By Eddie LePine

The ninth running of the HSR Classic 24 at Daytona presented by IMSA recently concluded and it was everything I expected it would be – a gathering of great cars and good friends to celebrate motorsports.

The unique format, which featured 6 different race groups running 4 race sessions each, formed the basis for the name “Classic 24”. Obviously, most of these priceless machines are no longer meant to run 24 straight hours in anger, hence the sensible HSR Classic 24 format. However, that’s not to say drivers were just tooling around – these races were flat out, with cars and drivers pushing to the limit, and sometimes beyond.

Marcel Fassler with the Cadillac DPi. [Eddie LePine photo]

John Higgins and Dale Oakes with the Porsche Fabcar. [Eddie LePine photo]

Jim Farley’s 1965 Ford GT40 Mk1. [Robert Madara photo]

John Higgins and the Porsche Fabcar. [Robert Madara photo]

Porsche Fabcar crosses the finish line. [Robert Madara photo]

Classic 24 veteran Gérard Lopez and Classic 24 rookie Marcel Fassler (he of Audi Sport and Corvette Racing fame) won both Group A and Group F with Iconic Racing as the first Classic 24 overall double group race winners since the inaugural event in 2014 – a fine job by both of them. Marcel told me that he really enjoys doing vintage racing because of the comradery of the drivers and the relaxed atmosphere at the track. Plus, he loves getting to see and drive some of these classic racing machines.

Other drivers of note who participated in the Classic 24 were old friends Andy Wallace and Butch Leitzinger and it was good to touch base with these legendary drivers, who we all remember from their days driving in the American Le Mans series for Rob Dyson (among other teams).

Also on hand was the President of Ford Motor Company, Jim Farley, a true motorsports enthusiast, who co-drove Jim’s 1965 Ford GT40 Mk1 with none other than Adrian Newey of Red Bull Formula One fame. Newey certainly enjoyed his trip to Daytona, a brief respite from the high-pressure world of Formula One, for some old-fashioned sports car racing. He told me that the schedule for Formula One has become overwhelming and that he was glad to make the trip to Daytona for some much-needed down time – and to get back to racing’s roots. He and Jim Farley are true motorsport Renaissance men, who represent the spirit of the Classic 24 at Daytona.

Also of note, John Higgins was on hand, driving the original chassis #001 Porsche Fabcar, which finished second in class at the 1987 Sun Bank Daytona 24 Hours and then went on to win the Camel Lights class at the Sebring 12 Hours the same year. Now in the White Allen Motorsports collection and superbly prepared by Dale Oakes and his crew at Euro Classics in Dayton, Ohio, the Fabcar ran perfectly and John (driving solo), finished first in class and 2nd overall in the Group C race. It was an excellent conclusion to an storied driving career, as before the race John announced that he would be retiring from competition after this race. Reached in Victory Lane right after his podium finish, however, John admitted that his statement about giving up driving might be a little premature. The car is still strong and the competitive fire still burns in his veins.

Such is the lesson of the Classic 24 at Daytona – keeping history alive and the competitive juices flowing. That’s what it is all about.

In anyone’s book, it was a Classic event.

Eddie LePine

Eddie has been involved in motorsports for over 30 years as photographer, columnist, and driver. Eddie also is now a retired racer (well, retired unless a good ride pops up).

The post HSR Classic 24 At Daytona appeared first on RacingNation.com.

By Eddie LePine & Jack Webster

Lindsay Brewer is making an impact on professional motor racing. Currently in her second season racing for Exclusive Autosport in the USF Pro 2000 Championship, she has an eye on continuing to improve her race craft and moving up the motorsport ladder, and has her eye on eventually graduating to her ultimate goal – piloting IndyCars.

Lindsay is certainly not the first woman to set her sights on a career in professional motor racing – she has been proceeded by pioneering and talented female athletes such as Denise McCluggage (world famous driver, author, journalist and photographer who won the GT class at Sebring in a Ferrari in 1961), Michèle Mouton (the famous Audi rally driver from the 1980s), Lyn St. James (who was known for her great drives in both GT and GTP cars in IMSA, along with IndyCar in the 1980s and 1990s), Danica Patrick (the 2005 Indy 500 rookie of the year, only woman to win an IndyCar race, plus raced in the totally male dominated NASCAR series), Leena Gade (the first female race engineer to win Le Mans with Audi in 2011), and Katherine Legge (superb sports car and IndyCar trailblazing driver, who is still currently racing). Those who proceeded her may have opened the door and led the way, but Lindsay is building upon that foundation and taking her motorsport career to a whole new level.

Lindsay Brewer races through turn 14 at Road America. [John Wiedemann Photo]

Lindsay Brewer heads out to race at Road America. [John Wiedemann Photo]

It is very hard to succeed in motorsports. It is a man’s world, just ask any of those women who have proceeded Lindsay into the racing life. Perhaps back in the day, one could get ahead on talent or connections alone, but certainly not today. Racing is a business – a tough business which is driven by money – vast amounts of it. The most successful drivers are the ones who can attract and keep the best sponsors – and only then do they have the opportunity to show how much talent they have and how far up the ladder they can go. If they don’t come up with the money in the first place, they will never go anywhere. Their dream of racing will just die on the vine before getting a chance to bloom.

How did a young girl living in southern California end up driving race cars, with the goal of eventually driving IndyCars? As Lindsay tells it: “I’m from Colorado originally, so I grew up snowmobiling, four wheeling, jet skiing – a lot of motorized fun stuff. I hopped into a go kart when I was 11 at a birthday party and absolutely fell in love with it. It felt natural to me, I really loved it.”

Here is perhaps what separates Lindsay from most other people. She loved racing, wanted to make a go of it, but knew she needed to be able to bring something to the table for sponsors – something others could not. She took a four-year break from racing to earn a business degree at San Diego State University. While there, she started to pursue and gain a sizeable social media following. As Lindsay says: “I took a bit of a break from racing there, but I knew I always wanted to pursue racing – it was just a matter of finding the funding for it. Racing has always been my one and only goal. I was able to acquire a social media following in the process. It was tough for a few years – but here we are now – we are doing well.”

Doing well indeed. Lindsay has almost three million followers on social media – 2.1 million on Instagram alone. Balancing racing, modeling, posting on social media all while introducing new sponsors to motorsport – it is quite a job and requires dedication and skill.

“Sometimes people give me a hard time for taking a couple of selfies at the track – but it’s what I do to pay the bills for racing. Social media is such an important part of marketing for a lot of companies – so being able to balance social media with my racing is challenging, but a lot of fun.”

Of note, Lindsay is the number one followed racing driver in North America. Let that sink in for a minute. Number one. No one in NASCAR, IndyCar, or IMSA has more followers. It is no wonder that drivers who were initially skeptical of Lindsay’s racing efforts have actually sought her out for advice on how to gain more exposure on social media and make presentations to potential sponsors.

Despite the massive social media following and demands on her time both at the track and away from the track, Lindsay remains down to earth, approachable and humble.

“I love sharing my journey with people. I love meeting followers at the track – especially young girls. You see their eyes light up. They get so excited. This is a male dominated industry, so to give these young girls encouragement is special. I want these girls to know that they can do whatever they want to in life. If you really put your mind to it, you can do whatever guys can do – in business or sport. That’s my favorite part about it.”

Lindsay is living her dream, paying her dues, learning her craft and continuing to build her brand. It is likely that in the future, her name will be listed among those female racing pioneers that proceeded her in the sport as one who inspired countless other young girls to follow in her footsteps.

We’ll be keeping an eye on her as she moves up the racing ladder.

Eddie LePine & Jack Webster

Jack Webster has been shooting motorsports since the early 1970’s, covering Formula One, CanAm, F5000, TransAm, GrandAm and American Le Mans races, among others. In addition to his photography, he has also worked on racing teams, both in IMSA and IndyCar, so has a complete knowledge of the inner workings of motorsport. Both his photography and writing can be seen here on racingnation.com. Eddie LePine has been involved in motorsports for over 30 years as photographer, columnist, and driver. Eddie also is now a retired racer (well, retired unless a good ride pops up). You can usually find Eddie in the paddock area, deep in conversation with a driver.

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The post Role Model appeared first on RacingNation.com.

By Eddie LePine

I’m just back from my annual trek to Southern California for the Long Beach Grand Prix weekend. As usual, it was a whirlwind week with almost too much to see and do but I did my best to fit as much in as I possibly could.

For me, the race week started with my flight from Orlando to LA, arriving in time to attend the Road Racing Drivers Club dinner. This year the event honored Jacky Ickx and it was great to see old sports car racing (and Formula One) teammates Mario Andretti and Jacky Ickx together once again in front of the sellout crowd at the Long Beach Hilton. Also on hand was Derek Bell, who was Ickx’s co-driver on three of his six Le Mans wins. Ickx was obviously very pleased with the entire evening. Ickx: “First of all, I am touched, very touched. It is very emotional. But it’s even more emotional when you think that this honor is also honoring the people that make racing possible. They are part of it. Not only those who get the light on top of them.”

Race winners. [Eddie LePine photo]

Team Penske. [Eddie LePine photo]

Mario and his old ride. [Eddie LePine photo]

Historic Formula One winner Patrick Long and the Williams. [Eddie LePine photo]

Nick Tandy and Mathieu Jaminet practicing driver change. [Eddie LePine photo]

Derek Bell, Jacky Ickx, Mario Andretti, Bobby Rahal. [Eddie LePine photo]

There is a reason this race event is called ‘America’s Monaco’ and that is because it has a feel like no other race that I go to. Combine an excellent IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship race, the IMSA Porsche Deluxe Carrera Cup race, Stadium Super Trucks, Historic Formula One cars and finally the NTT IndyCars in the Acura Grand Prix on Sunday and you have a very full event indeed. There is just a special feel about being in Long Beach during race week.

It was great to see the Historic Formula One cars on the track at Long Beach, as they have such a storied history at this circuit, as they raced there from 1976 through 1983. The last driver to win a Formula One race at Long Beach was John Watson in 1983 while the first driver to win an IndyCar race at Long Beach was Mario Andretti in 1984. Seems fitting that Mario was on hand at Long Beach to watch one of his old JPS Lotus rides run in the F1 race. The historic F1 race was won by former Porsche factory driver Patrick Long, driving a Williams FW 08C.

In the IMSA WeatherTech race I got to see history being made as the Porsche Penske 963 won its first race. Mathieu Jaminet and Nick Tandy took a fine win with BMW taking second and the second Penske entry finished third. Once again, it was a terrible finish for the Wayne Taylor Racing (with Andretti Autosport) Acura, with Ricky Taylor crashing out with two laps to go while trying to put a pass on Jaminet in the Porsche. Jaminet’s Porsche ran the entire 100-minute race on just one set of Michelin tires and those fading tires were the reason Taylor thought he could make the pass for the lead and the win. Perhaps things would have turned out a bit differently if he had only waited for another corner or two to make his attempt. We will never know. Amazingly, the race only featured two yellow flags – one on lap one for Sebastien Bourdais’ spin at the start and the one at the finish due to Taylor’s crash.

Jaminet after the race: “The team did an amazing job. They put us in this position. We didn’t take tires and we overcut the 10. And we could pass the BMW which was on his out lap and leading the race. It was big pressure at the end because I wanted new tires but I was pretty much playing with minds. I saw the 10 sending it into one, and I thought, shoot that’s late! That looks late! I’m just super happy.” About that late race pass attempt by Taylor: “It was really a late launch from him. Luckily, I saw him. I was like, there is no way he’s making this stick and that’s exactly what happened. Luckily, we got through. Again, thanks for the team they did a great job. It’s been a long year and a half developing this car and putting the team together. Finally, the rewards are coming. Great day for us.”

Suffice to say, that after losing the Rolex 24 by 4 seconds, crashing out at Sebring and now crashing out at Long Beach, the WTR squad will be looking to regroup to get back into the championship hunt.

In the NTT IndyCar race, it was a very successful day for Michael Andretti’s team, as Kyle Kirkwood took his first win, followed closely by teammate Romain Grosjean. Marcus Ericsson finished third for Chip Ganassi Racing with Colton Herta in another Andretti entry finishing fourth.

Another Long Beach race week is now in the history books. I am already looking forward to coming back next year.

Until then, see you at the races.

Eddie LePine

Eddie has been involved in motorsports for over 30 years as photographer, columnist, and driver. Eddie also is now a retired racer (well, retired unless a good ride pops up).

The post Long Beach Diary appeared first on RacingNation.com.

This year was the 28th edition of the Amelia Island Concours D’Elegance at the Ritz Carlton Golf Club, the event is now simply referred to as “The Amelia” since the changing of the guard a couple of years ago, when Concours founder Bill Warner turned the event over to the capable hands of Hagerty.

Jeff Gordon’s ride [Eddie LePine photo]

Porsche legends Hurley Haywood and Alwin Springer [Eddie LePine photo]

Porsche 908 [Eddie LePine photo]

Historic Corvette. [Eddie LePine photo]

Hagerty has certainly put their mark on the event, and Bill Warner handing it over to them was a very wise move, as it looks as though “The Amelia” will continue to go from strength to strength.

This year’s edition honored NASCAR legend Jeff Gordon, who was on hand for the festivities along with a nice selection of his cars. The crowd was massive this year, larger than I recall ever seeing at this event in the past, and I have been coming here for over 20 years. Around 25,000 people attended, a virtual sell out and they enjoyed wonderful Florida weather and the beautiful cars and people that are drawn to this event annually.

The event raised nearly $150,000 for charity this year, continuing the tradition which founder Bill Warner established at the very first Concours. During Bill Warner’s stewardship of the event, over four million dollars were raised for charity.

Auctions have become a huge part of “The Amelia” and this year was no exception, with RM Southeby’s, Gooding & Company and Bonhams combining for over $178,000,000 is sales. Wow. The collector car business is very healthy.

“The Amelia” continues to be a ‘must attend’ event for automotive enthusiasts every March. I know I look forward to it every year, and can’t wait for next year’s edition.

Until then, I’ll be seeing you on the road.

Eddie LePine

Eddie has been involved in motorsports for over 30 years as photographer, columnist, and driver. Eddie also is now a retired racer (well, retired unless a good ride pops up).

The post The Amelia appeared first on RacingNation.com.

By Eddie LePine

Once again, IndyCar and IMSA combined forces to put on one of the finest racing events held in the US – The Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach.

It was nice to get back to a somewhat ‘normal’ Long Beach event, with large crowds of spectators able to take in the sights and sounds of what has become the ‘must see’ racing event of any season. Long Beach is literally America’s Monaco.

Helio Castroneves and Rick Mears - both 4-TIme Indy winners. [Eddie LePine photo]

Alex Gurney next to his dad’s creation. [Eddie LePine photo]

Josef Newgarden, Indy race winner. [Eddie LePine photo]

Romain Grojean’s car being prepped. [Eddie LePine photo]

Zak Brown ready to go in his Jaguar. [Eddie LePine photo]

Castrol Jaguar GTP. [Eddie LePine photo]

Patrick Long and Tom Malloy. [Eddie LePine photo]

Grand Prix Association of Long Beach CEO Jim Michaelian did a fantastic job of putting the event together, complete with new title sponsor Acura (Toyota departed after 39 years). There was almost too much to see and do at the event, with Stadium Super Trucks, Super Drift, Porsche Carrera Cup, Historic GTP, concerts, lifestyle expo, not to mention the top races everyone came to see: The IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship 100-minute sprint race on Saturday and the NTT IndyCar race on Sunday.

It was great seeing the Historic IMSA GTP cars in action, as the GTP name is being reborn next season as the new GTP class takes the track in IMSA competition. Zak Brown, CEO of McLaren even felt it was important enough to delay his trip to the Australian Grand Prix to show up at Long Beach and pilot his Jaguar GTP car. It was nice to see recently retired Porsche factory driver Patrick Long on hand as well, driving Tom Malloy’s Leyton House Porsche 962 around the streets of Long Beach. Zak commented to me how excited he was to be able to pilot his Jaguar around the Long Beach street circuit.

A personal highlight for me every year is the Road Racers Drivers Club annual dinner, and this year was no different. This year’s honoree was four-time Indianapolis 500 winning driver Rick Mears and it was a great evening of food, drink and wonderful racing stories. For Rick Mears, it was an overdue honor, as the dinner had been postponed three times due to Covid. For the packed crowd in attendance, the wait was worth it and it was nice to have everyone back together again after such a long absence. Congratulations to organizer Jeremy Shaw for putting together a fantastic evening.

Racing legends Alex Zanardi and Bill Auberlen were honored by Long Beach as the latest members of the ‘Walk of Fame’. Unfortunately, Alex couldn’t attend as he is still recovering from his serious injuries suffered in his racing bicycle accident a couple of years ago. Bill Auberlen was quite humbled and honored to be recognized, as he grew up just down the road from the Long Beach Grand Prix circuit. Ironman Auberlen is still going strong and I am the winningest IMSA driver of all time will continue to add to his victory totals before he is finished.

The races? Almost an afterthought with all that was going on, but on the IMSA side Chip Ganassi once again came out on top with his Cadillac DPi (the #01 car this time) after winning Sebring with his #02 car. Aston Martin took it’s first GTD PRO victory, while Paul Miller Racing took the top spot in GTD with their brand new BMW M4 GT3.

On Sunday in IndyCar, it was Josef Newgarden again taking the win for Penske Racing, after having just won in Texas. Fan favorite Romain Grosjean finished second for Andretti Autosports and Alex Palou rounded out the podium, taking third place for Chip Ganassi Racing.

Once again, it was a Long Beach to remember and I look forward to returning again next year.

Eddie LePine

Eddie has been involved in motorsports for over 30 years as photographer, columnist, and driver. Eddie also is now a retired racer (well, retired unless a good ride pops up).

The post Bigger Than A Race appeared first on RacingNation.com.

By Eddie LePine

It is going to be amazing weekend coming up at Road America. From June 17-20 the NTT INDYCAR Series will make its annual pilgrimage to the scenic and historic Wisconsin road racing circuit – affectionally dubbed America’s National Park of Speed.

From roots established by the original street circuit which ran through the streets of Elkhart Lake from 1950-1952, the legendary Road America 4-mile circuit, a favorite of drivers and fans worldwide, first opened in 1955 and has hosted (and continues to host) racing events from INDYCAR to IMSA sports cars, vintage racecars to NASCAR stock cars. Many in racing compare the track to the Nürburgring in Germany, with its many elevation changes, fast straights and high-speed turns. In addition to the great racing, the track, just down the road from the village of Elkhart Lake, boasts absolutely the finest race track food available anywhere in the world. People travel from all over just to come to Road America for their Brats.

The upcoming race meeting, officially dubbed the NTT INDYCAR Series REV Group Grand Prix presented by AMR, will feature all of the regular teams and drivers from the INDYCAR series, plus supporting events that will include the Radical Cup Series, Indy Pro 2000 and USF2000.

Of special note, and of particular interest to me, Vintage Indy will be on hand with their incredible lineup of historic Indy race cars, and the Road America event will feature a record 29 entries. Fans will be able to see these historic racers on track in several sessions over the weekend, but most importantly, they will be able to see the cars and drivers up close and personal, as the paddock at Road America will be open to fans during the entire NTT INDYCAR race event!

That’s right, the paddock at Road America will be open to fans for the NTT INDYCAR weekend!

Road America is anticipating a record crowd for this event, so if you haven’t done so already, make your plans to attend! This event is going to be one for the record books! Great cars, great drivers, a great race circuit, great fans and great food!

I can’t wait. I grew up in Milwaukee and Road America has always been a family tradition with me. Every year I look forward to returning to one of the finest race circuits anywhere on earth. After spending the day at the track, stop by and say hello in downtown Elkhart Lake – you will find me at the bar at Siebkens.

See you there.

Eddie LePine

Eddie has been involved in motorsports for over 30 years as photographer, columnist, and driver. Eddie also is now a retired racer (well, retired unless a good ride pops up).

The post Road America IndyCar Weekend appeared first on RacingNation.com.

By Eddie LePine

One of my favorite events of the year happens to be one of the closest to where I live in Florida – The Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. I made the trip from Orlando full of excitement and the hope that the race would live up to its promise as a showcase for new talent. This year’s visit by the NTT INDYCAR SERIES was all that it was cracked up to be – a superb race through the streets and airport of St. Pete, with world class drivers showing what they are capable of doing.

Speaking of world class drivers and legends, I was able to spend some time with Mario Andretti and check out a new edition of prints paying tribute to his last Formula One race for Ferrari. British artist David Johnson has created an outstanding tribute to Mario in the Ferrari to follow up on his previously released limited edition of Mario and the JPS Lotus.

Mario Andretti. [Photo by Eddie LePine]

Future stars being interviewed. [Photo by Eddie LePine]

The Wheldon family at St. Pete. [Photo by Eddie LePine]

Ganassi’s strong presence. [Photo by Eddie LePine]

As usual, Mario was gracious and charming as he took time to talk about the prints. Grandson Marco Andretti looked on as Mario discussed driving for Ferrari back in the day. You know, they just don’t make them like Mario anymore. It is always a pleasure to meet with him and listen to his racing stories. What a legend.

Of course, Mario has strong opinions as well, in particular about Formula One. He can see no reason why Colton Herta (who won the St. Pete race in dominating style) should not have an FIA Super license and have the opportunity to race for a top team in Formula One. He believes it would help Formula One really gain a foothold in the US, and with the announcement of the upcoming Miami Grand Prix Formula One race, the timing couldn’t be any better.

Even Mario’s son, Michael Andretti, who has Herta under contract, thinks it would be a good idea – as long as he left to race with a top team, and not a grid filling back marker, where his talents would be wasted. One wonders that if Enzo Ferrari were still alive, Mario would be making a phone call to the Commendatore to plead Colton’s case. And Enzo, who had enormous respect for Mario, would listen!

That is the Andretti family for you – always thinking of the future while paying homage to the past. Mario, the elder statesman and living legend, Michael the son who is one of the top team owners in the sport and grandson Marco, who is looking forward to new challenges in sports car racing. They are all racing royalty.

As evidence of that forward looking vision, Michael Andretti has just signed the late Dan Wheldon’s sons to driver development contracts with Andretti Autosport. In 2011, Weldon had signed a contract to once again drive for Andretti in 2012, but sadly was killed before the contract would have taken effect. So how fitting is it that in support of their Karting careers Michael will support and guide their development as drivers? With the full support of mom Susie, Sebastian (12) and Oliver (10) are headed in the right direction should they want to continue a racing career. They couldn’t have a better mentor.

That’s racing for you. It gets in your blood and the motorsports community becomes your second family. No one knows this better than Susie Wheldon. No one embraces family more than the Andretti’s. No one promotes motorsport, past, present and future more than the Andretti’s.

And that is a fact.

Time to head on down the road for the next adventure….

Eddie LePine

Eddie has been involved in motorsports for over 30 years as photographer, columnist, and driver. Eddie also is now a retired racer (well, retired unless a good ride pops up).

The post On the Road – St. Pete appeared first on RacingNation.com.

By Eddie LePine

Covering the St. Petersburg Indy Car race is an annual event that I look forward to, just like I look forward to going to Long Beach every year. There is something special about the Florida event, held through the streets of St. Petersburg and the runway of the Albert Whitted Airport. The 1.8-mile, 14 turn circuit has something for everyone – from tight turns to high-speed straights. Unlike most street circuits, this one offers plenty of opportunity for passing, and the action at the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg never disappoints. The atmosphere is top notch as well – I like to think of it as Florida’s Monaco Grand Prix.

Josef Newgarden has won the race for Penske Racing and Chevrolet the last two years, taking the win in both 2019 and 2020, but if the race at St. Pete is anything like the opening round last week at Barber Motorsports Park, it will be extremely difficult for him to win for a third time this weekend. The competition is tough – very tough, and the talent runs deep into the field.

At Barber, Pato O’Ward started from pole in his Arrow McLaren and would have likely had a very good shot at winning had the team elected to pit two times instead of the three stops he made in his Chevy powered car. As it was, Alex Palou, driving for the always competitive Chip Ganassi, took the win for Honda, with Will Power second in the Penske Chevrolet, with the always top-notch Scott Dixon taking the final podium spot, also for Chip Ganassi.

The same field of 24 will be lining up for next Sunday’s race at St. Pete, and it promises to be just as exciting as Barber was.

Rookies Jimmie Johnson and Roman Grosjean debuted in IndyCar at Barber, with both finishing the race (Grosjean in 10th, Johnson 19th). They gained good IndyCar experience and both look forward to moving further up the finishing order at St. Pete. In Grosjean’s case in particular, it must feel pretty good to have a car that is capable of running with the leaders, after suffering disappointing races in Formula One in the Haas machine.

On a personal note, I am very pleased to see that Ruoff Mortgage has stepped up to sponsor the Two-seater IndyCar ride, again with Mario Andretti at the wheel. Mario will make his 2021 season debut at St. Pete and I couldn’t be any happier. The NTT IndyCar series would just not be the same without seeing Mario behind the wheel. The living legend from all forms of motorsport is forever young and as fast as ever. Bravo Mario!

I can’t wait to get to the track. See you there.

Eddie LePine

Eddie has been involved in motorsports for over 30 years as photographer, columnist, and driver. Eddie also is now a retired racer (well, retired unless a good ride pops up).

The post On The Road: St. Pete appeared first on RacingNation.com.

Photos by Rich Zimmermann

By Eddie LePine

I am originally from Milwaukee and every year that I am in the area on my way to Road America for a race, I hang out in the old neighborhood. A couple of years ago I attended a very early morning hot yoga class on my way to the track when I met and talked with Erik Krawley, who told me an amazing story about his nephew, Camin Hellmich.

Like me, Camin was from the area (he was a 12-year-old student at Kettle Moraine Middle School, near Road America). Also like me, he was an avid go kart racer. He even raced at Dousman, the same track where I had raced 25 years earlier.

Camin Hellmich and Takuma Sato at Road America. [Rich Zimmermann Photo]

That morning at hot yoga, I heard of Camin’s plight and when I arrived at Road America I reached out to Indy 500 winner Takuma Sato, who graciously recorded a video greeting for Camin.

Fast forward two years to the IndyCar race at Road America in 2019 and I am pleased to say that my guest at the race was none other than a fully recovered Camin Hellmich.

The dark days from 2017 are now a distant memory, and since coming out of that two week medically induced coma and having to learn how to walk and talk again, I am pleased to say that Camin has made a 100% recovery and is in fine shape. As he himself says, “I’m fine now – it’s pretty much a miracle”.

This was his very first visit to Road America and I had the pleasure of introducing him to Takuma Sato in person, who had very graciously made a video for Camin two years earlier after winning the Indy 500. Camin said: “He’s really nice and it’s cool that he did that for me.”

Now 14 years old and graduated from middle school, Camin is looking forward to the future. Perhaps inspired by all the positive messages from the racing community, and in particular Takumo Sato, we may have another racing super star in the making. After all, when he awoke from his coma, his first words were: “When can I get back to racing my go kart?”.

What an inspiring young man.

Eddie LePine

Eddie has been involved in motorsports for over 30 years as photographer, columnist, and driver. Eddie also is now a retired racer (well, retired unless a good ride pops up).

The post Miracle Kid appeared first on RacingNation.com.

By Eddie LePine

The first thing I always notice when I land in California for the Long Beach Grand Prix weekend is the weather. It is perfect. It seems to always be perfect. After the cold and wet at Daytona and this year’s rains at Sebring, it was a nice change of pace.

David Hobbs and Randy Owens. [Photo by Eddie LePine]

Colton Herta being interviewed. [Photo by Eddie LePine]

A very busy Mario Andretti. [Photo by Eddie LePine]

IMSA victors. [Photo by Eddie LePine]

And this event is without doubt, one of the best organized in the world and it is always a pleasure to cover races here. Jim Michaelian and his staff do an outstanding job and for this year’s 45th anniversary race, it couldn’t have been better.

Acura was on board as the title sponsor this year and Roger Penske’s boys certainly did their best to give Acura a victory in the IMSA WeatherTech race (just coming up short to Cadillac). In Sunday’s Grand Prix, Alexander Rossi dominated for Andretti Autosport, winning the race for the second year in a row.

At Long Beach, it has become quite a bit more than an IndyCar race weekend, with IndyCar sharing the stage with IMSA and everything else from trucks to drifting. Add to that Mario Andretti giving two seater IndyCar rides (still going strong as ever at age 79), Hall of Fame inductions, dinners, press conferences and the like and your weekend at Long Beach is quite full of action.

Without doubt, my annual trip to Long Beach is one of the highlights of my season. It truly is America’s Monaco Grand Prix.

Eddie LePine

Eddie has been involved in motorsports for over 30 years as photographer, columnist, and driver. Eddie also is now a retired racer (well, retired unless a good ride pops up).

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