Source: AutoRacingDaily.com

Danica Patrick had a tough 2009. Although she says, “That’s not to say that it was all bad.”

In 2009, Danica finished 5th in points, setting her highest point record of her career. She relished in that, but knows that what she really is after is wins every weekend and battling for championships.

Her team knows success, having wona  lot of races and three championships to show in the IndyCar Series. Patri

ck boasts that her team has talented drivers, so they know how to get the job done. They just need to start performing at the level they used to.

Patrick expresses how wonderful it was to have Michael Andretti call her races and run her pit. She understands that he has seen just about everything in his driving career and his insight is invaluable to her.

Patrick talks about her finish in at Indy, and talks about how people expected her to be there and that there was not a lot of commotion over her gender, or ever that finishing in third was the best ever for a woman. However, Danica tells us she was not satisfied with third; she went with the idea of winning. Miss Patrick expressed that overall she was happy with the season.

The Indy Racing League has signed a deal that will have Indy Cars running on Brazilian ethanol for the 2009 season. The IRL has been racing exclusively on the ethanol since the 2007 season. Under the deal, the Brazilian suppliers will be responsible for producing the approximate 120,000 gallons of ethanol used each IRL season.

Brazil is the second-largest producer of ethanol behind the United States. However, Brazil is the world’s largest exporter of ethanol and is able to produce the biofuel with sugar cane, which is cheaper to make than the corn-based ethanol.

Source: usatoday.com

Two-time Indianapolis 500 winner and alleged tax cheat Helio Castroneves is trying to postpone his March trial so he can continue to race. Castroneves wishes to move the trial to November. His employer, Penske Racing, is also asking for his trial to be pushed to the end of the racing season. Penske may need to select another driver for the 2009 IndyCar Series if Castroneves goes to trial in March. If Helio isn’t racing he will have tons of time to spend on the dance floor perfecting his craft.

Helio won the 2007 Dancing with the Stars competition with his gorgeous dance partner Julianne Hough.

Source: AP

The IndyCar Series will not be returning to race in Surfers Paradise in 2009. It was announced yesterday that the Indy Racing League and the Queensland government were not able to reach an agreement regarding long-term scheduling or financial terms. The Indy Racing League wished to move the race from October to March due to a clash with American football. Moving the race to March would conflict with the F1 Grand Prix in Melbourne. Motor sports will still be present in Surfers Paradise in October of 2009 with Australian V8 Supercars.

In October of 2008, the IndyCar Series debuted in Surfers Paradise holding a non-points race. The race was won by Ryan Briscoe (first Australian driver to win in 18 years) of Team Penske in front of 97,000 spectators.

Highlights from Nikon Indy 300

Source: IndyCar.com, TheAustralian.news.com.au