Indy Car Silly Season

I think there was a topic like this on the old forum...

Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Stabatas
Honda
Ganassi Racing will apparently keep Dixon, Franchitti, Rahal, and Kimball. All the sponsors will be returning. The only change is that they might run Montoya and or McMurry in Indy to do the double.
9 - Scott Dixon - Target
10 - Dario Franchitti - Target
38 - Graham Rahal - NTB
83 - Charlie Kimball - Novo Nordisk

Team Penske
Chevrolet
Penske has sponsorship for two cars, and they are close to getting sponsorship for a third car. Only Will Power has a contract, but Castroneves and Briscoe will (in my opinion at least) probably be back. That said, Castroneves supposedly has tax troubles again.
3 - Helio Castroneves? - Shell/AAA/Guide Point
6 - Ryan Briscoe? - IZOD/PPG/Meijer
12 - Will Power - Verizon Wireless

Andretti Autosport
TBA
Danica Patrick is leaving at years end for NASCAR, although she may still run Indy. Go Daddy will stay in IndyCar however, which surprises me, leaving Danica's former seat to be much coveted. Andretti has a ton of young guns in the pipeline in the Indy Lights, Star Mazda, and F2000, and they could be in the running. Reportedly Alex Tagliani could get this seat. Katherine Legge may also be a factor for a seat here, as is Justin Wilson, who may leave Dreyer & Reinbold. Marco Andretti is contracted to the team. Michael Andretti supposedly wants Hunter Reay back, and Mike Conway says he wants to return, and after that Long Beach win I think he will. They already have sponsorship done for two cars and are almost completing a deal for a third. Still, they expect to have a four car team. Stay tuned.
7 - TBA - Go Daddy.com
26 - Marco Andretti - Venom Energy Drink
27 - Mike Conway - Buffalo Wild Wings?
28 - Ryan Hunter Reay - DHL/Sun Drop

Panther Racing
TBA
J.R. Hildebrand is returning, as is sponsor National Guard. Panther Racing officials are apparently impressed with Hildebrand. John Barnes, the boss of Panther Racing, says he is "pretty close" to getting the necessary funding to run a second car full time. No word on who the driver would be but Buddy Rice drove the second car at Indianapolis last season.
4 - J.R. Hildebrand - National Guard
44 - TBA - TBA

Newman/Haas Racing
TBA
Oriol Servia and James Hinchcliffe look like they will return. The team is working on funding for a third car but Carl Haas recently said it isn't likely to happen, but it might. Team Manager Brian Lisles said that if it happens it will come into place "before Christmas"
2 - Oriol Servia - Telemundo/CDW
06 - James Hinchcliffe - Sprott
TBA - TBA - TBA

KV Racing Technology
TBA
Surprisingly this team might split with Lotus, and it appears that it could go with any engine makes. Jimmy Vasser hinted that the team is keen on keeping their lineup, but nothing was said about Viso, who has personal connections with sponsor PDVSA.
5 - Takuma Sato? - Panasonic
59 - E.J. Viso? - PDVSA?
82 - Tony Kanaan? - Geico

A.J. Foyt Enterprises
Honda
Foyt is sticking with Honda, and Meira and ABC Supply Company will return to the team in 2012. Supposedly a second car is in the works. If that happens it would be the first time since I think 1999 (If I'm wrong about that correct me) that Foyt has run two cars full time. In that case, Bruno Junqueria would be the leading candidate
14 - Vitor Meira - ABC Supply Company
41 - TBA - TBA

Dreyer & Reinbold Racing
TBA
This team is in trouble. Apparently Beatriz may leave at years end and take sponsorship with her. The same applies to Justin Wilson. HP could return, but Davey Hamilton, who they sponsor, is retirieing. It appears that the team may go to one car in 2012.
22 - TBA - HP?
24 - TBA - TBA

HVM Racing/Pacific Motorsports
TBA
A name change could be on the cards for this team where they might be the Penske B-Team. Supposedly Hendrick Motorsports could join in on this effort. In any guise, this team will seemingly have two cars next year. Simona de Silvestro will return, but there's no word on who the newcomer could be. Mario Moreas' name was floated around, as was Robert Doornbos and Josef Newgarden.
78 - Simona de Silvestro - Nuclear Energy Research Council
TBA - TBA - TBA

Sam Schmitt Motorsports
Honda
Alex Tagliani's contract is up and the word is he might go to Andretti or possibly the third Newman/Haas car. Sam Schmitt says they will run a second car. Simon Pagenaud is the leading candidate. Also rumored was Josef Newgarten and Matsushita Jr- I mean Hideki Mutoh. Also in the running are Wade Cunningham, Ho-Pin Tung, and Jay Howard
77 - TBA - Bowers & Wilkens
99 - TBA - TBA

AFS Racing
Honda
AFS wants to go full time and has in house sponsorship. Martin Plowman and Raphael Matos may be in the running
17 - TBA - Automatic Fire Sprinklers

Dale Coyne Racing
TBA
Rumor has it that Red Bull wants to sponsor an Indycar team and that Dale Coyne Racing could be the team. Coyne has all but confirmed that James Jakes will return, as well as Sebastian Bourdais full time (including ovals). It's not said, but their plan appears to be have Jakes bring funding from Acorn Stairlifts and have him just get seat time while the team concentrates on helping Bourdais fight for wins in 2012.
18 - James Jakes - Acorn Stairlifts
19 - Sebastien Bourdais - Boy Scouts of America/Red Bull Energy Drink?

Conquest Racing
TBA
Eric Bachelart says he wants to run two full time cars, but that doesn't seem likley. No word on a driver
34 - TBA - TBA

Rahal Lettermen Lanigan Racing
TBA
RLL wants to go full time with one car in 2012, and apparently might have the funding to do so. Bertrand Baguette and Pippa Mann are the lead contenders
30 - TBA - TBA

Sarah Fisher Racing
TBA
Fisher will go full time with Ed Carpenter in 2012 will sponsor Dollar General returning. Like how Dollar Generals are in the weirdest places, Carpenter is competitive on a seemingly random basis.
67 - Ed Carpenter - Dollar General

Dragon Penske Racing
TBA
This team is owned by Jay Penske, who wants to beat his Dad's team. Looks like somebody isn't invited to thanksgiving dinner...In all seriousness, the team will have a full time car, and Paul Tracy might drive it. . Other candidates are Ho-Pin Tung and Scott Speed.
8 - Paul Tracy? - Ralph's

Highcroft Racing
TBA
Former ALMS team wants to join Indycar full time. I seriously doubt this will happen but you never know. Highcroft by the way is running a modified Delta Wing at Le Mans.
16 - TBA - TBA

Wayne Taylor Racing
TBA
Sports car legend Wayne Taylor wants to expand beyond his sucessful Grand Am operation and run in Indycar. He has backing from SunTrust and is working on sponsorship from another company
TBA - TBA - SunTrust

Team Oreca
TBA
French sports car team may run a team to promote their aero kit debuting in 2013.
TBA - TBA - Matmut

????????
TBA
A unnamed GrandAm team wants to open a Indycar team and apparently this might happen. I think they might be referring to Wayne Taylor Racing, but I think it's worthy of putting up here.
TBA - TBA - TBA

Team Red Bull
Supposedly Red Bull wanted to open an Indycar operation, but it seems more likley they would partner with an existing team.

Kanaan is signed with KV for next year.

According to Robin Miller from Speed TV, Godaddy.com wants a big name in that 7 car and right now, the biggest candidate is Dan Weldon. He is not set to come back full time with Bryan Herta Autosport in 2012.

Marco Andretti's sponsor will be RC Cola.

Seabass in a Dale Coyne Red Bull car would be awesome.

Simona de Silvestro is going to a Penske team of some sort. Roger has said a few times that he wants her in his team, and if Helio and Briscoe just aren't cutting the mustard...

Also, I've heard from multiple sources that KV is going with Honda (Takuma Sato is a long-time Honda man, that's why he's in the IRL), and that Newman Haas could be the Lotus factory team.

Bourdais + Dale Coyne + Winning =

Briscoe sucks. Dump him, and put Kanaan in the seat.

Some News...

• Dan Wheldon may go drive the car vacated by Danica Patrick
• KV Racing Technology will run Chevrolet engines
• So will Andretti Autosport.

Alpineopossum wrote:Some News...

• Dan Wheldon may go drive the car vacated by Danica Patrick
• KV Racing Technology will run Chevrolet engines
• So will Andretti Autosport.

Maybe Andretti Autosport will have enough money next year so they won't have to have their Twitter page sponsor their car.

Ugh. KV needs to ditch Viso and Penske needs to drop Briscoe. I am not a Dan Wheldon fan, but he definitely deserves that #7 car.

OFFICIAL MANUFACTURER COUNT

Honda (6 Cars)

A.J. Foyt Enterprises
#14 Vitor Meira

Chip Ganassi Racing
#9 Scott Dixon
#10 Dario Franchitti
#38 Graham Rahal
#83 Charlie Kimball

Sam Schmidt Motorsports
#77 Alex Tagliani

Chevrolet (10 Cars)

Andretti Autosport
#?? Driver TBA
#26 Marco Andretti
#27 Mike Conway
#28 Ryan Hunter-Reay

KV Racing Technology
#5 Takuma Sato
#59 EJ Viso
#82 Tony Kanaan

Team Penske
#3 Helio Castroneves
#6 Ryan Briscoe
#12 Will Power

Lotus (0 Cars)

You would think KV would go with Lotus, but since they're Chevrolet, you wonder who'll have Lotus. I'm thinking an up-start team would choose Lotus, or they might have a team like KV this year with Lotus backing.

im glad their doing multiple engines again. i was getting a little sick of the honda monopoly