2008 Indycar Silly Season (Rumours etc.)

[Hazard]

Well, thought I'd start this off...long gap ahead

What do we know?

Andretti Green Racing
Tony Kanaan
Danica Patrick
Marco Andretti?
Dario Franchitti?
Tomas Scheckter?
Alex Lloyd?
Justin Wilson?
Dan Wheldon?

Chip Ganassi Racing
Scott Dixon
Dan Wheldon?
Ryan Hunter-Reay?

Penske Racing
Helio Castroneves
Dan Wheldon?
Ryan Briscoe?

Plus some other teams

(Sorry I mention lots of Brits, most of my rumours come from Sky Sports)

[Hazza]

It was mentioned that Chip locked Scott up for a while after his championship, anyone know how long that's meant to be?

[deejay]

Scott's contract after his championship has long since expired. I think he's resigned a couple of times since then, and will most likely stay there for the rest of his career.

Especially with the future possibilities for Sportscar and Nascar rides the Ganassi offers...

He used to have an out-clause if he got an F1 contract, but that seems unlikely now.

Shouldn't Alex Loyd be considered a possible for the other Ganassi seat?

[NAC]

Sarah is rumoured to be out

from this thread
http://tentenths.com/forum/showthread.php?t=99783

[drdisque]

Robin Miller reported Sarah is actually looking into starting her own IndyCar team, since AAMCO is her sponsorship and she wasn't terribly happy with how things went with D&R this season (her full-time crew was very small compared to the #15 car, which was actually less funded).

Roth intends to run at least 1 full time car next year, possibly 2. He has recently invested a lot of money in a new shop and a whole lot more equipment and I think he's serious this time.

Since Alex Lloyd tested for Ganassi, I'd have to consider him as a possibility for that seat should it become available (or even as a third car).

D&R will run 2 cars if there's money. They don't know if there will be money yet. 1 is fairly assured though and unless Buddy is offered a better ride, I expect he'll be back. I believe they have Hard Rock Hotel signed through next year.

Mutoh will be in the #55. I expect Meira to be back in the #4.

Carpenter will be back in the #20. I think the team wants to keep AJ4, but only if they can find sponsorship for that car. If not Davey Hamilton may be running a partial season in a second Vision car.

If the new purse deal gets done, I'd definitely have to consider Beck a distinct possibility for a full season. He is always close to being able to do it financially and the new deal may put him over the hump. I think Kosuke Matsuura would be a possibility for this if he can find a Japanese sponsor. Beck has a history out of getting good runs out of Japanese drivers on a limited budget.

There's a consistent rumor of Walker Team Australia coming to IndyCar because Aussie Vineyards wants to be in the Indy 500. It may end up being an indy-only deal, but if the numbers work better over on the IndyCar side, I expect them to be there for the full season. Walker holds no bias towards either side of the fence and has raced in both series. If they do come I expect Will Power to stay in one car and really have no clue about the other.

Jay Howard says he's close to lining up a deal for next year. The big question is with whom?

The whom may be Fernandez Racing. Whenever anyone asks they say they are still interested in running the series if they can get a sponsor and almost had a deal for this year until the check from 360 OTC never showed up.

Foyt has indicated that they want to expand to a second car and ABC Supply has given all indication that they will provide funding for it. I really have no clue who would be in the second car and I don't think Foyt does either. If Manning gets lured away by another team then they'll really be in a bind driver-wise.

Apparently AJ Allmendinger is on the market as far as open wheel teams are concerned as he has largely washed out of NASCAR (what a surprise). However, I won't get started assembling a list of available drivers as that would be extremely large and not give much insight.

[mountainstar]

WOw sounds like 30 cars you've got there for next season.

[drdisque]

I didn't say all those were going to happen. Those are just things that COULD happen or that I have information about at this time.

[D.R.T.]

Originally Posted by drdisque

D&R will run 2 cars if there's money.

I'l run two cars if theres money. Any indication of money coming.

Originally Posted by drdisque

There's a consistent rumor of Walker Team Australia coming to IndyCar because Aussie Vineyards wants to be in the Indy 500. It may end up being an indy-only deal, but if the numbers work better over on the IndyCar side, I expect them to be there for the full season. Walker holds no bias towards either side of the fence and has raced in both series. If they do come I expect Will Power to stay in one car and really have no clue about the other.
.

Actually, Aussie Vinyards puts alot of stock in the Surfers Paradise. Gore controls the money, Walker the equipment. I am sure Aussie Vinyards wants to be at Indy but I dont think at the cost of dropping ChampCar. If Cotman's plan comes off, Team Australia at Indy is a possibility

[stradlin21]

i posted a message the other day on another thread with some possible drives, pretty much the same as drdisque

Foyt seems to want to run 2 cars every season and maybe next season he will but i'm not sure about that one

who would drive it? the mighty Bucknum?

[climb]

Originally Posted by mountainstar

WOw sounds like 30 cars you've got there for next season.

Don't you love optimistic predictions any longer mountainstar?

..or is it just a matter of which series is involved ?

Jokes aside,
here is my wishful thinking for IRL:

-keeping a good number of entries (avg 20 would be good)

-The demotivated drivers (Hornish, Franchitti, Rice etc) leaving

-A couple of drivers from IPS plus a couple of renamed ones to replace those who leave.

[NAC]

Originally Posted by climb

Jokes aside,
here is my wishful thinking for IRL:

-keeping a good number of entries (avg 20 would be good)

-The demotivated drivers (Hornish, Franchitti, Rice etc) leaving

-A couple of drivers from IPS plus a couple of renamed ones to replace those who leave.

What no mention of Milk and Donuts, so you want her in then

[climb]

..and so what?

[mountainstar]

Originally Posted by D.R.T.

I'l run two cars if theres money. Any indication of money coming.



Actually, Aussie Vinyards puts alot of stock in the Surfers Paradise. Gore controls the money, Walker the equipment. I am sure Aussie Vinyards wants to be at Indy but I dont think at the cost of dropping ChampCar. If Cotman's plan comes off, Team Australia at Indy is a possibility

Knowing what I know, it aint happinen. Aussie Vineyards/irl.

[mountainstar]

Originally Posted by NAC

What no mention of Milk and Donuts, so you want her in then

Up to 37 cars now. Tony's gonna be forking over big bucks with that new welfare program they've got going.

[ThePenguin]

Originally Posted by mountainstar

Up to 37 cars now. Tony's gonna be forking over big bucks with that new welfare program they've got going.

If the new "welfare program" brings in more teams, cars, and drivers, I for one will welcome it.

[stradlin21]

The Matsuura mention is interesting because it's been heard that he was seen talking to reps of a Japanese company who want their name on an Indycar with a japanese driver

do not rule him out of a potential link up with his old fernandez buddies

watch this space

[The Saint]

watch this space

What is it going to do?

[The Saint]

We know that Alex Llyod is not going to be in Indy Pro next season, after his record 7 wins he has left the team. So we can assume he is going somewhere, being an anglophile I would love it to be a top team.

Though you have to feel for Daren Manning, stuck at Aj's outfit.

[stradlin21]

Originally Posted by The Saint

What is it going to do?

if the deal comes off i'll get the moderator to edit my post with announcement so it looks like I am great and weeks ahead of the game

[stradlin21]

Originally Posted by The Saint

We know that Alex Llyod is not going to be in Indy Pro next season, after his record 7 wins he has left the team. So we can assume he is going somewhere, being an anglophile I would love it to be a top team.

Though you have to feel for Daren Manning, stuck at Aj's outfit.

lloyd has been testing for ganassi and could take wheldon's seat

or, chip could run a third car on a limited schedule

[The Saint]

Well that is cool, I would like to see Wheldon at Penske and Llyod at TCG.

Up the Brits lol!

What a finsish to the season eh Stradders....i almost hit the ceiling when Dixon ran out of gas!

Great race...

[stradlin21]

yeah, the race was terrific

i managed to catch it on tuesday night after my holiday

i was rooting for Scotty D of course but how incredible how it panned out

the two contender get a massive break in the pits and end up a lap in front of anyone, a spash and dash later and it's down to thw wire with Scotty D looking unbeatable

sadly, Dario's luck this season has been amazing and he got it again when dixon's car ran empty

such a shame

[The Saint]

Originally Posted by stradlin21

yeah, the race was terrific

i managed to catch it on tuesday night after my holiday

i was rooting for Scotty D of course but how incredible how it panned out

the two contender get a massive break in the pits and end up a lap in front of anyone, a spash and dash later and it's down to thw wire with Scotty D looking unbeatable

sadly, Dario's luck this season has been amazing and he got it again when dixon's car ran empty

such a shame

but you could also say that is was Dario's bad luck - and therefore Scotts good luck - that got him in a position to challenge Dario.

[luke]

I agree saint. Dario I feel had a lot of bad luck and Scott had a lot of good luck. dario should have won many more times than he did down to either, bad luck or a mistake of his own but mainly bad luck I'd say. Many races he led the most laps, pole and was set to win. Michigan, Kentucky? Sears Point and Belle Isle, definately 3.

[NAC]

We could go on all day and night with a what could have been (maybe we should start a thread "the what if, if only thread") but at the end of the day they all had their day both good and bad. Dario won (unless deejay's conspiracy theory pans out) and Scott just missed. That racing. Next!