Author: thepitwindow

I'm a retired educator and lifelong racing fan. I hope to return to fostering greyhounds in the near future. Living mainly in Indy and wintering in Florida. I attend about 10 Indycar races a year as well as some sports car events

Few Spots Remain on Indycar’s 2021 Grid

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Conor Daly’s announcement Friday that he was returning to Ed Carpenter Racing in a part time role answered one of the few questions left about the 2021 lineup for the NTT Indycar Series. By my count, there are five spots unconfirmed plus the oval portion of Carlin Racing’s number 59.

Three of the spots belong to Andretti Autosport- the 28, 88, and 98. All three are expected to be confirmed after the first of the year. Ryan Hunter-Reay is expected to be in the 28. I have heard that DHL, his long time sponso, is looking to fine tune the contract a bit. I suspect James Hinchcliffe will drive the 88, replacing Colton Herta, who moved to the 26. The number may change, possibly to 29. Marco Andretti should stay with the 98, though there is no word on sponsorship for that car.

The two biggest question marks are the Dale Coyne cars. Both seats are open, with Alex Palou joining Chip Ganassi racing and Santino Ferrucci rumored to be driving 20 races in the NASCAR Xfinity series. Talk of a former Formula 1 driver taking one of the seats has cooled, although the one that is most likely to drive for Coyne is Pietro Fittipaldi. Fittipaldi drove part time for Coyne in 2018. Sergio Perez joined Reds Bull to stay in Formula 1. I’m not sure Romain Grosjean is as as enthusiastic about Indycar after his fiery crash in Bahrain.

Charlie Kimball is a strong possibility for the second Coyne seat. He brings some budget and would be a good fit for Coyne. His budget is probably not enough to run a second car for Carlin, which is looking to fill the oval portion of the schedule.

Daly may do what he did last year, which is run the ovals for Carlin, assuming Max Chilton returns for the road/street courses and the 500 There are only three oval races outside of the 500 in 2021.

The full time grid count stands at 19 confirmed. If the five open seats are filled, there would be 24 cars at all the races. meyer Shank will have Helio Castroneves in a second car in six races, including Indianapolis. Dreyer and Reinbold will enter an undetermined number of races. Some races could have at least 26 cars. The more the merrier, up to a point.

Daly Stays with ECR in Same Role as 2020

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Photo courtesy Indycar, Joe Skibinski

Conor Daly will again pilot the number20 car on the road and street courses for Ed Carpenter Racing. He will also enter a third car for the 105th running of the Indianapolis 500. Last year Daly drove for Carpenter on the road and street courses and for Carlin Racing on the ovals. There is no word yet if he will continue his oval only drive for Carlin. Daly won the pole at Iowa for Race 1 in 2020.

The official release from Ed Carpenter Racing:

PRESS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
U.S. AIR FORCE, CONOR DALY RETURN TO ED CARPENTER RACING FOR 2021 SEASON
Daly Continues as Road and Street Course Driver of the No. 20 and the U.S. Air Force Indianapolis 500 Entry
(INDIANAPOLIS) December 18, 2020 – Ed Carpenter Racing announced today that the U.S. Air Force and Conor Daly will remain with the team for the 2021 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season.    Daly will continue to drive ECR’s No. 20 Chevrolet for the road and street course events, 10 of which will carry the colors of the U.S. Air Force. Additionally, Daly will again race a U.S. Air Force Chevrolet for ECR in the Indianapolis 500. Daly and ECR continue to work alongside the U.S. Air Force to use the NTT INDYCAR SERIES to inspire young adults, communicate the service’s mission and build awareness about career opportunities.   The 2021 NTT INDYCAR SERIES schedule consists of 13 road and street course events, all of which will feature Daly in ECR’s No. 20. The 10 races where the No. 20 U.S. Air Force Chevrolet will be on track are set to be announced at a later date, as will the primary partner for Daly’s three other races. For the four oval events, Daly will hand the No. 20 back over to team owner Ed Carpenter. Daly will also drive a U.S. Air Force Chevrolet in the Indianapolis 500, once again rounding out ECR’s three-car lineup.   “It feels incredible to have another year together with the U.S. Air Force and Ed Carpenter Racing,” stated Daly. “Continuity has always been helpful for me in my career; the fact that we are able to hit the ground running in 2021 already having experience together gives me a lot of confidence. Every day we learn more and develop a stronger relationship.”   Daly continued, “This would not be possible without the support of the U.S. Air Force, who have been an incredibly supportive and loyal partner. I want nothing more than to win races and compete for the entrant championship for the Airmen, the guys at ECR and my boss Ed, who has become a true friend of mine. I can’t wait to get back to work!”   The success of U.S. Air Force recruiting relies on a multi-layered marketing campaign at the local, regional and national level. Involvement in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES reflects the U.S. Air Force’s core values and has a positive impact on generating public awareness about the organization, its people and mission. The strategic partnership enables the U.S. Air Force to leverage and establish STEM correlations with Indy car racing, including teamwork, speed, technology, engineering, math and excellence in competition. Daly and ECR support the U.S. Air Force in its mission to inspire the nation’s brightest, most competitive young men and women for service.   “This partnership draws a parallel with how we fly, fight and win,” said Maj. Jason Wyche, Chief, Air Force National Events Branch at Air Force Recruiting Service. “Both organizations rely on the principles of science, technology, engineering and math to accomplish the mission. The technology that goes into these cars is similar to what we rely on when flying our fighter jets. Also, teamwork is especially important with the Air Force just like at the Indy 500. Everything just ties in perfectly with how we accomplish our respective missions. That’s what makes this a great partnership!”    Daly, who turned 29 on Tuesday, is continuing a partnership with the U.S. Air Force that originated four years ago. Beginning as a one-off 2018 Indianapolis 500 entry, Daly and the U.S. Air Force have grown to be synonymous in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES. Daly competed in the full 2020 schedule, splitting his talent between two teams. While Carpenter raced the No. 20 on ovals, Daly stepped into Carlin’s No. 59. In addition to four Top 10 finishes, Daly earned his first career pole position at Iowa Speedway. Over the past seven years, the Noblesville, Ind., native has competed in over 60 Indy car races. Known for a desire to sharpen his skills by racing in different disciplines, Daly made his NASCAR Camping World Truck Series debut earlier this year at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.   Carpenter is thrilled with continuation of this year’s program. “It is a very exciting day to be able to announce the return of both the U.S. Air Force and Conor to Ed Carpenter Racing! We are looking forward to the 2021 NTT INDYCAR SERIES, having the same driver lineup to continue our progression back to a race-winning and championship-contending organization.” He continued, “We are very grateful for the support of U.S. Air Force and honored to represent everything that they stand for. We’re thankful for the opportunity to inspire and engage the next generation of men and women who join the U.S. Air Force!”   The 2021 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season will be Ed Carpenter Racing’s 10th season of competition. ECR began as a single-car organization in 2012, expanding to two full-time entries in 2015. For the first time since having multiple entries, the team will enjoy the continuity of having the same driver lineup from the previous season. The No. 20 maintains its all-Hoosier lineup as both Carpenter and Daly are from Indiana. Carpenter, a three-time Indianapolis 500 pole winner, will be driving in his 19th season of Indy car competition. Rinus VeeKay, 2020 NTT INDYCAR SERIES Rookie of the Year, remains the team’s full-time driver of the No. 21. The Dutchman’s debut season featured the best qualifying result by a teenager in Indianapolis 500 history, his first NTT INDYCAR SERIES pole position and three Top 5 finishes. Carpenter, Daly and VeeKay make up the team’s three-car effort in the 2021 Indianapolis 500. The 2021 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season will open in the streets of St. Petersburg on March 7, 2021.
Conor Daly will continue to drive Ed Carpenter Racing’s No. 20 Chevrolet for the road and street course events for the 2021 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season, 10 of which will carry the colors of the U.S. Air Force. Additionally, Daly will again race a U.S. Air Force Chevrolet for ECR in the Indianapolis 500, rounding out the team’s three-car lineup. (DREAM Digital/Alex Wong)
Conor Daly and the U.S. Air Force are continuing a partnership that originated four years ago. Beginning as a one-off 2018 Indianapolis 500 entry, Daly and the U.S. Air Force have grown to be synonymous in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES. Daly and Ed Carpenter Racing continue to work alongside the U.S. Air Force to inspire young adults, communicate the service’s mission and build awareness about career opportunities. (IMS Photo/Chris Owens)
About Ed Carpenter Racing Ed Carpenter Racing (ECR) first entered the NTT INDYCAR SERIES in 2012. The Indianapolis-based race team has proven its versatility by collecting seven wins across each type of track the series competes on – street and road courses, short ovals and speedways. ECR is led by IndyCar’s only team owner/driver, Ed Carpenter, three-time pole winner for the Indianapolis 500 (2013, 2014 and 2018). In 2021, Indiana natives Carpenter and Conor Daly will share the No. 20 Chevrolet as Carpenter drives the oval races and Daly takes over for the road and street course events. Both will be entered in the Indianapolis 500 alongside 2020 Rookie of the Year Rinus VeeKay, full-time driver of the No. 21 Chevrolet. ECR made its eSports debut in the iRX World Championship with Jim Beaver eSports. More information on Ed Carpenter Racing may be found at http://www.edcarpenterracing.com/.
About the U.S. Air Force The mission of Air Force Recruiting Service is to inspire, engage and recruit the next generation of Airmen and Space professionals. We are looking for America’s best and brightest to fill nearly 30,000 opportunities in more than 200 Air Force specialties, as well as more than 300 space professionals in space-specific career fields in fiscal 2021. Additionally, our total force partners, the Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard are collectively hiring more than 19,000 part-time Airmen. Our military recruits to retain, providing tough, highly technical training that gives our future servicemembers the right skills to sustain the combat capability of America’s Air Force and protect our nation’s interests in space. For more information about Air Force and U.S. Space Force benefits and opportunities, go to www.airforce.com.

Long Beach Moves to September Finale

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The Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach, originally scheduled for April 18, has moved to September 26 and will be Indycar’s season finale. The move is to ensure the race, which was cancelled in 2020, does run in 2021. I expect more changes to the early part of the schedule. Promoters likely have put a backup plans in place after the many cancellations and postponements of this past season. Three straight weekends of West Coast racing sounds heavenly. The official announcement from the NTT Indycar Series is below>
Series to return to the legendary Streets of Long Beach in September INDIANAPOLIS (Thursday, Dec. 17, 2020) – The 2021 Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach has been rescheduled for Sunday, Sept. 26 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, officials from INDYCAR announced today. Long Beach is one of the foundational events on the NTT INDYCAR SERIES schedule and one of the longest running. Additionally, the move creates a thrilling three-race, three-weekend west coast swing to complete the championship. Beginning at Portland International Raceway on Sunday, Sept. 12, the homestretch continues at, what would be the finale under normal conditions, WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca on Sunday, Sept. 19, before finishing on the historic streets of Long Beach. “It is important to have Long Beach rescheduled to continue the history and tradition for one of the series’ hallmark events in one of the nation’s premier media markets,” Penske Entertainment Corp. President and CEO Mark Miles said. “Further, it’s a tremendous opportunity to wrap up the season with three-straight iconic venues for what we believe will be our most exciting season yet. As we did during the 2020 season, we will continue to monitor the COVID-19 situation and maintain flexibility across our schedule. We are committed to an action-packed and exhilarating 2021 NTT INDYCAR SERIES.”  The September race weekend at Long Beach becomes the first since the event’s inception in 1975. It will mark the 37th time the NTT INDYCAR SERIES has raced on Southern California’s legendary street circuit. The familiar sights and sounds make for the longest running event on the schedule outside of the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge. “I want to thank all of the officials at INDYCAR for their assistance in rescheduling the 2021 Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach to September,” Grand Prix Association of Long Beach President and CEO Jim Michaelian said. “We believe that this move will afford us the best opportunity to provide our guests with a fun and exciting experience in a safe and unrestricted environment. It will be a welcome sight to see the NTT INDYCAR SERIES cars and stars back on the downtown streets of Long Beach in the fall.” An updated listing of green flag times for the 2021 NTT INDYCAR SERIES schedule will be announced at a later date.

Chris Griffis Memorial Test Returns to IMS, Includes Indycar Test

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Photo from Indy Lights Twitter page

A news release from Indy lights. I’m happy to see these test days return.

PALMETTO, Fla. – Andersen Promotions today announced that the Chris Griffis Memorial Open Test will return to the iconic Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 2021. A fixture on the Road to Indy Presented by Cooper Tires calendar, the 10th annual event is scheduled for October 30-31 on the 2.439-mile, 14-turn IMS road course.

Named in memory of Chris Griffis, the former team manager of Schmidt Peterson Motorsports who passed away suddenly in September 2011, the cornerstone of the Chris Griffis Memorial Open Test is to provide new drivers with the opportunity to sample the Road to Indy while offering returning drivers the chance to hone their programs for the following year. More than ever the 2021 test will provide several drivers with the opportunity to experience the next rungs on the highly acclaimed driver development program as part of the 2020 and 2021 series prize packages.

Indy Lights, which spent 2020 on hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, returns with a stronger-than-ever champion’s scholarship award of $1,289,425 to guarantee entry into at least three NTT INDYCAR SERIES events for 2022 including the Indianapolis 500. As an additional performance incentive, three NTT INDYCAR SERIES teams will provide each of the top-three finishers their first taste of an NTT INDYCAR SERIES car. That one-day NTT INDYCAR SERIES test outing is scheduled for October 29 the day prior to the Chris Griffis Memorial Open Test.

“The ‘scouting combine’ experience, similar to other sports, will be an incredible opportunity for their great work and achievement from the 2021 season,” INDYCAR President Jay Frye said. “From the engineer meetings to the test session on the track to the team debrief afterwards, it’ll run the gamut. A ‘let’s see where you are’ type of test with NTT INDYCAR SERIES teams participating and observing.”

As announced in June of this year with the likelihood of a Chris Griffis Memorial Test not feasible in 2020, the reigning champions in the Indy Pro 2000 Championship Presented by Cooper Tires and the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship – Sting Ray Robb and Christian Rasmussen, respectively – will be provided with next level tests at the conclusion of their 2021 campaigns. Robb will be awarded an NTT INDYCAR SERIES test and Rasmussen an Indy Lights test to be held during the three-day event.

The value of the champions’ scholarships for Indy Pro 2000 and USF2000 have also increased to $718,065 and $401,305 respectively, guaranteeing the 2021 champions advancement to the next step on the ladder. The prize package will now also include an Indy Lights one-day test provided by the series for the Indy Pro 2000 champion and a one-day test for the USF2000 champion in Indy Pro 2000.

“As competitors continue to evaluate their plans for next season, we want to emphasize our commitment to assisting drivers in climbing our Road to Indy ladder to reach the NTT INDYCAR SERIES,” said Dan Andersen, Owner and CEO of Andersen Promotions. “We are extremely excited to work with INDYCAR to offer our top-three Indy Lights drivers an opportunity to test an Indy car, and to offer our reigning champions and 2021 champions in the junior series a chance to take the next step in their careers.

“The Chris Griffis test has always been one of my favorites. While it is exciting to see the new talent coming into our paddock, it is also especially rewarding to watch our current drivers move up and to hear their comments after first outings in the next level car.

“I also want to thank the Speedway for working with us to accommodate this event in a very busy month of October for them.”

Kellett and Foyt Hope Full Time Ride Leads to Success

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Dalton Kellett and Larry Foyt both believe that a full time ride in 2021 will allow Kellett to develop his skills at a faster pace. because of the constantly changing schedule in 202, Foyt thinks that Kellett didn’t get the seat time he needed.

“2020 was even tougher for him than we expected it to be being a rookie with limited track time and having to deal with shorter race weekends,” Foyt said in this afternoon’s press conference.

Kellett added, ” (I) Learned a lot last year,and that was with limited track time, limited testing. So being full time in the 4 car is going to be a great opportunity.”

Having Sebastien Bourdais as a teammate should help Kellet develop. He was impressed with Bourdais at the Barber test.

“…having Seb on board is going to be a great asset to the program. I’m really looking forward to working with him. We had a great test earlier in the off-season at Barber Motorsports Park in October, and seeing how he works with the engineers and how exacting he is with his feedback and what he wants out of the car was pretty eye-opening.”

As for goals for 2021, Foyt set realistic expectations.

“Top-10s are the goal here at first and solid qualifying. I think we lacked some pace on some of the permanent road courses that we’d like to add.”

The team has added some mechanics to try to shore up weaknesses in the team.

Foyt added that a third full time car is not likely.

“I would say no in 2021; barring I win the lottery or something like that. It’s something on our radar for sure. I’m a big person who thinks growth is important to any business, but it has to be done the right way.”

He did say that a third car for the 105th running of the Indianapolis 500 is possible.

Foyt said that he had just a brief introductory conversation with former F1 driver Romain Grosjean.

This team has a lot to prove. having Sebastien Bourdais all season should help their development. I hope Bourdais can mentor Kellett and that he can improve his driving skills. We should know pretty quickly where A. J. Foyt Racing is headed in 2021.

Kellett Stays at Foyt; Grid Update

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Dalton Kellett moves from part to full time at A. J. Foyt Racing for 2021. He will drive the number 4 car alongside teammate Sebastien Bourdais in the 14. K-Line continues as his sponsor. The release from A. J. Foyt Racing:

WALLER, Texas (Dec. 15, 2020)—Canadian Dalton Kellett will drive A.J. Foyt’s No. 4 Chevrolet full-time in the 2021 NTT INDYCAR Series. K-Line Insulators USA returns as the primary sponsor, moving from the No. 14 to the No. 4 for the upcoming season.

The 27-year-old rookie drove for Foyt in eight races this year as driving duties behind the wheel of the No. 14 Chevrolet were shared throughout the 14-race season by three drivers: Kellett, Tony Kanaan and Sebastien Bourdais. Bourdais returns to drive the No. 14 Chevrolet full-time as announced earlier this year. 

“I couldn’t be more excited to be back with AJ Foyt Racing for the 2021 season,” said Kellett, who lives in Indianapolis. “Securing a full-time ride is a big boost heading into my sophomore year in INDYCAR. Despite the challenges presented by Covid-19 in 2020, A.J., Larry, and the Foyt team continued to develop their car and elevate the program, while standing by their employees and partners. That’s the kind of team I’m proud to both race for and be a part of. Being paired with Sebastian will be a great opportunity to continue to learn from one of the most experienced veterans in the field. I can’t wait to get back on the track for off-season testing and back behind the wheel in 2021.”

Next year the NTT INDYCAR Series schedule features 17 races, including a doubleheader at Texas Motor Speedway in early May and a new street course in Nashville, Tenn. in August.

Despite the challenges of Kellett’s rookie season taking place during a pandemic which sharply curtailed the normal track activity, he displayed a keen ability to stay focused and adapt, which factored into Foyt’s decision to retain Kellett for 2021.

“We are very happy to have Dalton back with the team and more importantly that he will be driving full-time,” said Team President Larry Foyt. “With the limited track time in 2020, it was a tough year to be a rookie, but he jumped in with a great attitude and adjusted to the Indy car quite well. He was getting quicker with each event and had a great test at Barber [Motorsports Park] recently. I think Dalton will truly benefit from having four-time champion Sebastien Bourdais there full-time.  I’m really looking forward to seeing how our team progresses in 2021.” 

The first scheduled team test will be in January at Sebring International Raceway in central Florida. The 2021 INDYCAR season gets underway on Sunday, March 7th in St. Petersburg, Fla.

(Photo courtesy of INDYCAR)

This story will be updated with comments later this afternoon.

The 2021 Grid- Confirmed Teams

This list includes only full time car/driver combinations that have been confirmed.

Team Penske (4)

Josef Newgarden

Will Power

Simon Pagenaud

Scott McLaughlin (R)

Chip Ganassi Racing (4)

Scott Dixon

Marcus Ericsson

Alex Palou

Jimmie Johnson (R) road/street only/ Tony Kanaan ovals

Andretti Autosport (2)

Alexander Rossi

Colton Herta

Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing (2)

Takuma Sato

Graham Rahal

A. J. Foyt Racing (2)

Sebastien Bourdais

Dalton Kellett

Ed Carpenter Racing (2)

Rinus VeeKay

Ed Carpenter- ovals only

Arrow McLaren SP (2)

Pato O’Ward

Felix Rosenqvist

Meyer Shank Racing (1)

Jack Harvey

Some Christmas Book Recommendations

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If you’re still searching for a gift idea for the racing fan in your household, here a couple of book suggestions.

Pictured above, Indy 500 Memories, by Art Garner and Marc B. Spiegel, is a compilation of memories from fans, drivers, owners, race officials, and media members. I have just begun reading it. So far, the most common themes are how huge the Speedway is and the size of the race day crowd. Whether the speaker is a former winner or a fan, the first impression is the same.

Garner is also the author of Black Noon, one of the best books i have read on the history of the race. Memories is available at the IMS Gift Shop, and it can be ordered online for $19.95.

John Andretti’s fascinating autobiography, Racer, published earlier this year. It is Andretti’s own words as told to Jade Gurss, author of Beast. I reviewed the book in September:

https://thepitwindow.blog/2020/09/24/book-review-racer/

Racer is available through Octane Press for $ 35.

I also recommend the following:

Gentlemen, Start Your Engines: The Rest of the Story… by Wilbur Shaw with Al Bloemker; new edition with added chapters by Bill Shaw with Bob Gates, $40. Contact: donate@boyleracingteam.org.

Vukovich by Bob Gates, Witness Productions, $40.

I’ll be back tomorrow with an update on the Indycar grid for 2021.