As will one of these four Drivers be the Top
Rookie?
Making up the other Half of our Diverse Indy
500 Rookie Class, Arguably a former Formula 1 Driver is the Biggest Name on
this partial roll Call of our total of seven Indianapolis 500 Rookies this year.
As You Make the Call on who’s the Bigger Star? Romain Grosjean or Jimmie
Johnson?
Romain Grosjean
#28 Andretti Autosport
Engine: Honda
Country: France
DOB: 4/17/86, Age: 36
Unless you’ve been living Underneath a Rock or
in a Hidey Hole the past year, then you already know about Romain Grosjean’s
Amazing escape from his Roman Candle Haas Formula 1 car in Bahrain in November,
2020, which Thankfully He Walked Away from!
Romain quickly became the Darlin of IndyCar
last year driving for the Minnowesqe Dale Coyne Racing with Rick Ware Racing;
Oh Vanna, I don’t wanna Buy A vowel, Whew! Scoring his maiden IndyCar Pole
position at the Indianapolis Road Corse along with finishing Runner-Up twice
there. And making his Oval Debut at Gateway, Err Wide World Technology Raceway
last August with great effect.
Yet I’d say the move to Mikey A’s team this
year has ratcheted Up the pressure upon Grosjean, and those around Him, like his
Engineer Olivier Boisson that came with Him to Andretti Autosport to win! Since
we All know how much He and Graham Rahal like each other now, El Correctomundo?
While his first High speed “big” oval race at
Texas Motor Speedway (TMS) was fairly unimpressive, running Mid-pack at best
before retiring with Mechanical woes if I remember correctly.
Devlin DeFrancesco
#29 Andretti Steinbrenner Autosport
Engine: Honda
Country: Canada
DOB: 1/17/00, Age: 22
Text
Cannot Help feeling that Devlin DeFrancesco’s
simply making up the Numbers at Mikey A’s four car concern. As the Kuhnuck’ who
replaced thee Mayor ‘O Hinchtown’, fellow Kuhnaidiun James Hinchcliffe finished
a fairly unimpressive sixth in his lone Indy Lights season before moving up to
IndyCar.
And we All know how Devlin won Racer’s Marshall
Pruett’s Golden Bowling Ball Award at Texas Motor Speedway, (TMS) where the
Hoser’ single handedly took out a total of Five Cars, including Himself in his
final Three Car Monty, Err Wreck! As Devlin’s got a single Top 20 Finish to his
name in His scant five race IndyCar career, with P17 at Alabama, albeit He seems
to have settled down somewhat lately. And being the Innocent victim of Rinus
VeeKay’s Spin during the Indy GP Rainfest didn’t help his finishing average
either.
Christian Lundgaard
#30 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing
Engine: Honda
Country: Denmark
DOB 7/23/01, Age: 20
Really know very little ‘bout Christian Lundgaard,
other than so far, it seems He’s been Overhyped after his IndyCar Debut in last
August’s Indy GP RASSCAR’ twin Bill, where the Dane’ Qualified a stunning
fourth and finished 12th.
Lundgaard began racing Single Seaters in 2017
to great effect, winning that year’s SMP F4 and Spanish F4 championships. Then
followed this up with being Runner-up in the 2018 Formula Renault eurocup
Championship.
Christian continued his advancement thru the Feeder
Series, culminating with a best finish of seventh Overall during his maiden FIA
Formula 2 Championship season, winning twice and scoring one Pole, before slumping
during his 2021 F2 campaign.
Lundgaard was a member of the Alpine Driver
Academy for future Formula 1 Hopefuls beginning in 2017, but with there being No
F1 Seats available on the Horizon, especially with last year’s Formula 2 Champion
Oscar Piastri waiting impatiently in Alpine’s Wings; Move Over Fred Alonso! Christian
wisely signed a multi year contract with Bobby Rahal’s IndyCar concern, and is
No longer a member of the Alpine Academy as of 2022.
And I say Lundgaard’s been relatively “Quiet”
since his name doesn’t seem to get much mention during race Broadcasts, and He
soldiered home to a Quiet P19 at TMS.
Callum Ilott
#77 Juncos Hollinger Racing
Engine: Chevrolet
Country: United Kingdom
DOB: 11/11/98, Age: 23
This is my Dark Horse pick for Indy 500 Rookie
Of the Year (ROY)
Honours, even if his IndyCar Oval Debut at TMS
was “Fleeting,” Callum Ilott did come home 16th. As may be I’m
getting caught up in All of the Attenzione Ilott’s receiving, but how can you
Not be impressed by the 23yr Old Englishman carrying this truly Minnowesqe single
car entry by the Scruff of it’s Neck!
As Ilott’s advanced to the Fast 12 round of
Qualie’ in the last two outings. Having just scored his career Best IndyCar
finish of eighth after Qualifying a career best seventh for Juncos Hollinger
Racing in the “guns ‘N Roses” Indy GP Rainfest! Thus obviously his confidence
has to be growing exponentially. Just as long as He Doesn’t get Ahead of
Himself at Mother Speedway!
Callum was a Karting Phenom and made his Single
Seater debut in the Toyota Racing series in 2014, before advancing up the
European ladder – ultimately reaching FIA Formula 2 in the summer of 2017.
Ilott then became a Ferrari Academy Driver,
which He still is today, along with being the Alfa Romeo F1 Teams official
reserve Driver this season.
Callum made a total of 47 starts in F2 between
2017-2020, the latter being his best season, scoring three wins enroute to
finishing Runner-up to F2 Champion Mick Schumacher, who now races in Formula 1
for the Haas F1 Team.
As the $64k Questione is whether or not the Bowtie runners, nee Chevy will continue their Dominance of the first four races this season at Mother Speedway? Or does Honda have anything to say about it? We’ll soon know the answer…
