May as well create a new thread in the lead-up to the 2018 Indy Car season. One of the surprise moves has Ganassi signing Ed Jones. Evidently, Brendan Hartley is being wooed by the lure of F-1, even if it's with Torro Rosso. https://www.motorsport.com/indycar/news/ganassi-signs-jones-to-partner-dixon-in-2018-indycar-squad-970467/ BHW
Well.... I guess this is where we make predictions. Mine.....A Dallara chassis with either Honda Or Chevy power with an Xtrac gear box will win both the Indy 500 and the Championship (if you can cal it that). Furthermore, I will extend my self by saying that either a Penske or Ganassi car will be the recipient of said awards. How am I doing so far?
Pretty good 'ceptin' fer the 500 quite possibly going to that other spec team (edit: ) "again", Andretti.... So exciting!!! Meanwhile, back at the Mexican GP ranch.....
Positives: new bodywork looks a lot better than the old (subjective to be sure), tv ratings higher as a whole (500 apart) than before, cars sound decent-ish (again subjective), car counts seem static to perhaps slightly up next year Negatives: three teams will continue to dominate (same for most series: best teams win the most races), older more popular drivers transitioning out (Helio to IMSA, TK to Foyt), TBD how the new cars will race On the whole more positive momentum than in previous years, while maybe not as much as we'd like to see realistically we can't expect to have full innovation (too expensive given limited resources now) and changes made overnight
Just as a reminder, Formula One is about two manufactures withdrawing away from being in practically in the same boat as Indy Car. We know Ferrari will always be around. Mercedes-Benz's involvement is usually tenuous to a disgruntled board member who thinks racing is a waste of resources and the plug being pulled. Renault has jumped in and out so many times during the last two decades, who can remember? And Honda is Honda, they put their right foot in, they take their right foot out... Four manufacturers, yes more than Indy Car, but that ain't a whole lot to stand on given their rather finicky tastes for racing in the past. Let's also not forget F1 teams are all running the exact same spec ECUs (produced by McLaren), run spec Pirelli tires and if articles that have been circulating lately are any indication, Liberty and the FIA are discussing making more aspects of the cars spec to all from 2020 forward. And, if memory serves, I was about the only one in here who wasn't jumping up and down about the prospect of McLaren throwing in with the Indy Car lot a couple of weeks ago. The only place where things aren't spec racing is sports cars currently in the GT divisions in particular. BHW
which is pretty ironic as to IndyCar 2018, I'm looking forward to this year. Some of the young Americans are finally getting their chance. should make for some quality entertainment
We got our American champion in Newgarden this year. Can he repeat next year? He's already making overtures to F-1. Maybe he and Hartley exchange seats? BHW
I don't see Newgarden going to F1. not as much $$$$ as there used to be, and he won't be in as competitive a situation as he is now. and I don't see Hartley as the "Penske type"
When has F1 been a manufacturer based series? I don't remember when that was....(allright, allright...I guess you could say when Cosworth "manufactured" the ubiquitous field filling DFV... ) I guess I really haven't been keeping up....who makes "the spec" F1 chassis and body? I thought the teams were required to build their own... Remind me again of when and who had team specific tires? (I know, I know...right offhand, Tyrrell for it's 6 wheeler and Shadow for it's "go-kart" Can Am car, 40ish and 50ish years ago, respectively....)
Michael Shank Racing announced today they will run select Indy events in 2018 with Jack Harvey. https://www.indystar.com/story/sports/motor/2017/12/08/jack-harvey-set-race-six-races-2018-michael-shank-racing/934577001/
Good lord. Reading what you guys are saying about Indy and F1 here has me thinking Nascar might be in better shape than either. Who'd thunk it?
No need to worry. We can shred NASCAR just as well as Indycar or F-1. In fact, you may enjoy the current DP thread. The current management staffs in all series seem to take great delight in the philosophy of "spec" with the word "racing". As a former racing mechanic I can honestly say I never heard the word "spec" until the suits and ties showed up. Since then, it has been all down hill. Damn furririnners!!
We may point out the many flaws of all forms of racing. But Turbo nails it, once the bean counters start taking over, all hope of open racing end. Somebody has to be there to suck all the fun out of things. Since NASCAR is the 900lb gorilla in the room, other series have looked to them as to why they (were) successful and the only thing they could come up with is the spec formula. The Indy Car bean counters agreed obviously. There is hope in Indy Car though since they've finally done away with these "aero kit" disasters. The thing was the "aero kit" cars were fast but just butt ugly. I never really understood why they went in this direction to begin with as when I heard about "aero kits" my inclination was that they'd go more towards a look that was more like what is coming in 2018. Somewhere out there, you'd think there'd be a chassis manufacturer or two who'd like to take a crack at Indy, no? BHW
I love sports car racing such as Weathertech. However, the part I do not understand and exactly when and how it came to be is how the car types are determined for each category. Such as the GTLM class has Ferrari, Porsche, Corvette which all makes since. Then they throw in the Aston when it comes to Le Mans. What? I can see where a 458, 911 and vette can compete in a class because they are sports cars but the AM? And on top of that it gets all kinds of "help" to be competitive. Even in the Continental series seeing the camaro, mustang, 911, 458, etc all competing in the same group makes no sense to me. I think groups should be based somewhat on real life. I think we can agree that a sedan and a coupe should be different categories, no? We all know that a camaro/mustang will get whipped by a 911/458 anyday of the week in real life so why have them in the same group? Sorry for taking this off topic. I will stop now.
I agree with that. We should go back to a supercar type series like the FIA GT1 was back in the late 1990's. Everybody liked it, but due to the lack of rule control and several people wanting it gone it went away. Costs got extreme, so holding to real production supercars I think would be the key. No specials just for the series. It amazes me that you can't race a La Ferrari in any series. That makes me think the organizers have their heads up their arses as Dan Gurney used to say. Sorry for going off topic.
Well we can spend another year discussing how the past was better or we can move forward and talk about the year coming. I've already got my tickets for the Toronto Indy for 2018. Look forward to another year of racing and hoping to see the Canucks in the field. Lots of different winners in the past year. Curious to see the new faces in the grid and how they do. Looking at attending either Indy 500 or Dual in Detroit as well this year but we will see how the calendar pans out.
I could not agree with you more - F1 is boring me to death - I like Indy - I know several drivers who r very friendly - its a great community - I will probably get flamed but I'm sick and tired of all the Indy bashing Been to Toronto race a few years ago and had a great time - a coach friend took my around the track n a golf cart and showed me all the nuinsis had great food and awesome night life - especially at one night club where there is an outdoor pool?
I like the Indy series! It's better than Nascar is today. I will attend the 500 in the near future. Maybe even this year.
IndyCar racing may be great for fans, but as a competitor, it sucks to the high wind. If you want to do something different,you can't. Want control your costs, you can't. Want to find a better way, forget it. Open racing permits those things.Spec does not. In fact, spec costs more in the long run for one reason, someone else's profits.
One thing being noticed this year is how Indy Car is keeping things alive during the off season with actual on-track testing. It seemed as though the past several years, Indy Car would go completely dark during the off season imposing testing bans and only keeping a profile by using stupid videos with drivers (just ridiculous, embarrassing train wrecks) in a vain attempt to keep a pulse going. In the CART days, teams would literally be at Sebring testing two days after the end of the season and test consistently throughout the off season right up to the holiday break and then right back at it again leading up to "Spring Training" events at Homestead. Having cars testing on the tracks generates news. It keeps sponsors and potential sponsors happy. They may have done away with off season testing for cost containment reasons but the lack of any on-track activities detracted from the series greatly, hopefully they continue in the CART mode. BHW
they're doing more testing this year than the past few because of the new aero kits. I expect next offseason to go back to virtually no testing, or news, for 5 months.
