The Dashboard

The Eagle Has Landed!

2012-01-17T11:47:00.001-06:00

Read the details at RACER here.

Also, show some love for Servia's new team at the Dreyer & Reinbold Racing website here!

Posted by Shelly Paul, Servia Squad Feature Writer

Servia Ready to Sign

2012-01-10T12:26:00.000-06:00

Is Oriol Servia ready to sign with his newest team for the 2012 IndyCar season? Read Robin Miller's remarks here and then stay tuned to IndyCar.com for the official announcement!

Posted by Shelly Paul, Servia Squad Feature Writer

Farewell NRH

2011-12-02T17:15:00.001-06:00

Yet another devastating blow to the world of motorsports. Read all about it here.

Posted by Shelly Paul, Servia Squad Feature Writer

Controversy Continues

2011-07-26T12:25:00.005-05:00

Just when we thought the battles were over amongst the drivers at this past weekend’s Edmonton Indy, our own Oriol Servia decides he’s sick of sitting on the sidelines being the agreeable guy who’s not getting noticed and goes for his slice of the pie.

Starting in Saturday’s qualifying session, Servia had a great run, just squeaking by into the second round for the Firestone Fast 6, but the Telemundo entry soon received monster air at the end of his second qualifying session when the #2 was approached and then brake checked by the #28 entry of Ryan Hunter-Reay who feels that Servia was holding him up on a quick qualifying run. Hunter-Reay was not happy with the Spaniard, visiting the Newman/Haas Racing pit immediately as the flag dropped on qualifying and sharing his dissatisfaction with the veteran racer. Ryan felt as though Oriol had already thrown away his last lap and should have moved over to allow room as he was still putting in a hot lap. However, Servia argued that given the short time left in qualifying, he had to do everything possible to try to make a good lap too. He noted that he did try to move over for Hunter-Reay, but could only give so much. Neither pilot made the final cut for the Fast 6, and Servia qualified eighth, alongside Hunter-Reay.

Cut to the race and the drama continues just after Oriol’s first pit stop. Servia was experiencing severe understeer and pitted before anyone else on Lap 24. However, just one lap later he found, much to Dixon and Franchitti’s consternation, that his car was the one with a huge target on it as the #27 Andretti Autosport entry of Mike Conway punted him into the tire barriers when Oriol tried to overtake the #27 in an area not typically known for passing. There just wasn’t room enough for both of them and Conway came up into the #2 Telemundo machine. Servia was able to get underway again following the incident, but soon after lost his rear wing and found himself unable to recover from such a loss. Conway, on the other hand, bounced back from the incident leading the field, and though he was still forced by Race Control to serve a penalty, he was able to rebound to a decent finish. Oriol hung on for the remainder of the race, finishing four laps down in 22nd position, for his worst finish so far this season.

If any positives came out of the incident, it’s that Servia was once again recognized for his driving skills, as Graham Rahal (taken out of the race early and commenting from the announcers’ booth) remarked immediately following the incident that “Servia doesn’t make mistakes.” This speaks quite a bit of the respect Oriol has earned amongst his peers and around the paddock.

On a bit of a side note, Oriol was just featured on Racer.com reviewing the features and handling of the Porsche Carrera GTS. Given his astute observations, when Servia eventually decides to hang up his racing shoes, perhaps there will be another gig waiting.

I hear Jeremy Clarkson, James May and Richard Hammond may need some top-notch auto handling skills of another variety.

Posted by Shelly Paul, Servia Squad Feature Writer

2011-07-13T12:22:00.003-05:00

Happy Birthday Oriol!

(Feel free to leave your birthday wishes for Oriol below)

NHR Taken For a Spin in Toronto

2011-07-12T20:17:00.001-05:00

As IndyCar passes the halfway point in the season, Newman/Haas Racing has earned impressive marks from analyst Robin Miller in his mid-season report card, scoring a solid “B” for performance thus far this year. And it’s not hard to see why when examining the pairing of Spaniard Oriol Servia and Canadian James Hinchcliffe, a duo which not only has breathed new life into the team, but brings home results as well.

However, this past weekend’s Honda Indy Toronto left little breathing room as fans were treated to another festival of carbon fiber. While the weekend started out on a high note with Servia and the crew of the #2 Telemundo car once again landing their entry in the Firestone Fast Six, their good fortune could last only so long.

Servia started 6th on the grid, alongside Graham Rahal and wasted no time in taking Rahal’s position on the opening lap. And though Oriol lost position during the double-file restart following the first caution, his team brought him in on an early pit strategy (Lap 15) which allowed him to cycle all the way up to second following a full-course yellow under which all the leaders were forced to pit.

News flash of the day…apparently the track is quite bumpy as the television announcers have just brought it to our attention for the umpteenth time this broadcast. Thanks. We get it already! Though I can’t imagine the uneven terrain, paired with a heavy buildup of marbles, makes it much fun for any of the drivers.

Lap 44 we see the #22 of Justin Wilson and #2 Telemundo entry make slight contact, which allows both Wilson and Ryan Hunter-Reay to pass Servia. And by the second pit stop, Servia exits down another two positions. What is going on lately with these pit stops NHR? It’s time to work out the ghosts!

And speaking of ghosts, former Newman/Haas driver Sebastien Bourdais appears to be a bit of an apparition as we haven’t heard anything about him all race. We are told he’s competing in Toronto. His name appears in the hat (the ticker that runs across the top of the screen). But can they prove he’s actually on track?

Lap 57 Servia again plays the dark shadow, slipping between the chaos caused by the Will Power/Ryan Briscoe incident. Who’s got the tally? What is that, like three times so far this season that Servia has switched on stealth mode to avoid nearly impossible (or should we say “impassible”) situations?

But even shadows disappear when adverse weather approaches, and with only seven laps remaining, Oriol is punted from behind by the #26 car of Marco Andretti and sent into a spin which sends him into the #22 entry of Justin Wilson. Five cars in all are collected in the accident, including Servia’s NHR teammate Hinch. While both team cars are able to get restarted and underway, the results are costly, dropping Servia back to 13th position and Hinchcliffe back to 14th.

After all the dust of the bumping and grinding settles, Servia finishes the race in 12th, and while he retains his fourth-place standing in the championship, he drops even farther from the lead. Yet considering that today was Servia’s first on-track contact with another racer so far season, and one which was not his fault, that “B” average might just get “bumped” up to a “B+” yet.

Posted by Shelly Paul, Servia Squad Feature Writer

Plagued in the Pits

2011-06-30T21:52:00.001-05:00

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

Mr. Popular, Mr. Milwaukee Mile

2011-06-23T11:53:00.006-05:00

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

Double-Header Nothing to Write Home About

2011-06-13T19:34:00.001-05:00

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

Servia Leads, Takes Top-10 at Indy 500

2011-06-01T13:51:00.002-05:00

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

The Greatest Spectacle in Racing

2011-05-27T15:09:00.001-05:00

By now you already know you need not go further than fixing your gaze on Row 1 during this Sunday’s 100th anniversary running of the Indianapolis 500. A team such as Newman/Haas Racing landing a spot not only in the Top 9 pole shootout but then qualifying third for the “Greatest Spectacle in Racing” speaks volumes not only for their dedication but also for the tremendous teamwork between the crew, driver, and everyone involved who keeps the wheels turning at NHR.

Oriol Servia once again emerges as the dark horse, of sorts, beating out both Team Penske drivers and the entire Andretti camp, as well as Target Chip Ganassi’s golden boy and 2010 defending Indy 500 champion Dario Franchitti.

Servia has demonstrated all season that he and Newman/Haas Racing are a force to be reckoned with, climbing to third overall in the championship standings and leaving us all with nothing but raised eyebrows the entire month of May in anticipation for what this highly underrated Spaniard can do on the IndyCar Series’ most challenging circuit.

Las Vegas odds place a Servia and Newman/Hass win as high as 16/1, though I’d be willing to bet good money that their chances are even greater. It’s time for an unexpected finish at the Indy 500 -- what year better than this, on the anniversary celebration -- what better combination than that of Newman/Haas Racing and Oriol Servia.

Posted by Shelly Paul, Servia Squad Feature Writer

Sao Paulo

2011-05-04T14:46:00.005-05:00

Sorry peeps, but I'm afraid I have no post-race commentary for you this week on the IndyCar Itaipava Sao Paulo Indy 300 as I've been busy writing a strongly worded letter to Versus. See, despite the four-hour-long, rain-delayed coverage I sat through on Sunday, and then the announcers telling us no fewer than three times what time the race would be airing on Versus the following day, my market decided to instead air four hours worth of fishing shows and I missed the (dry) race entirely.

However, just to catch you up, our favorite Spaniard finished the race in fifth, and Oriol now sits THIRD! in the championship just behind Will Power and Dario Franchitti.

If you haven't already, check out the headline article on Servia over at IndyCar.com!

Posted by Shelly Paul, Servia Squad Feature Writer

Sunshine, Shorline and Servia

2011-04-17T17:57:00.002-05:00

So, I have to begin this week by asking, was I the only one confused following qualifying?

While the Versus announcers spent the entire final round of qualifying concerned only whether Power or Hunter-Reay would take pole, they also led us to believe that once Power entered the pits, the session was over. And even the hat (the position ticker that runs across the top of the television screen) disappeared which would leave us all to believe that none of the final six changed position. So naturally I assumed Servia qualified sixth since that was the last report viewers received. Imagine my surprise in the very last minute of televised qualifying coverage when the starting lineup announced Servia in fourth position!

Thanks Versus, for playing favorites again, rather than reporting the actual results as they’re happening…but as fellow blogger Pressdog would say, that’s none of our business anyway, right?

Onto the race, Oriol Servia in the #2 Telemundo Newman/Haas entry did a stellar job as usual keeping his nose clean and staying out of trouble. Newman/Haas was the winningest team from former visits to this legendary circuit, and Servia himself has extensive experience at this track. Prior to the race, Oriol remarked that it was about time to stir things up and add some Telemundo blue to the front of the field where IndyCar fans have become accustomed to seeing red (literally).

Servia's shining moment of the race and one which will undoubtedly receive endless television coverage for the remainder of the season has to be the double-wide restart with 19 laps to go. If you remember the season start at St. Petersburg, you might think you were watching a replay, as Servia was once again caught up in a multi-car incident, but cunningly avoids all contact, whips a 360 and effortlessly slots right back into the action, losing only three positions in the process! The Spaniard left no one doubting his extensive racing skills (and lightening quick reflexes) which allowed him to again bring home the #2 Telmundo Honda in one piece.

Not only did the team finish in sixth position, its third straight Top-10 of the season, but Newman/Haas teammate and rookie James "Hinch" Hinchcliffe finished in an impressive fourth place. With another consistent finish, Servia moved up in the championship standings another two slots and currently sits fourth in overall points, demonstrating that sometimes slow and steady really does win the race.

Posted by Shelly Paul, Servia Squad Feature Writer

See No, Hear No, Speak No

2011-04-10T19:37:00.003-05:00

Round two of the IndyCar World Series just wrapped up at Barber Motorsports Park just outside Birmingham, Alabama and the theme for this weekend seems to be one of Hear No Evil, See No Evil, Speak No Evil for Oriol Servia and the Newman/Haas Racing crew.

See No Evil
When questioned in the Versus pre-race show about his pit stop error at St. Petersburg, Servia good-humoredly responded that if nobody saw it, then it didn't really happen. Oriol was referring to his mistake mid-race when he pulled into the wrong pit which cost him quite a bit of time. Though he took full ownership, Servia remarked that his crew had not been in full uniform up until the race and that they were not the only crew in white firesuits. This weekend the team was clearly decked out in blue firesuits, matching the #2 Telemundo entry.

Hear No Evil
Oriol and the Newman/Haas team received significant televised coverage throughout the race as Servia found himself the subject of many intense on-track battles. However, despite pressure from both Danica Patrick and Tony Kanaan late in the race, Servia seemed to pay no attention and held his line all the way through to the checkered flag.

Speak No Evil
Demonstrating their strength early in the weekend, both driver and crew of the #2 Telemundo Honda left critics with nothing but the highest praise for this pairing. The team fought hard and it showed as they earned a spot in the Firestone Fast 6 during Saturday's qualifying. Then Servia charged hard throughout the entire race, running as high as third and eventually bringing the car home in 5th place for the team's second consecutive Top-10 finish.

Following this round, Servia moved up three positions in the IndyCar Championship standings and finds himself solidly in 6th place.

Be sure to tune in next weekend as the series makes its way to Long Beach, California for the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach.

Posted by Shelly Paul, Servia Squad Feature Writer

Servia Takes NHR to Top-10 Despite Unforeseen Circumstances

2011-03-27T14:15:00.003-05:00

The pairing of Newman/Haas Racing and Oriol Servia saw the 2011 IndyCar Series season off to a great start with round one at the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg over the weekend. Despite beautiful weather and nearly ideal track conditions, both team and driver had to stay on their toes to remain competitive, due in part to disapointing qualifying results earlier in the weekend.

However, the event did get off to a promising start as the team unveiled new sponsorship for the #02 entry with Telemundo Communications Group, a perfect pairing as the series' sole Spanish driver works to bring the exciting sport of IndyCar racing to Spanish viewers through this exciting partnership.

Onto the race, Servia and the N/H Racing crew qualified the #02 Telemundo entry in 15th position which landed them on the inside of Row 8, alonside Raphael Matos. From the get-go, the team worked through their share of unfortunate circumstances from getting caught up in the first-lap incident, to having a left rear tire go down, to various pit issues. Yet all involved soldiered on and Oriol held his own on the racetrack, bringing the #02 Dallara home in ninth place.

Overall, the results spoke a lot for a driver who has not competed in the series since 2009. Oriol has definitely proven once again that he can not only "bring it home in one piece" but can also produce consistent results.

Tune in to round two on April 10th from Birmingham, Alabama as the stars of the IndyCar Series battle it out at Baber Motorsports Park in the Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama!

Posted by Shelly Paul, Servia Squad Feature Writer

Servia Confirmed for St. Pete's; Hinch to Remain Sidelined

2011-03-23T12:49:00.002-05:00

Just days before the first race of the season, our amiable Spaniard Oriol Servia has been officially confirmed in a one-car entry for Newman/Haas Racing for this weekend's opener at St. Petersburg. Having posted good test times during day two at Barber Motorsports Park just last week, it was expected that Servia would find a home at NHR, even if just for the time being.

Itwas also expected that rookie and Indy Lights standout James Hinchcliffe would join him as a teammate; however, it appears as though Servia will be flying solo...for now. Hinch will join the team on the sidelines during this weekend's activities with hopes of joining the field at a later point in the season. Could he step in as soon as the next round at the Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama? No one is quite sure yet.

For now tune in to the weekend's festivities from St. Petersburg, check out Servia's newest (gold) helmet design, and cheer on Uri to a great start to the IndyCar season!

Posted by Shelly Paul, Servia Squad Feature Writer

Servia Posts Impressive Test at Barber

2011-03-16T12:23:00.002-05:00

While not officially signed yet for a ride, Oriol Servia and rookie "teammate" James Hinchcliffe quickly got up to speed in the two-day test at Barber Motorsports Park this week.

"Hinch" was the first to show what he's got, posting a fast time of 1m 12.8729, landing him fifth on the board for the first day of testing. Oriol likewise landed 14th quickest with a time of 1m 13.2537, while still shaking some off-season rust.

In the second day of testing, it was Servia who took the lead, landing 5th overall with a time of 1m 12.3594, while his teammate was just two positions behind in 7th place overall. For a short period, the two even led the board in true Newman/Haas style.

Though no contracts have been finalized, expect to see these two making waves at next week's IndyCar season opener at the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg March 27th.

Posted by Shelly Paul, Servia Squad Feature Writer

Servia Slated to Test for NHR

2010-12-02T12:28:00.003-06:00

Just in...Oriol Servia is slated to test with Newman/Haas Racing in Sebring December 13-14. Catch the full details from RACER Magazine!

Posted by Shelly Paul, Servia Squad Feature Writer

Chiming In

2010-07-16T13:10:00.002-05:00

Oriol was recently asked to share his insider's knowledge and rate the drivers of the IndyCar Series at the season's mid point. Now if we could only find a way to multiply that "two cents" into sponsorship for a ride!

Read his full analysis HERE.

Posted by Shelly Paul, Servia Squad Feature Writer

Waiting in the Wings

2010-05-14T11:57:00.002-05:00

In an article released today, RACER.com reports that Oriol Servia may be on standby to pilot the second Newman/Haas IndyCar entry at this month's 500, should the team indeed expand their efforts.

Read the article here.

Servia has also been hinting through his Twitter account that sponsorship may be nearing.

Stay tuned for further information as it breaks!

Posted by Shelly Paul, Servia Squad Feature Writer

Domo Arigato, Mr. Servia

2009-09-21T13:27:00.002-05:00

While this weekend’s Indy Japan 300 at Twin Ring, Montegi was nothing to write home about, the #06 crew, along with the entire Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing Team, had a lot to celebrate.

Both drivers for the Illinois-based squad started within the Top-10 on the grid, and even more impressive, finished within the Top-5. If you by chance missed the race due to the early broadcast, you didn’t miss much. That is, until the last 25 laps or so.

It wasn’t until the end of the race that cameras focused on something other than Briscoe or Dixon, and we saw teammates Oriol Servia and Graham Rahal partake in a lengthy game of leapfrog as they battled it out on course for a podium position. Servia started the action around lap 175 as he flew by the #02 car for third position. Shortly after, he was warned by race officials to “drive in a straight line.” Umm, perhaps they didn’t notice that we’re racing an oval here and forgot to take notes on what happened when Mike Conway and Ryan Hunter-Reay drove “in a straight line.”

A ballsy but quick Mario Moraes driving for KV Racing Technology soon overtook Servia, but Oriol took the position right back. Then at 21 laps to go, Rahal regained the third position and held it through to the checkered flag, leaving Servia one position shy of the podium.

While it was Oriol’s third straight Top-10 finish, it may be time to say “sayonara” to Servia as his four-race contract with NHL Racing has come to an end. Although this was the second time he successfully served as a substitute driver for the team, he has yet to secure any type of contract for next season.

Read here for related news.

Posted by Shelly Paul, Servia Squad Feature Writer

Left Turn Lane Only

2009-08-29T23:48:00.005-05:00

This week saw the return of the IndyCars to the Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Illinois for another round of side-by-side, three-wide racing.

Before we begin, let’s ride on-board with Oriol Servia as he leads us on a lap around this superspeedway. Coming across the start/finish line we take a left going into Turn 1, followed by another left immediately into 2. Then down the back straightaway we turn left going into 3, and wrap it all up with a bow turning left again through 4 and back onto the front straightaway to the line.

Today Servia will be starting 9th, on the inside of Row 5 alongside Danica Patrick, recording an average speed of 214.126 miles per hour. We learned that the Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing Team experienced a bout of bad luck leaving Sonoma last week as both team transporters broke down enroute to Chicagoland. However, it doesn’t seem to have affected them in the race as Oriol wastes no time grabbing one position on the drop of the green flag. Put the pedal to the metal, foot flat to the floor and turn left!

The proceeding laps see Servia drop back to 12th position and then jostle back up to 8th position, demonstrating just how quickly things can change on a superspeedway. The first round of pit stops are underway, and we see the #06 jump to 4th before making his stop. Leaving the pits, Servia smokes the tires, a trick most drivers are employing tonight to get a little more heat into their Bridgestones on this cold evening before re-entering the field.

Insert some more left turns, and Lap 132 Oriol brings the McDonald’s entry up to 5th after the crew corrected a sensor problem preventing him from getting full power. In these tight racing circumstances, we see the majority of the field all running together, separated at times by only tenths of a second. Pan to Lap 162 and we see the two NHL Racing teammates battling neck-in-neck for position before Servia brings it in for a pit stop. Following the last stop for fuel and tires, Oriol plants the car in mid-pack, and in the last few laps, pulls it back up through the field one last time to finish an impressive seventh.

Next week the IndyCar Series takes a hiatus and returns on Friday, September 18th (as seen on VERSUS from the States) from Twin Ring Montegi for the penultimate race of the 2009 season.

Posted by Shelly Paul, Servia Squad Feature Writer

McServia Rides Again

2009-08-23T18:50:00.002-05:00

This weekend saw Oriol Servia return to the reins of the #06 Dallara Honda for Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing as the IndyCar Series took to the 2.3 mile permanent road course of Infineon Raceway in the vineyard country of Sonoma, California.

Servia qualified for the IndyCar Grand Prix of Sonoma in 17th position, on the inside of Row 9 alongside Raphael Matos. The action began early on as a first-lap melee threw a wrench in the plans for many of the competitors. Oriol, carrying an on-board camera, treated us all to an edge-of-our-seats moment as he expertly maneuvered the battlefield of wounded cars and debris, emerging from the war without so much as a scratch. It was this skillful driving that allowed the Spaniard to pick up eight positions on the restart, after much of the field was forced to pit for repairs.

The NHL crew brought their car in for its first stop on Lap 28. Just after pitting, Servia was involved in a minor incident with Ryan Hunter-Reay as the driver of the #14 entry tried to overtake the #06 car but couldn’t seal the deal and clipped Servia’s tail end.

Uri held his position steady. With nine laps to go, Justin Wilson utilized his Push to Pass to try and overtake Servia, but he was unsuccessful as well and Oriol defended his position. Cut to the last five laps and we see Wilson charging again, before spinning and failing to complete the pass.

Oriol and the McDonald’s Team finished today in an impressive sixth place, to which I can only say, “I’m loving it!”

Posted by Shelly Paul, Servia Squad Feature Writer

Behind the Wheel

2009-08-09T20:55:00.002-05:00

Oriol Servia returned to the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course this weekend in just the position he wanted to be -- behind the wheel. The Honda Indy 200 presented the opportunity this driver was looking for as he found himself teamed with Ohio native Graham Rahal at Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing. Servia found himself back amongst some of the familiar faces of N/H/L Racing he previously worked with back in 2005, as he stepped into the #06 McDonald’s Honda entry following the departure of Robert Doornbos from the team.

Oriol qualified on the outside of Row 7 in 14th position, starting alongside Marco Andretti. Servia’s team was one of just two that elected to start on the primary black Bridgestones versus the alternate red sidewall tires, after the Spaniard felt he was quicker on the blacks.

The #06 driver wasted no time, jumping two positions on the opening lap, and continuing the move forward on the following laps. Upon his first pit stop, Servia switched to the red-walled Bridgestones and rejoined the field in 19th position while the rest of the field continued to cycle through. Following pit stops, the #06 McDonald’s entry settled back into 14th position.

Just past the race’s halfway point, Servia cycled up to 11th after other drivers stopped to pit, and following an incident between Conway and Patrick, Oriol found himself in a Top-10 position for the first time in the race.

The #06 N/H/L Team called their driver in for the second round of pit stops on Lap 57 and outfitted him with a fresh pair of Bridgestone alternate reds. Oriol again cycled back to 11th which is where he would find himself at the drop of the checkered flag, finishing his first IndyCar race since the Indy 500 just outside the Top-10.

Posted by Shelly Paul, Servia Squad Feature Writer

Deja vu

2009-08-06T23:47:00.002-05:00

This feels vaguely familiar...

Oriol Servia to Drive for Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing at the Honda Indy 200

Tune in this weekend for updates as Oriol takes to the track at Mid-Ohio!

Posted by Shelly Paul, Servia Squad Feature Writer

Oriol Servia: IndyCar’s most overlooked talent?

2009-05-25T20:04:00.003-05:00

A great article which appeared at RACER.com that I just couldn't pass up!

Oriol Servia: IndyCar’s most overlooked talent?

Posted by Shelly Paul, Servia Squad Feature Writer

Fuel Pressure Problems Thwart Indy Run

2009-05-25T18:38:00.001-05:00

Oriol Servia and the Rahal Letterman Racing Team put up quite a fight in this year’s Indy 500, yet the leapfrog strategy was just not enough to carry them through to the end of the race.

Servia and RLR started 25th in the field, on the inside of Row 9, and in this race plagued with yellows, Oriol made a slow and steady move to the front of the field, picking off his opponents one by one.

A combination of on-track passes along with mishaps on the part of drivers ahead of him allowed Servia to climb as high as 9th position, passing drivers such as Justin Wilson, Ryan Briscoe and Paul Tracy along the way. All was going well for the team until just before the fourth round of pit stops when the #17 DAFCA Special experienced a fuel pressure problem which took them out of the race.

Servia commented, “Everything was going according to plan…the machine was amazing. It was really a car to win. Honestly I felt faster than everyone around me.”

Oriol was officially recorded in 26th position. Though this race was a one-off for Servia, it was a rough road for a handful of drivers and I’m certain his entire fanbase will wait to see if the super-sub is called upon as early as this coming weekend as the Indy Cars return to the legendary Milwaukee Mile.

Posted by Shelly Paul, Servia Squad Feature Writer

Qualification Nation

2009-05-16T16:19:00.002-05:00

After running second quickest in this morning’s practice session, Oriol Servia was all ready to get the #17 DAFCA Special on track for qualifying. However, the weather had other ideas.

Following a delay which lasted several hours to allow the track time to dry, Servia placed wheel on track around 3:07 p.m. local time in his first qualifying run. Laying down an average speed of 220.984 mph, the Rahal Letterman Racing Team firmly planted the car on the starting grid in 25th position.

Servia mentioned that he was happy with the car the moment he stepped into it, though the wind did play a factor during the qualifying session. “I honestly want to go back out there because I think we have a car to be the fastest today,” commented Servia. “We have a car in the race now and that’s where we want it.”

Due to the late start of the day’s events, drivers had the opportunity to make only one qualifying run today with a few teams withdrawing before finishing their initial runs.

--------------------------------------------------

On a side note, the announcers on today’s Versus coverage provided some insight into the retro paint scheme of the #17 entry. In honor of the speedway’s centennial celebration, the DAFCA Special is reminiscent of the Dan Gurney Eagle models of the late 60’s with the stripe down the nose of the car. In addition, the tub displays not only the driver’s name, but those of the owners “Bob and Dave” and chief mechanic as well.

Posted by Shelly Paul, Servia Squad Feature Writer

Back to the Track

2009-05-15T16:50:00.001-05:00

Though he wasn’t out for long, Oriol took a moment to shake down the car once more before qualifying tomorrow. Servia set his quickest lap late in the day, posting a 221.140 for seventh quickest overall.

The track closed early for repairs, but be sure to tune in tomorrow as Oriol takes the green flag and has the opportunity to make up to three qualifying attempts to land the team on the starting grid.

Posted by Shelly Paul, Servia Squad Feature Writer

Quotables

2009-05-15T08:17:00.002-05:00

"Everyone has been asking me today if there's any pressure," said Servia, who placed 11th in the Indy 500 last year with KV Racing Technology. "I haven't felt this relieved in a long time. Finally I am in a car and I know I'm going to be in the race. I'm in a great team and there are great people around me. I feel great right away from the first lap."

"When you are driving for Rahal Letterman, you better step on it. They won this race in 2004, and honestly, the car felt great the moment I stepped into it. That makes the job of the driver a lot easier. Hopefully, we have another dry day (May 15) so we can prepare for qualifying and just keep the focus on the last lap of a 500-mile race. It's probably the most important race of my life, so I'm very happy with the way things have started."

Read the full article here.

Posted by Shelly Paul, Servia Squad Feature Writer

Getting Up To Speed

2009-05-14T17:06:00.002-05:00

Oriol Servia completed his first practice day at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway after it was announced yesterday that he has joined the Rahal Letterman Racing Team for this one-off event. Servia put in a considerable number of laps throughout the day's session and landed on top of the charts for those drivers not yet qualified, posting a speed of 221.353 mph.

Tune in again tomorrow to follow another day of practice at IMS. You can catch all the action live at IndyCar.com.

Posted by Shelly Paul, Servia Squad Feature Writer

Servia Returns to Brickyard

2009-05-13T12:22:00.002-05:00

Word has just been released that Oriol Servia will return to the Yard of Bricks in this year’s 93rd running of the Indianapolis 500 as he competes with Rahal Letterman Racing. Servia hopes to land himself a place on the starting grid this coming Saturday during the race’s third qualifying session. The Spaniard will pilot the #17 entry, carrying primary sponsorship from DAFCA.

Given Servia’s former experience at Indy and seeing how he has past Indy 500 winner Bobby Rahal at the head of the team, I’d say his chances of landing a spot on the starting grid come May 24th are pretty good.

Click here for more and stay tuned for updates throughout the month of May, all the way up to the running of “the greatest spectacle in racing.”

Posted by Shelly Paul, Servia Squad Feature Writer

Star Racer

2009-04-27T13:33:00.001-05:00

Though some of you may have briefly caught Uri on the Versus coverage of the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg a few weeks ago, any news on a fulltime ride is still quiet (though I have hopes he may work a deal in time for Indy).

In the meantime, I found the next best thing to watch, believe it or not, in the form of “reality television.” Star Racer, airing Sunday evenings on Discovery HD Theater, follows a group of young, up-and-coming talent as they compete for a ride in the Formula Mazda Championship Series. The television series is recorded at the beautiful Circuit Mont-Tremblant in Canada, and while you would expect to see several karting hot-shots filling the grid, the series throws a wrench in the fan, inviting participants from the motocross field to compete for the coveted ride as well.

The contestants, broken into two teams (Team Castrol and Team Mazda) demonstrate their prowess in open-wheel cars as they learn vital skills such as braking, cornering and passing, and are judged on their abilities by some names from the motorsports world you just might recognize.

Race commentator and former racer Derek Daly, one-time Servia teammate Katherine Legge, and Mr. Chrome-Horn himself, Paul Tracy, offer contestants feedback before eliminating those who don’t measure up to their competition.

The program also covers some of the obstacles racers encounter both on and off the track, and is a good source for information on the technicalities of racing and operating an open-wheel vehicle.

Each week I want nothing more than to strap into the cockpit and race alongside (I mean in front of) these competitors as they take you through the twists and turns of one of the world’s most beautiful road courses. But don’t take my word for it -- check out additional information here.

Posted by Shelly Paul, Servia Squad Feature Writer

No News Is Good News?

2009-01-26T13:25:00.002-06:00

With the running of this past weekend’s Rolex 24 at Daytona, all eyes once again turn to the automotive world in anticipation of the upcoming racing season. Driving shoes and gloves are dusted off and announcements finally begin to break regarding which drivers are pairing with which teams.

If this blog seems to have gone dormant the entire winter, it has nothing to do with being buried in snowbanks five feet deep or the fact that we’re frozen solid in negative 40 (F) temperatures here in Wisconsin.

It more so leads back to the fact that, as far as Oriol Servia’s involvement in racing this year, there’s no news to share just yet. Perhaps you tuned in over the weekend hoping to see him back in the #77 Doran Racing entry, but the Spaniard was noticeably absent from the roster.

And as far as KV Racing Technology, word is that their second seat is still up in the air. Last week the team signed former Dale Coyne rookie Mario Moraes to pilot one of their two entries, after news dropped that Will Power will most likely be called upon by Penske Racing to fill the seat left by Mr. Congeniality of the open-wheel world, Helio Castroneves, as he handles his legal issues. The second KVRT seat may still go to Servia, though AutoWeek has reported that Champ Car veteran Paul Tracy has also been in discussions with team owners. However, Tracy is still unable to confirm the sponsorship that might be the deciding factor in this tug-of-war.

Stay tuned as more of this silly season unfolds, and we’ll let you know which pit you need to head to if you’re sporting the red and yellow stripes!

Posted by Shelly Paul, Servia Squad Feature Writer

God Speed, Mr. Newman

2008-09-28T10:27:00.005-05:00

The racing community lost a dear friend and staunch supporter over the weekend with the passing of Newman/Haas/Lanigan team owner Paul Newman.

Newman played an integral role in Oriol’s racing career, providing our driver with what may have been the biggest break in his racing career when Oriol joined the team in 2005, filling in for an injured Bruno Junqueira. That same year, Servia scored his first Champ Car victory and finished second in the championship standings.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to all those whose lives have been touched by Mr. Newman. No doubt will his legacy proceed him, as this legend will continue to inspire people through his many charitable foundations and enduring spirit.

Posted by Shelly Paul, Servia Squad Feature Writer

Servia Takes Ninth in Championship at Chicago

2008-09-07T18:35:00.001-05:00

This weekend’s IndyCar Series finale at Chicagoland may have just demonstrated that KVRT Co-owner Jimmy Vasser’s superstitions regarding a car’s paint scheme are warranted, as Oriol Servia and the KV Racing Technology crew struggled from the drop of the green flag. Servia, carrying new sponsorship and a new livery for sponsor CDW, faced one challenge after another during the 200-lap race.

Vasser has been known to take some extreme measures in the past when a car does not perform up to expectations, one time banning a particular shade of red on the chassis after poor race results.

Many, though, will argue it is a team’s performance both on-track and in the pits that will win or lose a race. And the #5 crew faced their share of hardships today. Servia qualified the car in 12th position and experienced trouble early on, dropping back through the field.

By mid race, the #5 Dallara lost a mirror from the left sidepod, forcing Oriol to pit and bringing out a yellow flag for on-track debris. The team’s first attempt at a quick fix using duct tape (what were they thinking?) quickly failed and they sent their driver back out in an effort to keep him from going a lap down. The repairs were eventually made and Servia emerged near the end of the field. The veteran held on until the end of the race, picking up a few additional positions and bringing the car home in 17th place.

However, Servia and the KVRT can chalk up this season as an extremely successful one, taking ninth in the championship with 358 points in this, their first IndyCar season.

The IndyCar schedule shows one more race hosted at Surfer’s Paradise, Australia, though I find it hard to believe that teams will choose to participate in this non-points paying race which would cost them more to attend than they would see in return, rather than getting a head start on their 2009 programs. We’ll see come October 26th if there will be the sound of thunder from down under, or if we’ll have to wait out the long winter until the Streets of St. Petersburg on April 5th before the Hondas race again.

Posted by Shelly Paul, Servia Squad Feature Writer

KVRT Featured

2008-09-01T23:38:00.001-05:00

Check out the recent spotlight of Oriol, Will and the entire KVRT family in the September IndyCarSeries Magazine. See pages 42-45 for the entire article.

Posted by Shelly Paul, Servia Squad Feature Writer

Servia Standing Seventh

2008-09-01T22:22:00.002-05:00

The holiday weekend proved to be a fruitful one for Oriol Servia and the KVRT crew of the #5 Honda/Dallara/Firestone as the team fell just shy of a podium finish at the track at Belle Isle.

Servia demonstrated his strength early on in the weekend, earning a position again in the Firestone Fast Six and qualifying third on the starting grid. Fuel conservation strategy on the part of the team early in the race saw Servia drop back 12 seconds from the leaders by Lap 16. However, a yellow brought out by an incident between Weldon and Camera helped bunch up the field and Oriol was able to capture the second position when the team stayed out on the first round of pit stops.

Upon pitting on Lap 31 under green track conditions, the KV squad supplied their driver with fuel and tires and got him back on track in third position as the field cycled through. Servia held on to his position and repeated the tactics again on the second stop, moving up to second. When race leader Castroneves pitted, the pilot of the #5 machine found himself leading the race with clear track ahead. After a quick duck into the pits for fuel himself, Oriol re-entered the race in fourth position and found himself ahead of championship points leader Dixon who was forced to throttle back on fuel and unable to pass the Spaniard.

Oriol wrapped up a strong race weekend in fourth position and improved his championship points standing by two positions, up to seventh.

(On a side note, Drew hopes to have the URL sorted out for oriolservia.com very soon! In the meantime, visit the site by clicking here.)

Posted by Shelly Paul, Servia Squad Feature Writer

IndyCarSeries Magazine

2008-08-06T12:21:00.002-05:00

For those of you who don’t currently subscribe to IndyCarSeries Magazine, there was a nice highlight article on Oriol in the July/August issue. Click here for the entire online publication and go to page 56.

Posted by Shelly Paul, Servia Squad Feature Writer

More Photos

2008-07-28T13:45:00.012-05:00

Check out these photos taken of Uri at The Milwaukee Mile earlier this season by Servia Squad member Chris Jerina.

Thanks, Chris, for the great submissions!

Bringing It Home

2008-07-28T12:07:00.003-05:00

Oriol Servia brought home yet another Top-5 finish over the weekend after his most impressive qualifying this season saw him starting the Rexall Edmonton Indy from third position. A quick lap late in qualifying landed Servia in the Firestone Fast Six, which was soon reduced to the Firestone Fast Five after Justin Wilson sustained damage too great to repair before the last round. From there, Servia battled it out with IndyCar veterans from Penske Racing as well as with his own teammate for the top spots.

Saturday’s race ushered in much excitement both on track as well as on pit lane, though Oriol held his own throughout the afternoon, battling as high as third position. A late-race incident by Marco Andretti forced both Dan Weldon and Oriol to check up, and the Spaniard sustained front-end damage but was able to continue the race. Servia held on until the last lap when the car’s steering arm snapped, allowing IndyCar newcomer Paul Tracy to pass him for fourth position. (Had the race not been shortened from its original length of 95 laps, who knows what would have happened!)

This impressive finish bumps Servia up to 8th in the championship points standings, and Oriol continues to be the highest contender of the transition teams.

Posted by Shelly Paul, Servia Squad Feature Writer

Ticket to Ride

2008-07-25T17:20:00.001-05:00

Fasten your seatbelts and return your seatbacks and trays to their upright positions, we’re ready to go racing.

This weekend the IndyCar Series hits the runways at the Rexall Edmonton Indy and boy are these cars “flying!” Oriol Servia and Will Power for KV Racing Technology have been the guys to beat all weekend so far, finishing each session on top of the charts. Servia completed his first qualifying session in fifth position and Power in second in the alternate session; both will advance to the next round which hosts the top-six finishers from the initial two sessions. The final qualifying session will then determine the front of the field.

Both KV Racing teammates are also carrying on-board cameras this weekend, so tune in to IndyCar.com and sit in the driver’s seat along with our favorite “pilots!”

Posted by Shelly Paul, Servia Squad Feature Writer

Mr. Popular

2008-07-22T13:49:00.003-05:00

Have you voted today for IndyCar's Most Popular Driver?

Follow the link to INDY DownForce!

Posted by Shelly Paul, Servia Squad Feature Writer

Weathering the Weather

2008-07-22T13:33:00.001-05:00

KV Racing Technology teammates Oriol Servia and Will Power both put on an impressive show over the weekend, scoring two top-five finishes for the most competitive of the transition teams.

While the weather was less than ideal all the way up to the drop of the green flag, the two pitted with the field early on to change to slick tires and then kept their noses clean through a race plagued with off-course spins.

With 30 laps remaining, the Aussie and Spaniard found themselves running together in third and fourth positions, respectively. It was then that team co-owner Jimmy Vasser piped in to remind them to take caution and remember the “golden rule”: Never take out your teammate!

The two drivers had no problem defending their positions though and wrapping up the race in the team’s best collective finish to date with the IndyCar Series.

This weekend’s race also saw Servia reclaim the 10th position in the points standings while his teammate sits just behind him in 11th. It looks like Jimmy may not be able to breathe easy just yet…

On a side note, though the team’s recent trip to Nashville did not give them the ideal results they were looking for, Servia did lead his first laps with the IndyCar Series. However, problems both in the pits and difficult conditions on track prevented the #5 squad from finishing within the Top-10.

Stay tuned as IndyCar returns to Edmonton this Saturday at 5pm Eastern.

Posted by Shelly Paul, Servia Squad Feature Writer

For He's a Jolly Good Fellow...

2008-07-13T19:22:00.003-05:00

Happy Birthday to our favorite IndyCar Driver!

From Servia Squad and all the fans worldwide!

Speed Demon

2008-07-08T13:52:00.000-05:00

Though KV Racing Technology entered the weekend with high hopes of a podium finish at Watkins Glen, it was not to be as Oriol Servia’s day ended early after “racing” onto pit row for his second stop of the day. Not only did Servia experience issues with a broken gearbox, but the veteran driver was cited twice (once on each pit stop) for speeding in pit lane, a violation often incurred by rookie racers more so than someone of the Catalonian’s stature.

Oriol started the race in fifth, his best IndyCar qualifying position to date. He had been running as high as third position after he stayed out as the first group of cars began to pit, but after experiencing a steering suspension problem in the morning warmup and damper issues during the race, he found himself scored in 23rd position at the drop of the checkered flag.

Oriol currently sits 10th in the championship standings, the “best of the rest” as Brianne Pedigo would say.

Posted by Shelly Paul, Servia Squad Feature Writer

Mr. Saturday Night

2008-06-30T13:19:00.002-05:00

He may not have been the first to cross the finish line Saturday night at Richmond, but Oriol Servia definitely turned heads as he brought the #5 KV Racing Technology Dallara home to a fifth place finish.

Servia started the race from tenth place and had a strong run throughout, picking up positions both on track and in the pits. Though the venue is a short oval where drivers find themselves turning 75% of the time, the KV Racing Technology pilot took a liking to the track, noting drivers are “always on the edge,” and he knew right off the bat that the team provided him with a good car for the weekend.

Though the expression “yellows breed yellows” rang true from the very start of the event, Oriol drove a clean race and ran as high as third place in the lengthened 300-lap race. By the mid-way point, half the field had already crashed out or were too many laps down to be true contenders and Servia scored his best finish to date in the IndyCar Series.

I’m sure I’m not the only one here getting dizzy from turning left, and will welcome the second half of the season which ushers with it some more road and street courses [finally]. Let’s hope the IndyCar veterans don’t have too much of a lead for some of the transition drivers to catch up in the points standings!

Check out additional comments from Oriol at IndyCar.com.

Posted by Shelly Paul, Servia Squad Feature Writer

2008 Most Popular Driver

2008-06-19T11:51:00.001-05:00

He may not have won Dancing With the Stars, he may not have posed for Sports Illustrated, but there’s no reason this Spaniard can’t be in the running for the Indy Car 2008 Most Popular Driver contest!

Have all you Indy Downforce Fan Club members been casting your daily votes for Oriol? Members can vote up to 10 times per day so vote often and we’ll get our favorite driver up in the ranks with the likes of the two-stepper and bikini model.

Posted by Shelly Paul, Servia Squad Feature Writer

Festival of Yellows

2008-06-10T13:36:00.002-05:00

This past weekend the IndyCar Series visited Texas Motor Speedway for the running of the Bombardier Learjet 550, a first for veteran Oriol Servia since 2001 when CART was forced to cancel its race due to loss of driver consciousness and vertigo when speeds topped 240 miles per hour.

Saturday night’s race held promise, however, as the beginning displayed a true festival of speed. Cars ran multiple race lines and squeezed through the corners two and three wide at well over 200 miles per hour. Then the yellow was thrown and the green flag took a hiatus for the remainder of the race.

Unfortunately, Servia was the cause of one of those yellows as the back end of the car got away from him on Lap 49, sending him into the wall and ending his day. And as he was one of the few carrying an on-board camera for the weekend, we were treated to a front-row seat of the incident. It was the first DNF of the season for the driver who is probably best known for his consistency and bringing the car home in one piece.

What I don’t understand, however, is why it takes numerous laps (and two commercial breaks if you’re watching from home) to get back to green flag racing. In some instances, there wasn’t even a crash. The scenario played itself out more than once over the weekend, first with Dominguez’s spin and later after Jamie Camara had made it safely back to his pit after his incident.

For the second week in a row the fans were treated to an exciting finish under yellow in which the pace car was the true race winner, all this on a track where I had high expectations for a photo finish.

Posted by Shelly Paul, Servia Squad Feature Writer

Champ Car Lives

2008-06-03T20:26:00.002-05:00

Melancholy settles in. It’s been brewing in me a while now.

Champ Car was sold today, put on the block for the highest bidder. I watched as racecars once filled with fire were stripped of their engines and sold for little more than I paid for my grocery getter. Like a bad accident on the side of the highway, it was hard to turn away. Signage, tools, even the winner’s podium -- no price was too low, no offer denied.

Yet I can’t help but think that Champ Car is not dead; no, Champ Car is alive around me. It lives in my basement, walls spattered with orange and black posters, painted with lithographs and prints. Helmet visors rest atop the television, reminding me that weekends will always be reserved for speed. A table of tires offers a final resting place to yearbooks heralding tales of heroes past.

Champ Car lives in the paddock, in the “transition teams,” the “ex-CART guys” and throughout the “IndyCar rookie class.” “Welcome to the other series” you hear as you traverse the pits.

And most importantly, Champ Car lives in me. While the garages may now lie dark and empty, the series’ biggest asset -- its fans -- cannot be sold. Without us, it would not have been the huge success it was. And through us, its memories will not die.

As the teams and drivers we have come to know and admire are forced to find their footing elsewhere, whether in IndyCar or with another series, remember that it’s the fans who are the true heart and soul of the operation.

If you continue, like me, to search for “another kind of green,” then look for me trackside at Chicago come September 7th.

You know where to find me.

Posted by Shelly Paul, Servia Squad Feature Writer

Playing Leapfrog at The Mile

2008-06-03T13:06:00.002-05:00

Oriol Servia and the KV Racing Technology #5 crew made significant progress over the weekend in the ABC Supply/AJ Foyt 225 held at the famed Milwaukee Mile. The Servia Squad was on-site, and while the team struggled a bit with handling issues and Oriol complained of “bottoming out” during both Friday’s rookie orientation and Saturday’s practice session, the team borrowed some setup information from Will Power’s #8 entry to get Servia ready for qualifying. And the hard work truly paid off as Servia qualified ninth for Sunday’s race.

However, Servia’s race got off to a bumpy start after contact on the first lap sent him back to the pits for repairs to the front wing. The team employed key strategy in occupying their driver for short stints which allowed them to stay on the lead lap. But the last stop to replace the nose cone saw the leaders pass by just as Servia exited the pits and he was forced to slot in behind race leader Marco Andretti. As soon as the track went green, Oriol made haste to pass the leader, regaining his lap, and from that point on had quite the battle on his hands.

The remainder of Servia’s day would be spent working his way back through the field, again demonstrating one of his chief strengths on track. And the game of leapfrog would not be an easy one as the Spaniard battled back and forth with Menards/Vision Racing driver Ed Carpenter up until the closing laps which saw Carpenter spin, causing the biggest incident of the day and taking out two additional cars.

Servia clinched the sixth position under the yellow, landing himself seventh in the championship standings.

On a personal note, this was probably the most exciting race I have ever attended as the action on track was non-stop from start to finish. And it wasn’t just the leaders who were making the moves, but rather the entire field battling for position.

If you haven’t yet been to IndyCar.com following the race, head on over and cast your vote for Oriol in the Firestone “TIRE”-IFIC MOVE OF THE RACE!

Posted by Shelly Paul, Servia Squad Feature Writer

Servia Scores Solid Finish in 92nd Indianapolis 500

2008-05-27T13:52:00.001-05:00

By now, you’ve all seen the great effort and dedication put forth by the KV Racing Technology crew throughout the entire month of May, and over the weekend those efforts paid off as Oriol Servia and teammate Will Power both drove to very respectable finishes in the world’s most notable sporting event.

As Carb Day was cancelled after only 11 minutes due to rain, the #5 Angie’s List Special team didn’t have much time to shake down their car. But come race day, Servia’s veteran status shone through yet again as he coolly worked his way through the field, picking up a total of 14 positions during the course of the race and running as high as seventh before wrapping up the show just shy of a Top-10 finish.

Servia comments, “It was my first Indy 500 and I thought I was going to do some magic, but I was just unable to keep the car up in front.” Considering he was the highest finishing “transitional driver,” I’d say he did a little more than pull a rabbit out of his hat!

Next up is the ABC Supply/AJ Foyt Indy 225 at Milwaukee, a home race for the Servia Squad and a track where Oriol has seen numerous podium finishes (2003, 2005). Watch for first-hand reports following the weekend’s festivities!

Posted by Shelly Paul, Servia Squad Feature Writer

Sponsor Spotlight: Angie's List

2008-05-23T13:00:00.001-05:00

Angie’s List, a compiler of reviews on service providers nationwide, has just signed on as the primary sponsor for the KV Racing Technology #5 Honda/Dallara/Firestone for the 92nd running of the Indianapolis 500.

The company will also stay on as an associate sponsor for the remainder of the season in an effort to spread the word on their service offerings.

Support our sponsors. Visit the company website!

Posted by Shelly Paul, Servia Squad Feature Writer

I AM MINDY

2008-05-20T13:10:00.002-05:00

No, there is no misspelling in the title. Those of you with any familiarity with the Indy Car Series may also be familiar with its “anthem” of sorts as of the past few years. While “I Am Indy” performed by KISS artist Gene Simmons has not made itself apparent in the casual racing season yet this year, it has appeared several times in the programming leading up to the Indy 500, much to my dismay.

As if the slurred chorus wasn’t enough to make you wonder who the heck Mindy is, the rest of the song’s lyrics don’t do much to promote the series either:

I am Indy
I am Indy
Hey
Hey
I am everything I want
I got everything I need
Know exactly what to do cause I am Indy
Hey
And I love the way I feel
To be me is something real cause I am Indy
I am Indy
HeyI
am everything I want
I got everything I need
Know exactly what to do cause I am Indy
Hey
And I love the way I feel
When I get behind the wheel
Cause I am Indy
I am Indy
Hey I am Indy
Hey I am Indy
Hey I am Indy
Hey I am Indy
Hey I am Indy
Hey I am Indy
Hey

While I can only hope that Gene Simmons’ name alone accomplished some of the IRL’s goals by bringing notoriety to the series, I don’t know that this anthem was the most clever marketing ploy I’ve ever witnessed.

Perhaps this year we can focus our efforts more to the likes of Motley Crue in an anthem more suited to the unified series, “Churls, Churls, Churls.”*

* Ironing Out the Wrinkles, April 2, 2008

Posted by Shelly Paul, Servia Squad Feature Writer

Servia Solidly Qualifies for Indy 500

2008-05-19T13:20:00.004-05:00

During the second and final weekend of qualifying in preparation for the Indy 500, Oriol Servia and KV Racing Technology teammate Will Power both landed themselves solidly on the starting grid in 25th and 23rd places, respectively. While the team continues to struggle with issues which prevent both drivers from finding the top speeds of some of the more seasoned Indy veterans, the two teammates have also demonstrated their ability to work their way up through the field when it comes time to race.

http://www.indycar.com/news/2008/indy/2008_ics_indy_starting_grid.pdf

The farthest back any driver has ever won the race from is 28th (1911 & 1936), so history has dictated that it certainly can be done!

Posted by Shelly Paul, Servia Squad Feature Writer

Indy 500 - Pole Day

2008-05-13T13:14:00.001-05:00

If you’re still getting used to this new qualifying format used at Indy, you’re not the only one. I guess it will take me a bit to become accustomed to all the pomp and circumstance surrounding the Indianapolis 500, as I’ve never followed it that closely before. Previously, the month of May was simply another month on the Gregorian calendar, slotted between April and June. Now there seems to be a whole new meaning surrounding this time of year as the CHURL rejoins forces to produce one of the greatest spectacles in sports history.

We already saw quite a bit of bumping going on in the race lineup, given this is one of the most expansive lineups Indy has seen in quite some time. Oriol Servia’s KV Racing Technology teammate Will Power was one of the first to take part in the bumping, as he knocked Dale Coyne rookie Mario Moraes off the provisional 11th grid spot. Then, after qualifying a provisional 8th on the grid, Servia himself was bumped when Tomas Scheckter took to the track. In the end, both KV Racing teammates failed to qualify within the first 11 starting positions, and a rainy second day of qualifying will push even more of the action to the final sessions later this week.

In the end, it seems to be sheer track time that made the difference, as none of Champ Car’s “transitional drivers” made the initial grid. However, given the number of rookies in this year’s field (13), I’m sure the show has just begun and we’ll be in for some real action come Bump Day!

Posted by Shelly Paul, Servia Squad Feature Writer

Farewell Champ Car

2008-04-21T14:04:00.003-05:00

Yesterday, there was one hell of a party in Long Beach. Today begins the cleanup. As the sweet sound of the turbochargers fades, reality begins to settle in that we must all bid adieu to an old friend.

The Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach for me was bittersweet as the green flag dropped on the standing start. Ah yes, I remember this. I remember it well. Powerful machines…strategic passing…and a winner that was decided as much by driver skill and team strategy as it was on fuel level. It almost brought a tear to my eye.

As I watched yesterday’s race coverage, I was reminded of all the good times we shared, my friend Champ Car and I. All the Sunday afternoons we’ve spent together. All the friends that we’ve made along the way. All the methanol we’ve burned.

While the first race of the 2008 Champ Car World Series was also the series’ finale, I’m confident that the true battle this season will be fought (and won) by the fans. We need to let the IndyCar Series know that we’re not interested in following anything shy of the greatest racing in the world. Give us diversity of venues. Give us the most powerful engines you can safely strap on the chassis. Give us the most talented drivers, in the fastest cars, week after week.

And if that means the series needs to make a few modifications in the upcoming seasons, then so be it!

Posted by Shelly Paul, Servia Squad Feature Writer

Let's Hear It For the Boys

2008-04-08T14:19:00.002-05:00

Oriol Servia was only one of the many “transitional drivers” who impressed over the weekend on the Streets of St. Petersburg, scoring his first Top-10 of the season.

Servia started the race in seventh position, behind KVRT teammate Will Power (second) and Champ Car notable Justin Wilson (third). Oriol had prior experience on this circuit in 2003 where he finished twelfth for Visteon Racing. He and the other drivers formerly of the Champ Car stables used this street course to their advantage and demonstrated their racing prowess early on as they dominated the front of the field. Servia himself ran as high as third position before wrapping up the race in seventh, and a special congratulations goes out to Graham Rahal for his first open-wheel win!

Beside the street racers holding an advantage over the oval drivers, the fact that the race started in inclement weather probably helped, more than hindered, those with street experience as they also have more in-depth knowledge when it comes to racing in the rain. Finally, the new paddle shifters installed on all the indy cars this season is not new technology to the Champ Car drivers at all as they utilized them throughout the 2007 season.

Next up is Twin Ring, Montegi for the Indy drivers, though we’ll keep our efforts here focused on the race a day later at Long Beach as the Champ Car World Series races for the very last time. KVRT drivers Oriol Servia and Will Power will be joined in this historic race by team co-owner Jimmy Vasser (#12), running a third car. Tune in April 20th for all the turbocharged action!

Posted by Shelly Paul, Servia Squad Feature Writer

Sebring Photos Posted

2008-04-08T12:55:00.003-05:00

Check out the recent addition of pre-season testing photos of Oriol and KVRT that can be found along the right-hand navigation bar. A special thanks goes out to CCIC Ambassadors Dave and Linda Wood for sharing their insider's perspective of the closed test session!

Posted by Shelly Paul, Servia Squad Feature Writer

Well Wishes

2008-04-04T13:51:00.002-05:00

According to an article on SpeedTV.com, KVRT co-owner Kevin Kalkhoven is on the mend from a recent skiiing accident in Aspen.

God speed on your recovery Kevin! Stick to the racetrack for the season, OK?

Posted by Shelly Paul, Servia Squad Feature Writer

Ironing Out the Wrinkles

2008-04-02T10:26:00.003-05:00

Welcome back, Servia Squad, after a tumultuous off-season which saw the “merger” of two of the world’s most notable open-wheel racing entities. I’ve been laying low since the inception of what I will herein affectionately refer to as the “CHURL,” waiting for the details to sort themselves out. But as the Champ Car World Series and the Indy Racing League birth this new offspring, the racing season can wait no longer and open-wheel racing shows up to the first day of school with a bad haircut and shoes untied.

Within the matter of a few weeks, PKV Racing morphed into KV Racing Technology and Team Australia got caught up in the details. The end result? A two-car team featuring drivers Oriol Servia in the #5 KV Racing Honda/Dallara and Aussie Will Power in the #8 Aussie Vineyards machine.

Jump to the season opener at Homestead, Miami, which might also be considered a home race for Servia, given that open-wheel racing will not be racing in Jerez, Spain as intended on the original 2008 schedule. Oriol qualified a respectable 16th on the grid, taking into account the fact that the team only had a matter of weeks to transition to a new chassis and engine setup, but started the race in 14th position after Vision Racing failed post-qualifying inspections. Servia held his own on the 20 degree corner banking, and after a series of both yellow- and green-flag pit stops, brought the #5 Honda home in 12th position and currently holds 18 points toward the championship standings.

Next up is the Streets of St. Petersburg where CART last raced in 2003. Watch for many of the “transition guys” to take advantage of their experience with right-hand turns as they try to work their way up the points standings at this temporary street circuit.

Posted by Shelly Paul, Servia Squad Feature Writer

Super-sub No More!

2008-01-07T13:09:00.000-06:00

It’s only a few days into 2008 and already Oriol Servia seems to be doing well with his New Year’s resolutions as it was just announced that Servia will compete for the full season as one of two drivers for PKV Racing, with whom he raced in 2006. While the other seat has not yet been announced, it is rumored that the ride may go to Champ Car Atlantic stand-out Raphael Matos or returning PKV veteran Neel Jani who finished ninth in last season’s championship points standings.

One of the most experienced drivers in the Champ Car field, Servia has repeatedly proven himself as a consistent driver who will not only bring the car home in one piece, but very often on the podium as well. Though he only ran two races with PKV Racing in 2007, he helped the team achieve a provisional pole position at Surfer’s Paradise and finished the season with a third-place podium in Mexico City.

Though PKV’s announcement was one of the first released this “Silly Season,” I’m quite certain that the fact the Champ Car World Series is visiting Jerez, Spain did not hurt the matter one bit.

Servia comments, “I am very excited to have the opportunity to continue with PKV Racing. I want to thank Mr. Kalkhoven, Jimmy Vasser and Mark Johnson for giving me this opportunity. I know the team and they know me. This will be only the second time in my whole career that I am able to race for a team that I have been with before. The only other time was with Dorricott Racing in 1999 and we won the (Indy Lights) championship. That is why I am so excited to start working and preparing for our goals this season. I feel that the relationship the team and I have established in the past will be very important as we compete for the championship in 2008.”

Posted by Shelly Paul, Servia Squad Feature Writer

Suitcase Servia Sixth in Season Standings

2007-11-12T13:01:00.000-06:00

He may have been dubbed “Suitcase Servia” throughout the course of the season after competing for various teams, but Oriol certainly proved himself yet again in 2007, consistently producing points-paying results no matter what team colors he found himself under.

Yesterday’s season finale in Mexico City was no exception. Though Servia suffered trouble early on as one of three cars that stalled at the start, he wasted no time plucking off his competition one-by-one as he worked his way back through the field. An early pit stop put him on an alternate fuel strategy which really paid off for PKV Racing in the end, allowing Servia the opportunity to battle for second before brining home a third-place finish.

Perhaps another podium will convince team owners that this driver is not one they should let get away so easily. Call him “Super Sub,” call him “Suitcase Servia,” but call him soon because I believe this Spaniard’s nomadic ways have seen their end and a fulltime contract is right around the corner in 2008!

Posted by Shelly Paul, Servia Squad Feature Writer

Circuito de Jerez

2007-11-07T10:20:00.000-06:00

Champ Car fans, mark your calendars -- the 2008 Champ Car World Series schedule has been released. New in 2008 is a stop in Jerez, Spain at the Circuito Permanente de Jerez which will be especially popular for Spaniard Oriol Servia.

Come June, the series will take to the 2.752-mile, 13-turn permanent road course which has hosted the likes of racing greats Ayrton Senna, Alain Prost and Nigel Mansell. Servia will most certainly be a favorite come that weekend, and perhaps the addition of this new stop will finally secure the talented driver the full-time ride he deserves.

“I came to race in the United States in 1998 and I have not raced back in Spain since. The fans have followed me here all these years and I am excited to be racing in Spain again not just to enjoy myself but to also show the fans the great product that is Champ Car and show them the reason why I left Spain! The Jerez circuit is a great one that offers good passing opportunities, they have a knowledgeable racing crowd and a good weather. It couldn't be better news.” - Oriol Servia

Visit the Circuito de Jerez

Posted by Shelly Paul, Servia Squad Feature Writer

Provisional Pole Down Under

2007-10-19T12:05:00.000-05:00

Oriol Servia captured the provisional pole position for this weekend’s Lexmark Indy 300 at Surfer’s Paradise, Australia. After running in the top-five all day, Servia sealed the deal with a last-minute dash to the finish in the first round of qualifying. His time of 1:30.862 edged out front-runners Justin Wilson and Aussie Will Power. Sebastien Bourdais caused a red flag, losing his quickest lap during the first qualifying session.

Servia comments, “I am really happy to be on pole, really happy to give a good result to PKV. After the season I have had, I am very happy how it has turned out in the end. It's a great start for the weekend, I thought the car was already good in the morning but it was all fine, it was all about putting the lap together and there was a lot of drama everywhere. There was a red flag every time I was out there so I couldn't do a lap. It must have been the most drama in a qualifying, it was like a one lap shoot out in the end for everybody and we were just able to do a fast lap because the car was good. We need to finish like this on Sunday afternoon, I have been on pole before and I know it all counts on the last lap so that is what I am going to be working on. I would like to thank Kevin Kalkhoven, Jimmy Vasser and Mark Johnson for having the faith and believing in me for this race, and of course the crew for all their hard work. We couldn't have a better chance going in to the start of this weekend.”

Tune in to the second qualifying session Saturday, 12:20 a.m., EST and follow all the action at ChampCarWorldSeries.com

Posted by Shelly Paul, Servia Squad Feature Writer

Game On!

2007-10-16T12:23:00.000-05:00

It’s just been released that Oriol Servia will compete in this weekend’s Lexmark Indy 300 in Surfer’s Paradise, Australia, paired with his engineer from last season, Yves Touron at PKV Racing. Servia proclaims Surfer’s Paradise is his favorite track to run each season and he will be sure to impress as he rejoins many of his same team members from last year.

Read the full details here.

Posted by Shelly Paul, Servia Squad Feature Writer

Kettle Moraine King

2007-08-14T13:09:00.000-05:00

The heat was intense over the weekend and so was the competition, as teams took to the beautiful landscape of the Kettle Moraines in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin for the 10th round of the 2007 Champ Car World Series Championship.

The weekend started out rocky for Forsythe Championship Racing as both Oriol Servia and teammate Paul Tracy experienced difficulty with car setup. The first round of qualifying Friday afternoon saw Servia and Tracy land 10th and 15th on the charts, respectively. Though the team worked hard to get the correct setup for Saturday’s sessions, gremlins struck again as an engine malfunction sidelined Servia for the entire second qualifying, preventing him from turning a full lap.

Despite starting 14th on the grid, Servia persevered come race time and quickly eliminated his competition as he worked his way to the front of the field. An early pit stop played into the team’s strategy and Servia found himself running in the top-five for most of the race. He just didn’t have enough to take rookie Graham Rahal at the end, and ended up one place off the podium in fourth.

Oriol undoubtedly took the hard-charger award for the race, picking up 10 positions on his way to the checkers. What a result after a difficult weekend!

Posted by Shelly Paul, Servia Squad Feature Writer

Servia Steps Up to the Podium in San Jose

2007-07-31T13:10:00.000-05:00

The San Jose Grand Prix, hosted this past weekend on the streets of San Jose, California, wins hands-down for the most impressive and exciting race of the season thus far. Beside having a race winner who was not sporting the golden arches, fans were treated to several lead changes including one by our own Oriol Servia who jumped to the head of the field early on and went on to lead 42 laps during the race.

Servia and the Forsythe Racing Team put in an impressive performance all weekend, earning a second-row starting position for Sunday’s race. After a near tangle on the first turn, Servia quickly took advantage of his starting position and didn’t waste any time in getting to the head of the pack. He found himself in stiff competition with rookie Neel Jani for most of the race, as the two swapped track positions on several occasions.

Though he still had a little Power to Pass left in the bank, Servia couldn’t quite find the speed to overtake Jani in the end, and landed himself third on the podium, his second podium visit this season.

Posted by Shelly Paul, Servia Squad Feature Writer

Tour de Road America

2007-07-18T13:51:00.000-05:00

The Tour de France just completed an arduous climb through the Alps and Michael Rasmussen retains the yellow jersey. You too could find yourself in yellow amidst a peloton of your favorite drivers at this year’s Tour de Road America supporting the Lance Armstrong Foundation.

Fans will have an opportunity to take to the 4-mile road course on two wheels with some of the stars of the Champ Car World Series, Champ Car Atlantics and American Le Mans Series, including Forsythe Racing’s Oriol Servia.

The ride will take place Friday evening of race weekend following qualifying and it’s not too late to register!

Visit the Tour de Road America webpage for more information.

Posted by Shelly Paul, Servia Squad Feature Writer

Friday the 13th

2007-07-13T12:21:00.000-05:00

Despite the superstitious beliefs surrounding the date, today is anything but unlucky as we celebrate Oriol’s birthday. Now one of the seasoned Champ Car veterans to be found around the paddock, Servia has always been a fan favorite with his amiable personality and ability to drive for any team, big or small, and produce noteworthy results.

Happy Birthday Uri from all your fans across the globe!

Posted by Shelly Paul, Servia Squad Feature Writer

Servia Shines in Spectacular Start

2007-07-09T13:50:00.000-05:00

Veteran driver Oriol Servia let his star shine over the weekend as the Champ Car World Series dove headfirst into the second race of the Canadian Triple Crown at Toronto. Servia relied on his past experience on the 1.755 mile street course, combined with hard work on the part of his team and engineers to land a provisional second-place starting position after Friday’s qualifying. Saturday’s sessions were promising as well, and Servia secured his best start of the year in third place on the starting grid.

Come race day, inclement weather earlier in the day, paired with a forecast of possible rain for the afternoon, threatened to stir up the race results. But no one could have predicted the huge leap Servia would pull out on the first corner of the first lap as he sped by Sebastien Bourdais and Justin Wilson to overtake the race lead. Oriol was high and dry (for the time being) and led the first 34 laps of the race, incident free.

However, a fuel problem just before the team’s first pit stop caused the Spaniard to lose speed and surrender the lead to Bourdais. Servia pitted and came out just behind the three-time champion, but little did he know it was about to rain on his parade (quite literally). The skies opened up, and Servia on his Bridgestone slicks lost control, spinning out and sending him to the back of the field. We’ve all seen that one of this driver’s strengths is fighting his way back up through traffic, but when he spun a second time on lap 56, he made hard contact with the wall, putting an end to his day.

Despite not finishing the race, Servia still earned himself a top-ten and currently sits eighth in the championship standings.

Posted by Shelly Paul, Servia Squad Feature Writer

Lucky Number 7

2007-05-22T13:40:00.000-05:00

OK, everyone can let out the collective breath they’ve been holding…Servia is signed with Forsythe Championship Racing!

Forsythe Press Release

Posted by Shelly Paul, Servia Squad Feature Writer

Another Top-Five

2007-04-24T21:39:00.000-05:00

Though only his second week with the team, Oriol Servia really seemed to be gelling with Forsythe Championship Racing after a successful weekend in Houston. Servia, subbing for the injured Paul Tracy, again piloted the #3 INDECK/Cosworth/DP01 to another top-five finish following an interesting series of pit stops.

The team ran the same pit strategy that paid off for them a week ago in Long Beach and landed them on the podium. During the first stop, Servia’s team short-filled the car, giving the driver a quick advantage of getting back into the race in second position behind Sebastien Bourdais. However, it was the second set of stops that almost saw disaster strike as both Servia and teammate Mario Dominguez were called in to pit at the same time. Servia quickly completed his stop, but as he tried to make his way back down pit lane, he found himself nose to nose with Dominguez who was just pulling in for his stop. Servia’s quick reflexes may have been the only thing that kept the two from colliding. Though no damage occurred to the cars, the real damage was already done and Oriol lost any shot of getting back in with the frontrunners.

The #3 Forsythe team hung in there and battled back to finish the race in fourth position, just one step off another podium finish.

Team owner Gerry Forsythe had joked with Servia prior to the race, promising him a ride for the remainder of the season if Servia brought home a win. However, given his two strong finishes already for the team, Oriol’s days of pounding the paddock for a ride just may have come to an end.

The Champ Car World Series now takes a hiatus until the next race at Portland the beginning of June, but stay tuned to OriolServia.com for all the latest updates!

Posted by Shelly Paul, Servia Squad Feature Writer

Servia climbs back in the saddle and onto the podium

2007-04-17T20:37:00.000-05:00

After speaking with Oriol briefly in Las Vegas a week ago, he assured me that he was really close to a ride. But I don’t think that even he suspected just how close that ride was after #3 INDECK Forsythe Championship Racing driver Paul Tracy was injured this past weekend during morning practice for the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach.

Servia was immediately named Tracy’s replacement and did not fail to impress, starting in 14th position and quickly working his way up the grid. The Catalonian was one in a small contingency of drivers who pitted early, throwing the #3 entry off sequence and allowing Servia to lead several laps once the rest of the field stopped. However, it was the team’s quick and precise second stop that landed them in with the front-runners while Oriol fended off Alex Tagliani on cold tires to hold his second-place position.

While it was a day where nobody had much against Sebastien Bourdais, Servia certainly gave him a run for his money at the end and landed the team on the second step of the podium.

Oriol received much praise following the race for once again being able to pinch-hit. “How many times do I have to show that I’m ready to go?” remarked Servia after climbing from the car. “To be honest, I had pretty big shoes to fill today.”

Paul Tracy is expected to be out of the cockpit for up to three months recovering from his injuries, and Servia fans certainly have their pick made for his temporary replacement. However, Tracy’s teammate, Mario Dominguez, is also only contracted through the first three races of the season.

How will all this play into a fulltime ride for our driver? A lot will most certainly rest on Servia’s performance this upcoming weekend on the streets of Houston (provided the Forsythe team asks him to stay on; no official press release has been made by the time this story was published). One thing’s for sure -- we certainly haven’t heard the last from this Spaniard and I believe we will see several more podium stops before the season’s end.

Posted by Shelly Paul, Servia Squad Feature Writer

Servia Completes Test With RuSPORT

2007-02-20T12:58:00.000-06:00

Champ Car teams continued work with the new DP01 chassis at a recent test in Houston, Texas where Oriol Servia was invited to pilot the #10 RuSPORT/Cosworth/Panoz/Bridgestone entry. Servia and RuSPORT teammate Justin Wilson were able to work out a lot of handling and reliability issues with the new chassis during the two-day test.

“First of all, I'm very happy with the results of the MSR Houston test,” commented Servia. “Most of the crew and engineers that I worked with at the test I have known through the years and worked with in the past. The track was a new place for me but I didn't feel at all out of place. I want to take this opportunity to thank the team for the hard work that they put in at the test. We were able to get a lot done and run quite a few good laps. It was a great opportunity to work with the team.”

While this short stint with RuSPORT makes no promise of a ride for our seasoned Champ Car veteran, it certainly provided Servia with more seat time in the Panoz before the official start to the upcoming season, now just a few weeks away.

On a side note, Servia also recently returned from a trip to Brazil where he visited fellow Champ Car driver Cristiano da Matta who has made a spectacular recovery from an accident he experienced while testing at Road America last season.

Posted by Shelly Paul, Servia Squad Feature Writer

Servia Puts in a Spectacular 24

2007-01-29T14:00:00.000-06:00

Spaniard Oriol Servia has been on a “roll” lately, producing top-notch results for the second time in a week as he competed in last weekend’s Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona. Servia again drove for Doran Racing in the #77 Ford entry with Kodak sponsorship and partnered with past CART drivers Memo Gidley and Michel Jourdain, as well as Italian racer Fabrizio Gollin.

The team of drivers started the race Saturday afternoon in 16th position in the DP class as Gidley led the first few stints of the race, followed by Gollin. Servia did not get his chance at the wheel until later in the day, but continued to run high in the rankings. The team saw some difficulty in the overnight hours which forced them to retire to their garage, and despite rain, they were still able to hold their position, running as low as 6th in the standings.

Other Champ Car notables in this weekend’s field include Graham Rahal, Paul Tracy, Alex Tagliani, Katherine Legge, Jimmy Vasser (though his team was knocked out of contention before he ever had the chance to get behind the wheel), DP01 test driver Roberto Moreno, and Atlantic grad Ryan Dalziel who had a most impressive drive in the final few hours of the race, holding off road racing veterans in his rookie run.

The #77 Doran Ford entry fought hard until the end and finished the race in seventh position, quite a feat considering the extensive field of road racing legends on hand over the weekend.

For further information including team photos and lineups, visit the official 24 Hours of Daytona website.

Posted by Shelly Paul, Servia Squad Feature Writer

Servia Tops Sebring

2007-01-29T13:06:00.000-06:00

It’s about that time of year again (despite the snow on the ground here in the Midwest) to dust off those Bridgestones, pull out the newly minted chassis and get to work preparing for another season of racing on the Champ Car World Series circuit. Along with the new year comes a new series logo, new drivers, and new rumors as the dust has yet to settle on the final driver lineup.

Last week’s testing sessions in Sebring proved valuable to our favorite Spaniard as Oriol Servia found himself atop the speed charts by the end of testing. Unfortunately, the beginning of the week was not quite as favorable for this veteran driver as Servia was forced to pound the pavement in the paddock looking for an opportunity to jump into one of Champ Car’s new chassis, much like several other drivers out there who are still unsigned for the 2007 racing season.

The first few test sessions came and went without Servia so much as putting a tire on track, and by the third session he was listed under the 19X car for Dale Coyne’s backup, but again never set a time.

However, rolling into the last practice day, Servia was listed under a new ride, the #22 PKV Racing entry, and finally had the opportunity to stretch his legs in the new DP01. The morning session saw him fifth quickest on the charts, clocking in his quickest lap time at 1:04.207. But it wasn’t until the afternoon session that Uri really blew the field out of the water, setting the quickest time of the entire week at 50.741.

While this test has not yet secured him a ride at the PKV Racing stables, team co-owner Jimmy Vasser has certainly alluded to the fact that he’d like to see Oriol return for another season. A lot still depends on sponsorship, and only time and money will tell whether we’ll see the red and yellow stripes flying over the Champ Car circuit again this season.

Posted by Shelly Paul, Servia Squad Feature Writer

Road Racing at its Best

2006-09-21T13:08:00.000-05:00

After an exciting 8th place finish in the Rolex Sports Car Discount Tire Sunchaser race (Way to go, Uri!), Servia heads into the Champ Car Grand Prix of Road America hosted this weekend in scenic Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. A favorite track to many of the drivers, the 4.048-mile course at Road America has been compared to many of the great F1-style tracks abroad, boasting numerous elevation changes and sweeping turns along with a mix of straightaways that provide a great setup for passing in the corners.

Another significant note is that Champ Car’s new Panoz DP01 will be on display this weekend at the track for fans to get their first glance, up close and personal.

Another group joining Champ Car and the Atlantics at the track is the Champ Car Rotax Kart Challenge. These karts will be running my home track at the Briggs and Stratton Motorplex with prefinals running on Friday and finals being hosted throughout the day on Saturday. So stop by the motorplex in The Carousel (Turn 10) to check them out!

Road America

Posted by Shelly Paul, Servia Squad Feature Writer

Grand American Road Racing

2006-08-31T19:44:00.000-05:00

(Photo by motorsport.com)

The Champ Car World Series may be on hiatus for the next few weeks leading up to Round 12 at Road America, but Oriol Servia is doing anything but resting as he heads into this weekend competing in the Grand American Road Racing Series.

The inaugural nine-hour Discount Tire Sunchaser endurance race is being run at Miller Motorsports Park just outside Salt Lake City, Utah. The track, over four miles in length, plays host to a bevy of teams comprised of the who’s who in the racing world.

Servia will be competing in the #7 Kodak/Amp’d Mobile/SIRIUS Doran Racing entry along with teammates Harrison Brix and former Champ Car driver Michel Jourdain, Jr. Other familiar names gracing the paddock this weekend include PKV co-owner Jimmy Vasser, Memo Gidley, “Supersub” Roberto Moreno, and Champ Car Atlantic veterans Alex Figge and Ryan Dalziel.

Catch all the action on SPEED TV this Saturday, starting at 2:00 pm ET and resuming at 8:00 pm ET.

More News

Grand American Road Racing Association

Posted by Shelly Paul, Servia Squad Feature Writer

Return to the Podium

2006-08-24T13:12:00.000-05:00

We have much to look forward to this weekend as Champ Car takes to the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal, Canada, a return to the site of Spaniard Oriol Servia’s first Champ Car victory just one year ago.

After disappointing results in Denver due to oil pressure problems, Servia took some time to travel back to Wisconsin to visit former PPI teammate Cristiano da Matta who remains under the care of specialists at Theda Clark Medical Center in Neenah after his collision with a deer on track at Road America during testing just a few weeks ago.

This weekend, however, things are looking up for Servia as he looks to defend his win at the 2.7 mile road course. Last year’s event saw him battle with Timo Glock throughout the race, eventually taking the checkered flag when Glock’s shortcutting the chicanes was ruled illegal, giving Servia the lead where it counted--in the last lap. We’ll see if Servia can hang on to defend his title and pull himself up in the championship standings. Let’s hope a return to Montreal equals a return to the podium!

Other notes:
Even though we didn’t see much of the #6 on track during the Grand Prix of Denver due to mechanical issues, the car was awarded the Sherwin Williams “All in the Finish” Award for best paint scheme.

The #6 Ford Lola also ran with new sponsorship in Denver as MELE Associates Inc. signed on as an associate sponsor of the #6 Gulfstream machine.

Posted by Shelly Paul, Servia Squad Feature Writer

July 13th

2006-07-13T09:46:00.000-05:00

Happy Birthday, Uri!!!

Other celebrity birthdays today:

Cheech Marin (Cheech & Chong) - 60
Erno Rubik (Rubik's Cube) - 62
Harrison Ford (Indiana Jones) - 64
Patrick Stewart (Captain Picard, Star Trek) - 66

Posted by Shelly Paul, Servia Squad Feature Writer

Making Hay

2006-06-25T16:46:00.000-05:00

This weekend brought in a whirlwind of results for Oriol Servia (#6 Gulfstream/Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone) and the entire PKV Racing Team as Servia started on the outside of Row 2 at the Grand Prix of Cleveland, his best starting position of the season. He then followed up a great qualifying effort with a most impressive run in Sunday’s race.

One of his strong suits, Servia made a jump to the front of the pack at the beginning of the race, which also saw disaster strike points leader Sebastien Bourdais who was plowed down by Forsythe Racing’s Paul Tracy on the opening lap. Oriol took advantage of the situation and jumped to the lead where he would stay for the next 24 laps until the team’s first pit stop of the day gifted the lead to Bruno Junqueira who was running an alternate pit strategy, having come in after the first-lap melee.

Servia continued to battle as a series of yellows and alternating pit sequences shuffled his position on track from as far back as ninth to as high as third. He was running strong in fifth place when a timed race brought out the white flag, but Servia’s race was far from over. A bold attempt on the part of Speedy Dan Clarke to pass Dale Coyne Racing’s Mario Dominguez resulted in a last-lap tangle between the two drivers that saw Oriol jump right onto the podium as he crossed the line in third position. The outstanding effort on the part of the Catalonian also saw him leap to ninth in the championship standings.

If you ever catch Oriol at a race and wish him luck, he’s likely to tell you that “It’s the last lap that counts.” In this case, it looks like it was the last turn on the last lap; so after this, he may consider revising his comments!

Posted by Shelly Paul, Servia Squad Feature Writer

Thanks, Hans!

2006-06-21T10:23:00.000-05:00

Following the recent Champ Car race at Portland International Raceway, I’d like to offer my sincerest thanks to Hans for contributing to the race weekend. Who is Hans, you might ask?

Not who…but what. HANS, the Head and Neck Support device designed by Robert Hubbard, Ph.D., played a vital role at Portland after Oriol Servia experienced a mechanical failure during Friday’s practice which sent him crashing into the tire barrier in Turn 11, flipping the car upside-down. Amidst all that, however, the Champ Car Safety Team was able to quickly reach the disabled car and Servia walked away to race another day.

Mandated by Champ Car in 2001, the restraint device worn over the driver’s shoulders and connected to the helmet limits head and neck movement, thereby reducing injury.

The HANS device has come into play on several occasions already this season. In Milwaukee, HANS aided both Nelson Philippe and Alex Tagliani following big crashes. And Tagliani also benefited from the restraint two rounds earlier in Houston after his throttle stuck, resulting in a heavy crash which sent him to the hospital.

Increased safety measures such as the HANS device have greatly improved racing as a whole and help today’s athletes continue to push the limits of motorsports.

Additional information on HANS

Posted by Shelly Paul, Servia Squad Feature Writer

Top-10

2006-06-05T11:04:00.000-05:00

After another action-packed race weekend, I was inspired to reach out to all the promoters who believe that 2006 may be Champ Car’s last trip to The Mile, in a David Letterman style Top-10 List. So without further ado:

Top 10 Reasons to Keep The Milwaukee Mile on Champ Car’s Schedule

10. Believe it or not, it does not rain in Wisconsin EVERY Champ Car weekend

9. Paul Newman’s annual visit is our only chance to see a celebrity in this state

8. Ovals=underdog advantage (even if Bourdais does top the podium again)

7. Where else can you find world-class racing just yards away from livestock pens?

6. This world already has too many unemployed spotters

5. Nothing goes better with a Johnsonville brat than a side of Champ Car

4. Paul Tracy needs another “all or nothing” race to add to his resumé

3. Someone’s gotta test the new SAFER barriers

2. There’s nothing funnier than seeing a life-sized roadrunner stumble up to the podium for the trophy presentations

And the #1 reason for Champ Cars to continue to return to The Mile….Weiner races. Need I say more?

Posted by Shelly Paul, Servia Squad Feature Writer

Sole Oval

2006-05-31T12:49:00.000-05:00

You may have been told that the shortest distance between two points is a straight line, but that’s not necessarily so when referring to racecars on an oval.

This weekend Champ Car heads to the legendary oval at the Milwaukee Mile. PKV Racing’s Oriol Servia feels more confident than ever, as he has always been strong here in the past. PKV Racing has also shown promise here as a team, and once you get this driver/team duo together, there will be no stopping the likeable Spaniard as he fights to end Frenchman Sebastien Bourdais’ reign of race victories.

Milwaukee is also one of the two home races of the Servia Squad, which has been working hard over the past few seasons to bring you the latest news on your favorite driver. So stop on by the paddock and say hello, and watch for post-race weekend features through OriolServia.com and here on The Dashboard!

Posted by Shelly Paul, Servia Squad Feature Writer

Deep In the Heart of Texas

2006-05-15T08:15:00.000-05:00

The stars at night may not have shone so bright for Spaniard Oriol Servia this weekend in Houston, but some may attribute that to the fact that there was a full moon shining over the track Saturday night. Or was it because of Canadian Alex Tagliani?

Servia showed promise early on this weekend, even climbing to the top of the speed charts for a brief period during the second round of qualifying. After starting the race from eighth position, Oriol slowly worked his way through the field, despite a minor setback during a first-lap incident that saw him lose his front wing. However, the damage did not seem to pose a big problem for the experienced racer and he continued on with the damaged car until the first round of pit stops where a nose cone change-out added time on to his stop, dropping him further back in the field. Servia didn’t let that phase him as he worked his way all the way up to fifth position before tangling with Tagliani on Lap 88 which ultimately ended his day less than 10 laps shy of the checkered flag.

In my book, I chalk it up to a “racing incident,” though Servia, normally known for his consistent driving style, currently holds a record for ending every race this season with all four wheels off the ground.

While Oriol may or may not be to blame for this latest incident, there’s no question that he’s definitely pushing to get the job done from the moment he hits the track, and that is the basis of a good racer. Perhaps some will come to know him as “The Soaring Spaniard,” but no one can say he’s not trying.

Posted by Shelly Paul, Servia Squad Feature Writer

Musical Chairs at Team PKV

2006-05-10T12:01:00.000-05:00

With the recent stir-ups at Team PKV and the sudden departure of General Manager Jim McGee and Team Manager Steve Krisiloff, Servia will surely have a challenging task on his hands as he heads into his 100th Champ Car start when the series takes to the streets of Houston this weekend.

Though the team seemed to be gelling early on with Katherine Legge’s top-10 finish at the season-opener in Long Beach, Krisiloff is said to have stirred the pot with a number of team members. When Jim McGee was asked to dismiss Krisiloff from his duties as Team Manager, racing veteran McGee declined and chose to make his exit instead.

Now, as PKV Racing looks to re-gather its top leadership, co-owner Jimmy Vasser is taking on a heavier management role himself, putting in more overtime than ever at the team’s Indianapolis-based shop.

Read more of the details from Robin Miller at champcarworldseries.com.

Posted by Shelly Paul, Servia Squad Feature Writer

Make Champ Car Known

2006-04-19T12:21:00.000-05:00

There’s currently a posting over at the SPEED Forums that again brings up the enduring problem Champ Car faces within the sports world -- a lack of coverage in the media. This power struggle, which veered its ugly face around the time of the split, finds Champ Car on the losing end of the battle, and the light at the end of the tunnel is not yet apparent.

Exhibit A: In parts of the Wisconsin market, not only was the start of the Long Beach race preempted in favor of arena football, but then the entire race was pulled from the air so that viewers might instead enjoy an educational program on spearfishing.

Exhibit B: So many markets around the globe are still without coverage of the Champ Car World Series entirely, including much of our fanbase in Mexico which still turns out in droves for the Monterrey and Mexico City events.

Exhibit C: Upon opening Sunday’s sports section, we’re lucky if we receive two lines trailing the NASCAR coverage, making mention of Champ Car’s polesitter or driver qualifying times.

So what can we, as fans, do against this raging media war? The obvious answer is to start by contacting your local broadcasting station and make your grievances known to the people who matter. Within minutes of the start of the race, we in Wisconsin were on the telephone to NBC to let them know we weren’t going to take this sitting down. Then a day later, I also followed up with a disgruntled e-mail to the production manager, which, like several others they received, was met with apologies on their end and promises that they would not preempt a race again.

Take the time to write to your local newspaper editors as well. Voice your opinion on the lack of open-wheel coverage in the news. It’s our job as fans to remind the media how important this coverage is to us; we need to be proactive until they listen and begin to give Champ Car the exposure it deserves. I, for one, plan on contacting my local NBC affiliate again a week before Champ Car’s visit to San Jose (the next race carried on that network) and remind them of their promise. They picked the wrong crowd to mess with and I’m not going to let them forget it.

Posted by Shelly Paul, Servia Squad Feature Writer

Fan Favorite

2006-04-08T10:23:00.000-05:00

As we anxiously await the first race of the season this weekend, fans voice their opinions on the hot prospects for 2006, and Servia comes out on top.

According to a recent poll on Champ Car's website (www.champcarworldseries.com), fans were asked, "Which new driver/team combination excites you the most for 2006?"

The results are as follows:

72% were for Oriol Servia and PKV Racing
17% for Charles Zwolsman and Mi-Jack Conquest Racing
and 10% voted for Nelson Philippe and HVM-CTE Racing

By the end of this weekend, we'll see if the fans know what they're talking about and if the drivers can live up to their high expectations.

Posted by Shelly Paul, Servia Squad Feature Writer

What's in a Number - Part II

2006-04-06T16:16:00.000-05:00

As fans anxiously await the beginning of the 2006 season opener of the Champ Car World Series at Long Beach, Spaniard Oriol Servia climbs one notch nearer to a career landmark.

Servia will be racing his 99th career race with Champ Car when the green flag drops this weekend in Long Beach. Oriol believes 99 just may be his lucky number, as he points out that it was the number carried by a young racer admired by all, Greg Moore.

Just one step away from his 100th start, we reflect back on his past successes over his six seasons racing with the series:

1 WIN (Montreal 2005)
12 podiums (7 of which he accomplished last season with Newman/Haas Racing)
25 Top-5 finishes
51 Top-10 finishes
1 Pole Position Start

Let’s look for these numbers to climb as Oriol continues to build upon his resume this season with PKV Racing.

Posted by Shelly Paul, Servia Squad Feature Writer

Lady and Gentlemen, Start Your Engines

2006-04-03T13:03:00.000-05:00

We’re less than a week away from those ever-popular words, starting the first race of the season at Long Beach. However, this time they may change a bit as Katherine Legge, the first full-time female Champ Car racer joins driver Oriol Servia at PKV Racing for the 2006 season. True, there have been females who have participated in the series in the past (all before the split), though none have run a full season. Lyn St. James last drove for the series in 1995, and before her, Janet Guthrie also had a notable racing history. But Legge will be the first to accomplish her goals of running a full season for PKV Racing. And she certainly won’t achieve that alone, as teammate Oriol Servia has already taken on his role of senior driver, showing Katherine the ropes. Team co-owner Jimmy Vasser will certainly be another big influence as Legge finds her groove this year.

Anyone who followed Katherine’s short career in Atlantics before she took the huge leap to Champ Cars was most certainly impressed with her quick results. Now she must work with her teammates and engineers to focus on team strategy as well as build up her strength as she travels to all the stops on the 2006 Champ Car World Series.

For now, a top-10 result would be a huge accomplishment for this young rookie, though I have no doubt that she’ll have much to show us very soon!

Posted by Shelly Paul, Servia Squad Feature Writer

What's in a Number?

2006-03-28T15:11:00.000-06:00

As veteran driver Oriol Servia takes to the track this season with PKV Racing, we can’t help but notice that he carries with him not only the new Gulfstream/Bell Micro color livery of red and white, but also a new number. However, Servia does not sport the #12, still under the ownership of Team Owner Jimmy Vasser, or even the #21 last driven by Cristiano da Matta, but rather will carry the #6 typically run by Newman/Haas Racing.

Numbers are a matter of possession when it comes to racing. For instance, when throwing out the numbers 3 or 7, one would automatically equate them with a driver from Forsythe Racing. Likewise, the numbers 2 and 6 have most recently been acquired by Newman/Haas, along with the #1 carried by the series champ. Teams that start anew must chose numbers for their sidepods that have not yet been claimed by current competitors, though once a team leaves the series or a “seat” remains vacant, the number is usually up for grabs.

So one can only speculate that Newman/Haas’s loaning out of its #6 to its former driver might be an indication of things to come. Despite not being able to sign Servia for the ’06 season, perhaps NHR is extending their bridle another way. Only time will tell.

Feel free to post your comments below.

Posted by Shelly Paul, Servia Squad Feature Writer