IndyCar Fans

He’s also the keeper of all the IndyCar schwag. So if you’re looking to win something, you better stay close to the stage and know your IndyCar trivia, OR be willing to pull off an incredible stunt.

Anthony remembers one tale of a woman in St. Petersberg who really wanted to win a hat. It was Anthony’s last hat so he said she was going to really have to earn it. And to do that, she was going to have to run 20 laps around the Will Power ride and sing the National Anthem. They made a whole event of it, pulling out the green flag and the checkered flag. She did it, and got the hat.

Another item that really surprised us is the fanaticism for the Japanese driver Takuma Sato. He’s got a huge following everywhere, even in Kentucky we discovered. Anthony chalks it up to Sato being a great guy and driver, and also having a real cool name. But he also believes Sato’s team, KV Racing has done an excellent job marketing themselves through social media.

Lastly, Anthony reviewed some of the events that were going on in the Fan Zone that day, including:

• Autograph session with all 34 drivers
• IndyCar Live and Global sponsored by Ortsbo
• Pinewood Derby
• Contest to win a two seater ride with Mario Andretti
• The band Good Charlotte performing as well

As Pay Mauro pointed out about IndyCar: “There’s nothing that’s more fan friendly than this sport.”

Photo attribution to IZOD IndyCar Series.

“At Oval tracks, it’s all about the level of downforce that you run because with more downforce you get more grip, but you also get more drag, and drag slows the car down,” said Hampson.

Mechanics and engineers prep to get cars ready for the IZOD IndyCar World Championships

Hampson shows us underneath Oriol Servia’s #2 Telemundo car and talks about how to adjust the down force on the back of the under wing.

He also describes how the Las Vegas altitude comes into play saying “the altitude is not cooling the engine very well and because we’re aspirated, not turbo charged, we have less engine power.”

Dan Wheldon after qualifying

It was a horrible tragedy today in Las Vegas as Dan Wheldon died in a horrible crash after just 12 laps in the IZOD IndyCar World Championships.

If you just click on our tag link for Dan Wheldon, you can find all our coverage of Wheldon plus all the interviews we did with him, and his appearance in the IndyCar Live and Global event. But I’ve also assembled all the articles, pictures, and videos below.

Dario Franchitti and Chip Ganassi’s Memories of Dan Wheldon

Photos of Dan Wheldon from Las Vegas

Dan Wheldon Killed on Lap 13 of the IZOD IndyCar World Championships

Wheldon, Franchitti, and Powers Chat with Fans Worldwide

Dan Wheldon on the Diversity of His Career

IZOD IndyCar World Championships: Will vs. Dario

Dan Wheldon on His Qualifying Run for the IZOD IndyCar World Championships

Does Dan Wheldon Have an Advantage in 2012?

Strategy for Sunday’s Kentucky Indy 300

Kentucky Indy 300 Preview

Ortsbo and Indy

Dan Wheldon interviewed by ESPN reporter minutes before he was to race in Las Vegas

“He had an infectious way about him,” said Chip Ganassi. “A little bit of everybody died at IndyCar today.”

“Thank you to all the fans for showing so much respect,” said Franchitti.

Dan Wheldon just before he got into his car for the IZOD IndyCar World Championships

Here’s Randy Bernard, CEO of IndyCar announcing the tragic news.

Here’s the interview we did with Dan Wheldon just yesterday.

Dan Wheldon, IndyCar driver and sometime master of ceremonies, hosted a chat with the two IndyCar drivers vying for this year’s championship title, Will Power and Dario Franchitti.

Dan Wheldon, Dario Franchitti, and Will Power for IndyCar Live and Global powered by Ortsbo

Held at the IndyCar Fan Zone, this was a chat that was available for anyone, as it was being streamed online and people asking questions could ask them from anywhere in their own native language. This was all being made possible by Ortsbo, a real-time translation tool that translates chat-based text instantly in over 53 languages.

Dario Franchitti, Dan Wheldon, David Lucatch, Ortsbo CEO, and Will Power

Ortsbo is also the sponsor of this blog, the Social Racing Grid.

Questions came in from Russia, Macedonia, Brazil, and many more. All wanted to know a little bit about how the drivers prepared for a race, their superstitions (it’s a common question they admitted), how they got started in racing, and what their inspiration was.

There was even a question from IndyCar CEO, Randy Bernard. That one came in English.

I caught a couple of the questions with my camera. Please excuse the shakiness of my camera.

Dario talks about the training a driver must endure to be able to race an IndyCar

Dario talks about racing for his entire life

Dario and Will talk about when and if you can plan to “pour it on”

Dario and Will talk about what pre-race rituals they have

Will admits to his pre-race ritual of eating a peanut butter and banana sandwich

Dan Wheldon is quite the renaissance man as Pat Mauro pointed out. He’s a successful IndyCar driver – having won the Indianapolis 500, did color commentary for Versus, and was the host for “IndyCar Live and Global,” which was a chat with IndyCar fans all around the world made possible by Ortsbo, a real-time chat translator that instantly translates text chat in 53 different languages. Contenders for the championship title, Will Power and Dario Franchitti, were also there. In addition, Ortsbo is the sponsor of this very blog, Social Racing Grid.

Dan Wheldon, Dario Franchitti, and Will Power at Ortsbo's "IndyCar Live and Global!"

While all of these side projects are fun, Wheldon admits that what he really wants to do is be a full-time racer in 2012. It’s what he’s been doing for his entire life, having started racing when he was only four years old.

If Wheldon does come back as a full-time IndyCar driver, he may have a leg up on the competition as he’s already been testing the new cars for 2012.

Wheldon is starting at the back of the grid at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in an effort to win a grand prize of $5 million should he win the race. But he doesn’t get to keep all the money. In fact, he has to split it with a lucky fan. Pat Mauro asked Wheldon if he’s going to be annoyed to give up half the money if he wins. I mean, he did do all the work.

Wheldon laughed and admitted that $2.5 million is still a hell of a lot of money. He actually did get a chance to meet the fan that would get dibs on half that money.

“She said she would put me in a headlock if I doesn’t win,” Wheldon laughed.

Wheldon is pretty much grateful for everything. For the potential to win the money, the fans of IndyCar, and getting some press in the mainstream media.

IZOD IndyCar Pace Car

Photo attribution to IZOD IndyCar Series.

“It was difficult down there in Kentucky, and I think it could be dangerous here in Las Vegas,” de Silvestro told us,

“It was shameful that I ran into the KV guys and I really want to apologize for that.”

Simona de Silvestro

She candidly describes her 2011 as difficult and admits, “having some doubts about my racing and whether I even want to do this.”

de Silvestro is excited about the race in Las Vegas and looks ahead to 2012.

“It’s going to be great to have new cars which should put everyone on a level playing field,” said de Silvestro.