Indycar News & Rumors.

[broadrun96]

Originally Posted by bjohnsonsmith

With Hinchliffe's deal with Honda Canada, couldl Honda create room for him at RLL?

He has a contact with SPM that carries over to the new team and he has confirmed he will be with Arrow McLaren SP for 2020.

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by broadrun96

He has a contact with SPM that carries over to the new team and he has confirmed he will be with Arrow McLaren SP for 2020.

Has that been confirmed?

[broadrun96]

Originally Posted by bjohnsonsmith

Has that been confirmed?

By multiple sources including Schmidt, Brown and Hinch pretty early today

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by broadrun96

By multiple sources including Schmidt, Brown and Hinch pretty early today

[Formulahistory]

I hoped Hinchcliffe would go back to Andretti and McLaren hires 2 new drivers. Like Colton Herta. I think Hinchcliffe-Herta would be good, would like to see Alonso in a third car.

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by Formulahistory

I hoped Hinchcliffe would go back to Andretti and McLaren hires 2 new drivers. Like Colton Herta. I think Hinchcliffe-Herta would be good, would like to see Alonso in a third car.

I wouldn't have expected Hinchcliffe to go back to Andretti, he's nicely embedded at SPM and if he did move, who would he replace at Andretti? As for Alonso, I expect there will be a third car for Indy but at this stage the question remains, will he do the full IndyCar season?

[broadrun96]

Originally Posted by bjohnsonsmith

I wouldn't have expected Hinchcliffe to go back to Andretti, he's nicely embedded at SPM and if he did move, who would he replace at Andretti? As for Alonso, I expect there will be a third car for Indy but at this stage the question remains, will he do the full IndyCar season?

I think they are meeting with him right now pushing for it, it seems like they think he might be interested in it and they can fund it.
After locking up Rossi, Herta HAS to be the next focus of Andretti. But I have a feeling it will be costly and McLaren SP might have a good lead in getting him to build the team around and possibly letting Hinch walk to another Honda team. Have to think Honda would love to get him back and the PR work he does.

It has to be nice for Indy management to have this dilemma out there for teams. Now to just get the money working so teams can actually afford it.

[NaBUru38]

So Chevrolet will have at least 4 top drivers. Seems fair enough.

[joeb]

In Robin's silly season update, he seems to think Hinch is leaving McLaren for sure and suggest a 3rd car at Rahal would be a good fit.

https://racer.com/2019/08/12/miller-...tent=home-hero

[broadrun96]

Originally Posted by joeb

In Robin's silly season update, he seems to think Hinch is leaving McLaren for sure and suggest a 3rd car at Rahal would be a good fit.

https://racer.com/2019/08/12/miller-...tent=home-hero

He raises a lot of good points in there, Robin's info and some thoughts with a bit of my own added thinking about what he and MP have mused about.

Hinch just feels like a Honda guy and think they want him back in the fold, and importantly may pay for that privilege as they were at SPM. Whether they are willing to pay for him to get out of the deal AND get him a ride with a Honda team is the question. But it would have to be RLL since there isn't really a Honda opening now.

Colton Herta holds the key to everything in Indy for a decade or more. He's got a HSR contract and apparently an Andretti contact beyond that but I don't think you'll see him leave. That's really his racing family and they can't afford to see him go. If Hinch doesn't leave McLaren and there's that cash from both the contract buyout AND Hinch's services deal I think we'd see an extension. But only if Harding or Steinbrenner can find some money, some where when they bragged they could run 2 cars to start the season and couldn't manage that at all I have my doubts.

Santino Ferrucci is interesting, done well without a top car and consistent finishes. His attitude from his European antics seems to have drastically changed, or he knows it won't be accepted any longer. Hopefully it's a permanent change but he seems quick and could be in the best position to grab the scraps after the lead seats are taken, and apparently he has some backing.

Kanaan needs something better than Foyt and may need to get a going away tour underway. He doesn't seem like he is really in to this season and the cars aren't really helping him or Leist shine. Think we could see 2 new Foyt drivers in 2020, would be sad since TK deserves that final tour. Even sadder is what Foyt racing is now, it's not a destination for drivers at all but rather a consolation prize.

Now the interesting future drivers and RM doesn't really address the common thread much, but I think teams behind Penske, Ganassi and Andretti are salivating at the possibilities. And think Ganassi and Andretti are interested.

Oliver Askew is leading Lights with the cash that comes with that win, but it didn't last long with O'Ward this season. He has tested for Ganassi and Chip knows talent, and he can swing a deal if Askew brings some money, so is RM possibly right and third car?

Pato O'Ward is interesting as well, can anyone get Red Bull to loan him back to Indy to stay sharp? I think more likely we'd see him with an F2 program and Red Bull money over there but who knows. Red Bull has ZERO interest in Indy any more so there's that too.

Rinus Veekay has been showing well in the few Lights races I've seen and importantly he has, pardon the pin, huge backing with Jumbo. How well Indy plays in Holland to make that situation work I have no idea, if the TV deal is there and Dutch fans follow maybe great and as RM points out ECR would love to have him and possibly help out with Ed running the ovals as he loves to do.

Nicholas Latifi is mentioned and is interesting with his family ties to McLaren. Dad is an investor in McLaren but does he have a future with Williams or in F1 with another team? If he does then no chance we'd see him considering Indy at all.

And then there's Robin's buddy Fred and the will he won't he decision. Personally think it's slightly over 50/50 but I think we would see him sit out Texas

[gert]

Originally Posted by broadrun96

Pato O'Ward is interesting as well, can anyone get Red Bull to loan him back to Indy to stay sharp? I think more likely we'd see him with an F2 program and Red Bull money over there but who knows. Red Bull has ZERO interest in Indy any more so there's that too.

That probably depends on Red Bull's plans with him. If they really want to bring Pato to F1, there's little to be won in bringing him back to Indycar full time (think: superlicense points).

If the F1 plan is shot, then what do they want with Pato?
Furthermore, would they allow him to run for McLaren (and Chevrolet) while still under contract with Red Bull (and thus in a way affiliated with Honda) ?

If Red Bull drops him / releases him then everything goes of course.

Originally Posted by broadrun96

Rinus Veekay has been showing well in the few Lights races I've seen and importantly he has, pardon the pin, huge backing with Jumbo. How well Indy plays in Holland to make that situation work I have no idea, if the TV deal is there and Dutch fans follow maybe great and as RM points out ECR would love to have him and possibly help out with Ed running the ovals as he loves to do.

The Indy 500 has been on TV regularly in the Netherlands - at least for the last 12 years. It used to be on RTL7, but IIRC has moved in the past 2 years to Ziggo Sport (part of Liberty Global / Liberty Media)
I don't think they show any other Indycar races


Interesting that Rinus van Kalmthout (his real name) is sponsored by Jumbo too. I doubt they get much coverage for that over here. But good for him/them.

[bjohnsonsmith]

Dixon to test new aeroscreen, using a design from Red Bull Advanced Technologies.

https://racer.com/2019/08/14/dixon-s...ew-aeroscreen/

[S griffin]

Glad to see they are continuing to develop it

[bjohnsonsmith]

Looks like Colton Herta is to leave Harding Steinbrenner for 2020, with both Andretti Autosport and Arrow McLaren SP eager to sign him.

http://classic.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/145427

[S griffin]

Shame really, he’s done quite well this season

[broadrun96]

Surprising none of the usual Indy guys here in the US has anything yet. Especially with a fairly empty day trackside, nothing else running with Indy at Pocono and they've cancelled practice 1 and qualy already. But it's not surprising, most everyone in the paddock had pegged them for shutting down after this season. I believe they've said Herta has a deal with Andretti already signed to be executed if the HSR team closed so he might only have Andretti for 2020 at this point.

[bjohnsonsmith]

IndyCar to get rid of LED panels.

https://racer.com/2019/08/22/indycar-drops-led-panels/

[broadrun96]

Originally Posted by bjohnsonsmith

IndyCar to get rid of LED panels.

https://racer.com/2019/08/22/indycar-drops-led-panels/

I can't figure out how it has taken so long to make a decision, and honestly how they can't get the things to work. All the companies they have doing electronics and 2 years in it looks like a project from the 80s

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by broadrun96

I can't figure out how it has taken so long to make a decision, and honestly how they can't get the things to work. All the companies they have doing electronics and 2 years in it looks like a project from the 80s

In that article it mentions a fully integrated design, which can be commissioned with the DW12’s replacement, expected in 2022. The replacement chassis is the bit I'm interested in.

[bjohnsonsmith]

This is worth a read, prior to the first test of the Aeroscreen,

https://racer.com/2019/08/28/indycar...of-first-test/

[bjohnsonsmith]

Testing of the Aeroscreen has been moved back to October.

https://racer.com/2019/08/31/indycar...roscreen-test/

[bjohnsonsmith]

Hinchcliffe to get one of the McLaren SP seats.

http://classic.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/145696

[BudLightJaguar]

Richmond next year, folks. A night race on 27th of June

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by BudLightJaguar

Richmond next year, folks. A night race on 27th of June

I suppose replacing Pocono was inevitable after last year and this year's first lap crashes. A shame though because Pocono is quite unique and has produced great racing.

[Nick Woodbury]

Curious to see that Long Beach got bumped to cable. Is there a conflict on that day?