And is this Finally the season that A.J. Foyt
enterprises gives us something to Smile about? Besides Thar Good lookin’ paint
jobs…
Whilst everyone’s getting Jones Over IndyCar
finally going racing, beginning with today’s practice sessions at St Pete. It’s
worth noting two major changes to this year’s NTT IndyCar Series Championship.
The first being the cancellation of Double Points for the Indianapolis 500,
Hurrah! Although the Bonus points structure for the Top-12 Qualifiers for the
Indy 500 remains intact, which I suppose rewards teams for their hard work at
Mother Speedway.
Secondly, this year sees the introduction of
Shell’s 100% Renewable Fuel being implemented. With “Gen 2” Sugarcane waste
being the primary ingredient sourced from Brazil. With Shell V-Power Fuel being
the sole source of Indy Cars Ethanol racing fuel.
https://racer.com/2023/02/02/indycars-new-shell-100-percent-renewable-shell-fuel-makes-its-debut/
While here’s a quick look at our remaining
three IndyCar Teams on this year’s Grid with Driver changes.
Dale Coyne Racing
Wins: 0
Drivers: #18 David Malukas and
#51 R-Sting Ray robb
Thanks Dale, for continuing to be the longest “Vanna,
I wanna Buy a Vowell!” Racing Team names on the Grid, Hya! As I’m Hoping David
Malukas in the NO. 18 Dale Coyne Racing with HMD Motorsports can continue
impressing! As David quickly became my second favourite IndyCar Driver last
year! And now being 21yrs Old, can “legally” Drink Champagne on the Podium this
year, when scoring more podium finishes…
But the biggest concern is how Malukas and His new
Race Engineer Alex Athanasiadis, according to Racer’s Marshall Pruett do?
Meanwhile Dale Coyne Racing with Rick Ware
Racing’s No. 51 entry is filled by rookie Sting Ray Robb, who finished a
distant runner-up to Indy Lights Champion Linus Lundqvist last year, Chirp-Chirp,
Bueller?
But I know that IndyCar Radio Announcer Davey
Hamilton is ecstatic to have a fellow Idaho native on the IndyCar Grid this
year, albeit I really Don’t know what to expect from Sting Ray. While this
tandem forms the youngest IndyCar duo and should be fun to watch.
Juncos Hollinger Racing (JHR)
Wins: 0
Drivers: #77 Callum Ilott and #78
R-Augustin Canapino
This is the team I’m most Hopeful for. Since I’ve
always been a Fan of Ricardo Juncos, especially building a team from nothing!
And I quickly became a Huge Fan of Callum Ilott’s last year, and I expect more
good things from the “Plucky” Englishman this year, since both He and JHR seem
to Always be “Punching” Above their respective weight!
Not surprisingly, Ilott finished ahead of Jack
Harvey, Devlin DeFrancesco and Kyle Kirkwood in the season standings. And that
was along with missing one race after breaking His wrist at Indianapolis. And I’d
like to Arse-sume that Callum will finish ahead of His P20 results during His rookie
campaign.
Yeah, I’d have liked to have missing Indy
Lights Champion Linus Lundqvist in JHR’s second seat. But the reality is that
the Swedish HotSchue’ didn’t have any Budget to go racing, thanks Penske
Entertainment!
And although I Know Nothing about Augustin
Canapino other than He’s won an insane amount of Argentine Touring Cars Championships.,
like 15! I have to say that I’m most impressed by His tenacity to become an
IndyCar Driver!
Not only has He never driven an IndyCar before,
not to mention presumably on Ovals. He’s also just immersed Himself in a three
months crash course to learn English! And Yeah, I know it was only Spring Training.
But check out the names He finished Ahead of, Ahem Helio Castroneves…
Thus although I Don’t think it will happen.
Canapino gets my nod for second choice for Rookie Of the Year Honours following
Marcus Eric, Err Armstrong!
As let’s just give the Argentine rookie
Canapino a chance Y’all!
A.J. Foyt enterprises
Wins: 0
Drivers: #14 Santino Ferrucci and
#55 R-Benjamin Pederson
And last again, albeit Hopefully this may be
the year that the Foyt team actually moves forward? Since every year is slated
to be the year that the perpetually underperforming Foyt team is going to
improve…
Thus I’m guessing Y’all know about how
respected veteran Engineer Michael Cannon left Chip Ganassi Racing this winter,
moving to Foyt to Head up it’s Engineering Department. Along with multiple
other staff changes. Meaning it would be nice to think that Foyt will improve
this season.
Cannon will be reunited with the Great Santini’,
ergo Santino Ferrucci in the No. 14 car. As the pair worked together with good
results previously at Dale Coyne Racing.
As this will be Ferrucci’s first Full season
IndyCar Gig since leaving Coyne for the supposedly “Greener” pastures of ‘RASSCAR-land
at the end of 2020.
And you’d have to think Ferrucci will carry the
storied #14 further forward than Kyle Kirkwood did last year, with No
Disrespect towards Kirkwood. But Thars got to be a certain amount of pressure
driving the iconic No. 14, el Correctomundo?
Meanwhile really Don’t know what to expect from
rookie Benjamin Pederson, whose Indy Lights seasons were fairly “Pedestrian,”
if being Honest. Finishing fifth Overall with His maiden Lights win last year.
Makes me think of Devlin DeFrancesco, who finished sixth Overall in Lights
before moving up to Indy Cars last year.
Not to mention driving for Foyt, which Ain’t exactly known for enhancing racing careers! So we’ll have to wait ‘N see what Pederson can do in the “double Nickel” Coyote Orange Dallara…
