Erik Berkman, president of Honda Performance Development, said:

"(the debate) is over four (cylinders) or six... But both of them include turbos,” Barnhart said... One of them includes twin turbos."

We're assuming that means the decision is between either a twin-turbo four-banger or a single-turbo V6. But who knows? Maybe they're considering a twin-turbo V6. Allegedly, the reason for all the change is to stay relevant with fans and to increase fuel economy. We think Honda is just fishing for some competition. [GreenCarCongress]

"the IRL is not real racing. Not real good racing, anyway. It's not the best car circuit in this country — that would be NASCAR ... what is the IRL? It's a training ground for decent drivers who hope to be good enough to race somewhere important some day ... Winning in the IRL isn't a matter of talent..."

"The IRL is the junior varsity of racing, is what I'm saying. Danica Patrick finally won herself a JV race, and that's good for her, and it's a neat story. The first woman to do anything — the first man to do anything, too — is always cool. But let's not take this too far, OK?"

You'd have to check your local DOT, but apparently in Florida (and Indiana) you can drive this titled 1999 Dallara — allegedly Eddie Cheever's back-up car for the 2000 Indy 500 — on public streets with abandon. The 1,000-pound go kart's been fitted with headlights and brake lights and the engine's been swapped with a Chevrolet small block, but other than that it's a full-on Indy car, with qualifying stickers still attached. Of course, city drivers might want to attach a periscope for heavy traffic. Reserve not met at $36,000. [Thanks to Ed for the tip.] [Video] – Mike Spinelli

Street legal! Indy car, Dallara, Race car [eBay]

Related:
Indy Car for the Street

The early-to-mid 1960s were a time of tumult at Indianapolis. The engines had begun to shift from the front to the rear, and the track was still claiming victims with somewhat alarming regularity. However, Colin Chapman's motto wasn't "Simplicate and add durability," (otherwise, one thinks, he would've been running Oshkosh), and the footage of Jim Clark's 1964 axle failure illustrates the fact. However, the clouds of an impending sea change were further overshadowed by plumes of black smoke that marked the death of Dave MacDonald and Eddie Sachs. A.J. Foyt? He kept tradition on life support a little longer by Offenhausering it to the finish line first.

Grand Prix! Movie Clip From 1966 Monza [Internal]

Danica Patrick hosted a press rendezvous with her new IRL car on the streets of Chicago yesterday, offering the first look of the black, Motorola-sponsored No. 7 car she'll be driving next season for Andretti Green. Breaking from the script, Parick raced up State street, dodging cars and pedestrians, before pulling a four-wheel drift on to Wacker Drive, where she clipped Oprah, who coincidentally had been crossing the street at the time, then stopping near Lake Shore Drive to do doughnuts until the car's tires exploded, sending fragments of rubber right into the poppy seed hot-dog buns of several onlookers. Right. Actually, she did a quick burnout in the rain before posing for pictures for six or seven hours.

Danica Patrick Unveils New IRL Car [Associated Press]

Related:
No NASCAR for Danica: She's With Andretti, Leather [internal]

We're not exactly sure why IRL racer Jeff Simmons' PR guy Karl berbacher had to go list his three favorite records as Fun House by the Stooges, Sabbath's Master of Reality and then poison an until-then fantastic list with Gene Simmons' "I Am Indy" single. But then again, that's why we're broke-dick bloggers who jet-set around the world as Denton permits and Karl jet-sets around the country getting into near bar-brawls and apparently boffing twins while promoting clients. Oh, and there's good Danica dirt, too. Click through, because CJ over at So. Damn. Indy. got Karl to ladle the gossip on the side of racing the sponsors don't want to know about.

Meet Karl. [So. Damn. Indy.]

Related:
This Shit is Genius, They Are Indy, Etc. [Internal]

If you have no clue about drag racing legends Sox & Martin, kindly soak your head. Everyone else, read on. Bob Panella, Jr. will run this Sox & Martin-liveried Dodge Stratus at the NHRA US Nationals, the biggest deal in drag racing. Sox expressed his enthusiasm for the project before his death last April, and his longtime partner in quickness Buddy Martin. What's more, the car's not one of the retro, one-off paint schemes that seem to run every year at Indy and then revert back to normal sponsor colors after the event they call The Big Go. Which frankly, is pretty awesome.

Sox and Martin Stratus Revealed [MoparMax]

Related:
Mad Not-Rightness: Ronnie Sox is Dead [Internal]

Stock up on Bordeaux, kids; the town of Speedway, Indiana will see another European invasion in 2007. The George- Hulme bunch has inked a one-year extension of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway's F1 contract, bringing the Grand Prix back to the track, likely in June. The one-year extension was as much of a commitment as track CEO Tony George would make, according to the Indianapolis Star, considering F1's footing, of which he said, "There are too many unanswered questions to commit any longer than that." George went on to say that he expects at least six drivers not to pull out of the race next year and that any disgruntled fan caught throwing Jug's fried chicken onto the track will be forced to peel the "F Michelin" stickers off the seat backs. [Thanks to Andy for the tip.]

F-1 racing will return to Speedway in 2007 [Indianapolis Star]

Related:
I Am Indy [internal]

We were somewhat surprised, though not shocked, when Rahal-Letterman decided to pull Buddy Rice and Danica Patrick out of the race at Homestead last weekend after the death of their teammate. Their words were fairly boilerplate, but they did make one point that we thought was worth noting — in defending Dana's right to be on the track.

Put it this way, Rahal-Letterman's the most high-profile team in the IRL right now, thanks to Dave Letterman's involvement, Rice's win at Indy two years ago and Patrick's high finish a year ago. A lot of drivers would forgo their manly equipment for a place on the team. So if Rahal decided Dana was good enough, he probably was. It's just a shame his career ended before it really had a chance to start.

Rice, Patrick Speak Out on Dana [Speed]

Related:
Soldier's Requiem: AutoWeek Remembers Paul Dana [Internal]

Related:
IRL Driver Paul Dana Killed in Crash During Warmup [internal]

Open letter to those looking for information on the tragic Paul Dana crash at Homestead-Miami today. Jazz vocalist Dana Paul is a completely different person from late Indy racer, Paul Dana:

"Dana [Paul] is not only the singer's singer - he's the musician's singer. His vocal wizardry and interpretations of the Great American Songbook have made him one of the most talked about performers anywhere."

Paul Dana, 30-year-old racing journalist turned Indy driver, was killed in a crash this morning in a warmup at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Dana's car hit that of Ed Carpenter, who had spun out and hit the wall. Carpenter was injured. Homestead was to have been Dana's inaugural race for the Rahal-Letterman team. [UPDATE: Video on ESPN.com] [UPDATE 2: We've got video here.]

IRL driver Paul Dana dies after crash [USA Today]

Related:
Six Rahal-Letterman Cars Entered at Indy, Six Degrees of Separation [internal]