As Motor Racing Never Sleeps!
First and foremost, as I’ve already
elabourated, it was super enjoyable and Uber Refreshing having been away from
Ye Confuzer’s Keyboard for over three weeks. Having gone on an extended Holiday
Wayback on September 19th, which I’ll save Scribblin’ about my
latest trek to the Penske Racing Museum for a future No Fenders post.
Thus, this is just an attempt at playin’ Ketsup
over the major Headlines that Peaked my Attenzione over being on vacation prior
to this past weekend’s USGP, and isn’t intended to cover everything that happened
in Indy Cars during the past month’s time.
As I’d have to say the biggest News to Mwah upon
return, was the surprise announcement of Arrow Mclaern SP’s (AMSP) Managing
Director Taylor Kiel Departing AMSP. Which I first learned of via Ye Oldest
IndyCar blogger Geo. Phillips of Oilpresure.com Fame. Where George notes He
believes that Taylor simply grew tired of the Nonstop Three ring Carnival-like
atmosphere Mr. Zakery “PT Barnum” Brown’s brought to the Organization with
Palou Gate and Piastri Gate and the Never ending Craziness surrounding the
attempted Hirings of 37 Drivers this Summer!
Although it’s worth noting that Racer’s
Marshall Pruett has an article on Racer.com about Alex Palou potentially landing
at AMSP for 2024, presumably at Felix Rosenqvist’s expense? Or will AMSP morph
into a four car entity?
Whilst I couldn’t stand it’s No more and finally
asked Blogmeister’ Miguel whilst in The Valley of The Sun to Google Colton
Herta latest news on Wednesday night, October 12, to learn that sensibly,
Colton had Inked a Multi-year contract extension to stay at Andretti Autosport,
which the team’s just confirmed to run thru the end of the 2027 IndyCar season.
And reportedly keeps Him from chasing a Formula 1 seat until 2025.
Thus ending the long running speculation
concerning a possible Formula 1 departure, which seemed just a really big
longshot due to Colton lacking the necessary points for a FIA F1 Super License,
which Y’all know that the FIA Denied the request for granting the Yank one. And
with McLaren F1 continued testing of fellow IndyCar drivers Alex Palou and Pato
O’Ward, it’s No surprise that McLaren Racing and Zakery Brown have No plans for
running Colton in any further F1 tests.
On the Driver front, I was pleasantly surprised
to learn that A.J. foyt Enterprise’s has Hired the Great Santini’, aka Santino
Ferrucci as the Fulltime Driver of it’s No. 14 entry. Along with the not surprising
signing of Indy Lights Benjamin Pederson to fill it’s No. 4 entry.
Whilst Dalton Kellett has officially left Foyt
Racing after three seasons. Making me wonder if the likeable Kuhnuck’ could
become part of the previously rumoured Foyt Porsche 963 IMSA GTP entry?
Although I’ve Heard Nothing about this ever since Marshall Pruett wrote about
it Wayback’ in July…
Meanwhile, ‘Ol JJ’, nee Jimmie Johnson has
announced His retiring from Fulltime IndyCar competition in 2023, leaving Chip
Ganassi Racing’s fourth No. 48 IndyCar entry without a Driver, albeit Johnson
Hasn’t made any plans publicly for whether or not He’ll return for another “One
Off” Indianapolis 500 entry, run other Ovals or what next season?
Although I’d say this firmly signifies Johnson’s
intentions to be part of the NASCAR Garage 56 Project for Le Mans next year…
Making me ponder if this will become a likely
destination for reigning Indy Lights Champion Linus Lundqvist, who after all has
a $1.3 million Cheque and guaranteed three race IndyCar entry, including the
107th Indy 500 next May, even though His name doesn’t seem to be
mentioned much lately…
Whilst another Racer Headline noted that Kyle
Busch was Out of the running for an apparent fourth AMSP Indy 500 entry, but that
Tony Kanaan was in the running, and has now been secured at AMSP for next May.
And while I wasn’t surprised that Meyer Shank
Racing’s (MSR) IMSA DPi Sports Car Driver Tom “The Bomb” Blomquist topped the unofficial
Timesheet for MSR during a private five car IndyCar test on Sebring’s Short
Course. I was surprised by the names of the other aspiring IndyCar Drivers.
With Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing testing the
beleaguered Estonian Juri vips, who lost His Red Bull Racing F1 testing role
for using racially Offensive language during a Online “Gaming” session!
While Jake Dennis tested for Andretti Autosport
and Marcus Armstrong drove for Dale Coyne Racing with HMD Motorsports.
As Andretti kept it’s IndyCar “Young” Driver
evaluation HotSchue’ “In House,” by running one of it’s current Avalanche
Andretti Formula e Pilotes. With Vips and Armstrong both being current FIA
Formula 2 championship Drivers.
Interestingly, Juncos Hollinger Racing (JHR) ran
longtime Argentinian Touring cars Driver
Augustin Canapino at Sebring, a Tintops’ Driver I’ve never Heard of before.
Along with the Scuttlebutt of JHR running IndyCar Demos in Argentina early
November with Canapino at the controls of it’s #77 Dallara/Chevrolet.
Not to mention
being unaware that IndyCar actually once raced in Argentina some 51+ years ago…
https://racer.com/2022/10/04/juncos-hollinger-to-hold-indycar-demos-in-argentina/
Although in retrospect, I should know Canapino’s
name, since I’m Arse-sumin’ I scribbled ‘it during my 2019 Rolex 24 preview,
when Agustin drove Juncos Racing’s #50 Cadillac DPi with Kyle Kiser, Rene Binder
and Will Owen.
Finally, McLaren F1 Racing announced that Alex
Palou would make His Debutante Formula 1 outing during Circuit Of The America’s
Friday (Free Practice) FP1 session, replacing Daniel Ricciardo. And then Patricio
O’Ward will participate in the Abu Dhabi FP1 session in place of Lando Norris.
As this is in order for McLaren to fulfill each Formula 1 Team’s obligation to
run two Aspiring F1 Hopefuls during an FP1 session this year. Along with the Testing
of a Previous Car (TPC) programme.
As I’d known about Palou and O’Ward testing McLaren’s MCL-35B in a private test at Barcelona, but didn’t know about the other test at the Red Bull Ring in preparations for the IndyCar duo’s upcoming F1 Friday morning outings. Which I’m guessing is part of Zakery Brown’s Mending Fences with some of His 37 Driver Contracts this year…
