IndyCar/CART/Indy Racing League driver/team moves that never materialised

[kurski]

The Italian/Russian CART team never appeared on the grid in 2002 or later. Montermini/Zlobin would have been the drivers.

[S griffin]

Originally Posted by Nononsensecapeesh

Ferrari designed the 637 chassis for the 1987 Indy Car season.

Based on a March 85C. Bobby Rahal would have been one of the drivers. However it was all a ruse to try and persuade the FIA to keep V12s in F1. The car was way too heavy and the engine, later used rebadged as an Alfa engine, was very down on power.

[Nononsensecapeesh]

Originally Posted by S griffin

Based on a March 85C. Bobby Rahal would have been one of the drivers. However it was all a ruse to try and persuade the FIA to keep V12s in F1. The car was way too heavy and the engine, later used rebadged as an Alfa engine, was very down on power.

I know.

Ex-Minardi F1 driver Esteban Tuero was linked to several pay-driver seats in the 2002 Champ Car Series but none came to fruition.

[Shawn19]

German André Lotterer tested for the Panther Racing IRL squad in late 2004.

[Nononsensecapeesh]

Adam Carroll was apparently meant to drive for Rusport in place of Justin Wilson at Mexico City in 2006. -
http://www.champcarstats.com/drivers/CarrollAdam.htm

Also at Mexico City, David Martinez was originally meant to drive a third Forsythe entry but ended up standing in for the injured Paul Tracy.

[kurski]

Jari Nurminen wanted a full CART season 1995 Euromotorsport, but his money would have been enough for just a few races, he didn’t want to try.

[Nononsensecapeesh]

Was Gonzalo Rodriguez likely to move to CART for 2000, prior his fatal crash in a Penske at Laguna Seca? I know he wasn't going to Penske because that was already earmarked for Moore.

[Nononsensecapeesh]

Originally Posted by kurski

The Italian/Russian CART team never appeared on the grid in 2002 or later. Montermini/Zlobin would have been the drivers.

Andrea Montermini already had prior CART experience anyway and Sergey Zlobin briefly became a Minardi F1 test driver.

Jorg Muller turned down a drive in the 1998 CART Series.

Allan McNish was also present at the 1996 Bettenhausen Sebring test.

[Nononsensecapeesh]

Jorg Muller also turned down an offer from Bettenhausen for 2001 so Michel Jourdain Jr. ended up retaining his seat.

Marcel Tiemann looked set to join Zakspeed/Forsythe for 2001 but his deal fell through and the seat went to Bryan Herta.

NASCAR racer Kurt Busch tested for Bobby Rahal's team ahead of the 2003 CART season.

[kurski]

JJ Lehto tested PacWest (CART) team at the Firebird circuit. He was joined by Allan McNish, Mark Blundell and Dominic Dobson. Eventually the seat 1996 went to Blundell.

[Shawn19]

Buddy Rice and Memo Gidley tested for Chip Ganassi Racing in late 2000 with a view to a seat(s) for 2001, of which they went to Nicolas Minassian and Bruno Junquiera respectively, though Gidley would get his chance mid-season when Minassian received the boot.

Edit : In addition, Bryan Herta received an offer to join Dale Coyne Racing in the middle of 2000 after Takuya Kurosawa was injured at Michigan, which he declined allowing Alex Barron to drive for (and nearly win for at Fontana) the minnows.

[S griffin]

Ah yes, Senna did have that Penske test in the off season of 92/93. According to Fittipaldi it was a serious test and he was really thinking of doing the Indy 500. And of course Ayrton raved about the lack of electronic driver aids on the car

[NaBUru38]

Originally Posted by Nononsensecapeesh

Was Gonzalo Rodriguez likely to move to CART for 2000, prior his fatal crash in a Penske at Laguna Seca? I know he wasn't going to Penske because that was already earmarked for Moore.

Gonchi had a pre-agreement with Pat Patrick.

[saxoflute03]

Ross Cheever entered the 2000 Indy 500 as a 2nd entry for his father Eddie's team but withdrew without attempting to qualify.

[saxoflute03]

Ayrton Senna and his test for Roger Penske has been mentioned.

Newman-Haas once looked to Alain Prost as a possible substitute for Mario Andretti.

[peebee2]

Originally Posted by saxoflute03

Ross Cheever entered the 2000 Indy 500 as a 2nd entry for his father Eddie's team but withdrew without attempting to qualify.

Father LOL! Brother. Fell out over the contract IIRC.

[saxoflute03]

Originally Posted by peebee2

Father LOL! Brother. Fell out over the contract IIRC.

My mistake.

Tony Bettenhausen offered Cor Euser the 1992 seat that ended up going to Stefan Johansson.

[saxoflute03]

The ill-fated $5 million challenge of 2011, AJ Allmendinger expressed an interest but only Travis Pastrana, Kasey Kahne and Alex Zanardi actually took up the challenge and for various reasons, none of them could go through with it.

[saxoflute03]

The Lotus 96T of the mid-1980s.

[saxoflute03]

Logan Sargeant was due to test for AJ Foyt Racing last October and was looking to drive for them this year if the budget could found.

[saxoflute03]

Rumours suggested that Nigel Mansell would race in the 1996 Indianapolis 500 at the wheel of a Patrick Racing Lola.

[saxoflute03]

Derek Warwick tested for the Hall/VDS team in 1992 and looked to a potential Indycar switch for 1994.

[saxoflute03]

Norbert Hamy of the stillborn Trebron F1 effort allegedly penned an unraced Indycar for Don Nichols who was trying to resurrect his Shadow team in the 1980s.