2012 IndyCar silly season

[GTRMagic]

All looks gloomy for Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing Here

No inclusion in the Leaders Circle team subsidy program (worth ~$1.25m at least apparently..) no engine deal for the season, only Indy.. no sign of commercial partners other than Mr Hartman's patronage...

[mountainstar]

Originally Posted by GTRMagic

All looks gloomy for Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing Here

No inclusion in the Leaders Circle team subsidy program (worth ~$1.25m at least apparently..) no engine deal for the season, only Indy.. no sign of commercial partners other than Mr Hartman's patronage...

It's a good example that without a car subsidized by indiana state taxpayers, an engine subsidized by a manufacturer(lease cost is done at a financial loss) and without a welfare check from the speedway, commercial sponsorship is so weak you can't make it work.

[icemachine]

Supposedly SFR has offered $1M for a Chevy or Honda engine and been turned down by the manufacturers...

[Yannick]

Fisher should have gotten the Leader's Circle money, not Dragon. Fisher won a race, Dragon failed to qualify for the Indy 500. 'Nuff said.

[W.A Trichlorostyrene]

Originally Posted by Yannick

Fisher should have gotten the Leader's Circle money, not Dragon. Fisher won a race, Dragon failed to qualify for the Indy 500. 'Nuff said.

... Or maybe MSR, who plans to run a 31 times AOWR winner?

I agree with you, but from what I've read the way Leader's Circle Money wasn't really given based on the on-track stuff or the [lack off] ressources, but more on the way they can promote the sport off-track.

[cos]

Originally Posted by Yannick

Fisher should have gotten the Leader's Circle money, not Dragon. Fisher won a race, Dragon failed to qualify for the Indy 500. 'Nuff said.

Mind you Dragon are running a multiple-championship winning AOWR driver. Anyway, it looks as though SFHR will get a Honda deal (as Rahal's second car has fallen through for the time being?)

ETA: it's now confirmed - full season with Honda

[GTRMagic]

Originally Posted by cos

Mind you Dragon are running a multiple-championship winning AOWR driver. Anyway, it looks as though SFHR will get a Honda deal (as Rahal's second car has fallen through for the time being?)

ETA: it's now confirmed - full season with Honda

Good news for Sarah Fisher... but still no sponsor announcements... not long till the season starts, and its all getting a bit tight...

Good on Mr Rahal for helping secure their Honda deal too

[ptclaus98]

Originally Posted by GTRMagic

Good news for Sarah Fisher... but still no sponsor announcements... not long till the season starts, and its all getting a bit tight...

Good on Mr Rahal for helping secure their Honda deal too

What are you talking about? SFHR has sponsorship to run Newgarden the whole season.

[daallo]

Originally Posted by nickyf1

What ever happened to Mario Dominguez?

After the 2008 Indy partial season eh did a couple of FIA GT races and he actually lead the final race but his team ran out of funds.

Before that unfortunately he was involved in a nationwide scandal (he was cover of the country's largest newspapers and news programs) because he was involved in an accident coming back from a party and hitting a taxi and trying to run away but settling the accident with the taxi driver. No one was injured, still the crappy Mexican media gave it a lot of fuzz and that has affected his image.

He is still presented on TV as Mexican Indy Car driver (looking for funds) and he appeared in a TV for the country's largest channel like 3 weeks ago, along Jourdain, Sergio and Antonio Pérez and I don't remember if Adrián was there too.

I would like to see David MartÃ*nez signing a deal because he was worked so so hard for the last years to get it and he was a podium contender in the last CC México City race.

Salvador Durán was also looking for something with Chip Ganassi (for who he won the Daytona 24 Hours) and Carlos Slim Domit (TELMEX) last January at the 24 but I'm not sure TELMEX is supporting him (although he as contract with them for 20 years or something like that) nor that Chip has available space for him (for the 500) already having 4 cars. In any case we need a race in México City to see a Mexican fulltime, unless Michel or David pull something out soon.

I think that in any case it would be easier to see Memo Rojas at the 500 for Chip Ganassi than Durán, since Memo already passed the rookie test for Chip if I can recall correctly. Still, I don't think it's happening.

[NaBUru38]

I'd rather have a Checo Pérez or Esteban Gutiérrez representing Mexico than a Champ Car returner. But Monaco clashes, so for two years I'd rather have no Mexican.

[daallo]

Durán would be cool. He's won at Silverstone, Spa-Francorchamps, Monza, Daytona, Laguna Seca and been a podium finisher at Monaco. Very quick and very aggressive (which at the same time is his defect).

And in general I like Champ Car returners, even disregarding the favt tat they're Mexican but guys like Bourdais, Junqueira, DomÃ*nguez, Bell, Tracy, Jourdain are names I'd like to see.

[madman16]

I think it would be good to see a Mexican on the grid again, i believe there is potentially a big support base in mexico if the old CC days are anything to go by

[NaBUru38]

Daallo, I don't like Champ Car returners because they are old news. I prefer fresh new talents, young and promising. Old Mexicans should keep running sports cars. Adrián Fernández will do the ALMS in a GT-class Aston Martin Vantage, exactly what he deserves.

[Paradise City]

Hold on. One of the glories of Indycar was that teams wre open to the veterans. Unser Sr, E. Fittipaldi, Cheever, Mario all had success as old gents.

If you can do the time, as in testing times, a talented returnee should have a shot of a race-contract.

[madman16]

While not the best audio, this video has got me excited for the new season just for the sound of the new engines if nothing else

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2uLRN...ature=youtu.be

[NaBUru38]

Ok, Paradise City. I'd let anyone race as long as they are fast enough, of course. But I'd prefer to see a new generation of drivers, rather than the same old faces (figuratively and literally).

Dario, Dixon, Hélio and TK are fast, no doubt. But where are the young challengers? Andretti, Rahal and Hinch were 8th, 9th and 12th. I expect more from them this season (especially the first two because of their experience), as well as from Hildebrand.

[NaBUru38]

In that video, the engine sounds quite well - I heared another video and it sounded horrible (guess it was an oval). I'd like it to peak a bit higher, but it's way better than the old Honda.

Please IndyCar, don't add 7-gear boxes. Like this, you can hear the revving up. Last time I played Codemasters' F1, I couldn't change gears correctly.

[kurski]

Originally Posted by NaBUru38

Dario, Dixon, Hélio and TK are fast, no doubt. But where are the young challengers? Andretti, Rahal and Hinch were 8th, 9th and 12th. I expect more from them this season (especially the first two because of their experience), as well as from Hildebrand.

I expect a lot this year, Marco Andretti good performances, I hope he fights for the championship.

[Canada ALMS fan]

Looking official now - Rubens to Indycar! He will be great for helping raise the profile of the series this year.
http://auto-racing.speedtv.com/artic...ndycar-series/

[ptclaus98]

Originally Posted by NaBUru38

Ok, Paradise City. I'd let anyone race as long as they are fast enough, of course. But I'd prefer to see a new generation of drivers, rather than the same old faces (figuratively and literally).

Dario, Dixon, Hélio and TK are fast, no doubt. But where are the young challengers? Andretti, Rahal and Hinch were 8th, 9th and 12th. I expect more from them this season (especially the first two because of their experience), as well as from Hildebrand.

Rahal had the speed to win a couple of races and get even more top 5's and was taken out by no fault of his own on nearly all of those occasions. Being a good team player cost him a win in Toronto.

[kurski]

AJ Allmendinger future for Penske, Indy500?

[Mystery]

Originally Posted by kurski

AJ Allmendinger future for Penske, Indy500?

Will depend on whether MSR Indy makes it off the ground. Much more likely he'd guest for the team he part owns.

[Yannick]

What about Newman/Haas? I hope they are not completely gone but pull off an Indy 500 entry, just like Rahal/Letterman/Lanigan did during all those years they were not full-timers. I mean Newman/Haas were on the front row of last year's Indy 500 for a reason. Surely they could bring in some additional fans to the flagship event. But who should their driver be? Bruno Junqueira? Vitor Meira? Bertrand Baguette? Alex "Pink" Lloyd? Tomas Scheckter?

There are so many great drivers without rides at the time. And I'm not even talking Buddy Rice and Paul Tracy. Even Ana Beatriz Figuereido did not land a D&R ride despite her sponsorship. I must say she looked more like an oval specialist during her debut season so it is no surprise there is little interest from the teams and with the Lotus engine situation, cockpits are scarce.

What's the situation with Pippa Mann? How has her recovery process been from the "Big One" (RIP Dan Wheldon) in Las Vegas? Hasn't she had major shunts in all of the IndyCar races she has been in so far? She may have hung up her helmet deliberately.

And who knows how many more Lotus powered cars will there be attempting to qualify for the Indy 500? Any?

Most likely, these "stories" will largely not be covered by the media. Here is one from the midfield that surely will: Welcome back Katherine Legge. In a Lotus powered car even. All the best to her and her future career.

And now I shall disappear from the forum again.

[Hawkwood]

Originally Posted by Yannick

What about Newman/Haas?


What's the situation with Pippa Mann? She may have hung up her helmet deliberately.

Mann hasn't hung up her helmet. She's working tirelessly to get sponsorship together even now to try get on the grid this year.
She's desperate to compete after showing last year that she can be competitive.

Newman-Haas shouldn't be counted out.
http://www.newman-haas.com/news2012....ng-Shop-Tour-1
They have taken delivery of two brand new Dallaras.
Hopefully some sponsor will come along soon (hopefully one that insists on Mann getting the drive).

[W.A Trichlorostyrene]

Originally Posted by Yannick

What about Newman/Haas? I hope they are not completely gone but pull off an Indy 500 entry, just like Rahal/Letterman/Lanigan did during all those years they were not full-timers. I mean Newman/Haas were on the front row of last year's Indy 500 for a reason. Surely they could bring in some additional fans to the flagship event. But who should their driver be? Bruno Junqueira? Vitor Meira? Bertrand Baguette? Alex "Pink" Lloyd? Tomas Scheckter?

There are so many great drivers without rides at the time. And I'm not even talking Buddy Rice and Paul Tracy. Even Ana Beatriz Figuereido did not land a D&R ride despite her sponsorship. I must say she looked more like an oval specialist during her debut season so it is no surprise there is little interest from the teams and with the Lotus engine situation, cockpits are scarce.

What's the situation with Pippa Mann? How has her recovery process been from the "Big One" (RIP Dan Wheldon) in Las Vegas? Hasn't she had major shunts in all of the IndyCar races she has been in so far? She may have hung up her helmet deliberately.

And who knows how many more Lotus powered cars will there be attempting to qualify for the Indy 500? Any?

Most likely, these "stories" will largely not be covered by the media. Here is one from the midfield that surely will: Welcome back Katherine Legge. In a Lotus powered car even. All the best to her and her future career.

And now I shall disappear from the forum again.

Don't know about Newman/Haas. Looks like Dragon hired a part of their old IndyCar crew.

Meira, Lloyd, Baguette and Schekter have all expressed interrest in 2012 Indy, but the problem would be money as usual. All of them have less money than talent, unfortunately(?).

I don't know about Junqueira, I belive he is commited full time to ALMS this year. Maybe he could still do a one-off at Indy, but he has clearly stated over the years that he doesn't want to pay to race. The list of teams able to hire their drivers is small, so that reduces his opportunities. And who knows if he is interrested to come back after he got his starting slot robbed once again last year.

Ana Beatriz doesn't have as much sponsorship money as last year, hence why she couldn't get anything full time for this year. She is rumoured to make Indy and a couple of other races(including Sao Paolo) with Andretti. She has already tested for them one day at Sebring last week. "Oval specialist"? I don't agree. She might be a bit superior on ovals(especially short ones), but she used to be pretty strong on road courses in Indy Lights. It's hard to judge her on her only IndyCar full-time season, as many things she couldn't do much about went wrong. She broke her wrist during the first race, she switched race engineer after Indy, DRR were putting most of the ressources on the #1 car, etc.

Don't worry about Pippa Mann. She has fully recovered during the winter. Every day she is twitting on how hard she is working to get funding for a part-time ride. Maybe we'll see her do a one-off at Indy(don't think she has crashed at Kentucky and Indy last year BTW).

Don't know about Lotus engines, at least two if things go as planned? Jean Alesi plus Michael Shank Racing.