Indycar News & Rumors.

[TheMightyM]

Originally Posted by broadrun96

Plenty of offers? Most seats are full already.

Haas x2 likely open
Alfa x1 possible but Ferrari might want another young driver slot
Alfa Tauri x1 if they release Kyvat but not many rumors that way

Remaining seats are filled so basically it's Haas or out of F1 for him.

His sponsors can get much more for their money in Indy and get Veach's seat with Andretti in a second.

And for an extra bonus, he can do IndyCar plus some sports car racing — the Daytona 24 and Le Mans are reasonable, high profile, possibilities.

[fieldodreams79]

Originally Posted by TheMightyM

And for an extra bonus, he can do IndyCar plus some sports car racing — the Daytona 24 and Le Mans are reasonable, high profile, possibilities.

Yup.

And I've heard it said many times over the years: the American series can prove to be more laid back than most European series and especially F1. The schedule outside of the track is more relaxed and so is the atmosphere at the track.

The variety of circuits and less travel are certainly a plus for some personalities but certainly the opportunity for competing for other trophies in a variety of series and types of cars on many different tracks would be a big appeal to me.

[S griffin]

I would love to see Checo do a bit of Indycars, not to mention a bit of sportscars too. But I also think it’s a shame he has to be out of F1 this way. Let’s see what happens, I still think enough teams in F1 would be interested in him

[joeb]

If Perez is looking at Indycar, I wonder what his options would be? He would want to be with a top team, otherwise whats the point? Might as well stay in F1 with a backmarker if you go that route. But do Ganassi, Penske, or Andretti really have the space for another car? If not, who would they bump? Would McLaren or Rahal want another car?

[broadrun96]

I think he would be limited to bringing more money than someone else. Could see him replace Veach at Andretti, he brings Gainsbridge but Perez could bring more and likely results. Not that Michael isn't already unhappy with the guy for wrecking 3 team cars.

Penske has a full load and don't think they'd add him in 21, maybe if something came open for 22.

Ganassi could already have 4 part time with Jimmie, would he go with 5?

Spam could add and he knows Perez from F1.

ECR and Foyt always like money.

But it's Indy, things always change.

[joeb]

Looks like McLaren have thought about expansion and a certain current F1 driver

https://racer.com/2020/09/10/arrow-m...mpression=true

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by joeb

Looks like McLaren have thought about expansion and a certain current F1 driver

https://racer.com/2020/09/10/arrow-m...mpression=true

Interesting stuff. Where does that leave Wickens, with regard to SPAM? He was with Schmidt Peterson when he had his accident at Pocono and as I understood it, was going to get his drive back, once he had made a full recovery.

[S griffin]

It’s funny, an old Autosport bit of news about Perez wanting to one drive in the Indy 500 one day appeared in my suggestions on the Autosport site!

[Formulahistory]

It all depends on sponsorship and that's why I can't see a third McLaren SP car. Schmidt is trying to field a third car since years

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by Formulahistory

It all depends on sponsorship and that's why I can't see a third McLaren SP car. Schmidt is trying to field a third car since years

He's also got the backing from McLaren, something he didn't have before.

[bjohnsonsmith]

With all this driver speculation, it looks like the Silly Season is well underway, as Jimmie Johnson is now tipped for a possible drive with Ganassi.

“The goal right now is for us to run Jimmie in an IndyCar for at least the next couple of seasons, and we want to show people we’re serious about the program,” Ganassi said.

https://racer.com/2020/09/09/johnson...dycar-program/

[fieldodreams79]

Time to bring this guy here:
https://twitter.com/Super70sSports/s...998928387?s=19

[S griffin]

Now that is a proper yankee tache. Shame the moustache is rarely seen these days

[bjohnsonsmith]

This is Marshall Pruett's take on the Silly Season.

https://racer.com/2020/09/12/indycar...son-2020-ep-1/

[NaBUru38]

There's plenty of potential road/street-only drivers. But which potentially oval-only drivers are in the market? Kanaan, Castroneves, Hildebrand?

[broadrun96]

Think there biggest oval option for teams is TK and give him a farewell run again. But can he bring enough? And his best option team wise could have a challenge if Hinch can get Honda Canada money back again and take the ovals with JJ on the road courses for Ganassi. But would Hinch settle as an oval guy? It could he bring enough to land at Andretti if Veach is out.

There does seem to be a lot of desire to add cars but better bring the checks to cover it. Does not sound like teams have sponsors looking for drivers.

Feels like there will be lots of rumors and questions without many changes.

Conor to full time ride at ECR seems likely, Penske to 4 cars again without a sportscar program with McLaughlin and Veach out at Andretti if he loses Gainsbridge, possibly in at Foyt or Carlin all sound likely. Beyond that, it's a crap shoot

[broadrun96]

Well one seat filled, Sebastian Bourdais to Foyt full time in 2021.

https://racer.com/2020/09/15/bourdai...seat-for-2021/

He's taking over the 14 and moving Kellet to the 41 for the Harvest GP. Then staying in the 14 for 2021.

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by broadrun96

Well one seat filled, Sebastian Bourdais to Foyt full time in 2021.

https://racer.com/2020/09/15/bourdai...seat-for-2021/

He's taking over the 14 and moving Kellet to the 41 for the Harvest GP. Then staying in the 14 for 2021.

Good to see Bourdais get a full time drive again.

[joeb]

Originally Posted by broadrun96

Well one seat filled, Sebastian Bourdais to Foyt full time in 2021.

https://racer.com/2020/09/15/bourdai...seat-for-2021/

He's taking over the 14 and moving Kellet to the 41 for the Harvest GP. Then staying in the 14 for 2021.

I did not see that coming, but great to have him back on the grid. Who does that leave Foyt with for next year in the 2nd car? Kellett?

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by joeb

I did not see that coming, but great to have him back on the grid. Who does that leave Foyt with for next year in the 2nd car? Kellett?

Or Kimball?

[joeb]

Originally Posted by bjohnsonsmith

Or Kimball?

Ah yes, i forgot he is driving for Foyt this year. Perhaps it will come down to who brings the sponsorship.

[broadrun96]

Roger, Miles, Cotman and JoNew will be at a presser this afternoon in Nashville to announce the new track around the stadium complex and streets for 2021. Expected to be a late August addition to the schedule.

https://racer.com/2020/09/15/nashvil...ineup-in-2021/

Interestingly, Nascar is returning the old Nashville Speedway to major service in 2021 as well. Indy ran there from 2001-2008.

[broadrun96]

Originally Posted by joeb

Ah yes, i forgot he is driving for Foyt this year. Perhaps it will come down to who brings the sponsorship.

I believe Kimball brings, or brought, pretty good backing, I think Kellet may not. But given the 41 will be a third car to allow Bourdais to run it seems like a decision has yet to be made.


Oh and for all the NFL is king and everyone will leave. Same network, same track, same cars, football opening weekend, SAME RATING. From Racers rating article. Yes, terrible vs the 7s football got and the 11 that the late Fox game got but no one expected even a 1 for the race so not too bad.

"The NTT IndyCar Series also staged a doubleheader at Mid-Ohio, going straight up against college and pro football, and held its audience pretty well for both events. Sunday afternoon’s race on NBC averaged 0.44/635,000 viewers, down only fractionally from last year’s 0.47/670K for this race on NBC when it ran without football competition in August. It is down from this August’s Road America race on the broadcast network, though (0.72/1.0m)."

And F1 managed about the same number earlier in the day with an excrement laden "race" and plenty of crying after.

[bjohnsonsmith]

For those of you who don't know, Charlie Kimball has Type 1 Diabetes. Novo Nordisk, a Danish multi-national pharmaceutical company, manufacturer the insulin he uses. They also run a sports sponsorship programme for athletes with diabetes and have been full-time sponsors of Kimball's racing program since 2011. Tresiba, the brand name of one of their products, appears on the his car's sidepod. Novo Nordisk are also listed as one of A.J. Foyt Racing's partners. With that sort of backing, I'd expect him to stay with Foyt.

[broadrun96]

Yeah, there were some rumors the money was being cut back on but he still has the link there to bring some. They fully funded his previous ride with Ganassi.