Lets get the ball rolling with the grid!

[Hazza]

What are we looking at? Names number and liveries if they exist!

This is exciting!

[gomick]

it is exciting - 30 cars? .... what is the series going to be called? 2 aussies, cant wait until the gold coast round, beers all round

[Knowlesy]

*performs ridiculous celebratory dance*

[enemy-ace]

I am a little bummed that Bourdais has gone to F1 now. Wasn't a huge fan but the guy was quality.
Coyne will bring Bruno I guess. Will Conquest have to find a driver more Oval friendly I wonder?
My interest is certainly peaking though.

[Hazard]

Worth a shot, see how many I get right

No	Driver	Nat	Team
1	Justin Wilson	GBR	Newman-Haas-Lanigan Racing
2	AJ Foyt IV	USA	Vision Racing
3	Helio Castroneves	BRZ	Penske Racing
4	Vitor Meira	BRZ	Panther Racing
5	Buddy Rice	USA	Dreyer & Reinbold Racing
6	Ryan Briscoe	AUS	Penske Racing
7	Danica Patrick	USA	Andretti-Green Racing
8	Graham Rahal	USA	Newman-Haas-Lanigan Racing
9	Scott Dixon	NZL	Chip-Ganassi Racing
10	Dan Wheldon	GBR	Chip-Ganassi Racing
11	Tony Kanaan	BRZ	Andretti-Green Racing
12	Tomas Schecter	RSA	Luczo Dragon Racing
14	Darren Manning	GBR	AJ Foyt Racing
15	Sarah Fisher	USA	Dreyer & Reinbold Racing
16	???	?	Rahal-Letterman Racing
17	Ryan Hunter-Reay	USA	Rahal-Letterman Racing
18	Enrique Bernoldi	BRZ	Rocketsports
19	Bruno Junqueria	BRZ	Dale Coyne Racing
20	Ed Carpenter	USA	Vision Racing
21	Oriol Servia	SPN	PKV Racing
22	Alex Tagliani	CAN	PKV Racing
23	Robert Doornbos	NED	Minardi Team USA
24	???	?	Minardi Team USA
25	Marty Roth	USA	Roth Racing
26	Marco Andretti	USA	Andretti-Green Racing
27	Hideki Mutoh	JPN	Andretti-Green Racing
28	Alex Lloyd	GBR	Chip-Ganassi Racing
32	Franck Montagny	FRA	Forsythe/Pettit Racing
33	Paul Tracy	CAN	Forsythe/Pettit Racing
34	Franck Perera	FRA	Conquest Racing
35	Jay Howard	GBR	Roth Racing
55	Will Power	AUS	Walker Racing/Team Australia

[rush1]

Originally Posted by Hazard

Worth a shot, see how many I get right

great work.

It will be interesting to see how many of these cars pan out.

Also there will be some car limits at certain tracks right? Will there be a chance some cars will get bumped if 30 drivers - car combos show up at certain tracks?

[Mystery]

Originally Posted by Hazard

Worth a shot, see how many I get right

I really don't see Minardi going, but Keith Wiggins might sort something out regardless. Wasn't there talk about a second Panther with Dan Clarke sniffing around it.

Also, someone has mentioned Mario D in a SAMAX and PCM bringing 2. I'd be suprised if Walker didn't run 2. Sarah will be independent with her own team or not there at all I believe.

Bear in mind also Scheckter and Lloyd are running partial schedules only.


Interesting thought here......Can last year's Atlantic champ now use his prize?? If I was him I'd certainly try and claim it whilst buying an IRL ride.

[Red Bulldog]

Good analysis here from Autosport:
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/65302
Glad to see Minardi plan to field car(s), I thought they may pull out.

[Mystery]

Let's see where we are now....

No	Driver	Nat	Team
02	Justin Wilson	GBR	Newman-Haas-Lanigan Racing
2	AJ Foyt IV	USA	Vision Racing
3	Helio Castroneves	BRZ	Penske Racing
4	Vitor Meira	BRZ	Panther Racing
6	Ryan Briscoe	AUS	Penske Racing
7	Danica Patrick	USA	Andretti-Green Racing
8	Graham Rahal	USA	Newman-Haas-Lanigan Racing
9	Scott Dixon	NZL	Chip-Ganassi Racing
10	Dan Wheldon	GBR	Chip-Ganassi Racing
11	Tony Kanaan	BRZ	Andretti-Green Racing
??	Tomas Scheckter	RSA	Luczo Dragon Racing P/T
14	Darren Manning	GBR	AJ Foyt Racing
15	Buddy Rice	USA	Dreyer & Reinbold Racing
16	???	?	Rahal-Letterman Racing
17	Ryan Hunter-Reay	USA	Rahal-Letterman Racing
18	Enrique Bernoldi??	BRZ	Rocketsports??
19	Bruno Junqueria??	BRZ	Dale Coyne Racing
20	Ed Carpenter	USA	Vision Racing
21	Oriol Servia	SPN	KV Racing
22	Alex Tagliani??	CAN	KV Racing
23	Milka Duno	VEN	Dreyer & Reinbold Racing P/T
23	Townsend Bell??	USA	Dreyer & Reinbold Racing P/T
24	Jay Howard	GBR	Roth Racing
25	Marty Roth	USA	Roth Racing
26	Marco Andretti	USA	Andretti-Green Racing
27	Hideki Mutoh	JPN	Andretti-Green Racing
28	Alex Lloyd	GBR	Ganassi / Vision Racing?? P/T?
34	Franck Perera	FRA	Conquest Racing
41	Pablo Donoso??	CHL	AJ Foyt Racing
55	Will Power	AUS	Walker Racing/Team Australia
67	Sarah Fisher	USA	Fisher Racing P/T
??	Robert Doornbos	NED	Minardi Team USA
??	Alex Figge	USA	Pacific Coast Motorsport
?	Mario Dominguez??	MEX	SAMAX Motorsport
??	Max Papis	ITA	Rubicon Racing?? P/T?
??	Roger Yasukawa	JPN	Beck Motorsports?? P/T?
??	??	??	Conquest Racing
??	??	??	Pacific Coast Motorsport
??	???	?	Minardi Team USA

On the sidelines looking in:-
Paul Tracy
Dan Clarke
AJ Allmendinger

39 theoretical entries, albeit about half a dozen of them are part time and a few are probably entirely fictional. Still a nice possible turnout.

[JohnSSC]

As good a guess as any, Hazard, although I daresay the grids will come in closer to 24 - 26 cars.

But boy, it sure is nice to talk about ONE grid for ONE series!

I am actually jazzed about the test at Homestead next week!

[courageous]

Originally Posted by JohnSSC

I daresay the grids will come in closer to 24 - 26 cars.

We could name 20 potential race winners as opposed to 20 potential race entries

[Knowlesy]

Yes, I am buzzing now!

The car count is reckoned to end up at 24, but that is still way better than what we've had for many a year, in either series.

[JohnSSC]

They must be passing out the winter coats in Hades...

Here is hoping that this season generates some excitement and re-generates interest on the part of the fans and the sponsors.

I am still just plain old gobsmacked!

[Hazza]

Probably the old deal that used to happen, top 26 cars get a seat booked on the flight to Australia (if it goes ahead).

Or just NASCAR style, top what ever race, other guys go home.

[f1manoz]

About time.

Hopefully this will rejuvenate AOWR.

[nickyf1]

wahey! this is amazing, the best news all week. I'm looking foward to this test at Homestead, and i am also looking foward to seeing the Champcar liveries on these dallaras, the forsythe livery should look very good on the dallara. But I do hope they get a better looking chassis.

But lets see how this season pans out, then for 09...

[duke_toaster]

I would post my opinion, but as I want a bacon buttie I'll get my shotgun, it's good to see that the clay pidgeon practice I did has come to use.

[stradlin21]

Mario Dominguez is going to be driving for SAMAX Motorsports according to some sources , Curt Cavin mentioned this

[JohnSSC]

Its a great day to be an open wheel fan, isn't it?

I am wondering if some of the partial deals (such as Scheckter's) will stay in play or perhaps expand.

Indy is just going to be too cool this year!

[enemy-ace]

Looks like PCM wants to stay instead of going to the ALMS as some have speculated. They were working on securing Mexican sponsors, hopefully a unified series will help them in that regard.

[BootsOntheSide]

18 cars from the IRL teams plus 12 from ChampCar seems feasible. Rocketsports and Minardi USA might not cross over, but hopefully PCM and the others will. I wouldn't be surprised if Rahal only runs one car, and you have to wonder whether it's worth AGR, Ganassi and Vision running so many cars.

[johntt]

Re. the number of cars, I would place the limit at 33 if possible. Try and make 33 cars as synonymous with Indycar as 43 cars is with Nascar.

Anyone got any ideas of what tracks we'd like to see? Heres mine:
Street: St Pete, Long Beach, Houston, Detroit Belle Isle, Toronto, Cleveland and Surfers Paradise.
Road: Mexico City, Montreal, Portland, Mid-Ohio, Road America, Watkins Glen and Laguna Seca.
Roval: Daytona (Speedweeks event) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daytona..._Racing_League
Short Oval: Milwaukee and Phoenix
Intermediate Oval: Motegi and Rockingham (UK)
Superspeedway: Indy, Michigan and Fontana.

[johntt]

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/65286

Michigan are open to return of Indycar Series.

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/65284

Cleveland and Houston hope to return.

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/65285

PCM to run 2 cars.

[Nicholosophy]

Originally Posted by johntt

Re. the number of cars, I would place the limit at 33 if possible. Try and make 33 cars as synonymous with Indycar as 43 cars is with Nascar..

I think 33 will be too many for some of the tracks. Perhaps 23 or 26 (not 24, this is synonymous with F1). If more than that enter, let them run around in qualifying and top 20-whatever start.

Some teams will go by the wayside if they continually fail to qualify, but then it's their job to get better.

[johntt]

Originally Posted by NickoGP

I think 33 will be too many for some of the tracks. Perhaps 23 or 26 (not 24, this is synonymous with F1). If more than that enter, let them run around in qualifying and top 20-whatever start.

Some teams will go by the wayside if they continually fail to qualify, but then it's their job to get better.

Good point, iirc CART had a grid limit of 28, i'd suggest that. Having more entries than grid spaces is always the sign of a healthy championship.