IRL Happenings

Finally, some good news for the IRL from a sponsor/team/field size standpoint:

Penske signs a sponsor for Castroneves (Shell/Pennzoil) and Briscoe (IZOD):

http://indycar.com/news/show/55-izod-indycar-series/40629-shell-pennzoil-return-to-the-indy-500/

http://www.indycar.com/news/show/55-izod-indycar-series/40601-izod-team-penske-join-forces-in-2011/

Ganassi forms a new team for Graham Rahal and Charlie Kimball:

http://indycar.com/news/show/55-izod-indycar-series/40745-ganassi-expands-with-rahal-kimball/

Mike Lanigan joins Rahal/Letterman as a partner (hopefully for a full-season return?):

http://www.indycar.com/news/archive/show/55-izod-indycar-series/40776-lanigan-joins-as-co-owner-of-rahal-letterman-lanigan-racing/

also, it appears Gil DeFerran's team (DeFerran/Dragon Racing) will sign Tony Kanaan this week:

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/546636-tony-kanaan-headed-to-gil-de-ferrans-team-to-replace-matos

 

Oh, I thought the good news would be no Barnhardt!

 

that would be a merry Christmas, no?

 

Don "The Snake" Prudhomme is talking about possibly getting involved with a team in 2012 when the new cars hit.

Is it just a need for attention on his part, or is he serious...have to wait and see.

 

It sounds as though Lanigan's involvement with
Rahal/Letterman is to do with their BMW entry
in the ALMS.

They may try to put an Indy Car team together,
at the very least a one off at Indy for the 500.

Ganassi upping his involvement with a four car
entry.

BHW

 

then why was it on the Indycar website? and Lanigan seems to only be interested in Indycar, going back to the Mijack/Eric Bachelart days.

TK to deFerran/Dragon confirmed today:

http://indycar.com/news/show/55-izod-indycar-series/40763-kanaan-moves-on-to-de-ferran-dragon-team/

good for Tony, glad he got out of the "Jersey Shore" drama that is Andretti Racing.

 

i agree regarding tk. i bet he feels like he can breathe again. he may now be able to tel the world what a putz marco is and what a no drivin idiot diva that danica really is.

but...many of us already knew tk's pain.

pcb

 

Good question.

I'm only going by what's being reported on Autosport.
The article appears under the heading of ALMS News.
No mention of any pending Indy Car involvement.

We all know the British never get anything wrong though,
right?

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/88729



BHW

 

right

 

Nothing about entering Indy Car on Rahal's website.

Just the same press release about Lanigan joining the
team as a partner.

BHW

 

Just really nice to see some positive news about IndyCar recently. Now all we have to do is wait for 2011 to be over!

 

I know Mike Lanigan quite well and I can tell you his focus has always been Indy. He has a permanent suite there.

 

Don Prudhomme has always been a fan of other forms of motor sport, notably F1. He knows more than the casual fan, and he's stated before he would like to get involved.

Seeing that the budgets for a full NHRA pro team have gone into the stratosphere, and with the IRL taking steps to control costs, I think he is serious. He could easily bag sponsors, and I would welcome his involvement.

 

good points.

Kenny Bernstein had an Indycar team for years in the 80's, so it's been done before...

 

This pitiful excuse for an open wheel series needs to just curl up and die already so the glory days that was CART/Champ Car can rise again.


That is all.


Rob

 

I have to say, with the new leadership, car and manufactures entering, I'm pretty excited to see what the "new" Indycar is going to be like. I think we are about to see a major shift in motorsports power in the US.

Just look at the fields set for next year. And that without the new car and manufactures for 2012!

Now they just need a good TV package.....

 

Can't disagree with you. Sad whenthe most exciting thing, for me, is the Snake getting involved. How I long for the glory days of CART when there were routinely more than full fields, cars looked great, and a who's who of racers competed.

 

Let's just hope the new Indy Car leadership dosent
make the same mistakes their predecessors did.

Likewise, they'd be much better off not following
NASCAR's business plan and getting distracted by
all that nonsense. Since the ISC has pushed Indy
Car off all their circuits, it would seem the white
gloves have come off.

Perhaps Lanigan's involvement with Rahal/Letterman
is just what they need to get an Indy Car team up
and running. Still no announcement however, perhaps
after the New Year.

BHW

 

And to say goodbye to Brian Brainfart.

 

no offense Rob, but that attitude is part of the reason why the IRL is the way it is; I've never seen a fan base (for any sport) more stuck in the past than IndyCar fans.

bring back CART...

bring back the front-engine roadsters...

why doesn't AJ drive any more...

let's clone Rodger Ward...

sigh. respect the past, sure, but let's live in the future.

 

+1.

All posts don't need to smell like a bed of roses, but the horse is dead. Beating it some more isn't going to bring it back. Enjoy the good parts and move on to the future.

 

The IRL sure has problems but it is all we have for open wheel racing at the moment so I personally hope they can make a go of it - I still like going to the track (not for NASCAR)

 

Very true.
IRL can only get better I think, after the many years of turmoil in open wheel racing in the US.
The next step should be to distance itself from the 'specs series' format and allow a bit more diversity. Several chassis and engines suppliers, and minimum restrictions for them.

Some of the rules now in force go again attracting newcomers to the series, like the requirement that a new engine manufacturer MUST be able to provide half of the field. Many don't want that, but would prefer to concentrate on one or two teams without becoming just another supplier.
From a publicity point of view, for example, Honda could hardly exploit its success in IRL, since it has the monopoly and supplies the whole field!!

 

I think IRL's golden chance at revival lies with the gradual upswing in the economy. With a good plan and product in place they can grow back into a significant series.

 

They should also be working to get ex-F-1 drivers
over. CART's global profile was never higher than
when Mansell, Emmo, etc were taking part.

Satosan is great but guys like Coulthard could probably
still find girlfriends in the U.S.

BHW