[VRR][B-SPEC] 2016 Straight Talk IndyCar Series Season

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Niku Driver HC
Wow, that's big news, never expected our British friends to join the Engine Manufacturers in this series. And this season has yet to start...
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Setting the table early so we don't have to rush like we have for this season. Everyone can see what 2017 options look like. The only thing I won't release until about next summer is the 2017 calendar.
 
BRRT_Angel
Setting the table early so we don't have to rush like we have for this season. Everyone can see what 2017 options look like. The only thing I won't release until about next summer is the 2017 calendar.
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If you say so... Guess it does help with the decision process when next season comes, since people are already aware of the choices they can make.
 
Niku Driver HC
If you say so... Guess it does help with the decision process when next season comes, since people are already aware of the choices they can make.
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That's the game plan. Explain what's going on in the future as soon as you can so they can take their time next time around.
 
BRRT_Angel
GAYTON (UK)--Today, it was announced that Aston Martin will be joining the engine fold as the final engine maker in 2017 for the VRR Straight Talk IndyCar Series. The V8 engine Aston Martin will be supplying is from the Vantage GTE machines. They join Audi, Chevrolet, Ferrari, Honda, and Nissan in the engine war for 2017. With this announcement, four teams have formally filed their 2017 plans. Black Rose Racing Team will be powered by Ferrari in 2017, Cat Devil Racing will continue to be Honda's flagship team in 2017. Cherokee Motorsports will remain Audi powered in 2017. Polaris Motorsports will make the jump to Chevrolet in 2017.
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AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :bowdown: :drool: :drool: :drool: :bowdown:

Perl-Speed Aston Martin next year....**** YES! :drool:
 
Not going to worry about roleplaying since these aren't being kept on record, but overall I love the #84 performance at the ovals. Led the most laps at Milwaukee while still attached to Angel's team, but DNF'd from an unreliable engine. Went to Vegas and grabbed a top 5 in my own car. I'm happy with that. Onto my home track, Palm Beach!
 
Announcing that the Pole Award now has a sponsor. Monster Energy Drinks will sponsor the Pole Award for the 2016, 2017, and 2018 seasons.
 
One thing I'll be starting in a few days is consistent news reports. If anyone wants to include their teams in these reports, send me a private conversation. First report is the following:
WELLINGTON, NEW ZEALAND--Talk around the capital this past week has been over legislation to ease the fees to get a VRR Straight Talk IndyCar Series race in New Zealand. Two race venues have been brought up as candidates for support, Pukekohe Park and Ruapuna Park. It has gained the support of Cat Devil Racing, who has most of it's team in Japan, as well as good support from the public of New Zealand. "Bringing in a quality series like VRR's IndyCar Series is something New Zealand's motorsports community has dreamed of. Putting our national pride on display for a race in the season." A lot of support has also been placed behind Jamie Ngaire-Jardine, who is currently the only New Zealander in the VRR Straight Talk IndyCar Series. The 2016 calendar is already finalized, but 2017 is still very much in reach.
 
When i learn how to do spoilers(can somebody tell me) I will. Anyways happy with the middle of the pack pace and i can't be to mad saying that i'm a one car team. At least we led some laps so that's good. I hope i can crack the top 10 in the next test race
 
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DcrRaikkonen
When i learn how to do spoilers(can somebody tell me) I will. Anyways happy with the middle of the pack pace and i can be to mad saying that i'm a one car team. At least we led some laps so that's good
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For spoilers, head to the "Insert..." category before you start to type something. Once you click it you'll see an option for spoilers. You add a spoiler title and then write the spoiler out in the box they give you.
 
Auckland, New Zealand- There was a banner news day at Bauer RTi Team NZ as driver Jamie Ngaire-Jardine has thrown her whole weight behind the proposed New Zealand Grand Prix saying “I always have a huge sense of pride whenever I look at the New Zealand flag next to my name. It would be a dream come true to have a home race, and I really hope that the VRR Straight Talk Indycar leadership as well as the New Zealand government, and the tracks can work together to find a way to have this happen.” Also revealed was that there would be a special livery being run at the Indy 500 that “shows the spirit of New Zealand motorsport and really connects to past greats such as Denny Hulme, Chris Amon and Bruce McLaren.”

There will be a full livery reveal at a later time.


The team's 2017 engine plans were also revealed with the big news being a planned switch to Nissan power units. “I’ve always really been a fan of Nissans in the past, and I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to announce the deal, which calls for a long-term engine supply over several years. Nissan is known for high-quality engines and given their success in V8 Supercars as well as endurance racing there is no doubt in my mind that they can and will provide a high-quality engine for our team”

Jamie finished the press conference by saying “I hope to give all of the New Zealand Indycar fans something to cheer about this season and maybe take the fight to the works teams. Mix it up at the top a bit. Maybe grab a win or 2. We’ll see how it goes!”
 
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CINCINNATI, OHIO, UNITED STATES--At the VRR Main Offices on Monday afternoon, a flock of personnel have been coming in and out. A Dallara representative hinted at cars being sent to New Zealand to test at Ruapuna Park, but no announcement has been made from any officials. If this is the case, it would be the first time premier open wheel cars will race around a New Zealand venue in almost half a century. An announcement on the saga will be made by VRR officials by Friday according to a phone call with the Chief Operating Officer. That announcement would be expected to be before the Palm Beach test begins.
 
Toronto, Canada - Ecurie Ecosse driver Gary Slater has given his support for early plans to bring the VRR Straight Talk Indycar Series to New Zealand saying, "It's good news that VRR plans to expand the Straight Talk Indycar Series to new territories like New Zealand. Reaching out to a global audience in new areas will help to increase the appeal of this series worldwide. The tracks will present a new challenge for drivers and teams.

We will wait for further news from VRR regarding New Zealand, but as of this time, we support the plans."
 
Portland, Oregon--Perl-Speed GP announces new deal with Aston Martin for the 2017 VRR Straight Talk Indycar season. Perl-Speed GP makes this decision following the announcement that AMR will be supplying it's V8 from the GTE spec Vantage in beginning in 2017 for the VRR Indycar series. This follows a purchase of a GTE spec Vantage for which the team is testing for potential part time entries into endurance races next year. Perl-Speed also runs 5 V12 Vantages in a Road Rally club series in Europe and Asia. Team owner and driver Ryan Perlstein stated that: "Aston Martin is committed to racing as much as we are, and to be a part of the Aston Martin brands endeavors in motorsports is an honor for us". This announcement also confirms the long term commitment by Perl-Speed to the VRR Indycar series for the foreseeable future. Perl-Speed also said they will be making a sponsorship announcement later this week for next year, which is rumoured to be a 10 year deal.
 
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Recent budget cuts at 7-Eleven has led to the company saying that after this year they will have to become a secondary sponsor for SRF. So, David Rossi (Team Boss) went to the Target Headquarters and pitch to them that SRF could be the next big thing this led to a 6 year contract for Target to become the main sponsor for SRF and 7-Eleven to become a secondary for 2. Ferrari has been in talks with SRF also but the team is split 50-50 on staying with Chevy or leaving for the Prancing Horse.
 
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Against the wishes of my PR department I can't help but tease at our new sponsorship next year with a real thoroughbred of American industry. Oops did I do that? :P
 
KYOTO, JAPAN--Cat Devil Racing's Technical Director Sakura Ishiibashi has slammed the idea of more than 20 races in an open-wheel season, targeting the 2016 VRR Straight Talk IndyCar Series calendar and the public plans for the 2017 season. "Open wheel cars are expensive to make, and the parts are not in massive supply. So, what does VRR do? It extends it for 2017 to 30 races. It's disastrous and dangerous to the economics of the teams and the engine suppliers." However, she did put her support the New Zealand Project. "Having more races overseas increases viewership. Plain and simple. Going to places like Japan and Australia and New Zealand where the love for racing is strong is a great idea. The international races 2016 has are nothing short of top of the line, and VRR has done a great job with it. It's a lot of travelling, but this season looks to be a great running start."
FIORANO, ITALY--The Ferrari Test Track was especially busy on Monday, but not for road cars. Coca-Cola Black Rose Racing and Ferrari were already putting engines to test using a spare chassis that will stay at Maranello for the extent of 2016 testing. No comments from team founder Evangeline Porter or her drivers could be made, but Ferrari were keen to make known that they had bought into the team to make it a factory effort with a brief statement. "The Prancing Horse has almost a century of racing excellence. The Black Rose Racing Team share our drive for perfection and have a history with us in Formula One. We reignite that in the VRR IndyCar Series, and we wish them luck in 2016 before we arrive together in 2017."
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, UNITED STATES--Nissan were on hand at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, looking at the ongoing preparation for the 2015 VRR GTPlanet Indianapolis 500, and they held a press conference in the media center around noon EDT today. "We are happy to become a part of this growing VRR family. Unfortunately, we joined in too late for 2016, but 2017 should be a good year for us and VRR. We have been working hand in hand with a single car team that we plan on making our factory effort in 2017, and we look forward to having some customer teams as well. Most importantly, we look forward to the biggest race in the world, the Indianapolis 500."
 
So many news, so little time... Plenty of backstage stories, that's for sure. Nissan wants a factory team, Ferrari backs another team, and Ishibashi performs a #shotsfired move towards the future season calendar.

So two important news articles and one which will cause some (non-real-life) rivalry or another. Simple, really. :lol:
 
So it would seem we have some controversy here in our little world. I can actually say I've made some results here, even with one crash, so consider me pleased. That said, even with the announcement of Aston Martin, we plan on continuing the connection with the Volkswagen-Audi Group and will run Audi engines until further notice.

As for the recent news of travelling to New Zealand, I don't guarantee we'll win any races but we are more than willing to compete anytime, anywhere. And as for a possible 30 event calendar, we'd be willing to run it all, but it's important to remember that no schedule is set until the event is declared. There's always tests to see if the cars will run decently, especially in series like these.
 
Your morning VRR IndyCar newspaper for September 2, 2015.
BRISTOL, TENNESSEE, UNITED STATES--The first ever Bristol open wheel race will be happening in November, and the short half mile race track is treating it with the best care. "Open wheel racing is all about high speed quality racing that you won't find anywhere else. VRR has presented us this golden opportunity to show the world we aren't just a stock car track, and we look forward to seeing the Straight Talk IndyCar Series here in a couple months." A statement from the track said. Among these upgrades are better and newer SAFER barriers, improved garage area, and reinforced catch fencing. The event is sold out, as is the 2015 VRR GTPlanet Indianapolis 500.
CINCINNATI, OHIO, UNITED STATES--Evangeline Porter took to some questions Tuesday afternoon outside of the Black Rose Racing Team facility. Among the questions asked were her thoughts on the New Zealand event rumors. "I'm all for it. I've raced at Ruapuna and I've watched events at Pukekohe and both would be entertaining and very skill testing races. I've heard rumors of Hungaroring in 2017, or Silverstone, or whatever, but a race at one of the two, if not both, need to happen immediately. I'd welcome throwing Watkins Glen off the current calendar to make this happen, and I love the Glen. We need to go there." She was also asked about her team's current financial situation, after deals for a fifth car fell through. "We're skill okay. We took a nice hit from that collapsing, but we're aiming to get that back in earnings. Nothing really worrying right now. Now, if results don't come in like we need them to, like top 10s and better, then we could be in a pinch, but right now, we're perfectly fine for the season."
DETROIT, MICHIGAN, UNITED STATES--Chevrolet has come out in the open and said that beyond 2016, there might not be a factory team. This comes on the heels of Black Rose Racing Team switching to Ferrari power next year. Polaris Motorsports, who would inherit that title has stated it doesn't desire being a flagship team, leaving the door open for someone else. Chevrolet also confirmed that the 2016 engine is that of the Camaro SS, which will not be the case in 2017.
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, UNITED STATES--Lucas Oil Raceway, casually known as Indianapolis Raceway Park, has voiced wanting a race as a leadup to the Indianapolis 500 as soon as 2017. The short track has held smaller formula cars over the years, but has had diminishing business. Track representatives believe that the venue is up to par for VRR safety standards and wants to be considered for 2017. If it happens, this will be the first time a top tier series will visit the track which has always stood in the Brickyard's shadow.
 
Auckland, New Zealand- In what is a move many here have considered to be controversial, Bauer RTi Team NZ driver Jamie Ngaire-Jardine has shown her support for a longer, 30 race season in 2017. “As a driver, the thing that I am lucky enough to have as my job, is the thing that I love more than almost anything in my life-racing. The season expanding to 30 races just gives me more seat time and allows me to embrace my passion some more,” Jamie said, echoing statements made by team boss Amelia Neild “I am truly blessed to have been given the reins to this operation and am thrilled every time I put on the uniform. Other teams have made claims that expanding the season will hurt the team and engine supplier’s economics. I don’t believe this to be the case. First off, as a team in motorsport, we aren’t really in this to make money, let’s be honest. We are here to win, and if we happen to make a return, then great! If not, then it’s not the end of the world, but we should look at improving, or more sponsorship or bringing in another driver with sponsorship. I digress though. As far as engine suppliers, the longer season will force teams to purchase more engines in case there is an issue with one. Same with Dallara, the chassis supplier. The way I see it, a longer season is better for the entire paddock as well as the fans, our suppliers, and the series as a whole.”



Also briefly discussed were questions about when the liveries would be revealed. Team boss Amelia Neild replied “The liveries will be revealed when they are completed. At this point in time, I’m not at liberty to say anything more. However, don’t be expecting a fancy design. We would rather save money that we can put into improving our team elsewhere. As far as missing tests because our liveries aren’t finished, we aren’t too worried right now. Jamie has shown her ability to be right on the pace even at brand new tracks. We have no doubt that she will get the hang of these circuits in an Indycar very quickly. ”



The final question put to Jamie was what other tracks she would like to see considered for the calendar in 2017 and beyond. “Quite a dangerous question to ask me. I guess I should get the obvious out of the way first. I would love to have Okayama or Suzuka on the schedule. Rockingham in the United Kingdom would be awesome as well. I feel like Knockhill in Scotland would be a crash-fest but there could be some good racing. Actually on second thought, scratch Knockhill. That’s touring cars and as I said, it would be a crash fest. Um, oh, yeah Thruxton or Croft also in the UK. Here in the US, the only track I can think of is Circuit of the Americas. Yeah, interesting question. Hopefully we can see one or two of those tracks sometime, because I think Indycars would be fantastic around them.”
 
News Reporter: We are here, at the warm, sunny Homestead-Miami Speedway with the hometown favorite and one of four full time women drivers for the VRR Straight Talk IndyCar Series, Stephanie Porter-Kelley. It's great to have you.
Stephanie Porter-Kelley: It's great to be here!
NR: A lot of things going on around the VRR world at the moment. Asides from announcing your primary sponsor, you and your team, Polaris Motorsports have stayed out of the news for the most part. I want to take some time to ask some questions regarding those if I may.
SPK: Okay.
NR: A lot of debate has been going on around the calendar for 2016 and 2017. Some have said that the calendar is fine at 24 to 30 races, while others have not been so kind. What are your thoughts?
SPK: It's a bit unsettling jumping out of the gate. It's a new series, and a lot of these teams have never worked on an open wheel car before. Polaris Motorsports is only one of four that have, being in the IRG Formula One World Championship, which gives us a technical advantage right out of the gate. I believe that the first couple of years should have been on gaining consistent competition first, then worrying about where you want these races to go. But VRR wants to focus on getting the calendar issues sorted out immediately, which also works to that ultimate goal. I am confident that they will be able to handle it. They have the game plan. As a team owner, you just have to trust the management.
NR: A lot of focus has been focused on New Zealand. Any comments there?
SPK: Not really. Never been to New Zealand. It could fit with the early season races, but I don't know where any of that lies yet.
NR: Alienware and Swiss Bank have climbed aboard your team until at least 2020. Finances are very secure in what would appear to be a sponsorship victory. Was that a goal in the beginning and has it made development easier.
SPK: Without a doubt it was first and foremost. Getting Alienware and Swiss Bank on board allowed us to catch up to the front runners with development without spending the same amount of time. For 2016 and 2017, we are set money wise, which is absolutely ecstatic given they paid a flat rate for 2016 only. We played it smart by going one full time and one additional Indy 500 car. In 2017, we plan on expanding to 3 full time cars. But we'll wait on the drivers until 2016 is close to over. Lucas is obviously onboard for Indy in 2015 and 2016, and depending on results will depend on what happens from there.
NR: What track are you looking forward to the most this year?
SPK: Obviously, Indy, here, and St. Pete, but outside of that, I'm excited to be going to Surfer's Paradise and Motegi. The beginning of the season is very great as far as potential lies, and the competitiveness of these cars almost guarantees great, close racing.
NR: What track would you want the series to go to?
SPK: Honestly? I think Shanghai would be a fantastic IndyCar venue. It'd be great attacking the spiral in these cars.
NR: Thank you for your time.
SPK: No problem at all.
 
Norfolk, Virginia--Perl-Speed GP held a special unveiling at Norfolk Southern Railway's headquarters and main yard in Norfolk, Virginia. The announcement was for a 10 year deal that Perl-Speed has signed with Norfolk Southern Railway who will sponsor the VRR Indycar team. Team owner Ryan Perlstein drove a specially painted Norfolk Southern Perl-Speed #55 Dallara alongside a Norfolk Southern EMD SD70ACe up to the small podium where he and Norfolk Southern president James A. Squires shook hands and then discussed the reason for the sponsorship to the small crowd of reporters. Norfolk Southern and Operation Lifesaver will be partnering to support the Perl-Speed team in a further effort to spread the word on level crossing safety in the US and also increasing Norfolk Southern's advertising campaign. Perlstein ended the press conference by announcing that the operations of Perl-Speed GP would be moving to Norfolk, Virginia as they hope to be expanding the team and its efforts in the future. The Portland, Oregon base will remain for international efforts in Asia and their club racing team. Current sponsor GE-Transportation will remain a part of the team on the sportscar side of the operation along with Operation Lifesaver.
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