As it’s a veritable Smorgasboard ‘O IndyCar talent interloping
on Ye Day-toner’s High Banks before Thar season starts…
Welcome Back Y’all to another year’s No Fenders
Scribblings, or as someone on Ye Intrawoods’ politely labeled it, Dribble! As
it’s hard to believe that we’re only 48 Days away from the 2022 IndyCar season
kicking off at St Petersburg on February 27th!
As the only “Fulltime” season ride without it’s
Driver’s identity revealed prior to New Year’s was who’d be driving the Twisties’
portion of the calendar aboard Ed Carpenter Racing’s #20 entry? As the seat
still seems up for grabs between incumbent Conor Daly or either Ryan Hunter-Reay
or Jack Aiken, with nothing having been publicly divulged as of January 7th.
Meanwhile, early last December, Racer’s
Marshall Pruett teased us All over how potentially nearly Half of the IndyCar
Grid’s Drivers could be contesting this year’s fast approaching 24 Hours of
Daytona over January 29-30, as here’s what I’ve gleamed so far for this year’s
Rolex 24…
Prototypes
Guess I should begin with the reigning winner
Wayne Taylor Racing and it’s No. 10 Acura. As Alexander Rossi will return just
for the 24 Hours of Daytona this year before solely focusing upon Indy Cars,
since it’s a Contract year for him. While Meyer shank Racing’s Helio Castroneves
will Moonlight aboard MSR’s #60 Acura in this year’s Rolex 24. With MSR’s
newest IndyCar recruit Simon Pagenaud, who has a wealth of Sports Car racing
experience being confirmed as part of the team’s #60 entry’s Driver lineup
January 3rd.
Not surprisingly, Chip Ganassi Racing’s (CGR)
Jimmie Johnson will return for another Go with Action Express Racing’s (AXR) second
#48 Cadillac DPi VR for IMSA Weathertech SportsCar Championship’s four Endurance
rounds, beginning with Daytona.
As Johnson’s teammates will once again be K-Squared’,
aka Kamui Kobayashi, Mike “Rocky” Rockenfeller and new recruit Jose Marie
Lopez.
Staying with CGR IndyCar Drivers, naturally I’ll
Arse-sume that Scotty “The Iceman 2.0” Dixon will be co-Driving one of Cheep’s
two Cadillac entries, presumably the #01 entry with Renger Van der Zande and
Sebastien Bourdais…
LMP2
The most intriguing lineup for Mwah in the second
tier LMP2 Prototypes category is the former IndyCar team DragonSpeed’s No. 81
entry, which features three Andretti Autosport Alumni. With former 2018 Indy
Lights teammates Pato O’Ward and Colton Herta being joined by Andretti
Autosport IndyCar Rookie Devlin DeFrancesco and which One Doesn’t look like the
Others? Sports Car racer Eric Lux filling out the roster.
Racing Team Netherland naturally will field an
All Dutch Driver’s lineup with Rinus VeeKay making his second Rolex 24 start.
As Rinus will copilot the #29 Oreca LMP2 entry with former Despised Formula 1 Bad
Boy Pilote Guido-the-Dutchman, aka Giedo Van der Garde amongst his other
co-Drivers.
Saloons’
Top Jimmy’ (Vasser) and James Sully’ Sullivan’s
Vasser Sullivan Racing affair, who runs the Factory Lexus GT Daytona (GTD) entries,
will once again run it’s brace of Lexus RC F GT3’s, with the #12 in GTD and the
famed No. 14 in the GTD Pro category.
As A.J. Foyt IndyCar Rookie Kyle Kirkwood will
continue his Endurance Only Duties for VSR, sharing seat time with Jack
Hawksworth and Ben Barnicoat.
And that’s just a look at All of the confirmed 2022
IndyCar Drivers who’ll be competing in this year’s Rolex 24, without commenting
on Andretti Autosport’s #36 LMP3 entry, or United Autosports LMP2 entry, with
the latter being Co-Owned by somebody named Zack Brown.
Other Possibilities
Current Andretti Autosport Newbie’ Romain
Grosjean could possibly show up at Daytona? Whilst former Andretti Autosport
Duo Ryan Hunter-Reay and James Hinchcliffe are said to be exploring their
Sports Cars options, albeit Hinch’ is seeking refuge in the GTD Saloon ranks.
And finally, Marshall’s wildest Scuttlebutt suggests that possibly ether of CGR’s Marcus Ericsson or even Alex Palou could be interested in one of Cheep’s two Caddy’ Prototypes drives…
Update
After putting this “Story to Bed,” Marshall
Pruett reported that former CGR Sports Car Ace Kevin Bacon’ Magnussen would
return for another go at this year’s Rolex 24 aboard the #02 Cadillac with it’s
regular Drivers Earl Bamber and Alex Lynn, plus Marcus Ericsson. Along with
confirming that Scott Dixon and Alex Palou will join the #01’s crew of Renger
Van der Zande and Sebastien Bourdais during the Endurance rounds. As I believe
that Ericsson and Palou will be making their Rolex 24 Debuts.
But Magnussen will only drive for CGR at Daytona since he’s contracted as a Werks’ Peugeot FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) HotSchue’ for 2022 and beyond…
