Indycar News & Rumors.

[chunterer]

Will Power.
It's not working out for him anymore.
Discuss!

[S griffin]

He's still got something in him. Maybe he's lost a bit of his winning ways since last decade, but he certainly can come back, but there are plenty of others who can win now, so it's getting tougher all the time

[RWill2073]

I'm thinking he will get moved over the sportscar program in a couple years. Maybe that is the saving grace for pagenaud sticking at Penske? They both can compete a little longer and would both make good sportscar drivers.

Like it has been said, the field is super tough. There's 14 or so race winning contenders every race, and at least 10 that at the beginning of the year you would expect to compete for a championship. Maybe more now, adding in ericson and palou and the like. It is a very impressive field. I'd put it up against the f1 grid favorably, imo. Unless the competition was family bank accounts....

[mstets]

Pagenaud is currently sixth in the championship, only 34 points behind Newgarden. His status in the team reminds me of Al Unser's in the mid 1980s. I am having trouble thinking of who is available for next season and could be expected to do a better job than Pagenaud. Grosjean might be a possibility if he was willing to do a full season, but the ovals would be a question mark. Ferrucci? I don't see him as fitting the typical Penske driver profile but he has performed pretty well with second tier teams. Who do you see as a possible?

[chunterer]

Rossi might have been possible but his form has gone south in the last couple of years so his stock is lower I guess.
The likes of Pato, Herta, Palou and Veekay have taken the attention away from him.

Veekay might fit Penske's requirements though.

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by mstets

Pagenaud is currently sixth in the championship, only 34 points behind Newgarden. His status in the team reminds me of Al Unser's in the mid 1980s. I am having trouble thinking of who is available for next season and could be expected to do a better job than Pagenaud. Grosjean might be a possibility if he was willing to do a full season, but the ovals would be a question mark. Ferrucci? I don't see him as fitting the typical Penske driver profile but he has performed pretty well with second tier teams. Who do you see as a possible?

According to this Racer article from June, Grosjean will race at World Wide Technology Raceway, (Gateway), last paragraph.


https://racer.com/2021/06/11/content...acing-at-wwtr/

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by S griffin

He's still got something in him. Maybe he's lost a bit of his winning ways since last decade, but he certainly can come back, but there are plenty of others who can win now, so it's getting tougher all the time

Will Power joined Penske in 2009. 2010 and 2011 were two of his best years, getting 5 wins and 9 podiums and 6 wins and 9 podiums, respectively and finishing runner up in both years.

[S griffin]

Originally Posted by bjohnsonsmith

According to this Racer article from June, Grosjean will race at World Wide Technology Raceway, (Gateway), last paragraph.


https://racer.com/2021/06/11/content...acing-at-wwtr/

Wow, that’s something. Grosjean must really miss F1 if he’s now prepared to do ovals. He certainly seems to be desperate to race anything right now. I do miss him in F1, but there just weren’t enough seats for him

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by S griffin

Wow, that’s something. Grosjean must really miss F1 if he’s now prepared to do ovals. He certainly seems to be desperate to race anything right now. I do miss him in F1, but there just weren’t enough seats for him

I'm not too sure how racing on ovals is about missing F1. This is to do with racing a full season in IndyCar next year, if he wants a serious shot at the driver's championship.

[NaBUru38]

Will Power got podiums at Barber and Road America. He's not even the worst ranked Penske driver.



RHR's best result was 10th at Texas, and Hinch's was 14th.

[RWill2073]

Originally Posted by mstets

Pagenaud is currently sixth in the championship, only 34 points behind Newgarden. His status in the team reminds me of Al Unser's in the mid 1980s. I am having trouble thinking of who is available for next season and could be expected to do a better job than Pagenaud. Grosjean might be a possibility if he was willing to do a full season, but the ovals would be a question mark. Ferrucci? I don't see him as fitting the typical Penske driver profile but he has performed pretty well with second tier teams. Who do you see as a possible?

I don't think they would replace pagenaud. They would drop to 3 cars, like they did a few years ago after dropping Montoya and castroneves into sportscars. In a couple years when power is up for another contract, then they may need a third, but by then the options will be different. Maybe herta would jump from andretti if andretti isnt up to championship level. I guess by that point veekay would still be a young option, too.

I really just hope they surprise me and keep pagenaud for a couple more years, see if he can go for one more championship, then shift him over to sports cars, since I can pull for him there too, haha.

[S griffin]

It’s a tricky situation for them. I wouldn’t want to be in Penske’s situation. They got rid of Montoya and Castroneves when they decided they weren’t needed anymore. Would they still need Pagenaud? Is he what they need, very good driver he is. Not sure about Herta, would he want to leave Andretti? I would like to see him in F1 personally, but that’s another story.

It also depends what Pagenaud wants to do. If he’s still enjoying it, then it’s up to him. He could decide he needs a new challenge.

[broadrun96]

Yay, I guess?

https://racer.com/2021/07/19/indycar...ear-extension/

Rumored it will include more races on NBC and likely USA covering the races after NBCSN is shut down. Sounded like Doonan stated IMSA will be staying with them as well on the race coverage this weekend at Lime Rock. Wonder if they will be sent over to CNBC to provide weekend product instead of infomercials?

[NaBUru38]

Penske is choosing exposure over money.

[broadrun96]

Confirmed the TV package will be Peacock streaming for all races including 2 exclusively on the service, USA will air the races not taken for NBC. Indy Lights will remain on Peacock, as well as practice and quali sessions.

https://racer.com/2021/07/20/indycar...ear-extension/

[macdaddy]

I don't think that Peacock is available in Canada. Hopefully TSN or SN will broadcast.

[bjohnsonsmith]

During the long break between Mid-Ohio and Nashville, IndyCar have been testing at Laguna Seca, which was red flagged due to the number of squirrel fatalities as they ran across the track, particularly at Turn 11.


https://racer.com/2021/07/20/newgard...-indycar-test/

[S griffin]

Now that’s just nuts

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by S griffin

Now that’s just nuts

[NaBUru38]

3 races in Spanish? How generous...

[bjohnsonsmith]

Hélio Castroneves to get full time ride with Meyer Shank Racing next year. Jack Harvey is out.


https://racer.com/2021/07/22/castron...shank-in-2022/

[joeb]

Did not expect to see Harvey dropped:

https://racer.com/2021/07/22/castron...shank-in-2022/

[peebee2]

Has he been dropped or jumped ship?

I thought it might be bad for him when Helio thrashed him at Indy.

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by joeb

Did not expect to see Harvey dropped:

https://racer.com/2021/07/22/castron...shank-in-2022/

Apart from 4th at St. Pete and 7th at Texas, his results have not been good, though I am surprised they dropped him completely. There will be a lot of speculation as to who gets the 60 car drive.

[mstets]

His results have been slim, but I'm surprised by the announcement. I wonder if he has signed with another team. Andretti, RLL?