2023 IndyCar News / Misc.

Lundqvist stepping into the Ganassi car and Blomqvist coming over full time are both wins in my book. There's been a lot of chatter about Ferrucci being a free agent, and I can't help but wonder what the future has in store for him either staying with Foyt or moving to another squad like Coyne or ECR.

Thus far the series is in a position where we'll have some major changes to the powertrain next year and another big field of cars. I don't really see a way that it goes significantly or at all below the number of cars we have now simply because so many guys with checks are out there. It shows a much healthier series than some think.
 
donthaveanickname said:
Rosenqvist will race for MSR next year, taking the place of Simon Pagenaud.
www.espn.co.uk

McLaren's Rosenqvist to leave for MSR next year

After two years of uncertainty at McLaren, Felix Rosenqvist will drive for Meyer Shank Racing next year, replacing Simon Pagenaud.
www.espn.co.uk www.espn.co.uk
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I hate how it’s gone for Simon, the performance has not been there the past two years and the accident was wicked. I hope he gets back to a place where it doesn’t affect him in day-to-day life anymore and can even get back into a race car one day.

Felix will be a good veteran to help Tom get up to speed.
 
donthaveanickname said:
Armstrong will be full-time in Ganassi's fourth car. His results in his rookie season have been very respectable, I would've been shocked if he hadn't gotten the promotion.
www.motorsport.com

Armstrong extends Ganassi IndyCar deal, goes full-time from 2024

www.motorsport.com www.motorsport.com
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He brings a ton of money in addition to talent. If you're gonna put a ride buyer in the seat, putting Marcus Armstrong in is a good choice not unlike Marcus Ericsson before him. He's just a guy who's progression ended because there weren't enough seats available in F1 to put him anywhere otherwise he (and probably Ilott) both might have wound up with back-of-the-pack teams.
 
virtualbalboa said:
There's been a lot of chatter about Ferrucci being a free agent, and I can't help but wonder what the future has in store for him either staying with Foyt or moving to another squad like Coyne or ECR.
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That third place at Indy probably solidified his position. At this point, who can AJ get that's any closer to winning the 500 for him?
 
Laguna Seca open test.

racer.com

Power leads open test at Laguna

Will Power went nearly four seconds below his record-setting 2022 pole time at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca on Thursday as the NTT IndyCar Series field christened the track’s new surface with a …
racer.com racer.com
 
kkfan91 said:
Thermal Club will host a million dollar all star race next spring.

apnews.com

IndyCar to run $1 million all-star race at The Thermal Club in 2024

IndyCar will hold an all-star race next year at The Thermal Club in Southern California with $1 million guaranteed to the winner of the made-for-TV exhibition.
apnews.com apnews.com
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I understand the people who are turned off by the whole sugar daddy aspect of partnering with the Thermal Club, and I myself am skeptical of how a 12-car feature race looks on a 3-mile road course, but almost anything that expands the calendar and could get more eyes on the series sounds good to me.
 
FLRacingFan said:
I understand the people who are turned off by the whole sugar daddy aspect of partnering with the Thermal Club, and I myself am skeptical of how a 12-car feature race looks on a 3-mile road course, but almost anything that expands the calendar and could get more eyes on the series sounds good to me.
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This. Look, what are the alternatives? Everyone is very comfortable spending other people's money but none of them have even the slightest clue nor can they communicate how they would make said alternatives work. I picture it being like someone in North Dakota wondering why there isn't a true Texas BBQ joint near them and blaming Texas for not sending emigrant pit masters to try a commercial business in Minot.

This being a exhibition race means you might see some unexpected names in cars too.
 
FLRacingFan said:
I understand the people who are turned off by the whole sugar daddy aspect of partnering with the Thermal Club, and I myself am skeptical of how a 12-car feature race looks on a 3-mile road course, but almost anything that expands the calendar and could get more eyes on the series sounds good to me.
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I'm not impressed with this idea at all. A hyper-exclusive event in some millionaire country club runs contrary to the fan friendliness that IndyCar stands for and is known for.
 
donthaveanickname said:
I'm not impressed with this idea at all. A hyper-exclusive event in some millionaire country club runs contrary to the fan friendliness that IndyCar stands for and is known for.
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Well, if it were in place of an existing event, I’d probably be more inclined to agree. But since this is a group of wealthy individuals from a car club putting up money for an entirely new race - and a very well-paying one at that - I think it’s a good idea. This game is mostly run off of B2C relationships at this point; you see fewer and fewer companies trying to sell candy or beer or home improvement goods on cars anymore. This should be a big payday for the top 5, and it can be used as a springboard to spur sponsorships and maybe even team ownership.

It’s a pretty isolated venue anyways (intentionally) so I don’t know how many fans would be willing to attend anyways. If they can allow a few thousand in maybe that’s okay.
 
rd45usa said:
Isn't an AllStar race supposed to be for the everyday fans?
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I look at it like this - there's no specific thing about whether it should be for X or Y or Z. I tend to think that motorsports in the US is actually a helluva deal in terms of what you often get vs. the cost of competing sporting events or entertainment options, and I wouldn't be surprised if the public ticket offers for this are still significantly less than what I pay for my Chili Bowl 6-day ticket renewal. If this "isn't for the regular joe" there's also a pile of events that are. I'm pretty unmoved by the notion that no one can afford to attend a bigtime race now and it's been that way for awhile.
 
FLRacingFan said:
I understand the people who are turned off by the whole sugar daddy aspect of partnering with the Thermal Club.....
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Sugar daddy doesn't bother me. Someone has to pay for it. It's another race, so we should be happy, right?
FLRacingFan said:
...... and I myself am skeptical of how a 12-car feature race looks on a 3-mile road course...........
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Not enough cars. Line everyone up and let the chaos unfold.
FLRacingFan said:
.........but almost anything that expands the calendar and could get more eyes on the series sounds good to me.
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It's another race, which is kind of what we all want anyway.

We didn't lose an event, so this is just bonus racing. People are upset they can't attend, so save your money to go to Indianapolis instead. Watch the Thermal event from home where you can see it better anyway.
 
FLRacingFan said:
There’s no way he’s anywhere close to ready or talented enough for IndyCar, but money (Simpson Oil) talks.
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Kyffin is so young man, but it's probably making up for that funding Ericsson had. I expect Kyffin to be all over CGR in IndyCar and IMSA. Young man is sporty in IMSA and European LeMans Series. He's going to need time behind the wheel and patience.
 
Here's your chance.

Chip Ganassi Racing

Connect with 1,200+ employers from the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, MLS, college athletics, sports tech startups, agencies, arenas, and more
www.teamworkonline.com www.teamworkonline.com
 
FLRacingFan said:
Got screwed by Texas and Milwaukee is a doubleheader. Fewer races on NBC than the last couple of years. Hmm.

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I hate literally every change they made to the schedule. All the recent races on flat ovals have been below average, I wasn't keen on them adding Milwaukee in the first place but I absolutely don't wanna see a doubleheader there.
Texas was the best race of last season so it obviously needs to be dropped with no other speedway track replacing it.
Less races on NBC as well, this series is allergic to growth.
 
Oliver Askew and 2023 Indy Lights champ Christian Rasmussen had a ‘shootout’ of sorts at Barber to help determine which will drive ECR’s #20 next year. I wouldn’t mind either of them.

racer.com

Askew, Rasmussen both encouraged after ECR IndyCar test

A pair of junior-open wheel champions left Barber Motorsports Park on Monday feeling pleased about their performances during Ed Carpenter Racing’s shootout to see who’ll get the nod to become IndyC…
racer.com racer.com
 
I've seen a weird amount of discourse online elsewhere from people who usually don't say things unless they know something about two items:

1) Ed Carpenter Racing being for sale

2) Christopher Bell trying to line up an Indy 500 drive

For the record, if Ed Carpenter wound up sitting at home while C-Bell or Kyle Busch were in his place, the race would be immensely better off. I also get that TG's nephew is gonna get a seat if he wants one because Auto Racing Is Great.
 
virtualbalboa said:
I've seen a weird amount of discourse online elsewhere from people who usually don't say things unless they know something about two items:

1) Ed Carpenter Racing being for sale

2) Christopher Bell trying to line up an Indy 500 drive

For the record, if Ed Carpenter wound up sitting at home while C-Bell or Kyle Busch were in his place, the race would be immensely better off. I also get that TG's nephew is gonna get a seat if he wants one because Auto Racing Is Great.
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Wow, that would seem to be an abrupt about-face after Gibbs reined in Bell’s extracurricular activities after the micro event last year, but it sure would be an added shot in the arm for the 500 if it comes to fruition. Larson vs. Bell would be the single greatest development for the race since Alonso’s first attempt in 2017.
 
FLRacingFan said:
Wow, that would seem to be an abrupt about-face after Gibbs reined in Bell’s extracurricular activities after the micro event last year, but it sure would be an added shot in the arm for the 500 if it comes to fruition. Larson vs. Bell would be the single greatest development for the race since Alonso’s first attempt in 2017.
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Yeah I don't see it since they shut down him running sprint cars.
 

I knew this was going to turn into a cluster from the getgo, what a mess.
Glad Palou stays in Indycar.

MSN link above to story .
 
Grosjean is seeking arbitration against Andretti:

racer.com

Grosjean enters arbitration with Andretti

Recent Andretti Autosport (now Andretti Global) driver Romain Grosjean is pursuing arbitration with his former employers after a contentious two-year relationship met its end in September. In a sta…
racer.com racer.com

The story that was presented after Laguna was that Andretti offered an extension, Romain signed it, and Andretti let it sit and ultimately never countersigned.

Perhaps IndyCar can pursue some air time on Court TV during the long offseason.
 
The story that was presented after Laguna was that Andretti offered an extension, Romain signed it, and Andretti let it sit and ultimately never countersigned.
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Maybe something happened behind the scenes that made Mikey not want to continue.

Perhaps IndyCar can pursue some air time on Court TV during the long offseason.
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Or the Jerry Springer show: Romain, you are NOT the father.
 
Doc Austin said:
Maybe something happened behind the scenes that made Mikey not want to continue.


Or the Jerry Springer show: Romain, you are NOT the father.
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1. Jerry died
2. That's Maury
 
FLRacingFan said:
Grosjean is seeking arbitration against Andretti:

racer.com

Grosjean enters arbitration with Andretti

Recent Andretti Autosport (now Andretti Global) driver Romain Grosjean is pursuing arbitration with his former employers after a contentious two-year relationship met its end in September. In a sta…
racer.com racer.com

The story that was presented after Laguna was that Andretti offered an extension, Romain signed it, and Andretti let it sit and ultimately never countersigned.

Perhaps IndyCar can pursue some air time on Court TV during the long offseason.
Click to expand...
Yeah, I dunno what case Grosjean really has here. There was no gun to his head to sign the contract without having knowledge that Andretti wasn't immediately fully executing the agreement. My guess is it wasn't even a real contract as far as most people would define it, but an offer sheet. But I digress.
 
Doc Austin said:
Maybe something happened behind the scenes that made Mikey not want to continue.
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Mostly that he started crashing more and started getting feisty with the team - including some exchanges which were broadcast during sessions. It was not pretty. The stretch from the 500 through Toronto killed him. Portland had another shouting match shown during qualifying.

I’d guess Romain didn’t pursue any other employment opportunities after signing whatever Andretti handed him - if they were truly the ones who drafted it.
 
FLRacingFan said:
Mostly that he started crashing more and started getting feisty with the team - including some exchanges which were broadcast during sessions.
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I'm sure something went on, but I missed it. Got any specifics?

Actually, I am surprised Grosjean survived this long, especially since he hit each of his teammates at least once at Mid O 2022. I think we were all hoping he left his self-destructive behavior behind when he went to Andretti, but the pattern of carnage didn't change. When Haas dropped Grosjean, he offered to run him in Indycar, but after Bahrain Hass said something like “He has a wife and three kids, and I just told him I couldn’t see giving him money to go out and kill himself”

There was even some talk of running Mags in Indycar, but that fell apart with the Peugeot deal, and later Haas brought him back to F1. Even when Haas fires people, he still seems to care about them and treat them well.

Gros and Mags were always running into someone, and while Mags seems to have learned from his year off and cleaned it up (a little), while Gros just kept on doing all the wrong things, running into all the wrong people and generally wasting a good ride.
FLRacingFan said:
I’d guess Romain didn’t pursue any other employment opportunities after signing whatever Andretti handed him - if they were truly the ones who drafted it.
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Thankfully he has the Lambo deal and can make something out of it.
 
Doc Austin said:
I'm sure something went on, but I missed it. Got any specifics?
Click to expand...


Road America was another weekend where he threw a big fit. Think he parked the car after qualifying or the race and told the team to do what they want with it, saying it was broken. Just another fit.

Which is all disappointing because he started the season out well, lots of speed, contending for podiums and obviously could’ve won St. Pete if not for McLaughlin crashing him while battling for the lead. It just unraveled, dude is so inconsistent and error-prone it hurts.
 
At this point, Grosjean just needs a graceful way out. His whole career has been like this. When he was good, he was spectacular, but far more often he was wrecking someone else's race, causing a big pile up, or just crashing under yellow. This is a real Jeckyl/Hide situation here.

Hopefully the WEC will make a nice home for Grosjean. It's only seven or eight races, so gets to race and still have plenty of time with the family.
 
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