IndyCar Thread - Discussion on IndyCar races and its drivers

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Climaxing Sunset

Climaxing Sunset

kiwifarms.net
Joined
Sep 27, 2021
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Given the crossover of Formula 1 fans and IndyCar, I figured that IndyCar deserves its own thread given that IndyCar has begun to assume its own identity as a “American” style of Formula 1, albeit with its own features.

First started in 1996, IndyCar has grown considerably in the United States and Canada, probably surpassing NASCAR by this point but still behind F1. There is some crossover w/ F1 racers coming to Indy, and Red Bull investing into the Aeroscreen among other features.

This thread should centralize all discussions of IndyCar races, the racers, rumors, and speculations on IndyCar itself but also it’s drivers.
 
I think Indycar's in the best place it's ever been post-split, I'm a fan of Josef Newgarden, and he fills the niche of "American driver who's good in Indycar" which has been a rare commodity for a while.

...Only problem with the statement "I think Indycar's in the best place it's ever been post-split" is that I think it's still woefully disappointing compared to what it potentially could be. I'll be 33 this year, so the 1995 Indy 500 was actually the first one I can remember watching. People around my age (early to mid 30s) are now the youngest people that remember a pre-split Indycar series. As awesome as CART in the late 90s was with cars going 240+ MPH around Fontana and Michigan, it clearly wasn't sustainable (RIP Greg Moore) and AOWR hasn't recovered from Tony George and the CART car owners pissing match in the early 90s ever since.

I don't think it's productive to be a doomer Indycar, fan (which it's always funny how every fellow Indycar diehard I know talks about it like we're battered housewives) but I think the series can be much more than just Roger Penske's pet project until he dies/walks away. I will never not bitch about it being a spec series, the engines are way too neutered and quiet, and I think making the cars harder to drive/less aero would make the on track product a lot better. (Although it's still very good) And more ovals; ovals are what makes the series unique and stand out between the stock cars of NASCAR and the grand prix racing of Formula One, where historically, to be a successful Indycar driver, you have to be good at every kind of track: Superspeedways, short ovals, road courses, and street circuits. That's what makes Indycar so awesome and why every fan always begs to add more ovals to the schedule.

I love Indycar, I love where it's at now, but it can be better and it should be. The Indy 500 is still greatest spectacle in racing. Indycar's problem that's been a problem since Tony Hullman died in the 70s is that it's never had a Bill France Sr. or Jr. like NASCAR had, and it's never had a Bernie Eccelstone like F1 had. You can hate them, but having a central figurehead that dictates where a series goes is extremely important.
 
Bill Elliot said:
Andretti makes me sad.
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They'll probably make you sadder if they just pick up stakes and go to F1. Having said that I'm not sure they would, the way that the comment section of Racer thinks. The Andretti playbook right now seems to be 'a finger in every pie', it's almost weird watching them in Supercars.

I came out of my Split induced depression a few years ago and got back into this big. Indycar really is in the best place it's been for a while now, but it's still not good. The hybrid fiasco and now the notice from Honda that they might want out are.... not good. We'll see if the broadcaster proliferation that's going on can lift all boats the way it did Cup's - but I'm not sure they have the people who understand modern media in place to take advantage. See also: The video game disaster.

I was going to make 2024 the year of more Indy and.. well that's a little on track. Going to the Indy GP (sure I could go to the 500 but the road course events are... less insane from a crowd perspective), and probably Milwaukee. Someone at Penske (((noticed))) that all of us in the parking garage at Detroit arrived, looked down at the track right under us, shrugged and just tailgated the whole weekend so now that will run you $1300 for the whole three days. So not sure I won't just turn that into some get-into-the-woods time instead.

Related to last year, thread filler I took from said garage for @Dan of Steel :
Newgarden1nx.jpg
 
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It's going to be interesting to see Sting Ray Robb replacing Benjamin Pedersen for the 41
 
TVB said:
It's going to be interesting to see Sting Ray Robb replacing Benjamin Pedersen for the 41
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Whole goddamn thing's weird, but hey, it's Foyt, it only matters so much, other than Santino triggering Redditors.
 
Mikoyan said:
Wonder if they're betting on the 'Liberty wants to buy the series and turn it into an F1 ladder' thing.
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Perhaps, but I think it's more that Prema already has a finger in the rest of the non-F1 formula world and wants to have one more place besides F2 to get their boys some top-shelf seat time.
 
The Grognard said:
Perhaps, but I think it's more that Prema already has a finger in the rest of the non-F1 formula world and wants to have one more place besides F2 to get their boys some top-shelf seat time.
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That's my reasoning, I think they're doing the same thing as Carlin used to do. It gives them additional seats that they can give to drivers who may not have a chance of ever making it to F1, but are still good enough open-wheel drivers that they don't want to shunt them off into Formula E or endurance racing purgatory.

In other news, who are you guys thinking fills the final 2 Coyne seats? We know it's not going to be Frost (thank God), and one is likely Dev, but the other is kind of up in the air. I might not be surprised if they trot out someone completely unexpected from the European ladder like Vesti or Doohan at St. Pete. Dale is known to take chances on guys from the formula ladder.
 
A.P. Hill said:
That's my reasoning, I think they're doing the same thing as Carlin used to do. It gives them additional seats that they can give to drivers who may not have a chance of ever making it to F1, but are still good enough open-wheel drivers that they don't want to shunt them off into Formula E or endurance racing purgatory.

In other news, who are you guys thinking fills the final 2 Coyne seats? We know it's not going to be Frost (thank God), and one is likely Dev, but the other is kind of up in the air. I might not be surprised if they trot out someone completely unexpected from the European ladder like Vesti or Doohan at St. Pete. Dale is known to take chances on guys from the formula ladder.
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There are some pretty solid choices in the Junior Formula ladder for this sort of a role. Most are still tied up to their respective junior programs or have gone to Super Formula in Japan for the sake of getting some Formula 1.5 seat time without having to learn how to drive on ovals. Juri Vips would be the obvious choice from Europe because he got screwed out of the RB Academy and likely would be happy for any proper seat-time for his obvious skills.
 
The Grognard said:
There are some pretty solid choices in the Junior Formula ladder for this sort of a role. Most are still tied up to their respective junior programs or have gone to Super Formula in Japan for the sake of getting some Formula 1.5 seat time without having to learn how to drive on ovals. Juri Vips would be the obvious choice from Europe because he got screwed out of the RB Academy and likely would be happy for any proper seat-time for his obvious skills.
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I would definitely like to see Vips get a seat, but he's locked down with RLL at the moment. Still salty that he got passed over for a pay driver that nobody saw coming. Maybe they can work out a loan deal that will get him some seat time in the #51, but I'm not confident in that.

Similarly, maybe DCR and ECR can work out a deal to let Rasmussen drive a Coyne car on the ovals. I'm also salty that he got screwed out of running a full season because Ed doesn't know when to hang it up and wants to go out there and run 27th on ovals for yet another year.

Or maybe it's Ilott. I would definitely appreciate that, but he seems to be set in endurance racing for next year.

I believe Lundgaard picked up his RLL seat when he was still part of the Alpine junior ladder, so that might not be an impediment for someone coming over from Europe.
 
I know it's late, but good news.

The Nashville meme race has been moved to the Superspeedway, so we finally have another big oval on the calendar. And for the finale, too. This'll be good.

Malukas broke his hand, and Callum Ilott might be replacing him for a few races.

It's been so long since we've had good news that these are downright amazing to hear.
 
A.P. Hill said:
I know it's late, but good news.

The Nashville meme race has been moved to the Superspeedway, so we finally have another big oval on the calendar. And for the finale, too. This'll be good.

Malukas broke his hand, and Callum Ilott might be replacing him for a few races.

It's been so long since we've had good news that these are downright amazing to hear.
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Yeah, in my rush I forgot to post about Nashville here. People are worried that it might look pretty bad to have the season ender be an empty stands oval race but whatever, racing'll be great.

Already booked the hotel for it. Tickets aren't out yet but shouldn't be hard.

So far it's looking like Indycar for me this year in person will be the Indy GP, Milwaukee and Nashville. So far not going to Detroit even though it's the closest one. $1300 for the cool garage spaces that they're trying to monetize after seeing the great time we had... too much.
 
Mikoyan said:
Yeah, in my rush I forgot to post about Nashville here. People are worried that it might look pretty bad to have the season ender be an empty stands oval race but whatever, racing'll be great.
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Nashville's stands are quite a bit smaller than the SMI/ISC tracks, so I predict it'll look pretty good on TV.

It's race week! Dale Coyne has hired...Jack Harvey, who was so bad with RLL that he got fired. And in the other car it's...Colin Braun, who has NEVER run a single-seater. Rumors are that Katherine fucking Legge, straight off of breaking a guy's back and nearly running over a track marshal, will run the 500 in that car. That's one of the lineups of all time.

Nolan Siegel is really fast and super talented, so at least I'm glad for him?
 
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