By John Sturbin | Senior Writer
RacinToday.com
Lotus has been released from its contract to supply engines to the IZOD IndyCar Series after a dismal single-season of domestic open-wheel competition.
“We appreciate the effort that Lotus made in helping return manufacturer competition to the IZOD IndyCar Series,” Brian Barnhart, INDYCAR’s president of operations and strategy said Friday morning. [...]

Reigning champion Ryan Hunter-Reay will sport a modified version of the No. 1 during the 2013 IZOD IndyCar Series season while continuing to acknowledge a very personal crusade against cancer.
The No. 1 on Hunter-Reay’s DHL Dallara/Chevrolet will be bisected by the No. 28 in recognition of the 28-million people living with cancer worldwide. Hunter-Reay’s mother, [...]

By John Sturbin | Senior Writer
RacinToday.com
On a to-do list topped by “Date a celebrity,” 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Brad Keselowski has added “Buy a tank” en route to what appears to be the inside track to the Driver of the Year award.
We’ll get to that possible tank purchase by “Bad Brad” in a [...]

By John Sturbin | Senior Writer
RacinToday.com
Elliott Sadler and his primary sponsor have found a new home at Joe Gibbs Racing for the 2013 NASCAR Nationwide Series season.
Sadler, NNS championship runnerup by 23 points in 2012, will drive the No. 11 Toyota Camry next year with primary sponsorship from OneMain Financial, a personal loan solutions company. [...]

Graham Rahal, 23, has signed a multi-year contract to compete in the IZOD IndyCar Series for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing (RLL) – a team his father, 1986 Indianapolis 500 winner and three-time Indy car champion Bobby Rahal co-owns with “CBS Late Show” host David Letterman and Mi-Jack co-owner Michael Lanigan.
TBC Retail Group, who has sponsored [...]

Randy Bernard is out as CEO of the INDYCAR Series.
The board of directors of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Corporation convened a special meeting Sunday and afterward announced that Bernard will relinquish his position effective immediately.
Indianapolis Motor Speedway Corporation President and CEO Jeff Belskus was appointed as interim CEO of INDYCAR.
“We are very grateful for the [...]

By Jim Pedley | Managing Editor
RacinToday.com
The INDYCAR Series on Friday denied reports that CEO Randy Bernard has been fired.
“Randy has not been fired,” INDYCAR spokesperson Amy Konrath told RacinToday.com on Friday afternoon. “His employment status has not changed.”
The Indianapolis Business Journal reported earlier in the day that “sources familiar with the situation” said that Bernard [...]

By John Sturbin | Senior Writer
RacinToday.com
Speculation surrounding Tony George’s ownership pursuit of INDYCAR was rekindled over the weekend following his resignation from the board of directors of Hulman & Company.
The board issued a statement accepting George’s resignation, effective Friday, from his family’s Terre Haute, Ind.-based business.
“Tony George has made the difficult decision to resign from [...]

An expanded 19-event lineup featuring three doubleheader weekends, and the return of open-wheel racing to Pocono Raceway, highlight the 2013 IZOD IndyCar Series schedule released Sunday night.
With a 400-mile race at Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pa., joining the 500-mile events at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Auto Club Speedway in Southern California, sanctioning body INDYCAR [...]

Recently crowned 2012 IndyCar champion Ryan Hunter-Reay has been named recipient of the Driver of the Year Award for the third quarter of the 2012 season.
Hunter-Reay, who drives for Andretti Autosport, beat NASCAR’s Brad Keselowski in the voting.
The panel of 21 broadcasters and journalists gave 10 first-place votes to Hunter-Reay, who totaled 138-points. Keselowski received [...]