IndyCar Silly Season

[GP Racer]

Originally Posted by mac

I'm over the whole CC vs IRL thing - I just want one series!!!!!

Better off mac, you'll have less gray hair, and live a longer, healthier, and happier life!


Hey, alittle off topic but, just noticed that the Kelley Racing web sites finally gone, replaced by the Tom Kelley GM dealership page. Tough loss there...

But for what its worth, the Playa Del Racing, and Greg Ray sites are still up, although with no fresh info to report...

[mac]

Originally Posted by GP Racer

Better off mac, you'll have less gray hair, and live a longer, healthier, and happier life!

That's what it is!!!

I've been finding some grey hairs recently. Now I know what's causing it!

[GP Racer]

Not great news, but at least there is something, from Autoweek:

Greg Ray’s Access Motorsports is also in financial difficulty. The team has been renamed Greg Ray Racing since Ray is the only partner with money in the program

[Down F0rce]

Sounds bad, but a little bird tells me that they'll be racing full time this year.

[luke]

Hopefully with young Mark alongside. And that's a hope.

[BootsOntheSide]

With Taylor driving I guess? Doesn't matter too mcuh what the team's called if they can get something competitive out there - if anything I prefer a human touch to team names - but it's immaterial if they don't get on the track. I just hope DF's information is correct.

[Kicking-back]

I'd be more worried if Access was closing down rather than renaming....

[GP Racer]

There is still nothing new on Gregs website though.

I can't figure out why these teams have web sites and never update them? It looks as if he hasn't put any new info on it since the end of last season. I know he doesn't want to give away certain information, but at least put something up there to let us know your alive! Like "Greg went fishing the other day", or "Greg is enjoying the off season", you know, something!

His is not the only site like that either. Seems like a bad way to do business, and grow your fan base...

[JohnSSC]

For some of the smaller teams the website is more an afterthought than anything else. I do agree though that it is a good way to spread the word about your Team and the Series.

[GP Racer]

Panther landed a new primary sponsor for Enges car. I never heard of them, but I wish them luck!


Two-time IndyCar Series champion Panther Racing announced that ROCKSTAR Energy Drink will be the primary sponsor of the No. 2 Chevrolet-powered Dallara driven by Tomas Enge.

[rustyfan]

Seeing as the silly season never rests these days, I figured this thread would be as good a place as any to post the following

From the IndyStar:

Cheever eyes June test


Cheever still has the itch to drive and the 1998 Indy 500 winner might scratch it next month.

Cheever, 47, is considering getting back into the cockpit for the first time in nearly three years for an upcoming road-course test at a site to be determined. Monday at the Speedway, he didn't rule out racing again, possibly Sept. 25 on the road course at Watkins Glen, N.Y., if the test goes well.

"It wouldn't be impossible," he said. "There's a chance we could enter a third car, but the idea generates a lot more interest with me than it does with the team."

Cheever last raced in October 2002 at Texas Motor Speedway. Earlier in his career, he once took a two-year break from driving, but as he noted, "I was 30 then."

I for one hopes he decides to do it

[racer69]

When did he take the two year break?

[Raglanparade]

Between F1 and Indycar i assume.

[rustyfan]

Originally Posted by racer69

When did he take the two year break?

He was 30 in 1988, but that year - and the next - he raced in Formula 1 before switching to CART for 1990. So I have no idea, to be honest

(Unless he perhaps feels his last two years in F-1 were something best forgotten? )

[racer69]

He didn't race F1 in 1986, bar a one-off in the Haas/Beatrice/Lola in place of Patrick Tambay, but that year he also did the World Sportscar Championship for TWR in the Silk Cut Jaguar.

[GP Racer]

I think that Eddie is probably extremely frustrated with his team and there performance, not to mention the pressure from Red Bull, and is out to prove to them that it's not the cars, but there own inadequecies as drivers, crew chiefs, and pit crew members thats holding them back.

Either that, or he just wants to see for himself why his team can't win, place, show, or even get a top ten these days!

[Tim Northcutt]

In today's practice sessions at Indy they are about 6 mph off the top laps..

Granted, those were with tows in traffic...

but unless their 219s were in clean air, they are not getting it done...

[rustyfan]

Never gets too late for a Silly Season post, eh? The Sporting News posted the following speculation a couple of days ago:

Originally Posted by Sporting News

There has been talk in the motorsports world that Penske's IRL effort will become a one-car team in 2006. Speculation is that Sam Hornish either could take over Wallace's No. 2 car or be sent to Ganassi Racing, in exchange for Jamie McMurray, who would drive the No. 2....

I wouldn't put too much faith in that just yet, even though Hornish Jr. has been included in speculation about the #2 Miller Lite Dodge for quite some time now, but I figured I'd post it anyway. Another rumour suggests it might be Paul Tracy getting drafted into driving the #2 Dodge for 2006.

Guess we'll know soon enough...

[BootsOntheSide]

That'd be a real shame, but I'm sure Roger and Sam both consider it among their options. Getting enough sponsorship for 2 IRL cars might be easier said than done without Marlboro as well.

[Tim Northcutt]

I don't follow NASCAR or Busch at all....

But I could have sworn that the Penske/Wallace operation (and I believe Roger will be buying that out IIRC) has at least one development driver or so under contract in eithr Busch or the Trucks....

They usually move one of those types up when a driver retires like Rusty Wallace will be doing....

Everything I've read from Sam's quotes on this subject is that he wants to run IRL now...and may move to NASCAR after he has accomplished goals he has set for himself in IRL....

So I'll wait on this one....

[rustyfan]

Originally Posted by Tim Northcutt

But I could have sworn that the Penske/Wallace operation (and I believe Roger will be buying that out IIRC) has at least one development driver or so under contract in eithr Busch or the Trucks....

The buyout was done about a week or so ago, where Penske bought out the three others involved (Rusty, Miller and someone else I can't remember the name of).

As for the Busch Series, Rusty Wallace owns a team there these days, but I can't recall Penske having one. They did run a Busch as well as an ARCA team when they were preparing for Ryan Newman to move up into the #12 though, and this is something that speaks against the rumour about Hornish as I would assume they would let him do some Busch and ARCA races this year if he indeed was on the move to the Cup Series for 2006.