As typical, after I'd posted my most recent
IndyCar Silly Season update, 'Wayback on Feb 18, wouldn't Yuhs know I-T!
Schmidt Peterson Motorsports had the gumption to somewhat surprisingly hired
James Jakes to its vacated second race
seat for 2015. As Jakes, whom seemingly
brought money to the team in order to drive the No. 7 this year, since Russian Mikhail Aleshin's
funding was frozen by tis great land 'O thee in the name of sanctions against
the Kremlin; Nyet! You're NOT gonna race in Americre' NO more Mikhail!
Meanwhile, also missed the memo over Chip
Ganassi Racing confirming the obvious, i.e.; Sage Karam will race the No. 8 at
Indy Cars season opener at St. Pete whilst further funding is negotiated for
Karam to run the remainder of the season. (As surely Cheep' hopes
he doesn't demolish too many more tubs - like he did on the first day of
Aerokit testing at thee Barber!) Which left just four
fulltime seats open for '15.
T MINUS 30!
Here's what I noted the landscape 'O IndyCar seats
still available one month prior to St Pete appeared to this flummoxed
"Keyboard Warrior!" With the worst news being Justin Wilson possibly
not being on the grid in 2015, albeit this seems to be a nagging yearly trend
for the likeable & talented Briton...
Therefore, on February 26th, just three days
shy of 'T-minus-30, the most coveted remaining IndyCar ride available was Mikey
Andretti's fourth seat, which my fingers, toes, arms, legs; Uhm? Y'all get
the idea that I really wanted Justin
B-I-G' UNIT Wilson to get this drive! Whilst speculation swirled over a
possible revolving door multi-driver's fifth AA entry being possible?
Second best remaining was the second KV
Whatever it's called now Racing Team's
ride alongside le 'Hamburgular, nee Sebastain Bourdais, while it was still way
too EARLY for Dale Coyne to announce who'll be driving his two Honda powered
entries this season, as my early hunch was that Alexander Rossi and hopefully
Conor Daly would be his two pilots?
Meanwhile the "Pundits" were
speculating that "Symona-symona" (Simona de Silvestro) was in the
"Catbird" seat for Andretti's fourth seat with Wilson being devoid of
substantial "Coinage" to obtain the drive! Whilst I speculated to
thy-self how Justin would be a nice addition at Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing
for another upcoming story...
'Stee-rike! On Feb
27th, I learned via Marshall Pruett that American F1hopeful Alexander Rossi had
been confirmed at GP2 team Racing Engineering for the 2015 season. Since after
all, Rossi still yearns for his place in Formula 1, and I can only speculate
this move in part is for a hoped for drive at Haas F1 in 2016...
THREE WEEKS OUT...
On March 9th, just one day shy of three weeks
remaining, the other KV, aka KV Racing
Technology announced that its vacant second seat, now sporting the long
standing No. 4 of Panther Racing lore, would be chauffeured by multi-winning
GP2 driver Stefano Coletti of Monaco.
Leaving us to hold our breaths for Dale Coyne to say something along with Mikey
Andretti filling his team's vacancy...
Which is exactly what Andretti Autosport did
when announcing on March 11th that they'd signed "Symona-Symona" (De
Silvestro) to be the chauffer of their fourth IndyCar seat, although St Pete
was the only confirmed race to date, which means that the only ride available
for Justin Wilson will be at Dale Coyne this season.
As will Justin Wilson
be back in IndyCars or not? The answer for the season's first four races
appears sadly to be NO; FUCK!
POP GOES THE...
On Monday, March 16th, Dale Coyne Racing
(DCR) announced that Carlos Huertas
had been signed to drive the No. 18 for a second season,
with IndyStar's 'Kurty Cavin claiming that the second DCR seat would be
occupied by Francesco
Dracone thru the season's first four races; WTF! With
Justin Wilson being sidelined until May, while Conor Daly was also now doing the
Sports Car thingy...
As yeah, Dracone.'s
name should sound familiar to Y'all, since he was the laughing stock 'O Indy
Cars 'Wayback in 2010 when he contested two races for Conquest Racing at
Mid-Ohio and Sonoma.
At Mid-Ohio, although slowest of all contestants,
he started from P23 when four others started behind him due to assorted
maladies, i.e.; thee Wanderin' Milka not electing to qualify, etc. Finishing
the race 3-laps behind!
At Sonoma he once again was one of the
slowest, albeit being one second quicker than Milka Duno... Nope! No punch line
here 'lil Doggies; Hooah! before smartly pirouetting himself out of competition
towards the end of the race, being credited with finishing 20th before thankfully
vanishing off IndyCar's radar...
As I've just come
up with the clever Moniker of Francesco Floppo! For the 31yr old Italian, whom
must be bringing a wad 'O lira; Err Euros; Uhm Dinero to Coyne, eh? Then again,
perhaps he'll surprise us behind the wheel of a Dallara DW12 Hondre' Aerokit
ride...
