Tag: NTT Indycar Series

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:

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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.

Quick Thoughts- Hybrid Power to Indycar in 2022

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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.

 

 

A Gem in Nebraska

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When I think of racing  and automobile museums, I normally don’t think of going to Nebraska. How wrong I was.  I was wondering how to spend the day before the Iowa 300. The Knoxville Sprint Hall of Fame looked like a great place to go.  But before I left for Newton, I saw that my friend Janay Martin posted on Facebook that she was going to the Museum of American Speed in Lincoln, Nebraska. I asked her if I could tag along.

The museum began as a project of Speedway Motors owner “Speedy” Bill Smith, who began collecting anything racing or automotive related a long time before opening the exhibit hall in 1992. The three story, 150,000 square foot building is virtually an American speed and auto time capsule. Smith’s Speedway Motors began as an engine shop, then also did fabrication, and now sells all auto parts for road cars and race cars.

The Museum is an even three hour drive from Iowa Speedway. We got there when the museum opened at 9. As soon as we walked in, six year old me came back to life. I couldn’t believe what I saw.

The first car inside the entrance is a 1960’s Indy roadster, a Shrike from 1965, and Al Unser’s 1970 winner. Then I came to the gate above. If I saw nothing else in the place after I walked through that gate, I could have gone back to Newton happy.

There sat Bill Vukovich’s 1951 rookie car, the Central Excavating Special. The car sits outside a mock up of the old IMS garages.  The car started the race in 20th. Vukovich moved quickly to seventh before retiring after 29 laps. wp-15645384090222648452678329700045.jpg

I got the same chills I get whenever I see the Boyle Maserati and the Fuel injection Special at the IMS Museum. I find it thrilling to be in the presence of cars driven by such legends.

The IMS area also contains other memorabilia from the Indianapolis 500, including engines, uniforms, and a lot of photos. Because of our limited time, I couldn’t linger here. This was just the beginning.

Two other areas of note on the first floor were a room dedicated to engine builders. There were tribute plaques honoring Harry Miller and Fred Offenhauser.wp-15645384754763065514754140285142.jpg

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In the opposite corner is a tribute to A. J. Watson, whose cars ruled at IMS in the late 50s and early 60s. the car Jim Rathmann drove at Monza is the centerpiece of this space.

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The first floor also has a diorama dedicated to the SAFER Barrier, which was developed at the University of Nebraska in Lincoln and a sprint car area. The star of the sprint car gallery was the Black Deuce, Bobby Grim’s famous car.

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Another section had engines, including the 1994 Ilmor Beast that powered the Penske cars which dominated the Indianapolis 500 that year. Other engines in the collection include a Gurney Weslake and a Judd.

The classic car area featured a rare Tucker, the short lived car of the late 40s.

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The third floor is mostly dedicated to toys and very realistic pedal cars. I saw a toy car I had as smaller kid. There is an alcove between the second and third floors lined with vinyl album covers which had automotive related themes. There are some signed guitars, including this one signed by the original Beach Boys. I was not allowed to play it.

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The walls of each floor are lined with cases of auto parts from hood ornaments to manifolds to cigarette lighters.

I highly recommend that while you are waiting for the hopefully later start to the Iowa race, that you drive over to his beautiful place. It’s a trip back in time.

For more information on Speedway Motors, go to

https://www.speedwaymotors.comhttps://www.speedwaymotors.com

For more information on the museum,

https://www.museumofamericanspeed.com/

 

 

 

New HSR Partnership Helps Dogs and Veterans

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Sunday at Mid Ohio Harding Steinbrenner Racing and Dogs2DogTags announced a new partnership.

The partnership started with a  chance meeting at Road America. Torre Willadsen, the founder, decided to pick Mid Ohio because Morty, the German shepherd who was there with veteran Chris Van Etten, came from Ohio.

“Every dog deserves to be saved and every veteran deserves to have a dog,” Willadsen explained.  “We’re focusing on two lives and trying to make a match.”

Any breed of dog will be considered for the program.

On the Dogs2DogTags website the group explains their purpose:

“We create an opportunity to save shelter dogs, train them, and place them with deserving service members who have been diagnosed with post-combat stress and anxiety. There is no out of pocket cost for the veteran to receive a trained dog, and they gain a constant companion to help them cope with the unique challenges of their everyday life.”

 “We are a group of men and women who have either served in or worked closely with our military. We’ve seen the difficulties that our men and women face when returning to civilian life, and we’ve known men and women who have tragically contributed to the unprecedented rate of veteran suicides. We are committed to standing by our veterans, and keeping them aware that we care.”

  “Starting with being an American team with an American driver. It’s about helping spread awareness for an organization that helps the men and women and others that help serve this country during and after combat,” HSR Team owner George Steinbrenner IV said.

Chris Van Etten (second from left, above), a veteran who lost part of both legs in 2012 while serving in Afghanistan,  has a support dog and also serves as a spokesman for Dogs2DogTags. He said the dogs really help the veterans “on the not so great days, when it can be tough. And those are the days when it can all come flooding back. Having that companion… just laying in the bed who licks your face and just wants to be there with you is enough to kind of shake you from whatever is holding on to you that day.”

Willadsen said the organization is looking to buy land in Wisconsin to build a facility for the dogs and veterans to meet and match up. He said the cost right now to go through the evaluation process is between$24,000-$40,000.

For more information, go to the Dogs2DogTags website,

https://www.dogs2dogtags.org/

To text a donation, text D2DTHSR to 44321. Donations as small as $1 are accepted.

 

Last Notes and Photos From Mid Ohio

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Per Dave Furst on Twitter- Track management said yesterday’s crowd was the biggest since Indycar returned in 2007. I don’t doubt it. It seemed like a bigger crowd than previous years.

This was the first Ganassi 1-2 finish since 2015 when Dixon and Tony Kanaan went 1-2 at Texas Motor Speedway.  I didn’t think it was that recent.

The race really needs to begin at 2:30 instead of 4. Once again, I wasn’t asked.

The first photo below shows Sato next to Ericsson and Hinchcliffe just before contact. Sato started three rows behind them. how did he get next to them so quickly and avoid contact with cars in between? All photos are mine.

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Quick Thoughts- Honda Indy 200

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That was one of the most entertaining Mid Ohio races I’ve ever seen. There was lots of action and passing in the esses.

Will Power must have nightmares about Felix Rosenqvist coming up behind him. He passed Power twice today and also got by Power at St. Pete.

Speaking of Rosenqvist, he had the drive of the day.

I can’t remember the last time Ganassi cars finished 1-2. I’m thinking 2013 or earlier.

Who would have won if the race went 95 laps?

Horrible start of the day both Arrow Schmidt Peterson cars.

Rossi doesn’t seem to be bale to catch Penske cars. He didn’t seem to have anything for Power.

Josef Newgarden’s spin out dented his points lead significantly.  He still has a lead he can easily maintain with his usual results.

Dixon is the fourth multiple race winner this year.  Four drivers have won 11 of the 13 races.

There were some good battles between Spencer Pigot and Colton Herta all day. They seemed pretty equal in speed all weekend.

I love watching cars go side by side through turn 5 at Mid Ohio.

Look for my full race report on Wildfire Sports tomorrow.  I have two special features coming up this week.

 

 

Herta Leads Warm Up

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Colton Herta led his third session of the weekend, recording a time of 1:05.7048 in the final warmup before this afternoon’s Honda Indy 200.  Spencer Pigot was second jus0.06 seconds behind HeHarding Steinbrennerrta. Pole sitter Will Power finished seventh. Alexander Rossi, who starts alongside Power in row one, was third fastest.

The session was green the entire time. Many teams used part of the time to scuff in  red alternate tires. Sebastien Bourdais ran the most laps, 25, and Marco Andretti ran the fewest, 17.

Tire choices will be announced shortly.