand. It's a picture of Gil sitiing in his car giving a thumbs up. The photo was from 2001 and I've cherished it for a long time in my race room here.

In 2000 Team Penske almost had Gil de Ferran and future superstar Greg Moore who we lost in 1999 as teammates. Who knows what could have happened with Greg Moore and Gil together. Gil would have mentored Greg for sure but without Greg we got Helio Castroneves and Gil mentored Helio very well into the Spiderman!

Enjoy some photos of Gil through the years.

Thanks,

Rich Zimmermann

December 2, 2024

Hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

We went out so no cooking and no dishes to do. It was very nice.

This blog is a continuation of the last blog on the Indy Racing League at the Milwaukee Mile on July 24, 2005 when Sam Hornish won. Dario Franchitti was second and Tom Scheckter placed third.

Take a look at some more photos of the folks and enjoy.

My bladder cancer BCG infusion #5 is tomorrow and then another one the following Monday and hopefully they did their job.

Thanks,

Rich Zimmermann

Enjoy some of the Indy Racing League at the Milwaukee Mile in 2005. Crazy times during the split of Champ Car and the IRL.