LIVE BLOG: 2014 Shell and Pennzoil Grand Prix of Houston

10:15 AM CT (John)– Practice one is underway here at Houston, and its been an adventurous session so far, with Will Power launching himself off of the turn 2 chicane curbing, and Scott Dixon and Graham Rahal making contact down in turn 8.

In other news, Andersen Promotions will be making an announcement regarding the Mazda Road to Indy at 11:30 AM CT. I will bring you more information on that when it occurs.

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9:41 AM CT (Steph) –– Good morning from the 2014 Shell and Pennzoil Grand Prix of Houston! John and I are both on site all weekend long and will be posting live updates throughout the event.

I mentioned this on the podcast this week but haven’t talked about it yet otherwise: I’m here this weekend as a guest of Shell. They’ve invested a lot of resources into bringing journalists to this event from across the country to get it some coverage in a variety of outlets, and we are honored to have been chosen as one of them.

One of the things they’re looking to promote at this event is the launch of their new PurePlus base oil made from natural gas through a patented catalytic process. They’re likening it to making water from vapor, which creates a very pure product, as opposed to taking water from a dirty river (or oil from the ground) and running it through a filter, which leaves impurities. They’re boasting some impressive results with it such as that it provides fuel economy benefits that let’s drivers go an extra 500 miles a year on the same amount of fuel. It’s interesting stuff and worth looking into for those who make oil purchasing decisions.

I arrived at the track this morning and upon looking around immediately had flashbacks to the aftermath of the incident that ended Dario Franchitti’s career here last year. I’m confident that we’ll leave this year with happier memories.

However, the weather may not cooperate with that plan. So far it’s dry, and the sun is even peeking through at the moment. There’s a great big black cloud looming, but the locals tell me that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s heading this way. I remembered my umbrella, so I’ll keep my fingers crossed that means the rain will stay at bay.

We’ll have much more for you as the weekend goes on. Please stay tuned by bookmarking us and checking back in!