2016 IndyCar stuff

FLRacingFan

FLRacingFan

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Gary Peterson's AFS Racing will field a car (again) for Sebastian Saavedra in the Indy 500. It will be an independent operation run with a Chevy-powered car previously housed and updated by Ganassi: http://www.racer.com/indycar/item/128739-indycar-peterson-afs-to-field-saavedra

Stefan Wilson will drive the #25 KV Racing Chevy in the Indy 500, with support from the Indiana Donor Network and Gap Guard: http://www.racer.com/indycar/item/128804-indycar-stefan-wilson-confirmed-for-indy-500

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http://www.racer.com/indycar/item/128774-indycar-chaves-last-known-500-option

Honda has an engine. Bryan Herta has a chassis. Michael Shank has a team. Somewhere among those pieces, Gabby Chaves hopes to create an opportunity to take part in his second Indy 500.

The 2015 Verizon IndyCar Series Rookie of the Year could be the final entry for May's 100th running of the Indy 500. The Colombian-American ace has seen most of the seats he's pursued filled with other drivers, leaving Shank or DCR as the last realistic destinations to land.

"Honda can do the engine; we're making sure it's the latest spec, which is what we're working through right now," Chaves told RACER. "Shank is interested, but we're still working on that, and we're still working on the budget part, which is really tight, and Bryan's chassis needs to be updated to all of the latest [2016] parts, so that will take money. Those are the things holding us up now. If we had all the budget we needed to update everything and cover the costs to go racing, it would happen. That's the last hiccup."

Chaves is known to have raised a significant portion of the budget required to race at Indy. With some teams asking for just over $300,000 and others seeking upward of $800,000 for the event, Chaves would need something between those sums to assemble a quality effort of his own.
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DUN24 said:
Not really tbh. I don't even have faith they'll fill the weekend.
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Not likely, the Boston GP CEO said they probably have to have everything sorted before the Indy 500. He said the sponsors still support them and that they have some alternatives available but I can't see anything coming together this late in the game.
 
FLRacingFan said:
Not likely, the Boston GP CEO said they probably have to have everything sorted before the Indy 500. He said the sponsors still support them and that they have some alternatives available but I can't see anything coming together this late in the game.
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Nah I meant fill the weekend with another round elsewhere.
 
DUN24 said:
Nah I meant fill the weekend with another round elsewhere.
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I understand. The same guy is trying to find a venue elsewhere to fill that weekend. Said Providence or Watkins Glen or something. No way he gets a deal done in a couple of weeks.
 
Zerkfitting said:
I wonder if bump day will be meaningful.
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I doubt it. For a while it looked like we might get up to 36 entries, but some things have fallen apart and engine leases are hard to get. I really hope to see a third manufacturer soon. Seeing Bump Day and NASCAR's Duels at Daytona become utterly pointless sucks.
 
FLRacingFan said:
I understand. The same guy is trying to find a venue elsewhere to fill that weekend. Said Providence or Watkins Glen or something. No way he gets a deal done in a couple of weeks.
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Sounds like it isn't happening.

Providence city government says they haven't talked to IndyCar since 2014 (despite immediate media reports IndyCar was talking to Providence as a replacement venue)

Also Watkins Glen is booked up for the rest of the season except for a Monday

I'm convinced there is no Plan B, and Miles is just scrambling trying to keep the diehard fans hopeful until Indy comes and goes and we all give up. Also, after all these failed street races, no replacement race has ever materialized.
 
All reserved seating for the Indy 500 is officially sold out:

Indianapolis Motor Speedway officials celebrated an epic and historic milestone today, announcing that all reserved seating is officially sold out for the 100th Running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by PennGrade Motor Oil. While general admission tickets are still available in the IMS infield, the massive grandstands around the 107-year-old 2.5-mile oval, and all hospitality suites, will be completely filled.

The news was shared this afternoon by IMS leadership on the steps of the Indiana Statehouse, with community leaders including Indiana Governor Mike Pence and Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett flanked by the iconic Borg-Warner Trophy.

“Every Indianapolis 500 is special, but the buzz surrounding the 100th Running has been building for nearly a year, ever since the checkered flag fell on the 99th,” said IMS President J. Douglas Boles. “Our fans are the best in sports and their incredible support of this year’s race will make it a truly historic day for ‘The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.’”

Beyond the grandstands, the new Hulman Terrace Club is also sold out and every IMS suite is full. In fact, several large temporary suites will be erected due to remarkably increased demand. All VIP concert tickets are sold and it is expected that the Indy 500 Snake Pit presented by Coors Light will reach capacity for the first time.
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http://www.indianapolismotorspeedwa...d-out-for-historic-100th-indianapolis-50-2016
 
John Oreovicz ‏@IndyOreo
IMS says 33K local hotel rooms booked for 500 at 20% premium. Says pace is 8 weeks ahead of 2015.

The announcement came in a news release from the speedway at 1:30 p.m. ET, with officials preparing for a news conference Friday at the Indiana Statehouse. The Indianapolis Star estimates reserved seating represents about 230,000 tickets.

Infield general admission tickets remain.

Additionally, the new Hulman Terrace Club also is sold out and every IMS suite is full, including the 15 temporary ones slated to be erected for the May 29 race.

All VIP concert tickets are sold, and it is expected that the Indy 500 Snake Pit will reach capacity for the first time.

The 500’s sellout is the first at least since U.S. open-wheel racing split for the 1996 season.
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http://sports.usatoday.com/2016/05/06/indy-500-reserved-tickets-sold-out/
 
That's epically awesome. Such hype for this race it's unreal. All the hype is well-deserved though. Only thing needed is for the race to deliver.
 
A non-championship race, the Beijing Indy 600, is reportedly due to be held across October 22nd-23rd around a 2.56-mile course through the Fengtai District. The series has given the race a deadline of the first week of June for a variety of conditions to be met (upfront payment, track design finalized, infrastructure built, etc.) in order to be confirmed.

http://www.motorsport.com/indycar/news/indycar-aims-for-october-race-in-china-734899/
 
FLRacingFan said:
Watkins Glen lined up to replace Boston in September...official announcement could be due this week. WG President Michael Printup is very hopeful that a deal can be completed in the next few days.

http://www.motorsport.com/indycar/n...place-boston-on-2016-indycar-schedule-734936/

If this actually happens, Jay Frye is a magician. This would be far better than Boston ever would be.
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**** yeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa the GP they should have been going for the whole time. **** Boston
 
FLRacingFan said:
A non-championship race, the Beijing Indy 600, is reportedly due to be held across October 22nd-23rd around a 2.56-mile course through the Fengtai District. The series has given the race a deadline of the first week of June for a variety of conditions to be met (upfront payment, track design finalized, infrastructure built, etc.) in order to be confirmed.

http://www.motorsport.com/indycar/news/indycar-aims-for-october-race-in-china-734899/
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600 kilometers, I presume.
 
FLRacingFan said:
A non-championship race, the Beijing Indy 600, is reportedly due to be held across October 22nd-23rd around a 2.56-mile course through the Fengtai District. The series has given the race a deadline of the first week of June for a variety of conditions to be met (upfront payment, track design finalized, infrastructure built, etc.) in order to be confirmed.

http://www.motorsport.com/indycar/news/indycar-aims-for-october-race-in-china-734899/
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Allegedly the promoter had a press conference in China and the backdrop had the official IndyCar logo. They did this all on their own apparently. :confused::confused::confused:
 
With aero kit competition likely to go away next season, IndyCar is evaluating other areas of the DW12 that could be opened up for teams to develop over the next couple of years. Possibilities suggested by Bobby Rahal include brakes, wheels, and electronics: http://www.racer.com/indycar/item/129658-indy-500-an-end-to-spec-racing-in-2017?showall=&limitstart=

The era of spec Indy cars could be coming to an end. In a conversation with RACER on Tuesday at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, IndyCar President of Competition Jay Frye revealed the series has started to evaluate its spec Dallara DW12 chassis for areas that could be opened up for teams to control.

"One of the things we're trying to do for 2017 is deregulate some things a little bit," Frye said. "Because we have regulated so many things for so long, you want ingenuity."

Frye and his competition department staff have asked IndyCar teams to provide feedback on specific parts and regions that could be converted from spec to free for development.

"We went up to the teams and said, give us a list," Frye (right) continued. "We said, 'If you could build your own stuff, give us a list of what youwould build.' It's the power of the paddock, asking them, 'What can we do?' We have our ideas. We've got ideas from them and all of the groups."

IndyCar is looking at 2017 as the first year to unshackle its cars, with additional changes following in future years.

"Maybe again we could do this much in 2017, and in 2018, it could be this much [more]," Frye added. "Incremental. And I think if we do it smartly it will save money."

The biggest question is whether the series is serious about allowing true development areas to exist – things teams can create and implement as they desire – or if IndyCar is thinking more along the lines of letting teams manufacture some of their own DW12 parts instead of being forced to buy them from Dallara.

The first scenario is a return to the spirit that led to the first Indy 500 being held in 1911. The latter is more of a cost-savings initiative that would fall under the guise of removing the single-supplier requirement associated with the DW12.
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Spencer Pigot will race the Ed Carpenter Racing's #20 for the remainder of the season at road course and street circuit events: http://www.edcarpenterracing.com/spencer-pigot-joins-ed-carpenter-racing/

Gabby Chaves is set to stay in Dale Coyne Racing's #19 for the time being: http://www.racer.com/indycar/item/130253-indycar-chaves-back-with-coyne-in-detroit

Demand for the return to Road America has been so high that the track has had to clear out some brush and old trees to make more room for camping and motorhome spaces: http://www.racer.com/indycar/item/130283-indycar-demand-looking-strong-for-road-america

The proposed Beijing Indy 600 has been rejected after failing to meet the necessary criteria set by the series by the June 1st deadline. Miles also mentioned Gateway Motorsports park has applied for a spot on the 2017 calendar and would be considered for an August date: http://www.motorsport.com/indycar/n...ce-will-not-happen-in-2016-says-miles-742681/
 
Some interesting technical takeaways from this piece:

Through the fifth year of the DW12 era, Chevy and Honda have upgraded their engines from 550 HP for ovals and 670 for road courses/street circuits to ~ 620 HP and ~ 720 HP, respectively.

Chevy has been known to retard its ignition during practice, taking away ~ 2% HP, and then unleashing the full potential for qualifying. Honda was roughly 43 HP (road/street) and 37 HP (oval) behind Chevy at the peak disparity in qualifying tuning, until Honda unleashed their new engines for May's IMS activities.

One Chevy driver said Honda has about 200 pounds more front downforce with the road course/street circuit aero kits, allowing Hondas to get their tires up to temperature more quickly.

http://www.motorsport.com/indycar/news/what-honda-still-has-to-prove-in-indycar-742695/
 
IndyCar looks to International Speedway Corp., history for future scheduling

IndyCar had been in a bind, with Boston marking the second race in two years cancelled either just before or during the season of its scheduled running. But Frye, IndyCar’s president of competition and operations, had not been forced to Watkins Glen hat in hand, having established the groundwork a year earlier for a return to a New York venue where Formula 1, CART and IndyCar began establishing an open-wheel legacy in the 1960s. He had re-established contact with a crucial part of IndyCar’s past and, arguably, it’s future in International Speedway Corp., which owns 13 tracks including Watkins Glen. And in doing that, the long-time NASCAR team executive might have helped IndyCar finally eradicate its image- and continuity-damaging problem of losing street course races, some before they ever occur. All it required was a call last summer to ISC president John Saunders, whose purview includes long-term strategies.

“They own racetracks and we race cars. It’s a good, fit, huh?,” Frye told USA TODAY Sports. “When we first talked with John, the first two on the list we wanted to talk about were Phoenix and Watkins Glen, so here we go. We got them done. Now we can’t be more proud of where we’re at, we can’t be more enthused about the future with those two venues and then whatever else might happen after that. But the relationship I think is great. It’s as solid as it could be and I’m really looking forward to the future.”
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http://sports.usatoday.com/2016/06/...watkins-glen-but-scheduling-questions-remain/

Sounds like Frye is looking in particular at Homestead and Richmond. Homestead I think would be interesting, especially if they did an oval/road course doubleheader as the track president mentioned, but I'm not so sure about Richmond. And Homestead in the spring might be able to work because as loaded as Florida's spring motorsports schedule is, South Florida isn't really much a part of it. It would also be far enough away from the NASCAR weekend.

Overall though, I'm pleased IndyCar and ISC have begun to reconnect.
 
FLRacingFan said:
Homestead I think would be interesting, especially if they did an oval/road course doubleheader as the track president mentioned
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Homestead is a great facility but you know my opinion about oval infield road courses. Still, if it's what track management wants to have IndyCar come back there then so be it.
 
KevinWI said:

Homestead is a great facility but you know my opinion about oval infield road courses. Still, if it's what track management wants to have IndyCar come back there then so be it.
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Yeah I'm not much of a fan of them either. If they do it I'd hope the run the layout that includes most of the oval (as Grand-Am did) rather than the one that short cuts one end of the banking. I think Lights run the shorter one during testing.
 
Menards joins Penske/Pagenaud for another two races at Iowa and Pocono: http://www.racer.com/indycar/item/131418-indycar-menards-adds-two-more-races-with-pagenaud

Gold Coast is looking to bring back IndyCar to their V8 Supercars weekend: http://www.racer.com/indycar/item/131421-indycar-gold-coast-group-trying-for-series-return

2015 Pro Mazda champion Santiago Urrutia will test with Schmidt Peterson Motorsports at Mid-Ohio later this month: http://www.racer.com/indycar/item/131298-indycar-urrutia-set-for-mid-ohio-test
 
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