March 25, 2024

So, was that an interesting Indy Car race at The Thermal Club with the Million Dollar Challenge?? Interesting but crushed for Pietro Fittipaldi with his team not giving him enough fuel!!! Congratulations to Alex Palou who now has some extra money for diapers and drinks he said!

This week we take a look back at the 2018 Road America Indy Car race and the Indy Lights racers. During these old times IMSA ran with Indy Car for a fun filled weekend.

Interesting to see the young Pato O'Ward, Aaron Telitz and Colton Herta back in their Indy Lights days. Pato and Colton are in Indy Car now doing well. Aaron Telitz is racing in IMSA doing well in Jimmy Vasser's, Vasser-Sullivan Lexus team.

There are a couple interesting photos of Colton Herta pushing it and spinning out in turn 5 during qualifying. Will Power had an interesting off the track move in turn 6 coming in a little too fast I believe, also during qualifying.

See if you can find the super hot glowing front brakes on Alexander Rossi's car towards the end of my photos here.

For 2017 Indy Car Champ Josef Newgarden, the 2018 race at Road America was great with winning the pole position and the race!

Ryan Hunter-Reay finished second and Scott Dixon finished third.

Enjoy a look at some interesting young men and the days when Robert Wickens was still running Indy Car before his accident. Now he is back in IMSA racing and getting better every day.

Have a wonderful Easter.

Thanks,

Rich Zimmermann

April 4, 2022

In 2007 the Indy Car racing world was very divided. We had the Indy Racing League (IRL), formed by Tony George in 2003 with his Indianapolis Motor Speedway at the helm.  We also had the Champ Car World Series.

From 2003 through 2007 we had the IRL and Champ Car as two separate series. It was a mess and mistake by Tony George that Indy Car is just now recovering from. In 2008 it became one series again called Indy Car as it still is today.

I was photographing the IRL at the Milwaukee Mile and the Champ Cars at Road America each year for four years.

On August 12, 2007, the Generac Champ Car Grand Prix at Road America was held. Race driver Sebastien Bourdais won the race and end up winning his fourth straight championship at the end of the year. Seabass, as we call him, was fast everywhere then and still is now.

Dan Clarke finished second and a very young Graham Rahal finished third.

All of the Champ Car race cars were beautiful and fast looking with great paint jobs.

Enjoy a look at the guys and a young Katherine Legge racing around beautiful Road America.

Thanks,

Rich Zimmermann

July 12, 2021

Last week, I focused my blog on the Vintage Indy Reserve cars. This week, I'm showing you the Indy Cars that ran that same weekend at Road America.

Included in this blog are some Indy Lights, USF2000 and Indy Pro 2000 race cars and drivers.

The Indy Cars are my favorite race cars of all. They never cease to amaze me with what the drivers can do with them! Takuma Sato is a wild driver and his car shows it as the race went on. It will need some bodywork!

After two days of practice and qualifying, it seemed Joseph Newgarden had things under control for the pole and the race. Well, he got the pole position and led a lot of the race but did not win.

Joseph really seemed to have it done until the last few laps when his gearbox had other ideas. Alex Palou won the race and Colton Herta was close behind in second. Will Power finished third followed by Scott Dixon and the Formula 1 racers Marcus Ericsson and Romain Grosjean.

It was interesting to watch NASCAR Champion Jimmie Johnson trying to handle an Indy Car. It's going to take some time for him to get up to speed.

Not so for Formula 1 veterans Marcus Ericksson and Romain Grosjean. Romain really is fast and has adapted very well to Indy Car and is having fun being very competitive. Marcus and Romain will be winning soon I believe.

Check out the photos and enjoy the HOT brake photos taken near the end of the race. One actually looked like it was on fire! Unfortunately I missed that shot though..

Thanks,

Rich Zimmermann

August 6, 2018

This is part three of my blogs on the Indy Car weekend at Road America. We look at images from Sunday here and mostly of the race.

It's amazing how hard these guys drive and how beautiful cars are. They have got to be true athletes to drive these cars the way that they do.

I also have a few images of the victory celebration from the Sunday morning Indy Lights race.

Enjoy some photos of a fun weekend.

Thanks,

Rich Zimmermann

September 28, 2015

Today, Monday September 28, 2015 will go down in history for James Hinchcliffe! It will be the return to the cockpit of his racing car and doing laps at Elkhart Lake!!!

Since James had his horrific crash during practice at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, he has waited for this day. When he woke up from his big accident in the hospital, the first thing he asked about was when can he could get back into his race car! He is a racer and that is all he thinks about.

The second of two testing days is today at Elkhart Lake and it is not open to the public. Too bad I can't see that big smile on his face after a few laps at Elkhart Lake.

I wish him well and I'm sure he will be a little sore tonight after testing day but he will be a happy racer again. The mayor of Hinchtown is back!

Enjoy a look back at James at the Milwaukee Mile in 2014.

Thanks,

Rich Zimmermann

James Hinchcliffe at the Milwaukee Mile in 2014.

August 25, 2014

Milwaukee IndyFest 2014 at the Milwaukee Mile is history and the IRL crews are about to race in California as I write this blog. Early Sunday morning they had earthquakes just a few miles away from the California racetrack.  I hope all are all right and ready to race again.

The Milwaukee race was a good fight for Will Power and Juan Pablo Montoya. I was pulling for Montoya as my other favorite, Helio Castroneves, just wasn't in the picture much during the race.  I think Helio's championship title fight might be over.  There are just not enough races left to gain points for Helio. Milwaukee, once again, isn't good for Helio come race time.

I was very happy to see Matthew Brabham running well in the Indy Lights and I see big things for this young man. His father Geoff, who was at the race, is a great driver coach for his son. Geoff raced Indy cars a bit, but really is famous for racing the Nissan IMSA GTP cars in the 1980's and winning a lot of races.

Matthew Brabham would have won his Indy Lights race if not for a late crash and then a bad restart. He finished P2 and was just heart broken sitting on the wall after the race with his Dad. He is learning quickly what racing is all about.

I hope you enjoy a look at Matthew Brabham, Rick Mears and the rest of the guys.

Have a great week.

Thanks,

Rich Zimmermann