We’ve heard countless times how a race can be won or lost in the pits. For Oriol Servia and his Newman/Haas Racing Team, it seems to be more the rule than the exception lately, as pit stop problems have plagued the team for the second straight week at the Iowa Corn Indy 250.
Just a week prior at the Milwaukee Mile, we saw Servia fight his way back through the field after the failure of a pneumatic impact gun led to a devastating pit stop that quite possibly cost the team of the #2 Telemundo car the race win, instead delegating them to the third podium spot.
Now, while these things happen from time to time, they’re not supposed to happen ALL of the time. But in Iowa, Servia saw a second straight race foiled due to poor pit performance. While the team had excellent pit strategy the first half of the race, risking an early stop that may have boomeranged them back to the front of the field had the yellows fallen in their favor, the second half of the race wasn’t so pretty.
Upon his third stop of the race following a hard crash by Will Power, Servia was already running a heavier fuel load due to his prior stop. So naturally he should have easily beaten everyone else out of the pits, needing much less time to refuel. However, what conspired was quite different as Oriol found himself held behind longer than the rest of the field after a miscommunication amongst the crew. Servia found himself in a Groundhog Day situation, again fighting his way through the field from the very same position in which he started (just like a week prior). And if that weren’t enough, on the following stop after fighting his way up to sixth position, Servia and his crew suffered another equipment failure as the fuel probe malfunctioned, relegating the Spaniard to a 14th place finish and dropping him one position in the championship standings.
Posted by Shelly Paul, Servia Squad Feature Writer
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Mr. Popular, Mr. Milwaukee Mile
OK, so I realize this title has already been used for a blog, but after seeing Spaniard Oriol Servia’s boost in notoriety again over the weekend at The Milwaukee Mile, I promised the Servia Squad that that’s how it would stand.
I vaguely recall the days (back in 2000) when Oriol would wander the paddock as a rookie, virtually unknown (especially without his race suit), yet that’s the year I decided that this amiable racer would be my pick to follow. Who would have thought 11 years later that same unpracticed rookie would be a top contender in the series championship with crowds of fans vying for his attention every time he steps out of the cockpit?
While the overall weekend attendance was very scarce this year at The Mile, Oriol had no shortage of supporters himself. Those who were lucky even caught a candid Q&A Saturday afternoon with both Servia and his Newman/Haas Racing teammate James Hinchcliffe (Hinch), in which the two joked about their relationship as teammates (they claim to be undergoing couples’ counseling) and spoke about some of the antics that ensued this year at Indy including planking (Hinch still insists the injury he sustained was from rescuing a kitten from a tree). When Servia was asked if he’s been helping his young counterpart win the ladies by teaching Hinch the sexy foreign accent, Hinch simply replied, “Si!”
Saturday’s qualifying session saw Servia land a 10th place starting position for the race alongside Marco Andretti, though I don’t think any of us were too concerned, given the Spaniard’s reputation for being able to work his way through the field at this particular venue. In fact, that’s exactly what he did come race day -- twice!
At a track where the team has 26 starts (this is the 27th) and seven wins, NHR has proven that they know a thing or two about setup on this short, flat oval. And Oriol didn’t hesitate to impress as he so often does at The Mile, quickly working his way from a 10th place start up to running amongst the top three.
However, the race was not without its downfalls as Servia came over the radio at every opportunity to get the word through to race control that if they wanted to give the fans any passing on the track, they’d have to sweep the buildup of marbles on the high line. The team also had troubles of their own on the second pit stop as the left front air gun misfired, costing the #2 Honda valuable time in the pits and dropping Servia back to 12th position.
Still, Servia didn’t pause for a second as he began to climb his way through the field for the second time this race, at one point inhaling Dania and Hinch in one breath. After a late-race crash by Tony Kanaan and a well-timed pass of points leader Will Power, Servia again found himself running in third which is where he remained until the checkers dropped.
I’m beginning to think that it wouldn’t be a bad idea for The Mile to keep a “Reserved for Oriol Servia” sign in winner’s circle at all times, given his history there, and I have to say that there’s nothing like being there in person, getting showered in a concoction of confetti and champagne right along with the podium winners! At one point Servia had so many of us boisterous fans shouting for him that he had to tell us (tongue in cheek) to quiet down so the broadcast crew could get an interview with race winner Dario Franchitti.
Servia was awarded 35 points for his finish at the Milwaukee Mile and the team’s latest march to victory lane sees them again holding third place in the championship standings -- not a bad place to be!
Posted by Shelly Paul, Servia Squad Feature Writer
I vaguely recall the days (back in 2000) when Oriol would wander the paddock as a rookie, virtually unknown (especially without his race suit), yet that’s the year I decided that this amiable racer would be my pick to follow. Who would have thought 11 years later that same unpracticed rookie would be a top contender in the series championship with crowds of fans vying for his attention every time he steps out of the cockpit?
While the overall weekend attendance was very scarce this year at The Mile, Oriol had no shortage of supporters himself. Those who were lucky even caught a candid Q&A Saturday afternoon with both Servia and his Newman/Haas Racing teammate James Hinchcliffe (Hinch), in which the two joked about their relationship as teammates (they claim to be undergoing couples’ counseling) and spoke about some of the antics that ensued this year at Indy including planking (Hinch still insists the injury he sustained was from rescuing a kitten from a tree). When Servia was asked if he’s been helping his young counterpart win the ladies by teaching Hinch the sexy foreign accent, Hinch simply replied, “Si!” Saturday’s qualifying session saw Servia land a 10th place starting position for the race alongside Marco Andretti, though I don’t think any of us were too concerned, given the Spaniard’s reputation for being able to work his way through the field at this particular venue. In fact, that’s exactly what he did come race day -- twice!At a track where the team has 26 starts (this is the 27th) and seven wins, NHR has proven that they know a thing or two about setup on this short, flat oval. And Oriol didn’t hesitate to impress as he so often does at The Mile, quickly working his way from a 10th place start up to running amongst the top three.
However, the race was not without its downfalls as Servia came over the radio at every opportunity to get the word through to race control that if they wanted to give the fans any passing on the track, they’d have to sweep the buildup of marbles on the high line. The team also had troubles of their own on the second pit stop as the left front air gun misfired, costing the #2 Honda valuable time in the pits and dropping Servia back to 12th position.
Still, Servia didn’t pause for a second as he began to climb his way through the field for the second time this race, at one point inhaling Dania and Hinch in one breath. After a late-race crash by Tony Kanaan and a well-timed pass of points leader Will Power, Servia again found himself running in third which is where he remained until the checkers dropped.I’m beginning to think that it wouldn’t be a bad idea for The Mile to keep a “Reserved for Oriol Servia” sign in winner’s circle at all times, given his history there, and I have to say that there’s nothing like being there in person, getting showered in a concoction of confetti and champagne right along with the podium winners! At one point Servia had so many of us boisterous fans shouting for him that he had to tell us (tongue in cheek) to quiet down so the broadcast crew could get an interview with race winner Dario Franchitti.
Servia was awarded 35 points for his finish at the Milwaukee Mile and the team’s latest march to victory lane sees them again holding third place in the championship standings -- not a bad place to be!Posted by Shelly Paul, Servia Squad Feature Writer
Monday, June 13, 2011
Double-Header Nothing to Write Home About
Saturday’s running of the Firestone Twin 275s at Texas Motor Speedway was not the smartest move of the year for IndyCar, in my opinion…not even close! While it was widely publicized as a high-octane event which the fans were supposedly thrilled to see return to the series, public opinion seems to be the exact opposite.
Though Eddie Gossage’s track has always been known for edge-of-your-seat, side-by-side racing and even closer finishes, this weekend’s pairing of races (worth only half points each) was the worst stunt of the season. What’s the point, IndyCar? Why not just run one full-fledged race rather than putz around with two half-arsed events?
Consisting of 114 laps or 171 miles each, the races were much shorter than fans were accustomed to. While Oriol Servia qualified on the outside of Row 7 for the first race of the evening, his random draw of 17th for race number two proved even more challenging for the Spaniard and the #2 Newman/Haas Racing Team.
While nothing spectacular happened during the first race (other than pulling off the entire 114 laps with only one yellow!), Servia worked hard to finish the race in 21st position, two laps down. Following the event, Oriol remarked that it actually felt like the longest race of his life, stating that the team would definitely be making some changes before the second event of the evening.
Cue the Vanna White wannabes at each end of the stage as the drivers came up, one by one, in reverse finishing order to randomly select their starting position for Race 2 by turning a tire and learning their fate. While I think the concept is completely fruitless while in the midst of a championship chase, unfortunately I believe it may have actually been more exciting than the first race we just saw. The most amusing feat of the evening was watching the bout of “musical cars” as race teams scrambled to rearrange the starting lineup before the beginning of the second race.
An hour after the completion of Race 1, the second event got underway. While 10 pm central time is not exactly late for me, I didn’t bother to fight it when sleep settled in. And I’m pretty sure I didn’t miss a thing. While it was a snoozefest on television, I heard it was even worse at the track! And there wasn’t a single yellow. How did they accomplish that?
Following the second event, viewers were forced to wait a full 25 minutes before learning the unofficial race results. So much for technology. They didn’t show them on air and they weren’t yet posted online. About a year later we learned that Servia finished the second race in 15th position, down one lap. He also slipped one position in the championship standings and currently sits six points behind third-place Scott Dixon and 76 points behind leader Will Power.
The best part of all this is that it’s over, and now we can concentrate on moving forward as the series heads to the Milwaukee Mile, Servia Squad’s home race, and a venue where Oriol has always posted impressive results in the past. Here’s hoping for his first podium finish of the season!
Posted by Shelly Paul, Servia Squad Feature Writer
Though Eddie Gossage’s track has always been known for edge-of-your-seat, side-by-side racing and even closer finishes, this weekend’s pairing of races (worth only half points each) was the worst stunt of the season. What’s the point, IndyCar? Why not just run one full-fledged race rather than putz around with two half-arsed events?
Consisting of 114 laps or 171 miles each, the races were much shorter than fans were accustomed to. While Oriol Servia qualified on the outside of Row 7 for the first race of the evening, his random draw of 17th for race number two proved even more challenging for the Spaniard and the #2 Newman/Haas Racing Team.
While nothing spectacular happened during the first race (other than pulling off the entire 114 laps with only one yellow!), Servia worked hard to finish the race in 21st position, two laps down. Following the event, Oriol remarked that it actually felt like the longest race of his life, stating that the team would definitely be making some changes before the second event of the evening.
Cue the Vanna White wannabes at each end of the stage as the drivers came up, one by one, in reverse finishing order to randomly select their starting position for Race 2 by turning a tire and learning their fate. While I think the concept is completely fruitless while in the midst of a championship chase, unfortunately I believe it may have actually been more exciting than the first race we just saw. The most amusing feat of the evening was watching the bout of “musical cars” as race teams scrambled to rearrange the starting lineup before the beginning of the second race.
An hour after the completion of Race 1, the second event got underway. While 10 pm central time is not exactly late for me, I didn’t bother to fight it when sleep settled in. And I’m pretty sure I didn’t miss a thing. While it was a snoozefest on television, I heard it was even worse at the track! And there wasn’t a single yellow. How did they accomplish that?
Following the second event, viewers were forced to wait a full 25 minutes before learning the unofficial race results. So much for technology. They didn’t show them on air and they weren’t yet posted online. About a year later we learned that Servia finished the second race in 15th position, down one lap. He also slipped one position in the championship standings and currently sits six points behind third-place Scott Dixon and 76 points behind leader Will Power.
The best part of all this is that it’s over, and now we can concentrate on moving forward as the series heads to the Milwaukee Mile, Servia Squad’s home race, and a venue where Oriol has always posted impressive results in the past. Here’s hoping for his first podium finish of the season!
Posted by Shelly Paul, Servia Squad Feature Writer
Wednesday, June 01, 2011
Servia Leads, Takes Top-10 at Indy 500
A near rookie win. A crash by the race leader on the final turn of the final lap. I couldn’t have written it better myself. Now this is what makes for exciting racing!
All that aside, Spaniard Oriol Servia had quite the eventful Indy 500 himself. After starting on the front row, the Newman/Haas Racing driver never fell further than halfway through the field, and even then, only on pit stop rotations. Servia instead spent the majority of the 500-mile race within the first five cars on track (lapped traffic aside).
Oriol’s Dallara Honda carried the sponsorship logos of CDW on its sidepods for this historic event, and they certainly got their money’s worth as this was the team’s best Indy 500 starting position since 1993.
Though the officials would have waved off the fugly start were it any other race -- Dixon was half a lap ahead before Row 1 even passed the start/finish line -- being that it was the Indy 500, they let it go lest they risk embarrassment. So Servia quickly and smoothly slotted into second position, just ahead of polesitter Alex Tagiliani. The next few handfuls of laps, Servia jostled positions with the likes of Tagliani, Dan Wheldon, and Dario Franchitti.
By the time the first round of pit stops rolled around, the NHR crew got the #2 off pit row in fourth position. All was going smoothly until the following round of stops. Servia was able to push his fuel numbers further than most and he stayed out longer, but an unfortunately placed yellow forced Oriol and several others to stop illegally while the pits were closed, therefore causing him to come back in again to serve a penalty. (At least, I think that’s what happened. The only thing ABC’s broadcast crew was actually concerned about was the whereabouts of Team Target and Penske, in addition to what Danica ate for lunch. So everything else race-related was apparently not worth the mention.)
The schadenfreude soon reversed itself though, and by the fourth stop, Servia’s crew timed it right and got him in just before a yellow hit (unfortunately it was caused by Oriol’s Newman/Haas teammate James Hinchcliffe), cycling him up to second just behind Dario Franchitti. It was this key move that put Servia in the catbird seat, and by Lap 113 the 36-year-old Catalan became the first Spaniard to lead laps at the Indianapolis 500! After passing lapped traffic of Helio Castroneves (that’s right, a Penske car), Servia finally got a taste of clean air and ran with it.
On Lap 130, Franchitti pulled out and passed the #2 car, and Servia found himself caught in a Target Chip Ganassi sandwich. He jostled for track position again with Scott Dixon and Dario Franchitti, and as Franchitti pitted on Lap 165, Servia again took the race lead, for a total of 18 laps led.
While the #2 Newman/Haas entry may not have had the speed of some of the other cars on track, Servia held his own to bring the CDW entry home in sixth place.
(Side note: Can someone please explain to me how this happened? As the final hat displayed across the screen, Servia was showing “unofficially” in fifth place, and then when I went online later I found that he has actually taken sixth place. Again, we are left asking what the…)
Servia picked up 40 points for his best-ever finish at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and remains in third position in the IndyCar Championship standings, just 28 points behind Dario Franchitti and 44 points behind leader Will Power.
There’s no rest for the weary, though, as the next stop for Newman/Haas Racing is their home track at the historic Milwaukee Mile where Servia will be practicing this Friday, June 3rd. The session is open for public viewing from 9-5 so come on out and cheer on your favorite matador as he charges ahead in the championship. Additional Information
Posted by Shelly Paul, Servia Squad Feature Writer
All that aside, Spaniard Oriol Servia had quite the eventful Indy 500 himself. After starting on the front row, the Newman/Haas Racing driver never fell further than halfway through the field, and even then, only on pit stop rotations. Servia instead spent the majority of the 500-mile race within the first five cars on track (lapped traffic aside).
Oriol’s Dallara Honda carried the sponsorship logos of CDW on its sidepods for this historic event, and they certainly got their money’s worth as this was the team’s best Indy 500 starting position since 1993.
Though the officials would have waved off the fugly start were it any other race -- Dixon was half a lap ahead before Row 1 even passed the start/finish line -- being that it was the Indy 500, they let it go lest they risk embarrassment. So Servia quickly and smoothly slotted into second position, just ahead of polesitter Alex Tagiliani. The next few handfuls of laps, Servia jostled positions with the likes of Tagliani, Dan Wheldon, and Dario Franchitti.
By the time the first round of pit stops rolled around, the NHR crew got the #2 off pit row in fourth position. All was going smoothly until the following round of stops. Servia was able to push his fuel numbers further than most and he stayed out longer, but an unfortunately placed yellow forced Oriol and several others to stop illegally while the pits were closed, therefore causing him to come back in again to serve a penalty. (At least, I think that’s what happened. The only thing ABC’s broadcast crew was actually concerned about was the whereabouts of Team Target and Penske, in addition to what Danica ate for lunch. So everything else race-related was apparently not worth the mention.)
The schadenfreude soon reversed itself though, and by the fourth stop, Servia’s crew timed it right and got him in just before a yellow hit (unfortunately it was caused by Oriol’s Newman/Haas teammate James Hinchcliffe), cycling him up to second just behind Dario Franchitti. It was this key move that put Servia in the catbird seat, and by Lap 113 the 36-year-old Catalan became the first Spaniard to lead laps at the Indianapolis 500! After passing lapped traffic of Helio Castroneves (that’s right, a Penske car), Servia finally got a taste of clean air and ran with it.
On Lap 130, Franchitti pulled out and passed the #2 car, and Servia found himself caught in a Target Chip Ganassi sandwich. He jostled for track position again with Scott Dixon and Dario Franchitti, and as Franchitti pitted on Lap 165, Servia again took the race lead, for a total of 18 laps led.
While the #2 Newman/Haas entry may not have had the speed of some of the other cars on track, Servia held his own to bring the CDW entry home in sixth place.
(Side note: Can someone please explain to me how this happened? As the final hat displayed across the screen, Servia was showing “unofficially” in fifth place, and then when I went online later I found that he has actually taken sixth place. Again, we are left asking what the…)
Servia picked up 40 points for his best-ever finish at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and remains in third position in the IndyCar Championship standings, just 28 points behind Dario Franchitti and 44 points behind leader Will Power.
There’s no rest for the weary, though, as the next stop for Newman/Haas Racing is their home track at the historic Milwaukee Mile where Servia will be practicing this Friday, June 3rd. The session is open for public viewing from 9-5 so come on out and cheer on your favorite matador as he charges ahead in the championship. Additional Information
Posted by Shelly Paul, Servia Squad Feature Writer
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