Saturday, March 13, 2010

Lotus back to Indy


(Photo courtesy of KV Racing Technology)

So according to the KVRT press release awaiting me in the No Fenders mailbox this morning was the announcement that Lotus and Cosworth are set to return to the Indy Car ranks beginning at St. Pete in just a Fortnight’s time, as Lotus and Cosworth will partner with KV Racing Technology in its collaborative effort to return the storied marcque back into Indy Car racing, as Takuma Sato will pilot the classic Lotus green & yellow Dallara Honda in 2010.

So, I’m not sure what this means if anything for the young British lion James Rossiter? Or how does Honda feel about having Cosworth potentially plastered on the racecar’s flanks whilst the Japanese company has an “exclusive” arrangement with the Indy Racing League until 2011...

Yet, remember that KVRT co-owner Kevin Kalkhoven and Gerald Forsythe own Cosworth Engineering, so this is definitely a vested interest for Kevin’s engine building concern which has just returned to the rarefied climes of Formula 1 after a 3yr absence, coincidently with the rebranded Malaysian Lotus Racing F1 Team.

Yet according to Kevin Lee during today’s third practice session in Sao Paolo during what was supposed to be the very first Indy Car qualifying session... He noted that the James Rossiter “Deal” still isn’t dead and we could see up to a five car operation at KVRT sometime during the season? As Mr. Chrome Horn, a.k.a. Paul Tracy will run Indy and the two Canada events for the team, so it looks like the ex-Champ Car squad will be extremely busy this season as it tries to crash the Penske-TCGR Party...