Francesco Dracone set for Dale Coyne test at Sebring - MotorSportsTalk

Francesco Dracone is testing for Dale Coyne Racing at Sebring on December 3-4, which is reason number 723 why I love Dale Coyne.

Coyne hasn’t made a living in 30-plus years as an IndyCar driver, then team owner, by making foolish business decisions. The oft-heard knock on Dale – or “bad rap” as it is – has always been that he will look to take a driver who brings money in exchange for a chance to drive.

But in reality, it’s actually a smart business move that pays dividends for all parties. It gives said driver a chance to live their dream, to prove his or herself in an IndyCar, and it provides Coyne’s team the necessary budget to hire a top-tier driver and/or engineer (as he has done every year since 2006, in Champ Car).

Some of the most ardent IndyCar observers will remember Dracone from his two-race cameo with Conquest Racing in the previous generation Dallara-Honda at two road course races, Mid-Ohio and Sonoma, in 2010.

gland and proud to inform that I ll drive @sebringraceway for @DaleCoyneRacing for 2 days on 3/4 Dic @IndyCar

— francesco dracone (@effediracing) November 20, 2013

Dracone, 30, is an Italian with a less than distinguished career in European junior formulas. He was realistically only quicker than Milka Duno – also a member of the Coyne honor roll – in those two starts.

He was slated to drive a P2 class Morgan Judd for Conquest at the 12 Hours of Sebring in 2012, but couldn’t get up to speed and was replaced race morning by Jan Heylen, who, you guessed it, is also a graduate of the Coyne School of American Open-Wheel Racing.

And while I highly doubt this is anything more than a chance for Dracone to pay a little bit in exchange for two days at Sebring, it’s always fun to see an obscure blast from the past back in an IndyCar.

The “surprise drivers” who’ve tested an IndyCar this offseason, once Dracone does his laps, include Arie Luyendyk Jr. (also for Coyne), Mikael Grenier (KV) and Mikhail Aleshin (SMP Racing via Schmidt Peterson Motorsports). The latter in that quartet is a Russian former World Series by Renault champ, and the story of his test was reported by RACER earlier this week.

Meanwhile the current IndyCar fan base – at least the relative few who pay attention to the Mazda Road to Indy ladder – await the first IndyCar tests for Indy Lights top five finishers Sage Karam, Gabby Chaves and Peter Dempsey. Carlos Munoz has already been announced for Andretti Autosport, and Jack Hawksworth has tested for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing.

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In a continuing effort to help fans keep track of the on track action, SuperMotocross is in the process of developing and implementing leader lights for the unified series.

Currently Supercross (SMX) utilizes stanchions in the infield that are triggered manually by a race official. At least two stanchions are used in each race as a way to draw the eye to the leader, which is especially useful in the tight confines of the stadium series when lapping often begins before the halfway mark in the 22-bike field. This system has been in place for the past two decades.

Later this year, a fully automated system will move to the bike itself to replace the old system. At that point, fans will be able to identify the leader regardless of where he is on track.

The leader lights were tested in the second Anaheim round this year. An example can be seen at the 1:45 mark in the video above on the No. 69 bike.

“What we don’t want to do is move too fast, where it’s confusing to people,” said Mike Muye, senior director of operations for Supercross and SMX in a press release. “We’ve really just focused on the leader at this point with the thought that maybe down the road we’ll introduce others.”

Scheduled to debut with the first SuperMotocross World Championship race at zMax Dragway, located just outside the Charlotte Motor Speedway, a 3D carbon fiber-printed LED light will be affixed to each motorcycle. Ten timing loops positioned around the track will trigger the lights of the leader, which will turn green.

SMX’s partner LiveTime Scoring helped develop and implement the system that has been tested in some form or fashion since 2019.

When the leader lights are successfully deployed, SuperMotocross will explore expanding the system to identify the second- and third-place riders. Depending on need and fan acceptance, more positions could be added.

SuperMotocross is exploring future enhancements, including allowing for live fan interaction with the lights and ways to use the lighting system during the race’s opening ceremony.

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