THE LINE - MAY 14, 2014

(Photo by Bret Kelley/INDYCAR)
Day 6, May 16, 2014. Fast Friday saw the speeds ramp up at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in preparation for the 98th running of "The Greatest Spectacle in Racing" - the Indianapolis 500. Ed Carpenter (No. 20 Ed Carpenter Racing Fuzzy’s Ultra Premium Vodka Chevrolet) turned the fastest lap of the month at 230.522 mph (39.0418 seconds) to win the $10,000 FE Harding Asphalt Company Fast Friday Lap of the Day Award. Helio Castroneves (No. 3 Team Penske Pennzoil Ultra Platinum Chevrolet) was second quick with a speed of 229.843 mph. Marco Andretti (No. 25 Andretti Autosport Snapple Honda) was third fastest with a speed of 229.419 mph, followed by JR Hildebrand (No. 21 Ed Carpenter Racing Preferred Freezer Chevrolet) at 229.384 mph and Josef Newgarden (No. 67 Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing/Hartman Oil Honda) at 229.276 mph. The boost level was increased from 130 kPa to 140 kPa for “Fast Friday” practice today and also for qualifications on Saturday, May 17 and Sunday, May 18. The change in pressure adds about a 40-horsepower boost to the engines produced by Chevrolet (twin-turbocharged Chevy IndyCar V6) and Honda (twin turbo-charged Honda HI14TT). The boost level will return to 130 kPa for final practice on Coors Light Carb Day on Friday, May 23 and the 500-mile race on Sunday, May 25. Qualifying for the 98th running of the Indianapolis 500 will begin Saturday, May 17, 2014 at 11:00 a.m. and concludes Sunday, May 18 with the Fast 9 Qualifying beginning at 2:00 p.m.  ABC TV will air live coverage of qualifying from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Saturday, and 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. on Sunday.

(Photo by Chris Owens/INDYCAR)
Day 5, May 15, 2014. Helio Castroneves (No. 3 Team Penske Pennzoil Ultra Platinum Chevrolet) was quickest on Thursday, the fifth day of practice for the 98th running of the Indianapolis 500, with a lap of 227.166 mph (39.6187 seconds). Castroneves, a three-time winner of “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing,” is the first driver over the 227 mph mark at the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway this year. Ed Carpenter (No. 20 Ed Carpenter Racing Fuzzy’s Ultra Premium Vodka Chevrolet) was second quick with a 226.257 mph (39.7777 sec.), followed by Will Power (No. 12 Team Penske Verizon Chevrolet) at 225.899 mph (39.8408 sec.). Next up is Fast Friday from noon to 6:00 p.m., the final tune-up before qualifying for the May 25^th race. Qualifying for the "500" begins Saturday, May 17, 2014 at 11:00 a.m. and concludes Sunday, May 18, with the Fast 9 Qualifying beginning at 2:00 p.m. ABC TV will air live coverage of qualifying from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Saturday, and 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. on Sunday.

(Photo by Chris Owens/INDYCAR)
Day 4, May 14, 2014. The cars of the Verizon IndyCar Series line up for an abbreviated practice session at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Wednesday. Due to continuous rain showers and the clean-up from the first on-track incident of the month - a crash by rookie Jack Hawksworth (No. 98 BHA/BBM with Curb Agajanian Integrity Energee Drink Honda) - the session lasted just 56 minutes. Simon Pagenaud (No. 77 Schmidt Peterson Hamilton Motorsports Lucas Oil Honda) turned the fastest race lap of the month so far in the shortened session, turning a lap of 226.122 mph (39.8016 seconds) around The Speedway. JR Hildebrand (No. 21 Ed Carpenter Racing Preferred Freezer Chevrolet) recorded the second-fastest lap at 225.854 mph (39.8488 sec.), while reigning Verizon IndyCar Series champion and '08 Indy 500 winner Scott Dixon (No. 9 Target Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet) was third quick at 225.494 mph (39.9123 sec.).

(Photo by Dan Boyd/INDYCAR)
Day 3, May 13, 2014. E.J. Viso (No. 27 Andretti Autosport United Fiber & Data Honda) filling in for the concussed James Hinchcliffe for the third consecutive day, topped the speed chart at 224.488 mph (40.0912 seconds) on Tuesday, in a rain-shortened practice session for the 98th running of the Indianapolis 500 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Kurt Busch (No. 26 Andretti Autosport Suretone Honda), who plans on running both the Indianapolis 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 25, posted the second best speed of the day and his fastest lap of the month at 224.159 mph (41.1501 sec.). Juan Pablo Montoya (No. Team Penske Verizon Chevrolet) was third quick at 224.115 mph (40.1580 sec.). Ryan Hunter-Reay (No. 28 Andretti Autosport DHL Honda) was next up with a lap of 223.612 mph (40.2482 sec.), followed by Marco Andretti with a lap of 223.605 mph (40.2495 sec.). Hunter-Reay has the top lap speed of the month so far at 225.025 mph.

(Photo by Chris Owens/INDYCAR)
Day 2, May 12, 2014. Ryan Hunter-Reay (No. 28 Andretti Autosport DHL Honda) set the pace at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Monday, the second day of practice for the 98th running of the Indianapolis 500, "The Greatest Spectacle in Racing." Hunter-Reay's best lap was 39.9955 seconds at 225.025 mph. Marco Andretti (No. 25 Andretti Autosport Snapple Honda) was next quick with a lap of 40.1719 (224.037 mph), followed by Helio Castroneves (No. 3 Team Penske Pennzoil Ultra Premium Chevrolet) with a 40.2441 (223.635 mph).

(Chris Owens/INDYCAR)
Day 1, May 11, 2014. Will Power (above) was fastest with a lap of 223.057 mph (40.3485 seconds) in the No. 12 Team Penske Verizon Chevrolet as Team Penske swept the top three spots on the speed chart in opening practice for the 98th Running of the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Sunday. Power turned 82 laps in the practice session. Juan Pablo Montoya (No. 2 Team Penske Verizon Chevrolet), the 2000 Indy 500 winner, was second  with a best lap of 222.502 mph and three-time Indy 500 winner Helio Castroneves (No. 3 Team Penske Pennzoil Ultra Platinum Chevrolet) was third at 222.373 mph. JR Hildebrand (No. 21 Preferred Freezer Services/Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet), runner-up in the 2011 race as a rookie, was fourth fastest at 222.200 mph and Ryan Hunter-Reay (No. 28 Andretti Autosport DHL Honda) was fifth quick at 222.134 mph. Practice continues May 12 (noon-6 p.m. ET). Qualifications take place on May 17-18.

(Photo by Walter Kuhn/INDYCAR)
Simon Pagenaud (No. 77 Schmidt Peterson Hamilton Motorsports Honda) had just enough fuel left to win the inaugural Grand Prix of Indianapolis on Saturday. Pagenaud started fourth and held off Ryan Hunter-Reay (No. 28 Andretti Autosport DHL Honda) by .8906 of a second for his third career Verizon IndyCar Series victory. Helio Castroneves (No. 3 Team Penske Verizon Chevrolet) finished third, 1.8244 seconds behind. Castroneves made a late pit stop and was charging to the front when the checkered flag waved. The start of the race - a standing start - was ruined by a massive crash when polesitter Sebastian Saavedra (No. 17 AFS KV AFS Racing Chevrolet) stalled and was hit hard in the rear by the cars of Carlos Munoz (No. 34 Cinsay AndrettiTV.com HVM Honda) and Mikhail Aleshin (No. 7 SMP Racing Honda).

(Photo by Jim Haines/INDYCAR)
Ryan Hunter-Reay (No. 28 Andretti Autosport DHL Honda) gets pit service from his Andretti Autosport crew on the way to a second-place finish in the Grand Prix of Indianapolis "That was a really close call (at the start of the race)," Hunter-Reay commented. "That was such a close call and we made it through that. The rhythm got kind of strange there. Everybody doing different strategies, but it was a lot of fun. Would rather not have saved fuel at the end. But the team put us on the right strategy, so thanks to them. I thought maybe we had a shot that time but hopefully we're saving that last step of the podium for the big race at the end of the month, The 500. Thanks to all the fans that came out and made the inaugural Grand Prix of Indianapolis a success. We really appreciate it. We'll see you tomorrow going the other way." The IndyCar teams started practicing on the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval the next day (Sunday).

(Photo by Daniel Incandela/INDYCAR)
Helio Castroneves (No. 3 Team Penske Verizon Chevrolet) on his way to third place in the Grand Prix of Indianapolis. Castroneves started tenth, fell back with a late pit stop, then charged to a strong third place at the finish.

(Harold Hinson/HHP for GM Racing/Chevrolet)
Jeff Gordon (No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Axalta Coatings Chevrolet SS) won the 5-Hour Energy 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Kansas Speedway Saturday night. Gordon held off a charging Kevin Harvick (No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Jimmy John's Chevrolet SS) for his 89th win in NASCAR's premier series. Kasey Kahne (No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Farmers Insurance/Thankamillonteachers.Com Chevrolet SS) finished third. Gordon continues to lead the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series standings by fifteen points over Matt Kenseth (No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Dollar General Toyota Camry). "It’s a weight lifted off this team’s shoulders," Gordon said. "We’ve been leading the points but we needed to get to Victory Lane." Watch the NASCAR video here.

(Harold Hinson/HHP for GM Racing/Chevrolet)
Danica Patrick (No. 10 Stewart-Haas Racing GoDaddy Chevrolet SS) finished seventh at Kansas Speedway on Saturday night, by far the best performance on a non-restrictor plate track of her NASCAR Sprint Cup Series career. Patrick ran as high as third and was competitive and running in the lead pack throughout the race. "She’s run well all weekend," Kevin Harvick commented. "Qualified well, raced well all night." Harvick has been having talks with the 32-year-old driver. "I guess one thing I did tell her was to quit thinking about it and mash the gas," he said. "Sometimes your car is never going to be perfect, and you just have to take what it will give you and expect that every time you pit it's going to get better and if it’s not, you adjust and move on." Patrick said the talk with Harvick "definitely paid off in qualifying for sure. And it does pay off in the race, too."

(Mercedes AMG Petronas/newspressUSA)
Lewis Hamilton (No. 44 Mercedes AMG Pretronas) raced to his fourth victory of the F1 season at the Spanish Grand Prix on Sunday with teammate Nico Rosberg (No. 6 Mercedes AMP Petronas) finishing just 0.636s behind in second place. It was the fourth consecutive one-two finish for the team; a feat last achieved by Mercedes-Benz in 1955. "It’s fantastic to get my first win here after eight attempts and it’s really difficult to put that feeling into words right now," Hamilton said. "We have our bosses from Mercedes-Benz here today and it’s great for the team that we were able to give them a one-two finish. In all my career, I’ve never before had a car or a performance gap like this."

(Development Engineering and Enterprise Limited)
Development Engineering and Enterprise Ltd, a privately owned British development engineering firm, will introduce its concept for Formula Genesis – a new entry-level single-seater racing series - on Thursday, May 15th, in Bedfordshire, England. The program has been conceived specifically to incorporate and promote a range of high-performance low-carbon products and technologies, and also to plug the current gap between the top of competitive karting and the entry stages of the UK motorsport ladder. Formula Genesis is designed to be an affordable category to attract young drivers and engineers into motorsport. Warwickshire-based DEE-Ltd has teamed up with some of the UK’s leading race car manufacturers to propose an engine and chassis design for the Formula Genesis program, which will allow competitors to buy a car and compete for a season at a fraction of the cost of current Formula classes. Current with industry trends towards downsizing and boosting to achieve impressive performance, reliability and fuel efficiency, the Formula Genesis car is based around a supercharged version of Toyota’s 3-cylinder 1KR-FE engine. The widespread use of the engine in existing production road vehicles also makes it a very cost-effective platform on which to base a race series. Supercharging the stock engine reliably boosts the power output of the 70kg unit to around 120bhp, with minimal changes necessary to the base engine, meaning that re-builds and running costs are comparatively low. “We have a plan; we have registered the name and associated domains and we are in initial discussions with various sport bodies, interested parties and potential sponsors," DEE’s Head of Motorsport, Nathan Poole says. "We are now inviting interested partner organizations to help us develop the Formula Genesis concept to the next stage, with naming rights and the full suite of marketing opportunities available which are normally associated with Formula racing.”

(Photos courtesy of BMW)
The BMW Vision Gran Turismo - a new virtual racing machine - takes to the racetrack in Gran Turismo® 6, the acclaimed racing title available exclusively on PlayStation®3. Created by BMW Group Design, the BMW Vision Gran Turismo has a 3.0-liter six-cylinder inline engine with M TwinPower Turbo technology delivering a maximum power of 404 kW/549HP with peak torque of 680 Nm developed at just 1,900 rpm. A sequential six-speed transmission, operated by gearshift paddles on the steering wheel, distributes engine power to the driven rear axle. The BMW Vision Gran Turismo weighs 1,180 kilograms and includes a perfect 50:50 axle load distribution. Starting this Thursday, visitors to BMW Welt in Munich will be able to take the BMW Vision Gran Turismo to the virtual track within the BMW M exhibition. Besides PlayStation®3 gaming stations, an additional dedicated racing seat with a specially designed three-screen display will be available making the experience totally immersive, and the closest you can get to driving the car in real life.

(Photos courtesy of Jaguar)
Jaguar will build six perfect reproductions of its original, race-bred Lightweight E-type that was created in 1963. According to Jaguar the new cars are the "missing" six vehicles from the brand’s Lightweight E-type project, which originally started in February 1963 with the objective of building eighteen "Special GT E-type Cars." Only twelve of the aluminum bodied Lightweight E-type vehicles were eventually built - the last in 1964 - the remaining six designated chassis numbers having lain dormant, until now.
The new cars will be handbuilt in-house by Jaguar’s finest craftsmen.
Each car will be constructed to the exact specifications of their original 1960s forebears – including the 3.8-litre straight-six engine.
The E-type Lightweight carried approximately 114kg (250lb) less weight than a standard E-type, thanks to its all-aluminum body and engine block, a lack of interior trim and exterior chrome work and a host of further weight-saving features including lightweight, hand-operated side windows. Jaguar expects a high demand for the six Lightweight E-types. (Oh, do ya' think?) Established Jaguar collectors, especially those with historic race car interests, will be prioritized amongst those potential customers who express interest.

(Jaguar)
Jaguar Heritage Racing is revving up for 1,000 miles of high-speed driving through Italy in the 2014 Mille Miglia – led by Bruno Senna and Martin Brundle (above) - who are piloting a genuine piece of Coventry history, the famous "Long Nose" Jaguar D-type. “As some people know, I’m a fan and owner of the E-type – but this D-type is phenomenal car," Brundle said. "I can only imagine how brave my racing driver predecessors were to pilot it at 190mph-plus down the Mulsanne Straight. Bruno and I will make sure we do this legendary British racing car justice. We have discussed our strategy for the Mille Miglia and feel quietly confident. We haven’t raced together before but we share a huge amount of enthusiasm for this amazing rally.” “The D-type is one of the most beautiful racing cars ever made – and it’s a real privilege to drive it on the Mille Miglia in its 60th anniversary year," Senna added. “This ‘Long Nose’ car has such an incredible history, you can feel that from every detail, from the competition-worn aero windscreen to the seats and of course that remarkable tail fin. Martin and I won’t be holding back. We’re heading the Jaguar Heritage Racing charge and will do so in style.”

(Jaguar)
Jaguar Design Director Ian Callum and Jay Leno will share Jaguar Heritage Racing’s 1951 Ecurie Ecosse XK 120 roadster in the 2014 Mille Miglia, May 15-18. One of the most valuable and important XK 120s in the world, "LXO 126" is the only surviving example of three original cars built to launch the famous Scottish racing team in 1952. A race winner in its period, it is most famously associated with Anglo-Scottish aristocrat Sir James Scott-Douglas. Scott-Douglas competed in a number of endurance races across Europe with Ecurie Ecosse and even went on to keep "LXO 126" as a road car in 1953. In the same year, the car returned to the race track at the infamous Nurburgring; Ecurie Ecosse mechanics hastily converting it back into a competition car when one of the team’s C-type’s met with an accident. Since then the car has been the subject of a superb restoration. Resplendent in the classic Flag Metallic Blue of the Ecurie Ecosse racing team, it was recently sold by Bonhams Auctions for £707,100 at the end of 2013 and has been loaned to Jaguar Heritage Racing for the Mille Miglia. “As a Scotsman, Ecurie Ecosse is incredibly close to my heart – so the chance to drive this incredible XK 120 through Italy is a once in a lifetime opportunity," Callum said. "Factor in a co-driver who’s almost as much of a Jaguar man as me – and there’s no doubt I’m going to love every minute!” “I’m fortunate to have an XK 120 in my garage – not to mention a few other incredible cars from Coventry - but this Ecurie Ecosse XK 120 is one of the most beautiful Jaguars ever built," Leno said. "I absolutely adore it. It’s a real honor to be asked to drive it on the Mille Miglia and to be able to revel in its history with someone like Ian is a true privilege.” The Mille Miglia classic car endurance event runs 1,000 gruelling miles from Brescia-Rome-Brescia. Live updates will be available through Jaguar official social media channels (www.facebook.com/Jaguar and www.twitter.com/jaguar), as well as Twitter profiles of drivers using hashtag: #JaguarMille

Editor-in-Chief's Note: Check out our friend John Thawley's visit - in words and fantastic pictures - to the The Collier Collection and The Revs Institute here. - PMD