Posts Tagged ‘alex tagliani’


Helio Castroneves wins the 2012 Edmonton Indy

Sunday, July 22nd, 2012

Helio Castroneves (Wikimedia Commons)

Canadian Alex Tagliani might have a tough time sleeping over the next while.

The Montreal driver had the lead in the Edmonton Indy late in the race,  but had a slow time coming out of the pits, and gave up the lead to eventual winner Helio Castroneves of Brazil, the three-time Indianapolis 500 champion and winner at St. Petersburg, Florida earlier this year.

To make matters worse for Tagliani, he would later be passed by Japan’s Takuma Sato, Australian Will Power and American Graham Rahal before the end of the race.

Tagliani was looking for his first win since 2004 when he won a CART race in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin.

Next year Sportsnet has the rights for the 2013 IndyCar series, and should strongly consider using its own broadcast team for the races in Toronto and Edmonton.

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Weekend Sports Preview–May 26 & 27–Indianapolis 500, Memorial Cup, French Open, NBA Playoffs & MLB

Saturday, May 26th, 2012

James Hinchcliffe (Wikimedia Commons)

The 98th running of the Indianapolis 500 runs this weekend (Sunday, ABC, 9am) with Australian Ryan Briscoe on the pole.

But the big news for Canadian sports fans is who will be driving second. James Hinchcliffe of Oakville, Ontario will be starting in the second position for Andretti Autosport. Meanwhile Alex Tagliani of Montreal will be riding 11th.

Not at the 2012 Indianapolis 500 are the defending  champion, Dan Wheldon, who died at a race in Las Vegas and Danica Patrick who is in NASCAR.

However there are three ladies in the race. Brazilian Ana Beatriz is driving in the 13th position, England’s Katherine Legge is 30th and Switzerland’s Simona de Silvestro is 32nd.

Australian Will Power who leads the IndyCar point standings so far this season will start fifth.

Here are the other events I’ll be watching this weekend:

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Villeneuve has the pole at Montreal

Saturday, August 20th, 2011

Jacques Villeneuve (Wikimedia Commons)

This could be an interesting day in Canadian auto racing.  Montreal’s Jacques Villeneuve has the pole and Lachenaie, Quebec’s Alex Tagliani is second, right beside him, at the NAPA Auto Parts 200 NASCAR event.

According to the Canadian Press, Villeneuve feels this is the first time he has had the best car for a race since he rode for Williams Renault and beat Michael Schumacher of Germany to win the Formula One World Championship in 1997.

It is the first time two Canadians will start at the front of the grid for any NASCAR event. Both riders were imported by auto racing legend Roger Penske for the Montreal race in mind. Unlike most events on NASCAR’s Nationwide series, the NAPA Auto Parts 200 is a road course, rather than an event on an oval, something that should benefit Villeneuve with his Formula One success.

Patrick Carpentier of Ville Lasalle, Quebec, who is competing in his final race, is starting eighth,  while Andrew Ranger, of Roxton Pond, Quebec is starting 11th. Ron Fellows, the 51 year old driver from Windsor, Ontario, who won the NAPA Auto Parts 200 in Montreal in 2008, will race on the seventh row. Supermodel Maryeve Dufault of Sorel, Quebec, who I was hyping up earlier in the week, will compete on the 20th row.

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Canadian model in NASCAR

Wednesday, August 17th, 2011

Maryeve Dufault (Bing Images)

I’m not a big fan of NASCAR. I don’t have a significant amount of passion for the style of racing that exists in the entire circuit.

But I may become a fan soon. Danica Patrick will be competing in Saturday’s NASCAR race in Montreal and now there’s news that Patrick will be joined by Canadian supermodel Maryeve Dufault of Sorel, Quebec.

Dufault, 29 years old, has played for the New York Euphoria in the 2005 Lingerie Bowl and has raced 12 times in the Automobile Racing Club of America series. In modelling, Dufault is best known for her work on The Price is Right.

Dufault, 29, becomes the first Canadian woman to compete in a NASCAR race. She’ll be joined by Alex Tagliani of  Montreal, Jacques Villeneuve of Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec, the 1995 Indianapolis 500 champion and 1997 Formula One World Champion, and Patrick Carpentier of Ville Lasalle, Quebec, who might be competing in the final race of his career.

I’d watch this race but you can’t see Dufault and Patrick there unless you’re there up close and live, and plus I have a wedding to attend to this weekend. Sorry ladies!

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Weekend Sports Preview–July 9-10–Women’s World Cup, Toronto Honda Indy, CFL, MLB, U.S. Women’s Open

Friday, July 8th, 2011

Danica Patrick (Bing Images)

Some of the best race car drivers in the world come to Toronto this weekend for the Honda Indy.

American Danica Patrick headlines a solid field that also includes current IndyCar Series point leader Dario Franchitti of Scotland, Indianapolis 500 runner-up Ryan Hunter-Reay of the United States, defending champion Will Power of Australia, and Canadians James Hinchcliffe, Alex Tagliani and Paul Tracy.

Remarkably however Indianapolis 500 champion Dan Wheldon of England won’t be in Toronto competing, but might be as a commentator. It completely leaves me shaking my head that the winner of IndyCar’s biggest annual race hasn’t been able to find a team to ride for since May 29.

The Toronto Honda Indy will go Sunday at 12pm on TSN.

Here are the other events I’ll be watching this weekend:

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Greatest Indianapolis 500 memories

Saturday, May 28th, 2011

Scott Goodyear (Bing Images)

Before I write this blog, I would like to let all my readers know I am not a huge auto racing fan. I rarely watch NASCAR and have not really got into Formula One since Jacques Villeneuve of Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec won the Formula One Championship in 1997.

That said, there is something special about the Indianapolis 500, and a reason I have watched the race since 1991.

I have not watched the Indianapolis 500 every year since then however. When Tony George formed the Indy Racing League in 1994, and CART drivers, including Paul Tracy, (a good friend of Prospect Magazine) decided to boycott the race starting in 1996, I stopped watching it too. Tracy did compete in 2002, and I was glad to watch then.

But over time, some of my greatest auto racing memories have come watching the Indianapolis 500.

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Weekend Sports Preview–May 28 & 29–French Open, UEFA Champions League Final, MLB, Memorial Cup, Indianapolis 500

Friday, May 27th, 2011

Alex Tagliani (Wikimedia Commons)

The greatest auto race of the year takes place Sunday afternoon in Indianapolis.

It is the 100th anniversary of the Indianapolis 500. (The race was not held for two years during World War One and for four years during World War Two). In 1911, Ray Harroun of the United States was the first winner. Over that time, drivers from ten separate nations have won the coveted race including Canada’s own Jacques Villeneuve in 1995.

Well in 2011, Montreal’s Alex Tagliani has a great chance in joining Villeneuve in making Canadian history. He will be on the pole representing Sam Schmidt Motorsports.

James Hinchcliffe of Oakville, Ontario, an IndyCar rookie will start 13th, and Paul Tracy of West Hill, Ontario will start 24th.

There are also four women in the race. Joining American Danica Patrick, are Switzerland’s Simona de Silvestro, Brazil’s Ana Beatriz, and Great Britain’s Pippa Mann.

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Tagliani gets the pole for the Indianapolis 500

Saturday, May 21st, 2011

Alex Tagliani (Wikimedia Commons)

It was a great day in the history of Canadian auto racing on Saturday.

Alex Tagliani of Montreal, Quebec captured the pole position for the Indianapolis 500. Tagliani posted a speed of 227.472 miles per hour, .132 miles per hour faster than Scott Dixon of New Zealand.

Tagliani has never won an IndyCar race, but does have one ChampCar victory. In 2004, Tagliani defeated Rodolfo Lavin of Mexico to win the 2004 Road America race in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin.

So far in 2011, Tagliani has two top ten finishes with Sam Schmidt Motorsports. He finished fifth in Long Beach and sixth in St. Petersburg.

Saturday was also a solid day for Canadian Indycar rookie James Hinchcliffe of Oakville, Ontario. He will start 13th.

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