James Jakes

There’s a new man wearing red, white, and blue this season.

It’s 24-year-old James Jakes, a former Scout from England, who takes the helm of the BSA Motorsports and Dale Coyne Racing No. 19 car for the 2012 IndyCar season.

Jakes, who amassed 16 starts for Dale Coyne Racing last season, moves from the No. 18 car to the Scouting car, taking over for Alex Lloyd and Sebastien Bourdais, who shared driving duties in 2011.

The first race is March 25 in St. Petersburg, Fla. Click here for the complete schedule and plan to check out a race in person like I did last season.

How does Jakes feel putting on a Scout uniform again, this time as a member of the BSA Motorsports team? In an interview with IndyCar.com, Jakes talked about exactly that.

“I joined later on at boarding school when I was 13 or 14 and got involved in a load of programs,” he said. “I’m excited to get involved with the Boy Scouts this year. It really broadens your horizons.”

Keep an eye on my blog for BSA IndyCar updates all season long.

The race is on.

This morning, the IZOD IndyCar series announced its 2012 race schedule, a 15-race slate that will take drivers to China, Brazil, Canada, and — of course — all across the United States.

In all, 11 races are scheduled in the U.S., meaning 11 chances to see Dale Coyne Racing’s No. 19 Boy Scouts of America IndyCar in person.

Take your pack, troop, team, or crew to a track near you. They’ll experience the thrill of live racing while also learning about science, technology, math, and engineering — four areas that combine to form the important STEM initiative supported by the BSA.

Continue reading »

Hey folks, I’m live at Texas Motor Speedway for tonight’s Firestone Twin 275s race, featuring driver Alex Lloyd and the No. 19 Boy Scouts of America IndyCar.

Coverage of the race is available on Versus and begins at 7 p.m. Central Time.

Check back here for updates as the day (and night) progress.

You can also find me on Twitter or Facebook, where I’ll be posting additional updates tonight. Continue reading »

Do a Good Turn Daily? Tomorrow, one good turn won’t cut it.

Alex Lloyd will need 800 of them if he hopes for a nice result in the Indianapolis 500.

Be sure to tune in as Lloyd and the BSA Motorsports team take 200 adrenaline-filled laps around the famous oval. Continue reading »

Alex Lloyd knows something about perseverance. He vaulted from 22nd to 10th place in the Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma on Aug. 22, a comeback that required hard work from Lloyd and his BSA Motorsports team.

Lloyd's latest comeback, though, came thanks to the hard work of Scouts and Scouters like you.

For his performance at Sonoma, Lloyd was nominated for the "Firestone Tire-ific Move of the Race." And as we told you last week, he needed the help of the Scouting community to win the award, which was decided purely on fan votes.

Well, you responded, bigtime. He trailed for the first day after voting opened, but once the community of Scouts and Scouters across the country stepped up, Lloyd catapulted into the lead. And on Saturday, he was presented with the award as a token for the impression he left on fans like you.

Lloyd even thanked his fans on Twitter, posting this message: "Want to thank everyone who voted me for the Firestone Tire-rific award from Sonoma. I appreciate all your support!!"

The award presentation was part of the pre-race ceremonies at Saturday's PEAK Antifreeze and Motor Oil Indy 300 in Chicago. In that race, Lloyd and the BSA No. 19 car suffered a cut tire early and a gearbox problem late. After losing 37 laps while his team repaired the car, Lloyd returned to the field looking to score as many points as possible to keep his Rookie of the Year lead in tact.

After Saturday's result, he still holds an 11-point lead over seven other rookies.

Lloyd finished 21st overall and led three laps, the first time he has led this season. Lloyd is back in action this Saturday in the Meijer Indy 300 in Kentucky. Catch the action at 8 p.m. (ET) Saturday on Versus.

Alex Lloyd's task was daunting. After qualifying 22nd out of 25 racers for Sunday's Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma, he wanted to move his No. 19 car from the back of the pack to a good finish.

Mission accomplished. Thanks to hard work overnight to improve Lloyd's car, the BSA Motorsports and Dale Coyne Racing team helped Lloyd catapult over the competition and into a 10th-place finish.

"Our strategy worked really well, and our changes to the car overnight really gave us a very good race car, one that we could move through the field quickly with," Lloyd said after his third top-10 finish of the season.

The drivers he left in the dust weren't the only ones who noticed the big jump. IndyCar Racing also took note and nominated him for its weekly "Firestone Tire-ific Move of the Race."

That's where you come in. Be sure to vote for Lloyd's big move by clicking here and scrolling down. You'll see the box to vote on the right side. Voting closes Thursday, so be sure to vote today.

You'll also want to catch Lloyd and the BSA IndyCar this weekend as he races in the PEAK Antifreeze and Motor Oil Indy 300. Watch it starting at 7 p.m. (ET) Saturday on Versus.