2017 Indycar Silly Season Discussion

Well, yet another move in the paddock, this time a veteran bumping a younger driver out of the fourth team.
http://www.motorsport.com/indycar/news/sato-signs-with-andretti-autosport-for-2017-841740/

Doing a list just to keep everybody up to date on our off-season haps

Foyt: (Team now runs Chevy Motors)

#14 Munoz?
#41 Daly/Montoya?

Andretti:

#26 Sato
#27 Andretti
#28 RHR
#98 Rossi (Still with the Herta alliance)

Ganassi: (Team now runs Honda motors)

#8 Chilton?/Montoya?
#9 Dixon
#10 Kannan
#83 Kimball


Coyne:

#18 Bourdais
#19 Daly? Enerson?


ECR:

#20 Carpenter (RC), Pigot?
#21 Montoya?/Hildebrand?/Pigot?

KV? (Rumor Carlin might buy into the team and Vasser might be out as an owner)

#11 Jones?/Chilton?/Servia?


Rahal:

#15 Rahal


Schmidt:

#5 Hinchcliffe
#7 Aleshin
#?? Servia?


Penske:

#1 Pagenaud
#2 Newgarden
#3 Castroneves
#12 Power

Well Montoya's out of the running, staying with Penske and doing a one-off for Indy.

http://www.motorsport.com/indycar/news/montoya-to-stay-with-penske-in-2017-845670/

He's baaaaaack!
http://www.racer.com/indycar/item/136085-indycar-hildebrand-poised-for-ecr-seat

I am so ready to be completely underwhelmed by Hildebrand again.

ED WHY YOU NO HIRE CONOR DALY

RetrogradeRenegade wrote:I am so ready to be completely underwhelmed by Hildebrand again.

ED WHY YOU NO HIRE CONOR DALY

No telling how he'll do championship-wise, but I expect him to be a threat to win at Indy if ECR is as good as they were there last year.

And if Daly isn't going to Carpenter, then I really hope that he lands the ride at Foyt (or comes back to Coyne).

Quite a big update from Racer

Link: http://www.racer.com/indycar/item/137313-indycar-silly-season-update-for-dec-21

The only unfilled, fully funded seat is the Ed Carpenter Racing road course seat. The team ran Spencer Pigot for much of last season, and they are considering resigning him next year. But, they tested Zach Veach, an Indy Lights driver, and he outpaced Pigot. Adding insult to injury, it was the first time Veach every drove an IndyCar Dallara. And that's a bit awkward. The team is also considering GP2 driver Alex Lynn.

Gabby Chaves, RC Enerson, Matthew Brabham, and Luca Filippi are all working on deals for next year, but nothing is certain at the moment. KV may or may not be on the grid next year, possibly in partnership with Carlin, the Indy Lights team.

And speaking of Indy Lights, Bryan Herta's son Colton will be driving for Andretti's expanded Lights program.

Meanwhile, Team Pelfrey (which took over 8Star's open wheel program) recently tested Juan Piedrahita. Although the Colombian didn't finish the season with them, it seems Pelfrey is giving him another chance. That Piedrahita's tweet about the test included the line "can't wait for 2017" makes me think he's the favorite to get the ride.

Two British Indy Lights drivers, Dean Stoneman and Jack Harvey, want to be on the grid for St. Petersburg to make their top level debuts, but they don't have deals as of now.

Alpineopossum wrote:Quite a big update from Racer

Link: http://www.racer.com/indycar/item/137313-indycar-silly-season-update-for-dec-21

The only unfilled, fully funded seat is the Ed Carpenter Racing road course seat. The team ran Spencer Pigot for much of last season, and they are considering resigning him next year. But, they tested Zach Veach, an Indy Lights driver, and he outpaced Pigot. Adding insult to injury, it was the first time Veach every drove an IndyCar Dallara. And that's a bit awkward. The team is also considering GP2 driver Alex Lynn.

I'd hate to see Pigot out of a ride, as I believe that he deserves one, but at the same time I'm very happy to read that Veach took so well to his first test in the DW12; I really want to see him move up to IndyCar within the next few years.

I believe Pigot did enough to earn another season, but it feels like it's now or never for Veach. I don't buy Lynn coming over, i think he's still going to try to get F1.

Also in other Indy Light news, Santiago Urrutia has signed with Belardi for 2017. it's good to hear he's getting another shot after the controversial ending to the Indy Lights title fight this year.

NAPA Auto Parts will be returning to the Andretti Autosport #98 car this year! This time it will sponsor the car for a total of seven races; St. Petersburg, Long Beach, the Grand Prix of Indianapolis, Road America, Watkins Glen, Sonoma, and of course, the 101st Indianapolis 500.

http://knowhow.napaonline.com/alexander-rossi-2017-indycar-season/

It appears as if the paint scheme used for the road course aerokit will get a slight redesign. I have found no pictures of a speedway aerokit to determine whether or not the paint scheme for the 500 will feature similar changes.

SpeedDemon37 wrote:NAPA Auto Parts will be returning to the Andretti Autosport #98 car this year! This time it will sponsor the car for a total of seven races; St. Petersburg, Long Beach, the Grand Prix of Indianapolis, Road America, Watkins Glen, Sonoma, and of course, the 101st Indianapolis 500.

http://knowhow.napaonline.com/alexander-rossi-2017-indycar-season/

It appears as if the paint scheme used for the road course aerokit will get a slight redesign. I have found no pictures of a speedway aerokit to determine whether or not the paint scheme for the 500 will feature similar changes.

HOLY SHIT I WANT IT AS A DIECAST RIGHT NOW.

Maldonado is a possibility to race for KV http://www.motorsport.com/indycar/news/kv-racing-in-talks-with-maldonado-866653/

Racer is reporting that Juncos Racing, an Indy Lights team, has bought out KV Racing Technology's equipment and plans on entering two cars in the Indianapolis 500. The current frontrunners for the seats are Indy Lights race winner Kyle Kaiser and none other than Pastor Maldonado.

http://www.racer.com/indycar/item/138182-juncos-racing-readying-indycar-program

As of right now, the 500 entry list looks something like this

Team Penske - 1 - Simon Pagenaud (France)
Team Penske - 2 - Josef Newgarden (USA)
Team Penske - 3 - Helio Castroneves (USA)
AJ Foyt Enterprises - 4 - Conor Daly (USA)
Schmitt Peterson Motorsports - 5 - James Hinchcliffe (Canada)
Schmitt Peterson Motorsports - 7 - Mikhail Aleshin (Russia)
Chip Ganassi Racing - 8 - Max Chilton (UK)
Chip Ganassi Racing - 9 - Scott Dixon (New Zealand)
Chip Ganassi Racing - 10 - Tony Kanaan (Brazil)
Team Penske - 12 - Will Power (Australia)
AJ Foyt Enterprises - 14 - Carlos Munoz (Colombia)
Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing - 15 - Graham Rahal (USA)
Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing - 16 - Oriol Servia (Spain)
Dale Coyne Racing - 18 - Sébastien Bourdais (France)
Dale Coyne Racing - 19 - Ed Jones (United Arab Emirates)
Ed Carpenter Racing - 20 - Ed Carpenter (USA)
Ed Carpenter Racing - 21 - JR Hildebrand (USA)
Team Penske - 22 - Juan Pablo Montoya (Colombia)
Dreyer & Reinbold Kingdom Racing - 24 - Sage Karam (USA)
Andretti Autosport - 26 - Takuma Sato (Japan)
Andretti Autosport - 27 - Marco Andretti (USA)
Andretti Autosport - 28 - Ryan Hunter Reay (USA)
Schmitt Peterson Racing/?Mattoli/?Stewart - 77 - ?Jay Howard (UK)
Chip Ganassi Racing - 83 - Charlie Kimball (USA)
Andretti Herta Autosport with Curb Agajanian - 98 - Alexander Rossi (USA)
Juncos Racing - ?? - ?Kyle Kaiser (USA)
Juncos Racing - ?? - ?Pastor Maldonado (Venezuela)

Alpineopossum wrote: The current frontrunners for the seats are Indy Lights race winner Kyle Kaiser and none other than Pastor Maldonado.

WHAT

AntmanB wrote:

Alpineopossum wrote: The current frontrunners for the seats are Indy Lights race winner Kyle Kaiser and none other than Pastor Maldonado.

WHAT

Yep CRASHONALDO

zfitzwater599 wrote:

AntmanB wrote:

Alpineopossum wrote: The current frontrunners for the seats are Indy Lights race winner Kyle Kaiser and none other than Pastor Maldonado.

WHAT

Yep CRASHONALDO

Viva la Revolución

The Fracas from Caracas is back.


By the way, Kevin Kalhoven has confirmed he and Jimmy Vasser has sold their team to Juncos.

Updated entry list for the 500

Team Penske - 1 - Simon Pagenaud (France)
Team Penske - 2 - Josef Newgarden (USA)
Team Penske - 3 - Helio Castroneves (USA)
AJ Foyt Enterprises - 4 - Conor Daly (USA)
Schmitt Peterson Motorsports - 5 - James Hinchcliffe (Canada)
Schmitt Peterson Motorsports - 7 - Mikhail Aleshin (Russia)
Chip Ganassi Racing - 8 - Max Chilton (UK)
Chip Ganassi Racing - 9 - Scott Dixon (New Zealand)
Chip Ganassi Racing - 10 - Tony Kanaan (Brazil)
Team Penske - 12 - Will Power (Australia)
AJ Foyt Enterprises - 14 - Carlos Munoz (Colombia)
Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing - 15 - Graham Rahal (USA)
Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing - 16 - Oriol Servia (Spain)
Dale Coyne Racing - 18 - Sébastien Bourdais (France)
Dale Coyne Racing - 19 - Ed Jones (United Arab Emirates)
Ed Carpenter Racing - 20 - Ed Carpenter (USA)
Ed Carpenter Racing - 21 - JR Hildebrand (USA)
Team Penske - 22 - Juan Pablo Montoya (Colombia)
Dreyer & Reinbold Racing - 24 - Sage Karam (USA)
Andretti Autosport - 26 - Takuma Sato (Japan)
Andretti Autosport with Lendium - 27 - Marco Andretti (USA)
Andretti Autosport - 28 - Ryan Hunter-Reay (USA)
McLaren-Honda-Andretti - 29 - Fernando Alonso (Spain)
AJ Foyt Enterprises- 40 - Zach Veach (USA)
Michael Shank Racing with Andretti Autosport - 50 - Jack Harvey (UK)
Dale Coyne Racing - 63 - Pippa Mann (UK)
Schmitt Peterson Motorsports/Mattoli/Stewart - 77 - Jay Howard (UK)
Chip Ganassi Racing - 83 - Charlie Kimball (USA)
Harding Racing - 88 - Gabby Chaves (Colombia)
Andretti Herta Autosport with Curb Agajanian - 98 - Alexander Rossi (USA)
?Grace Autosport - ?? - ?Katherine Legge (UK)
Juncos Racing - ?? - TBA