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Pippa Mann Lands Indy 500 Ride with Dale Coyne Racing

Pippa Mann's months-long quest to land a ride for her second Indy 500 has finally paid off. Pippa announced today (April 30) that she will attempt to qualify for the Indy 500 as part of Dale Coyne Racing. Let the Festival of Bag Breathing begin.

News release below ...

Pippa Mann Announces Indy 500 Entry with Dale Coyne Racing

Dale Coyne Racing has confirmed that Pippa Mann will drive for the team in this year’s Indianapolis 500.

The 29 year-old joins fellow Briton Justin Wilson and Brazil’s Ana Beatriz to complete three Honda-powered entries for the team into the 97th running of the Indy 500.

Katherine Legge: “Positively Amazed” by DeltaWing

When Katherine Legge learned she was selected to test the DeltaWing race car April 21 and 24 at Road Atlanta, she called fellow DeltaWing driver Andy Meyrick for some advice.

“He said ‘try not to preconceive how it drives by looking at it,’” said Legge.

It turns out that the DeltaWing race car’s radically different looks can be deceiving … or at least misleading.

Uncle pressdog’s Fireside Chat — Never-ending NASCAR Races and Rethinking the DeltaWing Edition

How’s everybody doing? Sunburned? If you live in Iowa you probably are since last weekend was our first in the 70s and 80s for about a year, it seems. And, since it’s supposed to be 40s with rain starting Tuesday, Iowa was a festival of yard work and, oddly, burning ditches last weekend.

I drove from pdog world headquarters in West Des Moines (center of the state) to my parents’ house in northwest corner (four hour trip!) over the weekend. All along the way I saw farmers burning their ditches. I am sure there is some ditch-management reason for this, but it eludes me. Just another Iowa moment.

Danica Patrick Does the Colbert Report

Danica Patrick on the Colbert Report from last night (4/24). OK Danica is funny. I'm telling ya, she's funny. She's gotta a hell of a sense of humor (ain't she Corporal Briggs? ... Name that movie). Remind me to carry a pressdog sticker with me next time I may come in proximity of Danica. pdog fist bump ... BOOOM.

Behold the firepower of this fully operational DANISTAR. View the wonderment:

The Colbert Report
Get More: Colbert Report Full Episodes,Indecision Political Humor,Video Archive

pressdog.com Becomes Fictional Sponsor for Fictional Driver Kate Reilly

Author Tammy Kaehler brandishes the pdog logo on her left shoulder.

Cue the Circus Music! pressdog.com is now a fictional sponsor for fictional ALMS driver Kate Reilly. Kate is lead character in the Kate Reilly Racing Mysteries, a series penned by Woman of pressdog® Tammy Kaehler. Tammy and Barb Kreisel came up with the idea of making Kate Reilly race team shirts to wear during last week's races in Long Beach.

They were cool enough to ask me to be one of Kate's "sponsors" (I use the quotation marks because unlike real sponsors, I paid zero to have my logo on Kate's team shirt). Check me out on Tammy's shoulder above. Manly tears. Other sponsors include #SteelOvaryNation and Kaehler's publisher, Poisoned Pen Press.

For more on Tammy, go here. For my review of her books and purchase info, go here. For a chance to win a copy of first Reilly mystery, Dead Man's Switch, go here -- but do it NOW because the contests ends TODAY (April 25).

After Successful Test, Katherine Legge will Race in the Delta Wing on May 11

After her first test with DeltaWing Racing Cars in Road Atlanta, Woman of pressdog® Katherine Legge will make her first race start for the team at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca on May 11.

I'm pretty geeked for my fellow introvert Katherine. I really don't know her that well, but I sense Katherine is a bit of an enigma (wrapped in a riddle, surrounded by a mystery) and maybe even somewhat mercurial. So, basically, a female me. That's the VIBE I get, anyway. I've only interviewed her twice, once in person, so I could be way off. Hope to talk to her again soon to see how she handled the DWing (rim shot).

For more on Katherine racing the 'Wing, go HERE. For my most recent interview with Katherine, go here.

More Cheever in ABC IndyCar Booth, Lindsay Czarniak Hosts the Indy 500

The new host of ABC's Indy 500 Coverage, Lindsay Czarniak

ABC's on-camera crew for the Indy 500 will be the same this year, with one exception: Lindsay Czarniak (pronounced ZAR-nee-ack) will take over for Brent Musburger as Grand Host. ALSO, Eddie will be in the booth for all the ABC-televised IndyCar races this year. Gonna be a great year for race notes!

ESPN PR news release below ...

Eddie Cheever Expands ESPN IndyCar Analyst Role

Lindsay Czarniak to Host ABC’s Indianapolis 500 Telecast

Former Indianapolis 500 winner Eddie Cheever will expand his role as an analyst in ESPN’s coverage of the IZOD IndyCar Series to work in the broadcast booth for all six races that will air on ABC this season.

Trackside TONIGHT (Tuesday) with Larry Foyt and Bobby Rahal

"Trackside with Curt Cavin and Kevin Lee" airs tonight from 8-10 pm eastern (Tuesday April 23rd) on 1070 The Fan (WFNI-AM) in Indianapolis and via the internet at www.1070TheFan.com and through the 1070 The Fan app on mobile phones.  The show is now also simulcast in Indianapolis on 107.5 FM.

Listen for a recap of Sunday's IZOD IndyCar race at Long Beach and all of the latest news and rumors regarding the 500 and more.  Guests include AJ Foyt Racing team director Larry Foyt, whose team won Sunday for the first time in 11 years.  And, Bobby Rahal - the runner-up car owner who announced a new entry for the 500 today.

Questions, comments and topic suggestions are encouraged at [email protected] or via Twitter at @KevinLee23. A podcast will be available at www.1070TheFan.com/Trackside or via iTunes.

Uncle pressdog’s Fireside Chat -- Kansas, Street Race Randomness and Festival of Indy 500 Sponsorship Tension Edition

OMG, these precious 12 ounces of dark roast coffee I am drinking right now are so amazingly awesome. I only get one cup of real coffee per day, so when I get out of bed in the morning I’m like a honey badger charging the coffee pot. Like a junkie close to a fix.

So let’s let the caffeine wash over us and talk about the recent busy race weekend.

Notes Taken During the 2013 IndyCar Race at Long Beach

Tacuma Sato celebrates with some of the Japanese media who shadow him at every
IndyCar event.

Notes taken during the NBC Sports Network broadcast of the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach, April 21, 2013.

Welcome to Long Beach. Have some lovely Chablis and chill. pressdog® DRINK, ye BASTARDS® Beer of the Race is Sierra Nevada Torpedo Extra IPA proudly brewed in Chico, California.

Cue the HAT (running order at the top of the screen). Word up to my posse in the B Unit (creates the on-screen graphics and runs the hat). I picture them in the truck wearing huge surfer shorts and flip-flops all like “dude, tasty race.”