From a career as a professional race car driver to his service as a United States Capitol Police (USCP) officer, Howard “Howie” Liebengood was a quiet, effective leader who exhibited outstanding personal character and strong moral fiber in all situations. He protected the U.S. Capitol during the January 6, 2021, attack, and died by suicide […]
For the first time ever a racing organization won both the Indianapolis 500 and the World 600 on a Memorial Day weekend. Fittingly that organization was Team Penske which won a thrilling Indy 500 for a record-extending 19th time on Sunday and followed with a convincing victory Monday in the rain-delayed Coca-Cola 600. Roger Penske’s […]
Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing limped away from the Memorial Day weekend at Indianapolis with a solid determination to come back from an uncharacteristic flop – only one of the 4-car team managed to qualify. Marshall Pruett posted an in-depth review of the team’s performance by Bobby Rahal who voiced a total commitment to right the […]
In ceremonies at the Indiana Roof Ballroom this May 26, Tim Cindric and Tony George will be formally inducted into the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame. TIM CINDRIC: Tim Cindric currently serves as President of Team Penske. Cindric has overall management responsibility for Team Penske’s racing operations which includes teams competing in the NTT IndyCar […]
Brian Redman and David Hobbs are among the members of the 2023 class of inductees into the British Sports Car Hall of Fame. Another 2023 inductee is RRDC member in memoriam Brian Fuerstenau. Here are the RRDC member bios for the class of 2023: Brian Redman – Brian Redman has been a Champion on three Continents […]
The SAFEisFAST gurus have pieced together snippets from the archives into a fascinating teaser for the 2023 season. This “Best of…” clip includes jewels from Mario Andretti, Fernando Alonso, Roger Penske, Juan-Pablo Montoya and many others. It’s a must-watch summary of what SAFEisFAST is all about.
Racemaker Press has announced that “The Green Flag; Just a Bloke’s Story” – written by Barry Green in partnership with renowned author Gordon Kirby – is now available at Racemaker.com. “The Green Flag” is a hard-backed volume filling 266 pages with more than 150 photos and a comprehensive listing of Green’s career record. The book retails […]
LONG BEACH, Calif. (April 14, 2023) – The April 13 RRDC Evening with Jacky Ickx Presented by Firestone was filled with amusing racing stories, heartfelt emotions, mutual respect and even a few manly hugs as the Belgian driver who’s won six times at the 24 Hours of Le Mans and eight times on the Formula 1 Grand […]
Lucy Foyt, wife of A.J. Foyt, Jr., passed away Wednesday in a Houston hospital after a brief illness. She was 84. Here is the text of the A. J. Foyt Enterprises announcement of Lucy’s passing: “Lucy had a special appreciation for life, always embracing new experiences, people, and challenges. There was never a dull moment […]
The inaugural class for the IMSA Hall of Fame has been selected and includes four drivers, three IMSA founders and four iconic race cars from throughout the sanctioning body’s 54-year history. Six members of the inaugural class are members of the RRDC, including four in memoriam. The inductees will be honored as part of October’s […]
Jim Haynes, a seminal figure in the history of Lime Rock Park, has died, the track announced Friday on its Facebook page. A two-time SCCA National Champion driver, Haynes purchased Lime Rock Park in 1964 from its builders and over the next 11 years, first as owner and then as general manager, shepherded the facility’s […]
You are cordially invited to attend the RRDC Evening with Jacky Ickx Presented by Firestone on Thursday, April 13, at the Long Beach Hilton, reservation details at the end of this article. The RRDC’s 2023 honoree is known by many names: “Ringmeister” for his superlative performances at the incomparable Nurburgring, including qualifying third fastest for […]
The parallel and comingled careers of Drs. Stephen Olvey and Terry Trammell have advanced the promotion, organization and methods of racetrack driver safety orders of magnitude over the past four decades. Those nonpareil efforts have been recognized by the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America as the pair will be inducted as members of the […]
The RRDC Annual Dinner was held on the Wednesday prior to the running of the Rolex 24 at Daytona in the Speedway’s banquet hall. This year’s fete was well attended. Photographer Wes Duenkel captured the shindig for us to enjoy later. Here are a few of his images.
Mark Raffauf, the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) Senior Director of Competition, was honored by the Road Racing Drivers Club with the 2022 Phil Hill Award. The 2019 recipient, RRDC President Bobby Rahal, made the presentation at the annual RRDC members’ dinner on January 25 prior to the running of the Rolex 24 At Daytona, the […]
John Fergus, a racing champion with multiple titles, businessman and Vice President/Treasurer of the RRDC, was named the 2022 recipient of the RRDC Bob Akin Award. He was honored at the annual Road Racing Drivers Club members’ dinner on January 25, prior to the running of the Rolex 24 At Daytona, the season opener of […]
Jason Ott, winner of the 2022 SCCA Touring 3 National Championship on September 30, 2022, was named the 2022 recipient of the Road Racing Drivers Club’s Mark Donohue Award. Ott was honored at the annual Road Racing Drivers Club members’ dinner on January 25, 2023, prior to the running of the Rolex 24 At Daytona, […]
This shot of the RRDC Hospitality Motor Coach was scanned by Steve Knoll from Bill Dobbins’ extensive archive of some 15,000 images. Shot at the 1967 U.S, Grand Prix at Watkins, this is so long ago that Judy Stropus was not yet hosting the at-track soirees.
A race weekend can often be a pretty hectic experience – with a lot going on to distract you from being ready for the race itself. In our latest video, a group of top IndyCar and IMSA drivers discuss what they do to prepare themselves – both mentally and physically – to make sure they’re in […]
“Raoul ‘Sonny’ Balcaen: My Exciting True-Life Story in Motor Racing from Top-Fuel Drag-Racing Pioneer to Jim Hall, Reventlow Scarab, Carroll Shelby and Beyond,” by Raoul F. Balcaen III with Jill Amadio and Pete Lyons, is now available in the U.S. This engaging memoir from one of American racing’s unsung heroes is the very personal history […]
Team Penske became the first organization in history to capture both the NASCAR Cup Series and the IndyCar Series championships in the same season. Team Penske has now notched 43 titles. Will Power clinched his second NIT IndyCar title in September at Laguna Seca, the 17th IndyCar title for Team Penske. Meyer Shank Racing captured […]
The Road Racing Drivers Club is a U.S. organization made up of many of the America’s and Europe’s most successful racing drivers. Members are elected by their peers and include Formula One World Champions, Indy-500 winners, Champion Sports Car Drivers, and top American amateur road racers. The membership also includes leading industry professionals, race officials, […]
Leigh Diffey, David Hobbs and Steve Matchett are returning to the stage with their “Inside F1 2022 Year in Review” at back-to-back events in Connecticut and Pennsylvania, November 28 and 29. The popular trio with be joined by “The GOAT” Ricky Carmichael, 7-time AMA motorcross national champion. They will be at the Ridgefield (Conn) Playhouse […]
Mike Hull, Managing Director for Chip Ganassi Racing, has joined the impressive, growing list of featured webinar speakers during the 3rd Annual RACE INDUSTRY WEEK, EPARTRADE, RACER and SPEED SPORT are providing 55 hours, over 5 days, of Live webinars from race industry leaders, race sanctioning organizations and key industry suppliers from around the world. No charge to attend. […]
With Joey Lagono’s NASCAR Cup Series title Sunday, Team Penske notched its second major championship of 2022, matching Will Power’s NIT IndyCar title clinching drive at Laguna Seca in September. It was the team’s first dual title effort in 31 seasons of competing in both series. Lagano prevailed in a four-driver shootout at Phoenix International […]
One year ago, Max Esterson carried Team USA Scholarship colors to second place in the 50th BRSCC Formula Ford Festival at Brands Hatch, with teammate Andre Castro taking third. This afternoon, Esterson, from New York, N.Y., went one better, making a step back from his GB3 campaign and emerging with the victory spoils, including the […]
The three members of the 2022 Team USA Scholarship squad – Elliott Budzinski, (below center) 20, from Ann Arbor, Mich., William Ferguson (below left), 18, from Pacifica, Calif., and Thomas Schrage (below right), 17, from Bethel, Ohio – have been in and around England for the past several weeks in preparation for the 51st BRSCC […]
Ever hear yourself saying, “It feels like I’m driving the wheels off the car; how come my lap times don’t show it?” We’ve all been guilty of it: You push the car harder and harder, only to find yourself going slower and slower. In our latest video, a group of top drivers from IndyCar and IMSA […]
Thanks to Zack Brown, Mario Andretti recently tried out a 2013 McLaren MP4-28a at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. Mario’s thoughts were captured by RACER for a UTube clip.
Gordy MacKenzie VSCCA, RRDC, WWII Celebration of Life Lime Rock Park Chalet This Saturday, Oct 1, 11am to 4pm Lime Rock Park 1st Chalet OPEN HOUSE! Come for Gordy’s Photo Gallery….Story Telling….Refreshments RSVP Terry 860-248-1799 tr7terry@hotmail.com
The Team USA Scholarship has confirmed that three young American drivers will represent their nation in the prestigious Formula Ford Festival and Walter Hayes Trophy events in England this fall. Elliott Budzinski (center, below), 20, from Ann Arbor, Mich., William Ferguson (left), 18, from Pacifica, Calif., and Thomas Schrage (right), 17, from Bethel, Ohio, have […]
Skip Barber Racing School announced this week that Townsend Bell is joining the organization as Brand Ambassador. He is a graduate of the school and a former instructor. Bell is the 2001 Indy Lights Champion, the winner of the 2014 Daytona 24, the 2015 IMSA GTD Champion, the 2016 LeMans 24 winner and a 10-time starter […]
It was a triumphant weekend for Will Power at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, Sep 9-12. On Saturday, Power took his 68th career pole, eclipsing Mario Andretti’s all-time IndyCar record by one with Mario witnessing the feat from the pitlane. Then on Sunday, Power drove his No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet to third overall in […]
Adrian Newey was spotlighted on Sky Sports Grand Prix Sunday in the run-up to the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort. The subject was the RB18 Red Bull F1 car and why it has been so dominant this 2022 season. The consensus is that chief aerodynamicist Newey has made the difference. Responsible for many championship race […]
Fellow Racers, the old saying goes, “No race has ever been won in the first corner, but many have been lost there.” Well if that’s true, then why do so many drivers go for it at the start? The answer is simple: With today’s race cars, passing is very difficult, and starts and re-starts present the best […]
For the 33rd consecutive year, the Team USA Scholarship will provide opportunities for talented young American race car drivers to gain some international recognition at an early stage in their careers. Next week at the challenging Polecat Training Center facility in Lynchburg, Tenn., six finalists will participate in two days of assessments which will include […]
Chris Cord, an investment banker who took up sports car racing as a hobby and closed his career in the center of Dan Gurney’s All American Racers factory Toyota GTO program, died on Thursday at the age of 82. Katrina Cord, his wife of 64 years, was with him when he passed at their home […]
Racemaker Press has announced that “Boost! Roger Bailey’s Extraordinary Motor Racing Career” – the latest biography from author Gordon Kirby – is now available at Racemaker.com. Perhaps nobody in the history of automobile racing enjoyed a career of wider reach and diversity than Roger Bailey. Over the course of 52 years, from 1959-2012, Bailey competed as […]
Rob Walton and the Walton-Penner Group have purchased the Denver Broncos for a reported $4.65 billion, a record for the sale of an American professional sports franchise, far surpassing the $2.4 billion paid for the New York Mets in 2020. Walton-Penner is headed up by Walton’s daughter Carrie Walton Penner and son-in-law Greg Penner. The […]
Hagerty has named the RRDC’s Judy Stropus as Grand Marshal for the 2022 Greenwich Concours d’Elegance, held at Roger Sherman Baldwin Park overlooking Greenwich Harbor on June 3-5, 2022. Judy Stropus’ talent, passion, precision and creativity have been a pivotal part of American and international motorsports for over half a century, she literally wrote the […]
