Indycar News & Rumors. - Page 156

**bjohnsonsmith** · 12 Sep 2018, 23:34 (Ref:3849745)

Quote:

Originally Posted by broadrun96

I'm guessing that includes the math for the stupidity of double points to end the season? I don't feel as bad about Indy being double but the season finale, no way

Double points cost Montoya in 2015. Both he and Dixon finished on 556 points at Sonoma but Dixon had 4 wins to Montoya's 2, which decided it but didn't take in the other results.

I think IndyCar needs to look at changing the points system.

mstets · 13 Sep 2018, 05:18 (Ref:3849775)

Quote:

Originally Posted by broadrun96

I'm guessing that includes the math for the stupidity of double points to end the season? I don't feel as bad about Indy being double but the season finale, no way

Yes it does.

I'm ambivalent about double points for both races. It seems to say that we must have drama from start to finish in order to maintain interest in the series. The racing is great. I'm going to watch the last race even if the championship is decided two races previous. I doubt there are but a handful of people who are going to watch the last race to see who wins the championship, that wouldn't be watching just to see who wins the race.

**bjohnsonsmith** · 13 Sep 2018, 09:49 (Ref:3849815)

28 cars for 2019?

http://classic.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/138661

S griffin · 13 Sep 2018, 11:23 (Ref:3849835)

Would be great, although they would need to sort a few things out if it were to happen

NaBUru38 · 13 Sep 2018, 15:18 (Ref:3849893)

Now that's speculation.

**bjohnsonsmith** · 13 Sep 2018, 18:48 (Ref:3849929)

Pigot stays at ECR.

http://classic.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/138680

**bjohnsonsmith** · 16 Sep 2018, 09:33 (Ref:3850559)

Honda may not supply a potential Alonso/McLaren entry. The decision has been left to HPD.

http://classic.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/138748

ascarracinguk · 16 Sep 2018, 09:50 (Ref:3850567)

Wow, that’s pretty damning and rules out an Andretti drive. Hardy surprising though after slagging them off for the last few years and McLaren ditching them for Renault

**bjohnsonsmith** · 16 Sep 2018, 10:02 (Ref:3850571)

Quote:

Originally Posted by ascarracinguk

Wow, that’s pretty damning and rules out an Andretti drive. Hardy surprising though after slagging them off for the last few years and McLaren ditching them for Renault

As the article says, it's up to HPD to decide. However, I think the real reason might be due to HPD being overstretched. Not a bad time for IndyCar to pursue a third engine manufacturer.

ascarracinguk · 16 Sep 2018, 10:07 (Ref:3850573)

Quote:

Originally Posted by bjohnsonsmith

As the article says, it's up to HPD to decide. However, I think the real reason might be due to HPD being overstretched. Not a bad time for IndyCar to pursue a third engine manufacturer.

True, but you’d think Honda would be chomping at the bit to supply Mclaren/ Alonso purely from a marketing POV, which tells me that they don’t really want to...

broadrun96 · 16 Sep 2018, 15:28 (Ref:3850683)

Quote:

Originally Posted by ascarracinguk

True, but you’d think Honda would be chomping at the bit to supply Mclaren/ Alonso purely from a marketing POV, which tells me that they don’t really want to...

I think you're reading way too much in to it. I think Honda has no problem, he tested in a Honda recently. And nothing like autosport showing they can't read their own article, multiple links all saying Honda says NO when in fact the response is more like Indycar engines are under the control of HPD not Honda so ask them. HPD has for the last two seasons asked Indycar to push for a third builder as they can't getting enough engines out to meet demand for the season never mind Indy only programs who almost all want Honda engines. It's a non story that shows they want to sell ads and get everyone to click. If McLaren/Alonso signs with Andretti there will be a Honda in the back of it, HPD will find a way to be involved as part of motorsports history and the "Triple Crown" end of story.

ascarracinguk · 16 Sep 2018, 15:46 (Ref:3850689)

Quote:

Originally Posted by broadrun96

I think you're reading way too much in to it. I think Honda has no problem, he tested in a Honda recently. And nothing like autosport showing they can't read their own article, multiple links all saying Honda says NO when in fact the response is more like Indycar engines are under the control of HPD not Honda so ask them. HPD has for the last two seasons asked Indycar to push for a third builder as they can't getting enough engines out to meet demand for the season never mind Indy only programs who almost all want Honda engines. It's a non story that shows they want to sell ads and get everyone to click. If McLaren/Alonso signs with Andretti there will be a Honda in the back of it, HPD will find a way to be involved as part of motorsports history and the "Triple Crown" end of story.

Maybe so, and hope I am because I think alsonso in indycar is a great idea...BUT....if Honda were 100 percent into this they would be chomping at the bit to supply him and Mclaren an engine...purely from the PR side of things and not letting Chevy get hold of him

broadrun96 · 16 Sep 2018, 16:44 (Ref:3850711)

Quote:

Originally Posted by ascarracinguk

Maybe so, and hope I am because I think alsonso in indycar is a great idea...BUT....if Honda were 100 percent into this they would be chomping at the bit to supply him and Mclaren an engine...purely from the PR side of things and not letting Chevy get hold of him

Honda does NOT get to make the decision, it is an HPD program. They multiple times have said they don't tell HPD what to do, it's not hard. They are separate decisions and Honda respects the distance they give to HPD. And HPD had problems building that many engines, it has zero to do with anything previously. And if you remember Alonso was talking about the engine in F1 being garbage when he ran at Indy last season so blaming that is revisionist history

**bjohnsonsmith** · 16 Sep 2018, 17:32 (Ref:3850745)

Honda F1 boss Masashi Yamamoto has said it's HPD's call and it is their programme but as I said, I think the real issue is with the number of engines HPD can supply. However, most people won't have heard of HPD but they will have heard of Honda and Alonso, so from a marketing point of view it's a no brainer. If Alonso were to win the 500 and therefore the Triple Crown, all that went before, like him saying the F1 engine is garbage, would instantly evaporate. The marketing potential for Honda is huge.

**bjohnsonsmith** · 16 Sep 2018, 19:48 (Ref:3850788)

Sato re-signs with RLLR for 2019.

http://classic.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/138768

steve nielsen · 16 Sep 2018, 19:50 (Ref:3850790)

Quote:

Originally Posted by bjohnsonsmith

Honda F1 boss Masashi Yamamoto has said it's HPD's call and it is their programme but as I said, I think the real issue is with the number of engines HPD can supply. However, most people won't have heard of HPD but they will have heard of Honda and Alonso, so from a marketing point of view it's a no brainer. If Alonso were to win the 500 and therefore the Triple Crown, all that went before, like him saying the F1 engine is garbage, would instantly evaporate. The marketing potential for Honda is huge.

https://www.autosport.com/indycar/ne...-indycar-entry

**bjohnsonsmith** · 16 Sep 2018, 22:23 (Ref:3850851)

Quote:

Originally Posted by steve nielsen

https://www.autosport.com/indycar/ne...-indycar-entry

That's the same article I here https://tentenths.com/forum/showpost...postcount=3882

S griffin · 17 Sep 2018, 10:23 (Ref:3850991)

Shame for Fred that Honda won't supply him, but there are plenty of other engine manufacturers that could

I actually think Fred's test car livery is a dead ringer for Jordan 191 livery

**bjohnsonsmith** · 17 Sep 2018, 10:45 (Ref:3850999)

Quote:

Originally Posted by S griffin

Shame for Fred that Honda won't supply him, but there are plenty of other engine manufacturers that could

I actually think Fred's test car livery is a dead ringer for Jordan 191 livery

HPD, who run the Honda IndyCar programme haven't definitely said they won't supply Alonso/McLaren. The headline for that Autosport article is misleading.

NaBUru38 · 17 Sep 2018, 14:15 (Ref:3851041)

ESPN Latin America announcer Alex Pombo said that the third engine manufacturer is German...

broadrun96 · 17 Sep 2018, 19:18 (Ref:3851126)

It will be interesting to read Robin Miller's roundup and mailbag tomorrow and see what news he can hint at for next season. Think a new engine builder would be a year away if they started now, it's not a hard thing to build I think but I'm guessing they would want time to build, dyno test, in car test and sign teams. But then they do have 6 months to do all that before St Pete.

**bjohnsonsmith** · 17 Sep 2018, 23:13 (Ref:3851163)

Quote:

Originally Posted by broadrun96

It will be interesting to read Robin Miller's roundup and mailbag tomorrow and see what news he can hint at for next season. Think a new engine builder would be a year away if they started now, it's not a hard thing to build I think but I'm guessing they would want time to build, dyno test, in car test and sign teams. But then they do have 6 months to do all that before St Pete.

A 3rd engine manufacturer needs to commit by May 2019.

broadrun96 · 19 Sep 2018, 12:18 (Ref:3851417)

First Robin Miller mailbag after the season finale and already dropping hints:

1: As Marshall wrote last weekend, Harding became the Junior Andretti team last weekend at Sonoma – complete with engineers, mechanics, shocks and technical support from Michael’s team. There will be a significant announcement regarding Pato and Colton today so read RACER.com.

2: Jay Frye is in Switzerland at an FIA conference, but I hadn’t heard these rumors until your letter. (Actually getting out of the usual USAC bubble is a good thing)

Although nothing regarding any of the usual engine manufacturer rumors or Alonso updates beyond likely in November we'll know something. But an Andretti/Harding junior team setup sounds like that could be tough for McLaren/Andretti for 2019

broadrun96 · 19 Sep 2018, 21:08 (Ref:3851496)

I wonder how they are gonna limit the knowledge transfer of the strengths and weaknesses of the Chevy engine over to the Honda side? I'm assuming Andretti is just there to add chassis info and dampers but still seems fishy to have a tie-in with the other engine manufacturer. But good to see both Indy Lights guys moving up to the big cars, but feels like Lights will be a ghost town next season.

https://racer.com/2018/09/19/new-har...erta-for-2019/

mstets · 20 Sep 2018, 05:00 (Ref:3851525)

It sure seemed that the Andretti input boosted Harding's performance at Sonoma. Can't see the relationship as anything but a plus for Chevrolet: Two more cars in the field with good chassis engineering.

Hopefully the advance of Herta and O'Ward, and the increased in interest in Indycar will create some interest in Lights from team owners.

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