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 […]

INDIANAPOLIS –  Helio Castroneves has another chance on Sunday to join a very elite group at the Indianapolis 500.
A victory for Castroneves, who will start sixth in the 33-car field, would be his fourth, putting him in a class with only A.J. Foyt, Al Unser Sr. and Rick Mears.
Castroneves figures he has a secret weapon […]

INDIANAPOLIS – Graham Rahal has a picture in his mind’s-eye of the final few laps of Sunday’s Indianapolis 500.
In his vision, he and Marco Andretti are racing for what would be a historic and much-talked-about victory, no matter which way it turned out.
“I think that it would do incredible things for this sport,’’ Graham said. […]

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 Deb Williams | Senior Writer
RacinToday.com
CONCORD, N.C. – When Danica Patrick takes the green flag in Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway it will be the first time in 36 years that a woman has competed in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series longest race.
It also will be the first time in seven years Patrick […]

By Mike Harris | Senior Writer
RacinToday.com
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – Tony Kanaan knows what it feels like to be the favorite to win the Indianapolis 500. It’s happened more than once.
The 37-year-old Brazilian driver also knows what it’s like to fail to meet those expectations each time.
This year, heading into Sunday’s 96th running of the Indianapolis 500, […]

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 Jim Pedley | Managing Editor
RacinToday.com
There was no bumping on Bump Day at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, but IndyCar Series officials did avoid a public relations setback when the field for the 2012 Indianapolis 500 was filled out to its capacity of 33 cars and drivers.
Ed Carpenter, who suffered through a horrible Pole Day on Saturday […]