2011 IndyCar silly season

[ptclaus98]

Originally Posted by JagtechOhio

from Petit Lemans:

Bobby Rahal: “A great team is a great team regardless of where you compete, so I think we showed we belong in endurance racing as well as Indy car racing."

Still hopes to rejoin the fray. If he can find a legge to stand on?

I dunno, that BMW money has to be enticing, and I haven't heard anything about BMW and IndyCar.

[mountainstar]

Originally Posted by JagtechOhio

Might as well add AA to the list of teams rumored to be on Rahal's list. He's been linked to more than a few already.

Having a check in his pocket will make him a pretty popular lad.

Depends how big the check is.

[JagtechOhio]

Rahal Sr. has facilities and equipment to run simultaneous ALMS and IndyCar programs. Just no funding for the latter.

Rahal Jr. has a full season check from an established, national sponsor. He is a happy shopper.

[NaBUru38]

Interviewed by Gordon Kirby, Highcroft owner Duncan Dayton says to be fully to ALMS for 2011. They are waiting for the new Dallara to be finished before tackling IndyCar. But Simon Pagenaud could be renting a car for Indianapolis 2011.

[Yannick]

So how big is the car count at this early stage?

-#9 and #10 Target Chip Ganassi Racing sponsored for the whole season
-Verizon Team Penske at least with 2 cars (maybe 3)
-Graham Rahal is shopping around his full season sponsorship
-Justin Wilson is shopping around his full season sponsorship
-#7 Go Daddy car and the #26 Venom car at Andretti Autosport for the whole season, with the #37 IZOD car for at least a partial schedule
-#24 Dad's Rootbeer car at Dreyer & Reinbold for the whole season (which used to be Mike Conway's ride)
-#4 National Guard car at Panther Racing
-2 Lotus sponsored cars for the whole season
-#67 Dollar General car at Sarah Fisher Racing for at least a partial schedule
-Hideki Mutoh's Formula Dream sponsorship package for the whole season
That's 15.

If we add at least one full season car each for FAZZT, DFL-Dragon, Dale Coyne Racing, AFS Racing, Walker's 3G and Conquest Racing, and EJ Viso's PDVSA full season sponsorship package, and Paul Tracy's part time ride, we're up to 23.

At this early stage, that's pretty good, I guess.

But there are some questions remaining:
-Is Fuzzy's going to sponsor an oval only schedule for Ed Carpenter?
-Will Milka Duno have her license prolonged?
-How many cars will there be by Newman/Haas, HVM and Sam Schmidt?
-How many events will there be for drivers with part time sponsoring that has not yet been announced?

It'll all probably only be finalized by the evening before the 1st practise session at the 1st race, just as usual.

[ptclaus98]

I wish Justin and Graham would come back to NHR. That was a good pairing.

[HJJ]

Originally Posted by ptclaus98

I wish Justin and Graham would come back to NHR. That was a good pairing.

I wouldn't be surprised to see NHR get out of the ICS before the end of the year.

[HJJ]

More bad news coming for Andretti Autosport.

[rich07]

So where to for Ryan Briscoe next year? With Penske possibly (probably ?) only running two cars next year, who gets bumped? Him or Spiderman?

[JagtechOhio]

Some 2011 stuff in this Miller article from tonight:

http://auto-racing.speedtv.com/artic...-for-indy-500/

So Redline is for real, but for one race.

Simona returns with HVM:

http://www.16thandgeorgetown.com/201...hvm-in-11.html

[Jimmy Magnusson]

Originally Posted by rich07

So where to for Ryan Briscoe next year? With Penske possibly (probably ?) only running two cars next year, who gets bumped? Him or Spiderman?

Not that it'll happen, but I'd like to see him in the V8s. And if anyone's going to get moved it has to be Briscoe.

[JagtechOhio]

Mike King said on his "IndyCar Weekly" broadcast that Lotus and Sato were looking for a new home.

[marcostraz]

Originally Posted by JagtechOhio

Mike King said on his "IndyCar Weekly" broadcast that Lotus and Sato were looking for a new home.

Good news for Lotus!!!

[JagtechOhio]

King is the race broadcaster for the IMS radio network. Here is his exact statement, for what it's worth:

"It appears that Takuma Sato and Lotus may be on the move. I don't see another place that Taku and Lotus could land, other than maybe Andretti Autosport."

Just talk, but interesting. KV is not going to run four cars full time, and Lotus has stated that they want to run two.

[marcostraz]

Originally Posted by JagtechOhio

King is the race broadcaster for the IMS radio network. Here is his exact statement, for what it's worth:

"It appears that Takuma Sato and Lotus may be on the move. I don't see another place that Taku and Lotus could land, other than maybe Andretti Autosport."

Just talk, but interesting. KV is not going to run four cars full time, and Lotus has stated that they want to run two.

What about Team Lotus USA? Is it a structure capable to run independently one or two cars? Or are they obliged to join an existing team?

[NaBUru38]

marcostraz, KV isn't a bad team. It just has two extreme wreckers and one ocasionally wrecker (Viso).

Originally Posted by Jimmy Magnusson

if anyone's going to get moved it has to be Briscoe

Yes indeed.

Originally Posted by marcostraz

What about Team Lotus USA? Is it a structure capable to run independently one or two cars?

Yes they can. But Lotus will surely prefer paying to an existing, strong team to run green cars.

[Yannick]

Originally Posted by NaBUru38

But Lotus will surely prefer paying to an existing, strong team to run green cars.

If it's not KV, which one then? Lotus has got Sato signed for one seat and another seat open. How about moving to Andretti who still have TK signed up without funding for his ride so far. Kanaan/Patrick/Andretti/Sato wouldn't be all that different to Kanaan/Patrick/Andretti/Mutoh, well maybe with the exception of the repair bill. Would that mean Ryan Hunter-Reay would move with IZOD to AFS Racing or are they contracted to Adam Carroll already?

[cds_uk]

What about Taku to Dale Coyne?

[INDY500FAN13]

2011 Full Time Drivers



Bold = Confirmed
Italicized = Rumor

Penske Racing

#3 Helio Castroneves (Shell / Verizon Wireless /Kodak)
#6 Ryan Briscoe
#12 Will Power (Verizon Wireless / Shell / Kodak)


Target Chip Ganassi Racing

#9 Scott Dixon (Target)
#10 Dario Franchitti (Target)
#30 Graham Rahal


Andretti Autosport

#7 Danica Patrick (Go-Daddy.com)
#11 Tony Kanaan
#26 Marco Andretti (Venom Energy Drink)
#37 Ryan Hunter Reay


Dreyer & Reinbold Racing

#22 Justin Wilson
#23 Paul Tracy
#24 Mike Conway


FAZZT Racing

#77 Alex Tagliani (B&W Metals)
#33 TBA


KV Racing

#5Takuma Sato
#8EJ Viso
#32Mario Moraes


Panther Racing

#4 TBA (National Guard)
#20 TBA


AJ Foyt Racing

#14 TBA (ABC Supply)


DeFerran Dragon Racing

#2 TBA (Hewlett-Packard)
#21 Davey Hamilton (Hewlett-Packard)
**(Indy/Iowa/New Hampshire/Texas)


Dale Coyne Racing

#18 TBA
#19 TBA


Conquest Racing

#34 TBA
#36 TBA


Newman/Haas Racing

#06 TBA
#02 TBA


HVM Racing

#78 Simona de Silvestro (TBA)


AFS Racing (Maybe an AA Team Member)

#27 Adam Carroll (AFS Fire Sprinklers)


Sarah Fisher Racing

#67 TBA (Dollar General)


Walker Racing Partners

#70 TBA

Rahal Letterman Racing

#17 TBA

_________________________________________________________________

Indy 500 Entries

Team REDLINE Xtreme Racing (KV Racing Partner)

#?? TBA (REDLINE ENERGY DRINK)


Bryan Herta Autosport

#29 TBA







Available Drivers

Graham Rahal (CONFIRMED FULL TIME)
Dan Wheldon
Ryan Hunter-Reay
Tony Kanaan
Ed Carpenter
Ryan Briscoe
Justin Wilson
Paul Tracy
Takuma Sato
Mario Moraes
EJ Viso
Alex Lloyd
Oriol Servia
Sebastian Bourdais
Jay Howard
Hideki Mutoh
Betrand Baguette
Mario Romancini
JR Hilldebrand
Wade Cunningham
Sebastien Savvadra
Mike Conway
Bruno Junqueria
Roger Yasukawa
Milka Duno
Rafael Matos
Vitor Meira
Ana Beatriz
Tomas Sheckter
Francesco Dracone
Townsend Bell

[JagtechOhio]

Meira and Baguette are every bit as solid to return to their respective seats as Simona is.

While holding contracts, there has still been speculation about Dixon, Franchitti and Patrick.

JK Vernay and Pippa Mann are a lot closer to an ICS seat than some on your list.

James Rossiter was tabbed for the second Lotus seat, when one was planned before the season began. His name would presumably be one that is considered for the seat, if there is a car to put it in.

[INDY500FAN13]

I would change them to confirmed based upon trust on you, but i cant via permission issues with editting...

[Andy Roberts]

Andretti Autosport confirms that IZOD will not return as a sponsor for RHR in 2011, but they are actively seeking sponsorship to run him.

Taken from - http://twitter.com/16AndGeorgetown

[JagtechOhio]

Meira:
http://www.auto123.com/en/racing-new...1?artid=123294

Baguette:
http://www.motorsport.com/news/article.asp?ID=389763

Far from definitive in either case. As is the funding for Simona De Silvestro. So goes silly season.

Maybe an administrator could merge this thread into the existing one???

[JagtechOhio]

Thanks Andy, that is a fat catch.

Or another big one that got away....

[Andy Roberts]

Strange isn't it. The two drivers who have won for Andretti Autosport this year have now both lost there main sponsors and could potentially be out of a drive for next season, yet the two remaining drivers are cashed up ready to go.

Motorsport is a fical business