October 21, 2024

Here is a look at some great old days of Indy Car racing when Champ Car AND the IRL both existed.  It was called "The Split" and friend Paul Zimmermann has written a good book on the whole mess. It was a mess that almost killed Indy Car. Thank you Tony George for almost destroying Indy Car racing.

The Time Warner Cable Road Runner 225 was the Champ Car race at the Milwaukee Mile on June 4, 2006 with Sebastien Bourdais in the pole position and winning the race. The late Justin Wilson took second and Nelson Philippe third.

Got to be friends with French driver Nelson Philippe who had a very sore neck during practice. I had some Bio Freeze in my truck that I use and I gave it to him to help calm his neck pain down a bit. It did, and he gave me his helmet visor for being nice!

Alexander Tagliani destroyed his car in practice right in front of me in turn 4 and was very lucky that he didn't get hurt at all. Alex was Will Power's teammate that year for Derrick Walker and Aussie Vineyards racing.

The Champ Car was a beautiful looking car and the Aussie Vineyards and McDonalds liveries are beautiful. Really a lot better looking than the IRL race car and faster I believe.

Justin Wilson led 61 laps, Katherine Legge 12 laps and A.J. Allmendinger led 7 laps.

Enjoy a look at some pretty cars and a mangled wreck of Alex Tagliani's car.

Thanks,

Rich Zimmermann

September 23, 2024

My last blog was on the qualifying for the Milwaukee Mile Hy-Vee 250 races held August 31 and September 1. Today's blog is on the two races that weekend.  Conor Daly made the most passes EVER done at the Milwaukee Mile during a race even with 42 passes!

Pato O'Ward won the first race with Will Power and Conor Daly following behind. Ten more laps and I think Will Power would have caught Pato.

Scott McLaughlin won the second race with Scott Dixon and Colton Herta close behind.

It was fun, the weather was good and there were not too many accidents.

The crowd of 42,000+ enjoyed the nicely refurbished Milwaukee Mile which is still getting more improvements in the future thanks to the state of Wisconsin and Roger Penske Indy Car Corporation.

On a personal health update I will get a neph tube placed in my back going to my left kidney on Wednesday. Cancer cells are back and after the neph tube heals for a month I get 6 infusions of BCG. Hope this kicks it's ass and gets rid of it.

Racing season is done and cameras and lenses are getting cleaned so bring this treatment on!

Be well all and enjoy a look at the races a few weeks back.

Thanks,

Rich Zimmermann

September 9, 2024

On Friday, August 30th I turned 70 and the Indy Cars came into town to the Milwaukee Mile where they haven't raced in years. Qualifying took place at my favorite race track and to me it's the best portrait session a photographer can get with the Indy Car racers because they go out 1 at a time.

This blog is just on the qualifying on Friday but two races were held August 31 and September 1 with the Hy-Vee Milwaukee Mile 250s. The racing will be the next blog but enjoy the qualifying and a look at the tight confines of the present day Indy Car cockpit. It's a little different now with the nice air conditioning and blowers that they all have hooked up while waiting to get going.

The Indy NXT cars look a little different and notice Yuven Sundaramoorthys helmet with the Wisconsin Badgers football team theme. Very cool and he is from Oconomowoc, Wisconsin.

Each Indy Car driver got 3 laps in qualifying with the second lap being your qualifying lap for race 1 and the third lap your qualifying lap for the second race.

Josef Newgarden won the pole position for race 1 and Scott McLaughlin for race 2.

It was a wonderful weekend of weather and 42,000+ in attendance at the Milwaukee Mile which makes for a very successful weekend!

Enjoy a look at qualifying. The two races will be the next blog coming up.

Thanks,

Rich Zimmermann

August 12, 2024

This is Part 2 of my Indy Cars at Road America blog. The race was June 9, 2024 and it's been a busy summer.

Part 1 was on the Indy Cars in the rain qualifying on Saturday June 8, 2024.  I went through 2 pairs of shoes and I was soaked!

So here we look at the race after Linus Lundqvist got the pole position with qualifying on that Saturday in a  great session. Linus finished the race 12th and Will Power finally won a race again and congratulations to him. It's been a while for Will to get a win on a road course.

The race was a tight battle with Josef Newgarden and Scott McLaughlin coming in second and third. Team Penske had the top 3 positions so Captain Roger Penske had to be happy.

A bright spot in the weekend was Indy NXT driver Jamie Chadwick taking pole position and dominating their race for the win. Remember that name because she has a great future and is a really nice person. She is car #28 here in a few photos and Louis Foster in the #26 finished second.

Enjoy a look at a fun and exciting weekend.

On a personal note I have mentioned before that I have stage 2 bladder cancer and today is another big day with another blue light cystoscopy procedure to try to figure out where the cancer cells are coming from. Keep me in your thoughts today.

Thanks,

Rich Zimmermann

July 15, 2024

The annual Road America visit for Indy Car this past year was a memorable one with rookie Linus Lundqvist grabbing the pole position for the first of his career!

This blog is just part 1 of a few blogs to come on the Indy Car drivers as it was an amazing weekend of rain and fun.

Saturday, June 8th was qualifying day and it did not disappoint. The rain made it very exciting.

The rookie drivers were showing up strong but the final six drivers going for the pole position in the Firestone Fast 6 qualifying session came down to the following drivers who then qualified in this order.

Linus Lundqvist

Colton Herta

Marcus Armstrong

Kyle Kirkwood

Will Power

Josef Newgarden

It was a bad day for my man Scott Dixon qualifying 10th as was the race the next day where he finished 21st.

Will Power won the race and that was long overdue for him on Sunday.

Here are some qualifying photos and be sure to look how the Indy Car rain tires move that rain!!  Also I got a few glowing brake photos here.

Race photos coming up in the next blog.

Thanks,

Rich Zimmermann

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

Will Power doing the first laps of an Indy Car in 8 years at the Milwaukee Mile on October 18, 2023!

Will Power back at the Milwaukee Mile for a tire test October 18, 2023!

November 20, 2023

One of the best things to have happened recently was the announcement that the Indy Car series is coming back to the Milwaukee Mile in 2024! They will be in Milwaukee on August 31, 2024 for one race and then following day September 2 for another race.

So happy to see that they are bringing the Indy Cars back to the historic Milwaukee Mile. On the morning of October 18th I got to see some of the improvements that are being done to the track and facility.

Firestone also ran a tire test at the Milwaukee Mile and Will Power ran the first laps in 8 years of an Indy Car. Will Power and Team Penske were ready to go at 10am on the dot.

The Team Ganassi car of Linus Lundquist came out a little while later.

Enjoy a look at the first lap and laps of an Indy Car with Will Power at the Milwaukee Mile since the 2015 ABC Supply Wisconsin 250.

Sebastian Bourdais won the race in 2015 but Will Power won it in 2014. Will sure looked as if he enjoyed being back at the Milwaukee Mile.

Go get some tickets and join us August 31st and September 1, 2024 at the Milwaukee Mile.

Thanks,

Rich Zimmermann