Indycar News & Rumors.

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by rwintle

If so, will Andretti field five cars, or will one of the existing drivers disappear? Viso would seem to be the odd man out, but he's looked pretty good this year IMHO.

A five car team, I think is pushing it but if Viso were to disappear so might all that PDVSA sponsorship money.

[D.R.T.]

Have Andretti run 5 cars before?

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by D.R.T.

Have Andretti run 5 cars before?

To my knowledge once, at the 2007 Indy 500 but the team was Andretti Green Racing. Dario Franchitti, Danica Patrick, Tonk Kanaan, Michael Andretti and Marco Andtretti.

[HJJ]

Originally Posted by mountainstar

Montoya will not be driving for peanuts like most of the other drivers, so Andretti better come up with a massive sponsor.

Michael Andretti is sounding more and more optimistic that he can sign Juan Pablo Montoya to an IndyCar Series contract for 2014.
Andretti told Autoweek on Tuesday that he has talked to the NASCAR driver at least twice in the past week, the second time about contract terms.
Andretti did not say what Montoya requested, but he said the salary won't be a hindrance to striking a deal. All they need is a sponsor, Andretti said.
“We've got some things we're working on,” Andretti said. “He just said he wants to be in a car that can win races, and he thinks we can (provide) that.”
Andretti Autosport has won 48 races, including two Indianapolis 500s, since purchasing Team Green for the 2003 season. Ryan Hunter-Reay is IndyCar's reigning series champion and has two wins this season, while teammate James Hinchcliffe has had a breakthrough season in this campaign with three wins.
Marco Andretti and EJ Viso are having their best IndyCar seasons.
Andretti said he is close to having IndyCar contracts for Marco, Viso and Firestone Indy Lights points leader Carlos Munoz for 2014. Hinchcliffe's signing likely depends on what happens with GoDaddy, which has a contract up for renewal.
Andretti said team officials should know more about GoDaddy's direction within the next week.

Read more: http://www.autoweek.com/article/2013...#ixzz2cYw3BJrc
Follow us: @AutoweekUSA on Twitter | AutoweekUSA on Facebook

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[Canada ALMS fan]

^ While I am not a Montoya fan, this can only be a positive!

[rwintle]

Originally Posted by bjohnsonsmith

A five car team, I think is pushing it but if Viso were to disappear so might all that PDVSA sponsorship money.

Ah yes, that too.

[Down F0rce]

What about Hunter Reay? Or is he already locked in?

[bjohnsonsmith]

Davison gets Coyne Sonoma drive.

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/109362

[Paradise City]

IndyCar targets move outside US by 2015, considers winter series


http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/109365

It already has draft agreements in place with a number of promoters and has proposed a five-event schedule starting at the end of 2014.

The idea for winter races appears to have the backing of the teams.

Andretti Autosport vice-president J-F Thormann said: "We are very much in favour of it.

"The domestic schedule ends so early, but we employ our personnel all year round, so it would be a good utilisation of human resources and assets."

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by Paradise City

IndyCar targets move outside US by 2015, considers winter series


http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/109365

Why not start and end the season in the Southern hemisphere? However, if this five event schedule can help promote the series, then so much the better. They should have the aero-kits in place by then.

[Yannick]

If this is an attempt to bring back Surfers Paradise, it's a good idea.

But a winter series? Which other racetracks in other countries would host IndyCar? Hermanos Rodriguez in Mexico City? Taupo? With the current economy, there is no perspective to go to Argentine. Maybe the United Arab Emirates fit in there somewhere, or other former A1-GP destinations such as Malaysia?

Running events in Europe as part of a winter series also does not make much sense.

So where else does IndyCar intend to go? Kyalami? Or just back to Homestead?

[icemachine]

I could see Japan, Australia, China, South Africa, Mexico, one of the Gulf States, and likely Sao Paulo being included in a winter season

[Marcus666]

Well, there should be a few alternatives I guess:

Fuji GP, Zhuhai, Adelaide, Calder Park, Autopolis, COTA, Kyalami, Dubai, Monterrey, Autodromo Nelson Piquet, Losail, Motegi (again)? Also, why haven't Indycar considered the Hermanos Rodriguez oval track or the Puebla Oval?

and also... Wouldn't Japan be on the "to do list" especially with the involvement of Honda and Takuma's late "success".

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by icemachine

I could see Japan, Australia, China, South Africa, Mexico, one of the Gulf States, and likely Sao Paulo being included in a winter season

Japan can have pretty harsh winters as can China. The Southern hemisphere is where to go.

[Marcus666]

Wouldn't Dubai and Losail be the safest cards when talking about hosting (they got money) and weather wise?

[Paradise City]

You could run something in the south of Spain or the south of Italy and get the weather. Those economies are very poor mind you. I guess it's the ME and Oceania as target regions if they do get this idea off the ground at all.

[bjohnsonsmith]

JRH tests with Bryan Herta at Sonoma.

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/109373

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by Paradise City

You could run something in the south of Spain or the south of Italy and get the weather. Those economies are very poor mind you. I guess it's the ME and Oceania as target regions if they do get this idea off the ground at all.

The Mediterranean can be pretty nasty in the winter. I've been to Crete in October and the weather changed from hot and sunny to cold, windy and wet, very quickly.

IndyCar would be better off trying to expand the series in the Southern hemisphere. By all means have a 5 race exhibition series, then look to add those venues, which have generated the most interest to the calendar.

[Paradise City]

Originally Posted by bjohnsonsmith

The Mediterranean can be pretty nasty in the winter. I've been to Crete in October and the weather changed from hot and sunny to cold, windy and wet, very quickly.

IndyCar would be better off trying to expand the series in the Southern hemisphere. By all means have a 5 race exhibition series, then look to add those venues, which have generated the most interest to the calendar.

There's no challenged posed by the Med that wouldn't be experienced at some races by Indycar during the year anyway. They could do one race in the Med, Oceania and the ME. Possibly SA as well.

I'd leave Brazil to the main championship. That's the problem with 'Winter Championships'. They can only be 2nd tier really. You'd might have to dress 'em up as one off majors with a big prize fund like the Marlboro Challenge back in the day.

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by Paradise City

There's no challenged posed by the Med that wouldn't be experienced at some races by Indycar during the year anyway. They could do one race in the Med, Oceania and the ME. Possibly SA as well.

I'd leave Brazil to the main championship. That's the problem with 'Winter Championships'. They can only be 2nd tier really. You'd might have to dress 'em up as one off majors with a big prize fund like the Marlboro Challenge back in the day.

I'd include Brazil in the 5 race series with a race at Interlagos. Brazil has a natural motorsports fan base, which is exactly what IndyCar needs, so does Australia. I don't know about South Africa these days. There used to be grass roots motorsports years ago plus the GP at Kyalami but whether that's still the case I don't know. I'd also look at the middle east. Two GPs are already held there and Mexico is also an obvious choice.

[Paradise City]

They should start off in Oz in January, Malaysia, China, the ME and wind up in Spain/Italy in March/April. Then over to Brazil to start the main tour, finish that off in November and take December off.

Lovely me saying that behind the keyboard of course, it depends if the money makes sense.

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by Paradise City

They should start off in Oz in January, Malaysia, China, the ME and wind up in Spain/Italy in March/April. Then over to Brazil to start the main tour, finish that off in November and take December off.

Lovely me saying that behind the keyboard of course, it depends if the money makes sense.

I like the idea of Spain/Italy in March/April but I'd start in Brazil, then Oz, ME. I wouldn't bother with China, China hasn't got a natural motorsports fan base. The GP was nearly cancelled in 2008 because of the losses it's made. It still makes a loss year after year and after the Chinese organisers refused to pay Bernie his fee in 2011, it was reduced and a new deal done to host the race until 2017. I don't know about Malaysia. Sepang was given a new 5 year contract in 2006 and I don't think it's been extended.

[mountainstar]

Seems strangle considering that we were told that sponsors, teams and drivers had no interest in the Gold Coast race, which was an established, successful race. Now they want to barnstorm all over the world in the winter? Where does the money come for this? Are they hoping for big sanctioning fees from overseas events? What will the FIA think about all this?

[D.R.T.]

Originally Posted by mountainstar

Seems strangle considering that we were told that sponsors, teams and drivers had no interest in the Gold Coast race, which was an established, successful race.

As discussed previously on this forum the above is not a correct representation of what happened with the Gold Coast race.

[MagVanisher]

Originally Posted by Paradise City

IndyCar targets move outside US by 2015, considers winter series


http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/109365

Just hoping that it won't clash with F1 or NASCAR...