John Sturbin, Senior Writer
John Sturbin joined the staff of RacinToday.com after a 35-year career in the daily newspaper business, the last 12 as nationally recognized motorsports beat writer at the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. He was point-man for the paper’s expanded and award-winning motorsports coverage beginning in the mid-1990s, centered around NASCAR and IndyCar series events at Texas Motor Speedway. Sturbin covered his first Indianapolis 500 in 1980, and has staffed “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” every year since. He regularly has covered the National Hot Rod Association’s annual event at Texas Motorplex in Ennis since the mid-1980s. A native of Rome, N.Y., Sturbin first followed the careers of NASCAR Modified champions Richie Evans and Jerry Cook at Utica-Rome Speedway in Vernon, N.Y., as a fan before eventually covering both drivers as sports writer at The Daily Sentinel. While at The Sentinel, Sturbin began staffing Formula One’s annual autumn visit to Watkins Glen International during the mid-1970s. Since moving to Fort Worth in October 1978, he has covered Formula One events on street circuits in Dallas and Phoenix and at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Sturbin’s international travels while covering professional boxing led to a freelance assignment staffing the 1989 24 Hours of Le Mans for The Associated Press. He also has authored freelance articles for numerous clients, including Texas Motor Speedway and Atlanta Motor Speedway. John has served as a voting member of the Driver of the Year media panel since 1996, as well as various industry-related hall of fame selection committees. Sturbin received the prestigious Bloys Britt Award in motorsports, as judged by The Associated Press, for a feature on IndyCar icon A.J. Foyt Jr.’s rehabilitation from devastating foot and leg injuries. He also is a past recipient of the National Hot Rod Association’s Media Award. During his tenure at the Star-Telegram, Sturbin received numerous in-house awards for motorsports coverage, including Editorial Employee of the Month and Spot News Story of the Year for his report on the death of seven-time NASCAR champion Dale Earnhardt in February 2001. In addition to his motorsports resume, Sturbin logged two stints covering the Dallas Cowboys as backup beat writer. He also has covered the NFL, Major League Baseball, NBA, NHL, NCAA football and basketball, World Gymnastics Championships and various high school and semi-pro sports. A graduate of Utica (N.Y.) College, Sturbin is a classic car and motorcycle enthusiast. He resides in Southwest Fort Worth.
Articles by John Sturbin
By John Sturbin | Senior Writer
RacinToday.com
Street-course ace Will Power topped the combined practice time/speed chart Friday for the Chevrolet Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix, where the Raceway at Belle Isle Park left at least one IZOD IndyCar Series driver breathless.
“I have no more air left in my lungs. That is good fun,” Simon Pagenaud said [...]
By John Sturbin | Senior Writer
RacinToday.com
Dario Franchitti earned $2,474,280 from an overall purse of $13,285,815 for his victory Sunday in the 96th Indianapolis 500, the Scotsman’s third win in “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.”
Franchitti is just the 10th driver to win the crown jewel of open-wheel racing at least three times, having previously prevailed at [...]
By John Sturbin | Senior Writer
RacinToday.com
The man who replaced Danica Patrick at Andretti Autosport is not too proud to get in touch with his feminine side, right down to the long, black hair of the wig gracing his official INDYCAR credential.
That wig is the hairpiece James Hinchcliffe wore during driver introductions for the IZOD IndyCar [...]
By John Sturbin | Senior Writer
RacinToday.com
Carb Day at Indianapolis Motor Speedway is for sending messages, and the word from Dario Franchitti and Scott Dixon is that Target Chip Ganassi Racing is good to go for Sunday’s 96th running of the Indianapolis 500.
Franchitti, the Indy 500 champion in 2007 and 2010, topped the speed chart during [...]
By John Sturbin | Senior Writer
RacinToday.com
Lotus’ underpowered IZOD IndyCar Series engine program will have to compete “as-is” during Sunday’s 96th running of the Indianapolis 500.
INDYCAR, sanctioning body for the open-wheel series, announced Tuesday that all three engine manufacturers would run the scheduled 200-lapper around Indianapolis Motor Speedway with a boost level of 130 kilopascals (kPa) [...]
By John Sturbin | Senior Writer
RacinToday.com
The Lotus-powered Dallaras qualified by Simona de Silvestro and Jean Alesi in Row 11 for the 96th running of the Indianapolis 500 are re-defining the concept of “field-fillers” at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
On a Bump Day when a lack of new Dallara DW12 chassis and available 2.2-liter, turbocharged V-6 engines from corporate [...]
Ryan Briscoe’s pole-winning run for the 96th Indianapolis 500 looms as the perfect vehicle to alter the Australian’s image as “third-wheelman” at Team Penske.
Largely overshadowed by Helio Castroneves and Will Power during his four-plus-year tenure at Penske, Briscoe figures to spend much of the week leading up to Sunday’s green flag eloquently chatting-up “The Greatest [...]
By John Sturbin | Senior Writer
RacinToday.com
Marco Andretti is poised to rock his world, and add to his family’s star-crossed history at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, during Pole Day qualifications Saturday for the 96th running of the Indianapolis 500.
Aided by an increase in turbocharger boost pressure, Andretti topped the speed chart on Fast Friday with a lap [...]
A change in turbocharger boost pressure promises to increase speeds, engineering data and perhaps anxiety levels for IZOD IndyCar Series teams during Fast Friday practice today at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Setup data collected during six days/35 hours of practice this week for the 96th running of the Indianapolis 500 on May 27 largely will be shelved [...]
The life of two-time/reigning Indianapolis 500 champion Dan Wheldon will be honored during a variety of activities leading into the 96th running of the race on May 27.
Wheldon earned his second Indy 500 victory in dramatic fashion at Indianapolis Motor Speedway last May 29, taking the lead for the first and only time on the [...]