IndyCar Silly Season

[N I Tram]

Which teams would consider Dare though? I'm not convinced that he's up to the current standard. And I'd agree that Jourdain would take a mediocre CART ride above a good IRL one.

[drewdawg727]

where's didier andre these days?

[drewdawg727]

where's didier andre these days?

[rustyfan]

*nevermind, brainfart*

[Snrub]

According to SpeedTV Dario's 100% on board for 2005.

[Kicking-back]

Originally posted by drewdawg727
where's didier andre these days?

I believe he runs a racing school in France

[luke]

Originally posted by Snrub
According to SpeedTV Dario's 100% on board for 2005.

Dario is on my list for a possible shot at the title.
Along with Ferandez.

[macdaddy]

Sounds like Danica may be brought into the IRL next year, too.

[marcus]

has anyone got a list of confirmed drives and a list of aslmost drives and possible drives that i could take a gander at ?

I cant seem to find any info on the indycar website but I could be just looking in the wrong place

[Kicking-back]

CONFIRMED:

AGR

Kanaan
Franchitti
Wheldon
Herta


GANASSI

Manning
Dixon


PENSKE

Castroneves
Hornish


CHEEVER

Carpentier
Barron


FERNANDEZ

Matsurra
Fernandez


PANTHER

Sheckter


PLAYA DEL RACING

Carpenter

RAHAL

Meira
Rice
(probably Danica Patrick too)


Which takes us up to 17

[luke]

Not many confirmed yet, not even half yet.

Anyway thanks KB I wanted to know the same question.

[Kicking-back]

Well, 14 confirmed at this stage, there may be more.

It's looking like being a solid 22 cars again, unless more can be persuaded to move over from Champ Car.

[Kicking-back]

Cheers KB , I editted the rahal team into your list above

[luke]

Hey KB you also missed AJ Foyt racing, although it's uncertain as with Foyt's anti ideas with racing on the road and street courses.

[GP Racer]

And AJ doesn't have a sponsor yet either luke.

I wasn't aware that the Carpenter/Playa deal was official. Alot of conjecture, but nothing solid.

Also Patrick does have Enge signed for 05, but there could be problems with Patrick getting an engine.

[Robert Ryan]

Presumably Ryan Briscoe from Australia HAS tested or will be testing with Ganassi. I think he did a famalizarisation with one of the cars two weeks ago.

[climb]

interesting: were sources reliable?

[macdaddy]

Kicking-back:

It's looking like being a solid 22 cars again, unless more can be persuaded to move over from Champ Car.

Yeah... Right.
And suffer the same fate as Mr. Patrick is enduring?

Those days are over.

I challenge you to name one CC team that will run the IRL season next year, and if you can I'll send you a cheque for $1.

($1 is about all I've got - my life savings)!

[rustyfan]

Originally posted by macdaddy
Yeah... Right.
And suffer the same fate as Mr. Patrick is enduring?

Those days are over.

Making the move seemed to work out fine for Fernandez Racing, Team Rahal and others though.

Not sure using Patrick is a good example, considering his team wasn't exactly stellar in Champ Car either.

With that said, I don't see any Champ Car teams moving over either.

[macdaddy]

Good and fair rebuttal.

But I stick with "those days are over"...
In fact I predict a changing in the tide.

[Robert Ryan]

From Motorsport News, comes out every two weeks. Also SPEED TV said he would not be testing at Jordan and looked like trying the IRL.

[mountainstar]

Originally posted by rustyfan
Making the move seemed to work out fine for Fernandez Racing, Team Rahal and others though.

Not sure using Patrick is a good example, considering his team wasn't exactly stellar in Champ Car either.

With that said, I don't see any Champ Car teams moving over either.

In regards to rahal and fernandez, you have to remember checks were written with lots of zeros in a last minute attempt to squash champcar for good after Mr. George failed to bring the right currency to the table(his words not mine) at the champcar bankruptcy hearing. They didn't just bolt for the IRL at the last second out of love for indy, it was about money. As the co-owner of Fernandez racing said "Adrian loves money more than he hates ovals."

Therefore I don't see any champcar teams moving over, unless someone comes around with a "bag of gold" and gets them to switch.

As I stated almost a year ago, the Patrick deal was an attempt to relive the glory days with Al Unser Jr. With that done and considering Patrick must be around 80, I can't see why he would want to start over again at the back of the grid. I think it was in autosport that I read recently that Patrick "was expected to retire". I don't think that actual engine supply is an issue, it's about getting a check from a manufacturer.

Foyt Racing looks to be on shaky ground.

Last I heard about Playa del, is the deal is not done and there seems to be a lot of IFs about it, so we'll see. And it looks like scoot sharp and his delphi money are around and about, so we'll see if anyone grabs it.

[Kicking-back]

For what it's worth, I don't believe any ChampCar teams will move over.

[N I Tram]

I agree with KB, but I'm sure extra cars from teams like Ganassi, Cheever, Access and maybe Penske, as well as Playa Del if it happens, should ensure a solid 22 car grid - are we going to go abck to the days of ChampCar fans mocking the fact that the IRL struggles to get over 20 cars, when it had to bribe people to fill the grid (at 18) one year, and needed its owners to run extra cars the second?

[climb]

Agree with N I T.