Getty Images Barracuda Racing driver Alex Tagliani has donated his race helmet for this weekend’s Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg to military charity Wish For Our Heroes.
According to Jim Tomlin of the Tampa Bay Times, the helmet has been put on eBay for a one-week auction that will benefit military members in need throughout the Tampa Bay/St. Petersburg region.
“I have a hard time saying no,” Tagliani told the Times. “I can’t donate all my helmets. But when it makes sense and when it [hits] my heart, it’s something I can do.”
Leading up to this weekend’s event, Wish For Our Heroes and race organizers announced a “wish fund” to help veterans be able to attend the race through donations from individuals and businesses that would be used to purchase tickets for those who serve.
A veteran, former U.S. Army Specialist Charlie Lemon, will be the grand marshal for Sunday’s event and also give the command to start engines to the 25-car field. Lemon, 30, lost his legs while on a mission in Iraq two years ago.
Wish For Our Heroes, along with the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the Indiana National Guard, has also set up a “wish fund” for sending troops to this year’s Indianapolis 500. If you’d like to help the cause, click here.
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Reuters
So far, Indianapolis 500 rookie Carlos Munoz is making this IndyCar thing look easy. Munoz is making his big-league debut in the 97th running of The Greatest Spectacle in Racing, but there’s been no sign of first-time jitters for the young Colombian. Driving a fifth car for Andretti Autosport (the team he races for in…
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With Indy pole captured, Carpenter sets sights on bigger prize
May 18, 2013, 8:43 PM EDT
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Since he was a little boy, Ed Carpenter — Indianapolis native, Butler University graduate, and stepson of IZOD IndyCar Series founder Tony George — has known how important the Indianapolis 500 is. Perhaps that is why he’s taking his pole position for the 97th running in stride, instead focusing on what lies ahead next weekend.…
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AP
Thrilling the hometown fans at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Indiana native Ed Carpenter rocketed to the pole position for next weekend’s Indianapolis 500, becoming the first Hoosier since Pat O’Connor in 1957 to win the pole for The Greatest Spectacle in Racing. Carpenter, who is the IZOD IndyCar Series’ sole owner/driver, was the fifth of…
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Reuters
The final battle for the Indianapolis 500 pole will be an all-Chevrolet affair. The “Bowtie Brigade” has taken charge of Pole Day at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, with all five Andretti Autosport drivers (Ryan Hunter-Reay, Carlos Munoz, Marco Andretti, E.J. Viso, Ryan Hunter-Reay), all three Team Penske drivers (Will Power, Helio Castroneves and A.J. Allmendinger),…
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AP
With one hour to go in Pole Day qualifying for the 97th Indianapolis 500, the battle to get into the Top 24 positions (which will be locked in at 6 p.m. ET) is starting to heat up. Oriol Servia (pictured) bumped Ryan Briscoe out of the Top 24 during the previous hour, posting a strong…
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AP
Will Power’s four-lap average of 228.844 miles per hour is still on top of the Pole Day charts at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, but the Andretti Autosport armada is making its presence felt as well. In the previous hour, defending IZOD IndyCar Series champion Ryan Hunter-Reay and Colombian rookie Carlos Munoz posted averages good enough…
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Reuters
Simona de Silvestro has always taken the high road in regards to her lost 2012 campaign, in which she was saddled with the horribly uncompetitive Lotus engine. Where other drivers may have griped about the situation, the Swiss competitor handled it with class and focused on learning as many lessons as she could from the…
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Team Penske currently has the provisional front row for the 97th Indianapolis 500, with Will Power sitting on the pole as 3 p.m. ET rolled by at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. His teammate, Helio Castroneves, managed to knock Penske rookie A.J. Allmendinger off the provisional pole with a four-lap average of 227.975 miles per hour.…
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AP
This year’s Indianapolis 500 isn’t the first time IZOD IndyCar Series driver Graham Rahal has teamed up with his father, 1986 Indy winner Bobby Rahal, to take on “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.” In 2010, Graham finished 12th for the Rahal Letterman Lanigan team at Indy. But 2013 will mark the first “500″ for Graham…
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AP
At the stroke of 2 p.m. ET, Indianapolis 500 rookie A.J. Allmendinger (pictured) was on the provisional pole for the 97th running of The Greatest Spectacle in Racing after posting a four-lap average of 227.761 miles per hour in the No. 2 IZOD Chevrolet. Afterwards, the former Champ Car standout was decidedly emotional about the…
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With rain delaying the start of Indianapolis 500 Pole Day time trials, INDYCAR Race Director Beaux Barfield told NBC Sports Network’s Kevin Lee that the qualifying format for today will be altered. Single-car qualifying has now been extended to 6 p.m. ET. Following a 30-minute break, the top nine qualifiers will be inverted for the…
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Taking notice of newer stadiums’ bigger amenities, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway is targeting ways to improve the at-track experience for fans coming to this month’s Indianapolis 500 and its other events as well. Part of that effort has included the removal of almost 10 percent of the Brickyard’s seating capacity, most of that number coming…
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Conor Daly confident despite accident on Thursday (VIDEO)
May 18, 2013, 12:42 PM EDT
AP
Indianapolis 500 rookie Conor Daly spoke to NBC Sports Network’s Will Buxton after his accident on Thursday. Daly was primed to get back out on Friday in his rebuilt No. 41 ABC Supply A.J. Foyt Racing Honda, but rain stopped the session before he had a chance. Still, Daly was upbeat on Saturday – he…
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When Marcus Smith unveiled a second $1 million bonus for the driver that can win all five segments of tonight’s NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race, he passed along a notion from his father. “My dad, [Speedway Motorsports Inc. CEO] Bruton Smith, says that three things motivate people – love, fear and money,” he said back in…
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In addition to being broadcast on the NBC Sports Network, this weekend’s time trials for the 97th Indianapolis 500 will also be streamed live online and on mobile devices through NBC Sports Live Extra. Coverage on both NBCSN and NBC Sports Live Extra begins today at 11 a.m. ET and will continue through the afternoon.…
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Reuters
The final pre-qualifying practice is in the books for this year’s Indianapolis 500. There were faster speeds, more tows, and a new name atop the timesheets heading into Pole Day qualifying on NBC Sports Network and NBC Sports Live Extra, beginning at 11 a.m. ET. Will Power recorded the morning’s, and the month’s, fastest lap…
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They may have made a quiet start to the 2013 Formula One season, but Martin Whitmarsh is very proud of McLaren’s excellent record around the streets of Monaco, with F1 returning to the principality next weekend. “Vodafone McLaren Mercedes has a fabulous record in Monte Carlo. We’ve taken 15 wins – more than any other…
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UPDATE (10:35 a.m. ET): Katherine Legge will have a chance to qualify for this year’s Indianapolis 500 after all. She’ll take the reins of the third entry under the Sam Schmidt Motorsports stable, the second with the Schmidt Peterson designation along with rookie Tristan Vautier in the No. 55 car. Simon Pagenaud is in the…
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Former Scuderia Toro Rosso driver Jaime Alguersuari has admitted that he does not understand the drama surrounding Pirelli’s 2013 tire compounds. The Spanish driver last raced in Formula One in 2011, but he was dropped by the Italian team in favor of Daniel Ricciardo and Jean-Eric Vergne, and he has not been linked to any…
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Jenson Button is hopeful that McLaren can make some progress at next weekend’s Monaco Grand Prix after a disappointing start to the season. The 2009 world champion has recorded a best finish of 5th at the Chinese Grand Prix in 2013, with the pace of the McLaren MP4-28 preventing him and teammate Sergio Perez from…
