Category: Auto Racing

Thoughts on McLaren

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Silly Season was straightforward this year. Alexander Rossi stays with Andretti. Done. Wrap it up. Look to next year. Today, with McLaren’s announcement that they are joining Arrow Schmidt Peterson for 2020, the dam has burst. There are ripples throughout the paddock. Here are some of my thoughts about this development.

McLaren has a lot to prove after their debacle in May. Will partnering with Schmidt Peterson help them?

I’m disappointed that McLaren does not add to the car count. I’ve said before they are looking to come in the easy way, becoming part of an existing team instead of building their own team with  a technical alliance with an established team.

It’s a shame the way Honda’s hand was forced to make this deal happen. I can’t think of a Chevy team that would be a good match for McLaren. I’m not sure they even considered one.

My first concern was for James Hincliffe and Robert Wickens.  In Marshall Pruett’s story, he said that the commitment to Wickens will be honored. Later this morning, Hinchcliffe issued the following statement:

hinch statement

I hope he also  has a contract extension. Hinchcliffe’s current contract expires after the 2020 season. He also is losing his Honda commercial deal. I hope that he receives compensation for that.

Marcus Ericsson was likely going somewhere else anyway. he may be in a carlin car next year. Which brings up the question- who will drive the second car for the new team? Fernando Alonso said he is not interested in a full time Indycar ride.

Colton Herta may be available, but I think he will become the fifth driver at Andretti Autosport.  If he is, is Conor Daly once again out of a potential full time ride? It’s those paddock ripples splashing up.

With whom  does Meyer Shank now partner with as they prepare for a full schedule in 2020? The team is committed to Honda. An alliance with Andretti or Coyne seems most probable. I don’t think Ganassi is interested in being anyone’s partner.

The new team name is Arrow McLaren Racing SP. It bothers that mcLaren comes before Schmidt and Peterson and that the two founders names are reduced to initials. Since mcLaren is buying the team or acquiring the shares of either owner, I guess it’s a name recognition thing.

The biggest positive in today’s events is that Indycar now has a worldwide name in its paddock. it should help with recognition in Europe and may cause a bit of a bump in the United States.

I will keep updating as i learn more.  Everything I just wrote could be incorrect by now.

 

Daly Returns to Andretti for Finale; Some Other Tidbits

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Photo from @FollowAndretti Twitter feed

The jaws are back. Andretti Autosport announced today that Conor Daly will drive the number 25 USAF car, the same one he drove in this year’s Indianapolis 500, in the NTT Indycar Series finale at Weather Tech Raceway.  In the 500 Daly started 11th and finished 10th. he ran as high as fifth during the race.

This season Daly has also driven twice for Carlin Racing- at Texas, finishing 11th after a 19th place start, and  at Iowa, where ended 13th from 16th on the grid.

I am glad Daly will drive for Andretti again this season. I was hoping he would be back in this car before Laguna Seca. Part of the reason I think the team is entering him in the finale is to serve as a point blocker to help Alexander Rossi get the championship. It would depend on where Daly qualifies, but it could help.

McLaren Closer to Indycar?

This Tweet from Adam Stern indicates some progress by McLaren toward the 2020 Indycar season. The engine issue and James Hinchcliffe’s contratc still seem like huge stumbling blocks. There is word McLaren is also after Colton Herta. I think there is still a lot of work to be done before we see orange cars  on the grid full time.

Third Car for Rahal?

In an interview with RACER magazine Bobby Rahal said this week that  a third car for Rahal letterman Lanigan Racing is closer than they’ve been before. The third RLL car has been a perennial Silly Season story.  I hope it finally appears at St. Pete next March.

More Indy Lights Drivers Test Indycar

Oliver Askew tested with Chip Ganassi Racing at Portland International Raceway yesterday. The CGR team was impressed with his performance. Rinus VeeKay also tested for Ed Carpenter Racing the same day at Portland.

Andretti Autorsport Indy Lights driver Ryan Norman also tested for Andretti at Mid Ohio last week.

I don’t get too excited about Indy lights drivers testing with Indycar teams.  It’s great that they get the experience, but the tests have zero implications for future Indycar rides.

I’m thinking the hybrid engine may not be the last bombshell announcement of this Silly Season.  We need a race soon. Very soon.

Hybrids, Rumors, Trophies on Vacation

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Just a few notes and comments today:

Reaction has been mixed, to put it mildly, about the new hybrid technology coming to Indycar in 2022. I still think it’s a good thing for the series. Eventually every racing series will employ some form of hybrid technology. From what I’ve seen, the Indycar version will not be full blown electricity. The engines will still be loud, and, I hope, faster. I’m hoping that the use of the KERS system for push to pass limits the ability of the lead driver to defend. I would rather have drivers pass on pure speed and ability. Those days may be gone for the most part.

We won’t know for several months what the new system will look like or what it will do on the cars. Let’s just wait and see what happens. If it opens the door to a third OEM, or even better, a second chassis, I’m all for it. As Paul Dalbey pointed out yesterday in his post on The Field of 33,  first year costs  may affect car counts, especially at the Indianapolis 500. You can read his post at https://wordpress.com/read/feeds/92400962.

The McLaren Puzzle

If you thought Silly season ended with Alexander Rossi and Honda staying with Andretti Autosport, think again. The latest talk is that McLaren is looking to join Arrow Schmidt Peterson. My understanding is that the team would switch to Chevy. This deal would not add cars to the grid. There are questions that make this deal iffy. ASPM has another year on its contract with Honda.  James Hinchcliffe’s contract runs through the end of 2020.  If Hinchcliffe drives a Chevy, he also loses the Honda commercials.

We know contracts can be bought out. As we’ve seen recently with drivers, contracts aren’t ironclad. Gabby Chaves and Pato O’Ward are two recent examples. There are lots of things in play here. Pop some popcorn, sit back and watch.

My opinion is that McLaren is cutting corners trying to enter Indycar. Rather than establishing a team through a technical alliance with another team, they are trying to buy a team instead. It seems the lessons of May have not gotten through to them. If they do become part of Schmidt organization, I hope they are willing to listen to the people there who know what they are doing this time.

There is also talk of Marcus Ericsson moving to Carlin and Felipe Nasr, who recently tested with ASPM replacing him. Nasr is a former F1 driver who is doing very well driving for Action Express in IMSA.

Pagenaud Reveals His Borg Warner Likeness…in France?

It appears another Indianapolis 500 tradition has gone by the wayside. In the past, the new 500 winner’s face on the Borg Warner trophy was unveiled at an early December ceremony at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum. Yesterday Simon Pagenaud’s image on the trophy was revealed in Paris.  I hope this is a one time occurrence.

The December event brought some attention to the race and the series in what is a slow news period for the NTT Indycar Series and the Speedway. I wonder if IMS is still planning something for December. The unveiling was the night before the PRI show opens at the Convention Center in downtown Indianapolis. It was a nice lead-in to the show.

 

I’ll be back in a couple days to look at the 1958 Indianapolis 500 program.

SVRA Weekend Finale: Miller Wins TA2

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Photo: Marc Miller drove the Dodge Challenger to a flag to flag win in Sunday’s TA2 race.

Marc Miller narrowly won the pole for Sunday’s Trans Am 2 race which ended the SVRA weekend at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.  He left nothing to chance during the race, however, leading all 42 laps in an easy victory. Early in the race he was gaining a second per lap on second place.

Rafa Matos started second, but he didn’t hold the spot long. Third place starter Scott Lagasse, Jr. passed him  in turn 1. Matos seemed to slow more each lap and dropped quickly through the field. He retired after completing just 10 laps. Dillon Machavern got by Lagasse for second and went on to finish as runner up. Lagasse also dropped out of the race after 22 laps.

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The start of the Trans Am race. Rafa Matos (first yellow car) has already dropped from the front row of the grid.

A Weekend Full of Racing

For someone who just like to watch race cars of any kind, an SVRA weekend is perfect. There are three days of nonstop action with practices, qualifying , and races. There are very short breaks between each track session. Their next event is next weekend at Mid Ohio. It’s a great value for people who can’t get to or afford a weekend at a major racing event.

Formula Ford Reunion Brings Back the Nostalgia

The tiny cars with tiny engines really struck a chord with me. While all the cars ran 1.6 liter engines, there were ten (10!) different chassis on the grid. It took me back to my earliest 500s (not 1911) when there were several different types of chassis, each with a distinct look. Sigh. I talked to a couple of the drivers before the race. They are passionate about racing and love what they are doing to preserve the sport. This is a hobby for them, but I think many of them would trade their regular jobs to race full time in a heartbeat.

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Jeremy Treadway won the second Formula Ford race Sunday in a 1981 Van Diemen

A few of the other chassis:

Left: 1972 Crossle25; Top Right : 1980 PRS RHO1  Bottom Right: 1970 Titan

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1969 Winkelman WDF 1

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The 1.6 liter powerplant

 

I’ll be back this week with more on the proposed Indycar engine plan for 2022 and some news and rumors. Might throw in an old program as well.  Thanks for following along this week.

Ribbs Wins VROC; Dyson Takes Trans Am GT;

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It’s supposed to be for fun, but the veteran drivers in the Vintage Race of Champions raced hard. The charity event benefits the Morgan Adams Foundation, whose goal is to help find a cure for childhood cancer. The race lead changed several times. 80 year old Johnny Rutherford led a couple laps.  But Willy T. Ribbs went on to win after a spirted battle with Geoff Brabham.

The most serious incident in the race involved Lyn St. James, who spun coming off turn 14 and made contact with the outside wall in the  front stretch.

In today’s Trans Am race, Chris Dyson won, leading the rest of the way after passing   Ernie Francis Jr. about a third of the way through the contest. It was Dyson’s second straight win in the Mustang.  Francis’ Mustang held on to second Adam Andretti finished third in a Corvette and Amy Ruman was fourth.

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Chris Dyson leads Ernie Francis, Jr.  Trans Am race. Adam Andretti is the next car.  Dyson  led to the finish.

In SGT Tim Kezman won the class riving a Porsche 991. Mark Boden  finished second, giving the Porsches a sweep of the top two spots.

The crowd seemed decent for this event.  I thought there more fans at the track today than there were for this event last year.

Here are some photos of drivers before the Pro-Am race:

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Geoff Brabham
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Lyn St. James
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Roberto Guerrero
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Davey Hamilton
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Boris Said ( I know he’s not an Indycar driver. I’ve always thought he was cool)

Tomorrow’s schedule includes the Formula Ford Reunion races at 11:35 am and 1:00 pm and the  Trans Am 2 group race at 2:45 pm. Racing begins at 8 am with two 60 minute enduro races. The 9:10 race features historic GT and GTP cars. Back tomorrow with a wrap up of the day’s action and some more photos.

 

 

SVRA- Classic Cars, Indy Veterans

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It has been a hectic morning at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway as the SVRA race day began with the first race at 8 am. Action on track has been continuous. In about 10 minutes the TA2 class will have their final practice before they qualify at 3:50 this afternoon.

At noon pre-race activities begin for the VROC Charity Pro Am Race begin. The 50 minute race starts at 1:15.  I will be on the grid pre race and will live post photos to both Twitter and Facebook. Check out @PitWindow on Twitter and The Pit Window on Facebook.

Here are some photos from this morning including some from the Hagerty Cars and Caffeine show and a former 500 winner who is racing in the Pro Am later today.

Row 1: 1939 Sprint car

Row 2:  Johnny Rutherford;  1960 Imperial; I think my grandfather owned one of these; My favorite car ever- 1957 Chevy bel Aire

Row 3:  Cobra; Winner of Class 2b race; Cars at speed on the backstretch

SVRA Returns to IMS with Busy Weekend

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Photo: A car from SVRA Group 2- pre 1973 formula cars. Photo from SVRA website

The Sportscar Vintage Racing Association returns to the Indianapolis motor Speedway today and tomorrow with a full program of races in all classes.

Fourteen groups will race, some together in split races, as well as Trans Am cars. Sunday’s program begins with two Enduro events, one for Vintage Classic cars and the other for Historic GT/GTP cars.  Each will have a 60 minute race.  The Trans Am races are 75 minutes.

Today’s highlights are the Hagerty cars and Caffeine Car Show at 100 am and the VROC Charity pro-Am Race at 1:15 pm.

Today’s schedule:

Saturday, August 3
7:30am-3:00pm Registration
7:30am-12:00pm Tech Inspections
10:00am
Hagerty Cars & Caffeine Car Show
8:00am
Groups 1, 3, 4 Feature Race 1**
8:30am
Group 2a
Feature Race 1
9:00am
Groups 10, 12a Feature Race 1**
9:30am
Groups 5, 7, 11 Feature Race 1**
10:00am
Group 9
Feature Race 1
10:30am
Group 2b
Feature Race 1
11:00am
Groups 8, 12b Feature Race 1**
11:30am
TA2
Practice 30 min
12:00pm—1:00pm LUNCH BREAK
12:00-12:30 – Jaguar Laps, 12:30-1:00 – Prewar Exhibition Laps
12:00pm
VROC Charity Pro/Am Pre-Race Festivities – Pit Lane
(
Driver Introductions/Fan Walk)
1:15pm
VROC Charity Pro/Am Feature Race
50min
2:35pm
TA/SGT/GT Feature Race 75 min
3:50pm
TA2
Qualifying 20 min
4:10pm
Group 6
Feature Race 1
4:40pm
Prewar Exhibition Laps
5:00pm
Hagerty Car Show Exhibition Laps
Former Indycar driver Rafa Matos will drive in the Trans Am race tomorrow afternoon.
Former Indycar drivers Lyn St. James, Roberto Guerrero, and three time 500 winner Johnny Rutherford are some of the stars entered in today’s Pro-Am race. Dick Simon is the Grand Marshall for the event.
The Pit Window will be on site today and tomorrow covering the races and plans lots of pictures of classic cars.

 

 

Quick Thoughts- Hybrid Power to Indycar in 2022

thepitwindow2 Comments

First, it’s about time! I have wondered why Indycar had not done this sooner.

I like that the cars  will have 900 horsepower and that the noise of the cars won’t be affected.

Onboard starters- about time again. This should reduce yellow flags during races even more. It will definitely make for fewer red flags during practice sessions.

This opens the door for a third OEM. Perhaps Porsche will reconsider joining? I have heard and thought that lack of a hybrid component was the hangup in getting a new engine manufacturer.

I don’t mind waiting another year for new features.  I’m interested to see how the new larger  engine will alter the shape of the bodywork on the car.

I’m not sure this will increase the size of the field, but it could.

PLEASE do not call this a Power Unit. It’s still an engine.

I will be back later today with more details. I’m heading to IMS for an adventure I will talk about tomorrow.