Tag: NTT Indycar Series

Ferrucci Confirmed at Coyne

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Santino Ferrucci today was officially announced as the driver for the Dayle Coyne Racing with Vasser Sullivan entry in the NTT Indycar Series. Most thought it was a foregone conclusion but had expected an earlier confirmation.

I thought Seal Master was one of Sebastien Bourdais’s sponsors, but I am glad they are continuing with Coyne.

Ferrucci was the Rookie of the Year in the 103rd running of the Indianapolis 500 last May, finishing seventh in the race. He led the series rookie standings for part of the year.

Will we see another good year from him or will there be a sophomore slump? The loss of engineer Craig Hampson to Arrow McLaren SPa and the departure of veteran driver Bourdais may affect his performance in 2020.

There are now two teams with a pair of very young drivers. The ages of Ferrucci and Alex Palou at Coyne and Pato O’Ward and Oliver Askew at Arrow McLaren SP don’t add up to 90.

More details on this story later.

Foyt Looking to Reset with Kimball

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Photo from Charlie Kimball’s Twitter page

“Let’s hit the reset button,” Larry Foyt said, We want our effort to start showing results.”

Foyt explained one of the reasons the team signed Charlie Kimball for the full season ride in their car number 4 for 2020. He is impressed with the feedback Kimball provides. “I enjoyed the challenge of bringing my Indycar experience to Carlin,” Kimball said. He hopes to do the same thing at A. J. Foyt Racing.

Kimbal is looking forward to running a full season after a brief part time stint with Carlin in 2019.  “I would not have survived a,a,partial schedule again. It was really tough on me watching races from the sideline,” he said.

“Running a full schedule allows me to stay in rhythm,” Kimball added. He said he felt other drivers were ahead of him when he drove since they were driving every race.

Kimball thanked his sponsor Novo Nordisk, his sponsor for the last twelve years. The company which has been with Kimball since his Indy Lights days will be the primary sponsor for six races during the upcoming season.

Foyt said last year the team went the wrong direction on dampers. “Our setups showed well off the track, but they didn’t work when the track changed. Our setups weren’t working with the dampers.” He hopes Kimball’s mechanical feedback can help point the team in the correct direction.

Team goals for 2020 are second round qualifying on road and street courses and fighting for the top 10 in the championship. Kimball sees no reason the team can’t qualify in the top 12 at Indianapolis or perhaps be in the Fast 9.

Foyt said the number 14 car is a “work in progress.” An announcement may come in a couple of weeks. Asked about Tony Kanaan, Foyt answered, I’m sure he will be part of the team.”

Thoughts

Whatever some may think of Kimball’s driving ability, I have to tip my hat to any driver who runs a partial season after being a full time driver then bounces back with a full time ride the following season. That doesn’t happen very often.I’m not su

Kimball Has a decent record in the Indianapolis 500 with four top 10 finishes in nine races. He was third in 2015 and fifth in 2016. Foyt’s cars have run well at IMS. This could be an interesting combination in May.

I think Foyt’s team goals will be difficult to achieve. The top 10 is a tough club to break into. I could see some good results and some road/street qualifying success, but I’m not sure we’ll see the consistency he’s looking for this year. His goals are admirable and I hope the team gets a sniff of them.

Rumors are that the 14 car will be shared by Sebastien Bourdais, Dalton Kellett, and Tony Kanaan. Kanaan is slated for the ovals, I’m hearing. Kimball will need to provide strong feedback to the drivers, especially the rookie Kellett.

The Foyt cars may be hard to spot for a couple races without the familiar ABC Supply Co. logos. I’m glad they will return for the Indianapolis 500. Iwill misss them the rest of the season.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hinchcliffe Gets Funding; Looking for Ride

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James Hinchcliffe has the funding to run the Indianapolis 500 and possibly afew more races. Thanks to Genesys, a technology firm providing cloud services, he now has the money to take to a team. But which team? I assume he would want one of the Honda teams.  Andretti is full as they already have seven cars for Indianapolis. The other Honda teams, Ganassi, Coyne, and Rahal, are possibilities. I would think either Coyne or Rahal would be more likely than Ganassi.

The news comes just two months after Hinchcliffe was told by Arrow McLaren SP that he would not be driving for them. The team signed Pato O’Ward and rookie Oliver Askew and  for the 2020 season. Hinchcliffe still has a contract with the team and will do personal appearances on their behalf. My understanding is he can still drive for another team.

I have to give Hinchcliffe credit for working hard to secure the money needed for the 500 in just two months. Some drivers work on this aspect of racing all year and come up short. Hinchcliffe qualified 32nd and finished 11th in 2019. He failed to qualify in 2018. The sponsors will announce further details at a later date.

Hinchcliffe is one of the most popular drivers in the NTT Indycar Series. It’s great knowing he will be at IMS during May.

Indycar at the Chili Bowl

Indycar has its best representation at the Chili Bowl in several years. Santino Ferrucci, James Davison, and Conor Daly are entered in the week long midget event in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Daly drives for the first time tonight.

Ferrucci did well in his first ever midget event. He started 11th and finished fifth, just one spot short of transferring to that evening’s feature round. Davison was 10th in his debut last night.

The Chili Bowl finals are on Saturday night from 8:30-11:30 Eastern Time on MavTV.

A. J. at 85

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A. J. Foyt turns 85 today. That must mean I’m old. Reaching that age is an accomplishment for anyone, but quite amazing for someone who began racing in the ’50s and ’60s. I’m not going to list all his accomplishments. I like to keep these essays short. There are a few that standout, however.

Foyt is the only driver to win the Indianapolis 500 in both a front engine car and a rear engine car. In 1964 he won 10 of the 13 USAC Championship races, including the first seven races of the season. I saw him win a stock car race at the Indiana State Fairgrounds after starting last. He qualified higher, but was unhappy with his time and withdrew it. He won in almost every type of car he raced.

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I have had racing heroes since I was six or seven years old, but I never got the chance to see any of them race. Bill Vukovich was my first hero, and after his death at the 500, I followed Bob Sweikert, but alas, he too died the following year. A. J. was the first of my racing heroes that I actually saw drive. It didn’t hurt any that he had the number 14 on his car, Vukovich’s number.

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I loved the way he drove. Sure there were other outstanding drivers in that era- Andretti, Jones, the Unsers-and I appreciated all of them. Yet, there was something special about Foyt. I liked his unapologetic style and the way he seemed to always be in a position to win. He didn’t always get to Victory Lane, but more often than not, he had a chance.

It is my belief that the modern era of racing began with Foyt’s 1961 Indianapolis 500 victory. He beat the drivers of the 50s, some of whom had raced in the early post World War II years. His future rivals were yet to make an appearance at the Speedway. I think all fans owe him thanks for that.

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As I have written on several occasions, the stars of that era who miraculously survived a very dangerous period in the sport are all now in their 80s. I believe Paul Goldsmith is 90. As you watch the NTT Indycar Series races this season, take a moment or two to reflect on the sport’s heritage. No matter who your favorite driver of that era is, we all owe a debt of gratitude to A. J. If you see one of the legends at a track, please say hello and thank you to them.

 

 

Ericsson Lands Sponsor

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From Indycar

Ericsson gets Swedish chocolate company as primary sponsor

By INDYCAR | Published: Jan 14, 2020

Marcus Ericsson's 2020 car

Marcus Ericsson’s new ride with Chip Ganassi Racing will be backed by a company from his home country of Sweden, the team confirmed Tuesday.

Huski Chocolate will be the primary sponsor of the No. 8 Honda and joins the team’s lineup of PNC Bank for Scott Dixon’s No. 9 car and NTT DATA for Felix Rosenqvist’s No. 10. Chip Ganassi’s team will have more than two full-time entries in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES for the first time since 2017. Dixon is a five-time series champion; Rosenqvist was last year’s INDYCAR Rookie of the Year.

Ericsson is a native of Kumla, Sweden, and he made his INDYCAR debut last year, finishing 17th in the standings. He finished second in the second of the Detroit Grand Prix races. He spent five years in Formula One before coming to INDYCAR.

Huski Chocolate’s headquarters are located in Stockholm, Sweden, and they currently maintain sports-related partnerships with McLaren in F1 as well as the Millwall Football Club of the English Football League Championship, the second tier of English football after the Premier League.

One-time INDYCAR driver and NASCAR veteran Stanton Barrett is CEO of Huski Chocolate Americas. Barrett competed in four INDYCAR races in 2009.

“This partnership is a great fit for our entire company,” Barrett said in a statement released by the team. “We have watched Marcus in Formula 1 and last year’s transition into INDYCAR. Marcus has great potential and now he can capitalize on his talents by teaming up with Chip Ganassi Racing in INDYCAR.

“This partnership with my friend Chip and CGR, a 12-time INDYCAR Champion team, is a critical and valuable platform to reach a strong racing fan base in North and South America. As Huski Chocolate continues expanding into important markets for our B2B and B2C products, CGR and Marcus will continue to pave the way for success on and off the track for Huski Chocolate. We can’t wait to get the season started in St. Petersburg with the Huski Chocolate Honda on the grid.”

INDYCAR’s 17-race schedule begins March 13-15 with the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. The year’s first open test is set for Feb. 11-12 at Circuit of The Americas in Austin, Texas.

 

Rookies Get First Indycar Taste at Sebring

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Sebring belonged to the newcomers today as rookies Oliver Askew and Rinus VeeKay ran tests for their NTT Indycar Series teams today. Askew shared the Arrow McLaren Sp car with teammate Pato O’Ward while VeeKay became familiar with his Ed Carpenter Racing machine. Two time Australian Supercar champion Scott McLaughlin ran laps in a test for Team Penske. McLaughlin drives for Penske in Australia.

Sage Karam also got some test time in the Dreyer and Reinbold entry. DRR announced last week they will enter four events this year, including the Indianapolis 500. There is a possibility of even more races in 2020.

Notes

At times the cars looked like prototypes as they approached the turn where I watched from. The cars with a white band on the framework give this impression more than the black does. While you  can still see the drivers’ hands work the steering wheel, it is difficult to see the drivers’ head and helmet at a casual glance. The framework of the aeroscreen and the helmet seem to blend together.

The new protection device is more noticeable when the cars slow for a turn; I got used to it when the cars were at full speed.

A couple of things seemed strange:

A white Ed Carpenter Racing car.

Someone other than a regular in the Penske car.

It was great watching Indycars run again.

Some Travel Items

The “L” turn on Sebring Parkway as is now a roundabout. I didn’t realize the Mayor of Carmel had a home near the track.

It was sad to see how much of the open fields on the road approaching the track has been sold. The area will have a very different look next year, I’m afraid.

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Rinus VeeKay in the Ed Carpenter Racing #21
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Sage Karam
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Pato O’Ward
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Scott McLaughlin

 

 

Dragonspeed, Hanley Set for St. Pete

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From Indycar and Dragonspeed:

1/13/2020

The 10Star DragonSpeed team is gearing up for the season-opening round of the 2020 NTT IndyCar Series, the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on March15, confirming that Ben Hanley – who maintains his rookie status, having run three NTT IndyCar Series races with the team last season – will pilot its Chevy-powered Dallara chassis around the streets of the St. Petersburg, Fla. 

“I can’t wait to get back in the No. 81 machine for another crack at St Pete,” said the34-year-old Hanley. “After the thrash required just to make it to the track last season, we’re coming back in a much more settled situation. I don’t know if we can repeat the combination of luck and timing that put us 12th on the grid in 2019, but we will be much better prepared this time around and should be stronger throughout the weekend.”

DragonSpeed team principal Elton Julian said, “The continuity represented by having Ben in the car at St Pete is a real boost, and for the fifth year in a row he remains the lead driver across all of our programs. That said, the realities of life as a young IndyCar team might see us running other drivers at the same level as Ben, perhaps with more IndyCar experience, during the year. But committing to Ben as the test and race driver for the launch of our 2020 effort is clearly the best way to get our season off to a strong start.”

Julian added, “We haven’t had the head start of some teams in testing the new IndyCar Aeroscreen and are pushing hard to get it in time to maximise the limited track testing allowed to us as a part-time entrant, while making some time in between for data analysis and shaker rig testing.”

DragonSpeed’s next event is the Rolex 24 at Daytona endurance classic on 25-26 January, where the Indianapolis-based squad will defend its 2019 LMP2 class victory after setting the fastest time at last weekend’s official pre-race test.