IndyCar Silly Season - Page 15

Kicking-back · 5 Jan 2005, 23:16 (Ref:1194094)

I'll check - but I think it's more that his time will be taken up with his GP2 drive and a few F1 tests, that they don't want him going transatlantic on weekends off.

Kicking-back · 12 Jan 2005, 18:20 (Ref:1199137)

I'm hearing tonight that Tomas Enge will be at Panther for 2005.

GP Racer · 12 Jan 2005, 20:11 (Ref:1199266)

I havn't seen that KB, but I know better than to ask you for a link!

I went to the Panther site, and T Bell and all things Menards, are gone from the site. Looks like T Bell is out for sure. To bad, I thought he earned that seat, but sadly earning anything isn't what its all about today, its what you can bring that does. I hear rumors that Menards is taking their sponsorship over to Rahal/Meira.

Also, AJ Foyt IV will be testing at Homestead on the road course later this month. Good news, as there was talk about this team not doing the road courses. The team has found some associate sponsorship, but is still seeking a major sponsor, and said it has some good leads.

Tim Northcutt · 12 Jan 2005, 20:16 (Ref:1199272)

I thought Menard was taking his $$$ to his son's Busch effort, and was going to drop some money as well on Robby Gordon's new self-started NASCAR team....

That's the rumor I've been reading....

rustyfan · 12 Jan 2005, 20:20 (Ref:1199279)

Slighty OT, but regarding Menard he'll drive the #111 Menards/Pittsburgh Paints DEI Chevrolet this year. Not sure how the sponsorship is divided between the two apparent main sponsors, but that he's racing for DEI certainly adds a bit of weight to any sponsorship discussions.

EDIT - Jayski has a different secondary sponsor though, Turtle Wax, and I have a hard time finding any solid info on what gives. Oh well.

Kicking-back · 12 Jan 2005, 20:22 (Ref:1199280)

AFAIK Menards will not have any IndyCar involvement.

There was a serious chance Panther may have had to cut back to one car - so the Enge deal is good rather than having a seat disappear.

He's also planning to do Le Mans in the new Aston Martin DBR9, which he's been heavily involved in the winter testing of.

rustyfan · 13 Jan 2005, 12:17 (Ref:1199783)

Quote:

Originally Posted by GP Racer

I hear rumors that Menards is taking their sponsorship over to Rahal/Meira.

They are: http://www.crash.net/uk/en/news_view...=12&nid=104174

Kicking-back · 13 Jan 2005, 13:55 (Ref:1199840)

That's good news - thanks for the update, rustyfan.

N I Tram · 13 Jan 2005, 14:21 (Ref:1199872)

Enge and Panther would be a good match, but I agree that losing Townsend would be a real disappointment, as he did very well after coming in and deserved better results than he got.

rustyfan · 13 Jan 2005, 14:35 (Ref:1199887)

The news about Menards coming to Team Rahal-Letterman also pretty much confirms what Autosport reported earlier, that Centrix has seemingly dropped its IndyCar sponsorship completely (which is a shame).

Tim Northcutt · 17 Jan 2005, 13:45 (Ref:1202970)

In Sunday's Indy Star, it was confirmed that Briscoe will drive a third entry form Ganassi...

and the IRL site confirmed that Scott Sharp will be announced as a member of Fernandez Racing, plus the deal apprently is being finalized to bring Tomas Enge to the 2nd Panther car....which means Pat Patrick will be done....

rustyfan · 17 Jan 2005, 13:49 (Ref:1202975)

Thanks for the update Tim - good to finally hear something more about Briscoe and Sharp.

As for Pat Patrick, I can't say I'm the least surprised. The effort never really felt like a solid one.

GP Racer · 17 Jan 2005, 14:14 (Ref:1202995)

I'm really happy that Sharp will finally get into a top competitive team. It'll be good to see him up front again!

I'm abit disappointed for T Bell though, who I thought did a great job for Panther. I hope we see him somewhere next season.

Do we know for sure that Pat is done?

BootsOntheSide · 17 Jan 2005, 17:47 (Ref:1203114)

Much as it's good to see the top teams keeping the field stocked up and doing a lot ot battle each other, it's sad that so many small teams are being lost. One way or another the championship needs to do soemthing to keep the likes of Patrick, Kelley and so on involved.

Down F0rce · 17 Jan 2005, 19:38 (Ref:1203177)

From IRL Live:

Though he previously mused he would skip the road races, AJ Foyt has entered his grandson, AJ Foyt, IV, in the road course portion of the test and has indicated his team is planning to run all seventeen races this season.

Thats good news

Kicking-back · 17 Jan 2005, 19:42 (Ref:1203179)

Indeed.

Very welcome.

So once again a strong field for IRL 2005.

luke · 17 Jan 2005, 20:13 (Ref:1203198)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Down F0rce

From IRL Live:

Though he previously mused he would skip the road races, AJ Foyt has entered his grandson, AJ Foyt, IV, in the road course portion of the test and has indicated his team is planning to run all seventeen races this season.

Thats good news

Also suprising.
I don't know about any of you lot but, I really want AJ to do well.

mac · 17 Jan 2005, 21:36 (Ref:1203277)

Briscoe confirmed.

http://irl.racing-live.com/

Watch this boy go!

Chucky · 18 Jan 2005, 03:03 (Ref:1203452)

Yay!

Man, if Scotty Dixon can run at the front wait until you see what Briscoe can do!

Tim Northcutt · 18 Jan 2005, 14:00 (Ref:1203772)

The Indy Star reported this morning that Panther Racing has confirmed that Tomas Enge will be their 2nd driver this season...

John Barnes, Tomas Scheckter & Tomas Enge will conduct a teleconference with media today to make it all official....

The article noted that Enge drove for Patrick at the end of last year, and that Patrick is not expected to be back for 2005.

Since the Scott Sharp deal with fernandez has been one of the worst-kept secrets in the off-season, and the Fernandez car will be #8, I beleive we do have 20 confirmed entries thus far....

Down F0rce · 18 Jan 2005, 19:10 (Ref:1203998)

IndyCar.com is reporting the news that Enge will be at Panther:

http://www.indycar.com/indycar/news/...?story_id=3932

PantherRacing.com is also reporting this of course, and has posted a picture of his car:

Yuck

"Sponsorship to be finialised", apparantly. I hope they do it quickly. Twin Penzoill cars would be best

But I think Enge might have his own sponsorship...

Also, once we get Scott Sharp confirmed at Fernandez we will have 20 cars ready for Homestead.

Kicking-back · 18 Jan 2005, 19:34 (Ref:1204027)

I think the "Sponsorship to be finalised" is more a case of having a separate launch for that - the deals are likely in place.

GP Racer · 18 Jan 2005, 20:05 (Ref:1204067)

Those colors look vintage, and some big name drove them, but I can't remember who?

Rutherford maybe?

BootsOntheSide · 18 Jan 2005, 20:15 (Ref:1204081)

There may be 20 cars confirmed, but how many teams? The grid being made up largely of big teams running several cars each doesn't strike me as a good thing. And we've still heard nothing form Access, not to mention Patrick and Kelley being gone. I'd say the driving talent confirmed is roughly equal to last season, although Fernandez and Bell are both sad losses, especially as they were doing so well.

Kicking-back · 18 Jan 2005, 20:16 (Ref:1204083)

As far as I've heard, Access will be racing, they're just not doing this test.

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