So what does 2006 shape up like?

[drewdawg727]

I know that N/H and PKV are going to basically stay the same...but what else has been talked about around the paddock area?

Where will Ranger and Hunter-Reay wind up? How will Dale Coyne choose his drivers next year? Will Lavin, Manning, Valiante, Dalziel, Monteiro, or Fittipaldi return for a full year? Will there be an expanded field? Will there be more races next year?

Let some of those questions floating around in our head be answered.
Ready. Set. Go.

[Pete Fenelon]

How will Dale Coyne choose his drivers next year?

$ame way he alway$ doe$!

[N I Tram]

Vasser is retiring at the end of the year, so PKV won't stay the same. Ryan Dalziel is in line for the drive. As for the other teams, I would expect Ranger to be in a top team, perhaps HVM if they get some strong funding. RHR has flopped compeltely, and could end up anywhere. Bremer is signed for HVM for 2006 if they can find money they couldn't find this year, so he won't be there. All in all I think it'll be a repeat of 2004 and 2005 - drivers, teams and dollars assigned by sycophantic bosses. There should be a few more sponsors than before though.

[Amar7605]

Do you think that any IRL or ALMS teams may run cars in the series?

[Snrub]

Is Wirdhiem confirmed at HVM?

I wouldn't be surprised that with PT possibly gone if we saw Ranger end up at Forsythe. Recall that they were very interested in him at the start of the season.

Vasser hasn't 100% committed to retiring at the end of this year. I think if he can grab a win or something it would give him some motivation to continue to drive.

[BootsOntheSide]

Panther would theoeretically have more reason to cross over than anyone else, and they've confirmed that they aren't, so I'd be surprised. ALMS teams are a possibility, but I doubt it. I think Vasser is unlikely to continue on current form. Forsythe will not be abe to run 2 Canadians, and there's little chance of Tracy giving it all up for NASCAR just yet, so Ranger won't go there.

[drewdawg727]

Somehow i highly doubt that Tracy is done and overwith with Champcars, if he was then he would be a little more dramatic and draw more attention to himself to show that he is indeed leaving

[Tenoch]

I think Bruno is going to come back to NH but Bourdais might not if he wins the back to back championship. While Rusport will stay the same. The rest of the teams are all toss ups.

I do see Ryan Hunter Ray ending up somewhere in the IRL.

[luke]

Manning could be in Champ Car next year, He was at San Jose, and was with a top team who called him soon after the news he got sacked.
He says he can hopefully get a ride this year, and see what the postion is with Ganassi.
I think the main reason why he was fired was because his contract was the easiest to release.
He either wants to be in Champ Car or the IRL next year, he still wants to do the Indy 500, so he could be at that top Champ Car team that does the race every year. And is a popular man pr wise and every way there is, but he doesn't have the $$$ which is a part of Champ Car at the moment.

HVM is likely to change it's name to Team Europe.

This season expect again to see a third PKV entry for Mexico City like Monterrey.

We could see Jensen next season in Champ Car maybe just the Canadian races who knows yet it is to far off.