IndyCar Silly Season

[Tim Northcutt]

Originally posted by GP Racer
Onto another hot topic!

I've got word of another brand spankin new team ready to start up racing in the IRL next year! Ever hear of Playa Del Racing? Well go to there web-site and check-em out!

www.playadelracing.com

I have no problem with their site!

Is this serious????

Their site has nothing but a merchandise link and a Fan Club link, for cryin' out loud...

Are these guys former IPS people, or once raced in Atlantics or Indy Lights???

[GP Racer]

From the looks and sound of it, it seems like a start-up operation. I've never heard of them myself. But apparently they are getting ready to race in the IRL next season.

They are sponsored by Siurius Satelite Radio though, which would make some sense, considering that their competition is XM Satelite Radio, Bryan Herta's car.

[GP Racer]

Team Owner is reporting that this Playa Del Racing is buying out Kelley Racing. I've heard the same.

Ed Carpenter has been signed by them, and Scott will be taking Delphi to Panther.

Explains my problems with the Kelley Racing web-site!

Thought I would keep the ever important silly season thread up-to date. Goodness knows, we can't let this fall behind!

[rustyfan]

Originally posted by GP Racer
Explains my problems with the Kelley Racing web-site!

http://www.kelleyracing.com works fine for me. Incidently it was updated today with a pre-race report about Texas.

[GP Racer]

Thats what everyone keeps telling me, but I still cannot connect with it! I only get www.ftwayne.com And I have been a regular there for quite sometime, because I am a fan of Scott's.

I did get their e-mail on the Texas race though. Maybe I should e-mail them and tell them my tearful story! Maybe they can help me...

[GP Racer]

Some interesting points from Greg Ray, on why he won't be driving in a second car this weekend in Texas, and what his plans are for next year. From the IndyCar website:


"I have a lot going on this weekend with negotiating with potential sponsors, and I felt I couldn’t stay focused on everything at hand. If we couldn’t do it the way we exactly wanted to do it, I didn’t want to dilute the effort.”

Taylor has two top-10 finishes in eight events since joining the team at Nashville Superspeedway in July. Access Motorsports has an option on his services for 2005, though Ray said a decision about Taylor’s future has not been made.

“We’ve put ourselves in position to be a better one-car team next year, but we definitely want to run two cars or more provided the business platform, the sponsorship and all those things actually come to life,” Ray said. “(Two cars) actually makes it easier on us. You’re able to have more people, split the testing and take a leg forward to compete with the bigger teams. But you have to have that financial budget there.

[marcus]

Bummer , I wanted to see greg racing again , but I hope the deals he is working on come through

[Down F0rce]

http://www.indyracing.com/indycar/ne...?story_id=3671

A new team on the horizon...the very distant horizon IMO...

[Kicking-back]

Sounds like rich mummy giving her boy some new toys to play with.

[GP Racer]

For more on the Kelley Racing story, go here:

http//irl.racing-live.com/en/headlines/news/detail/041017085934.shtml[/url]

[GP Racer]

Here's the latest, all unconfirmed, but very likely to be soon:

1 - Cheever will run 3 cars this year
2 - Carpentier to Cheever, Carpenter still unknown.
3 - Barron out at Cheever, in at Mo Nunn
4 - Tora is thankfully gone, unless Toyota stupidly pays to keep him somewhere.
5 - Sharp and Delphi to Panther.
6 - Menards and T Bell out.
7 - Fernandez IS extremely likely to run a third car, working on sponsorship issues.
8 - Ray looking to run a second car, Taylor not yet re-signed though.
9 - Kelley, very likely gone, but now may try to team up with somebody.


Thats the latest and greatest!

[luke]

Are Ganassi going to race 3 cars next year.

[Kicking-back]

Potentially.

[luke]

Tomas Scheckter has signed for 1 more year at Panther.

Boy was the silly season hype discussed by the international commentators.

[GP Racer]

Looks like AJ will be back next, come hell or high water! Some really interesting stuff in this article -


FORT WORTH, Texas - (KRT) - A.J. Foyt doesn't like road racing and street racing, two things the IRL will do for the first time next season.

Foyt also doesn't have a sponsor for 2005 in a league that costs at least $5 million to compete full time. And his driver, grandson A.J. Foyt IV, is in demand from some other teams.

So is this the end of the line for the Texas racing legend?

"No way," Foyt said. "We'll work it out somehow. If worse comes to worse, we'll just pass the hat in church."

Foyt's shoulder pain is nothing compared the pain he endures with his IRL team's lack of success. The best finish for A.J. IV, Anthony to his family and friends, has this year is 11th at Richmond.

Panther wanted Anthony to test the Pennzoil Dallara/Chevrolet earlier this year in a closed test session at Texas Motor Speedway. Anthony came to the test without telling A.J., so he didn't get in the car.

"I've had better teams than that one talk to me about Anthony," A.J. said. "A lot of people want him, including some big NASCAR teams. I've talked to Richard Childress several times. They know how good is he. He's won in everything he's ever driven, but he's still a young kid."

A.J. knows people say Anthony should switch spots with his uncle, Larry Foyt. Larry, a TCU grad and A.J. youngest son, hopes to compete full-time in Nextel Cup next year in a second car for BAM Racing.

Larry finished 32nd in his first Indy 500 this year. He is a polished and sophisticated guy who fits in with the IRL followers. Anthony is more like his grandfather, a rough-and-tumble racer who seems perfect for the NASCAR crowd.

"Anthony is staying here for now," A.J. said. "Larry would love to run in the IRL, but he can run well in NASCAR. I just didn't have the right people in place to help him with the Cup team we had."

Foyt's critics say he doesn't have the right people to help Anthony in the IRL, a claim he strongly disputes. Foyt says Anthony needs more time under his tutelage, but Anthony is glad other people believe in him.

"It's good to know I might be able to go somewhere else if I had to," he said. "You have to keep your options open."

Anthony has concerns about A.J. trying to compete next year without sponsorship.

"My grandfather wants the best for me," Anthony said. "But with the money it costs to run these cars, I don't want him to go broke on my account."

Young Anthony need not worry. Folks in racing love to say A.J. still has the first dollar he ever made in the sport.

"I'll be running here next year," Foyt said. "We'll find some sponsorship. Companies want young kids like Anthony representing them. I have one more year on my deal with Toyota, and I won't let Anthony leave yet. I believe we have what we need for him to win."

[Down F0rce]

The problem is that not everyone that wants a third car will get one. Honda don't want to supply more than nine cars. 11 einges would be needed if all the teams wee to expand...

[Tim Northcutt]

According to a news item on the IRL site, Scheckter has been re-signed by Panther to a one-year option contract...and Panther is interested in working on sponsors so that they can keep Townsend Bell...which is interesting, because the Indy Star says that Sharp and the Delphi sponsorship could go to Panther....as many of us have heard recently

Also according to the Indy Star, Franchitti has agreed to terms with AGR, but has not signed the agreement yet...and that the other three drivers for AGR have been secured for 2005...

Rahal has secured Vitor Meira for next year and if they work out sponsors for her, Danica will be the third team entry

Takagi will move back to Japan to race sportscars (probably JCGT Series...my opinion there) and Mo Nunn talked to Scheckter and Franchitti earlier, but could not afford them...

Here is where it gets wierd....In addition to Barron (an obvious guy on his list), Mo Nunn is also supposedly looking at Felipe Giaffone (who I thought was returning to D&R next year) and maybe even P.J. Chesson...although Mr. Nunn's wife
(who is listed as the owner of his IPS team) was furious over his "debris" incident over the weekend that got him in trouble....

Cheever has resurfaced as the likely home for Carpentier...and the Star also said that Barron and Carpenter will not return...

Things seem even more up in the air now than they were....

Like:

Where will Sharp and Delphi go???

Panther?

Playa Del Racing?

Ganassi?

and what about Carpenter???? Where will he end up???

and who will D&R choose for their second car??? Or even their first, if Giaffone would happen to go with Mo Nunn???

I wish we would have heard more deals being done than we actually did hear this weekend....

[Down F0rce]

According to the international TV comemtators, Giafonnie won't be with D&R next year, but they want two cars...

The Sky Sports team also said that Danica Patrick was confirmed at Rahal with Rice, and that Vitor might be kept if they could find sponsorship...it does look like it's going to be a three car team though...

[Tim Northcutt]

In the story on the IRL site about Alex barron and his accident, there is a news item that says Meira signed a cotract to race with Rahal_letterman Racing for next season

[Down F0rce]

Good stuff, it would be a huge mistake to let a talent like Vitor go

[Tim Northcutt]

The Indy Star reported this morning that (their quote) "Playa Del Racing, to be sponsored by DHL Worldwide Express, is expected to have its driver in place Monday when the purchase of Kelley Racing assets is finalized. Team owner Gary Sallee said there might be enough sponsorship for a second car next season, at least for the Indy 500"

In another note, John Andretti was quoted as saying that the decision to move the start for the Indy 500 back one hour will make doing the "Double" impossible...."unles they shorten it to 300 miles" (his quote).

[luke]

So Robby Gordon won't do the race in Charlotte if he takes on the 500, although isn't he doing a full Busch schedule so it may not clash?

[GP Racer]

Here's alittle something on Mo Nunn. He says he wants driver who can win, and in no way, will he go through another seaon like this one. Good for Mo! Tora should have been gone long ago. Anyone, from the most junior IPS driver, to an old journeyman, could have outdriven him.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Nunn said Sunday that he approached Scheckter and Franchitti, but he couldn't afford them. On Nunn's list now are Alex Barron, Felipe Giaffone and perhaps Nunn's wife's Menards Infiniti Pro Series driver, P.J. Chesson.

Nunn isn't sure where his search will lead him, but he's not willing to suffer through another season like 2004. He finished 16th in the car owner standings.

"It's not a question of money; I want a driver who can win," Nunn said. "I'm not going through what we've gone through this year. No way."

Nunn said Chesson is the most aggressive driver of his current options, but the New Jersey native might be too much of a risk. Chesson infuriated his car owner, Kathryn Nunn, and IRL officials when he threw debris on the track late in Saturday's race because he needed a caution to catch the lead pack.

The IRL fined Chesson $7,500 and 25 championship points, the latter of which dropped him to fourth in the season-ending standings. His competition license was revoked until he pays the fine himself.

Chesson also clashed with Pro Series driving coach Rick Mears, a four-time Indy 500 winner who is one of the most respected drivers in motor sports history.

"He's made a lot more enemies than friends," Morris Nunn said. "But he's been begging me to put him in a car, and he's one of the few guys around here who passes people."


How about that Chesson, hey?! Intentionally throwing debris on the track! He sounds like one quick driver, but also a handful of trouble to.

You think Mo will bring him up?

[GP Racer]

Could we be seeing the end of Cheevers all-American team? -


Red Bull Cheever Racing's preparations for the 2005 Indy Racing League IndyCar Series 17-race campaign began yesterday with the team's first test of a rookie driver.

Indian driver Narain Karthikeyan, 27, just completed his third season of competition in the European World Series by Nissan (Formula Nippon) with Tata RC Motorsport by earning one victory and a second place result. He had his first laps in an Indy car on the fast Phoenix International Raceway mile oval and completed a protracted rookie test before rain scuttled activities.

Karthikeyan, backed by Cheever sponsor Red Bull ran about 50 laps in the car after 2003 RBCR regular driver Alex Barron set up the car and prepared it for the "World's Fastest Indian".

While not spectacular the test went well, according to onlookers. An expected weather front moved in shortly after noon and scuttled attempts to further acquaint Karthikeyan with oval racing. A make-up date has not been scheduled.

[Down F0rce]

How did he manage to throw debris onto the track from inside his car?? Was it his glove or something?