Thursday, April 15, 2021

IndyCar Season Preview: Bowtie Boyz’

Are we really gonna G-O Racing?

 

Hur-ray, Hur-ray, Hur-ray Folks! After 27, or is it 28? Insufferable Miserably L-O-N-G week since our last G-Damn IndyCar race Wayback on October 25th, 2020 at St Pete, it’s finally time to Kick this Party off at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, or is it Leeds? Alabama this Sunday, April 18th, Hurrah!

2021 Chevrolet Team line-ups

This is just intended to be a hopefully somewhat Brief rundown upon the 11 Fulltime Bowtie’ runners in this year’s NTT IndyCar Series Championship.

 

A.J. Foyt Enterprises (2)

(Team/Car No/Drivers)

#4 Dalton Kellett, Canada

#14 Sebastian Bourdais, France

 

The proverbial Backmarkers enter with Hopes anew, sporting an All New Fulltime season Driver line-up, obviously led by le Hamburgular’, aka SeaBass’ or just plain ‘Ol Sebastian Bourdais. As the Frenchman hopes to put ‘Ol superTex’s storied No. 14 back into victory lane.

 

Dalton Kellett who ironically shared Seat-time with Bourdais and Tony Kanaan aboard the #14 last year replaces Charlie Kimball in the No. 4, in what will probably be another learning year for the Kuhnuck’.

 

Arrow McLaren SP

#5 Patricio O'Ward, Mexico

#7 Felix Rosenqvist, Sweden

 

While I’m certainly Not a Fan of Sam Schmidt’s regarding the way he’s Jettisoned Drivers over the years, i.e.; Tristan Vautier, James Hinchcliffe and Oliver Askew. Nevertheless , this is one of the team’s I’m most interested in, specifically because my current Numero Uno IndyCar Driver Pato O’Ward drives for them, not to mention I’ve liked Felix rosenqvist ever since his Indy Lights days a long time ago.

 

Pato’s name has been at the Top of the Timesheets All Preseason, which hopefully transfers over to the regular season, since I’m expecting him to “Break his Duck” this year in Indy Cars, while Rosenqvist seems to be silently lurking in the Shadows. And as my late Awntie’ Harriet would say, Can SPAM’, aka Arrow McLaren SP run with Thee Big boys this season?

 

Carlin (1)

59. Max Chilton, UK (Twisties' Only + Indy 500)

59. Conor Daly, USA (Ovals Only)

 

As the only One car team on the grid, and a mediocre driver at the tiller who seems to enjoy plodding along in Obscurity, I Don’t expect much from Carlin once again…

 

Arse-sumedly Conor Daly will fill-in on the two Oval tracks Max Chilton has elected to skip, i.e.; Texas Motor Speedway and Gateway, Err WWT Raceway. As Conor scored his and Carlin’s first IndyCar Pole position last year at Iowa’s Race-1.

 

Ed Carpenter Racing (2)

#20 Ed Carpenter, USA (Ovals Only)

#20 Conor Daly, USA (Twisties' Only + 3rd Indy 500 entry)

#21 Rinus VeeKay, Netherlands

 

Obviously it’s Not my Team or Money but, it seems like it’s time for Fast Eddie’, aka Ed Carpenter to move to a third Part-time mount and run his Young Charges Fulltime. As conor Daly will run the bulk of the season, but seems outclassed by his junior team-mate.

 

As I’m quite “High” upon the young Niederlander’ Rinus VeeKay, who begins his Sophomore season at ECR. Hopefully meaning now that he knows the tracks in an IndyCar, he can contest for top-5’s and more Podium finishes, since it would be nice to see an ECR entry running up front.  

 

Team Penske (4)

#2 Joseph Newgarden, USA

#3 (R) Scott McLaughlin, New Zealand

#12 Will Power, Australia

#22 Simon Pagenaud, France

(R = Rookie)

 

The Big News at Team Penske is the addition of a fourth fulltime entry for the much Ballyhooed Scott McLaughlin as the reigning Three-times Aussi Supercars Champion. As the Kiwi was an absolute Bad Arse Down Under and we All await to see if All of the Hype over him is warranted?

 

Otherwise Josef Newgarden’s always a threat for the Championship title, whilst I’m not sure if both Simon Pagenaud and Will Power are in Contract Years this season or just Power? But after Pagenaud finished 8th Overall and Power 5th, I’d Arse-sume the pressure’s on both of them to deliver this season, Eh?