This year’s condensed Verizon IndyCar Series schedule has its teams and drivers thoroughly focused on the final month of the season. Mid-Ohio has long served as the informal start to Indy car’s silly season where the first hints of movement take place, but with the rapid-fire calendar to consider, behind-the-scenes news has been sparse as the paddock prepares for this weekend’s race and the final two events at Pocono and Sonoma.
Thankfully, a few kernels of interest have been uncovered, and with the championship set to conclude on August 30 in Northern California, more nuggets are expected to emerge as another long winter approaches.
AJ Foyt Racing: Setting up a shop in Indianapolis and expanding to two ABC Supply-sponsored entries made life harder than expected for the Texan outfit leading into the 2015 season, and the big workload has shown in the slow start for Foyt’s drivers.
With only 18 drivers having completed every round, Takuma Sato (P14) and Jack Hawksworth (P17) have struggled more often than not, and their place in the standings is somewhat worrisome. The Japanese driver, now in his third year with Foyt, has a podium at Detroit 2 to his credit, and newcomer Hawksworth (LEFT) has a pair of seventh-place finishes in Detroit that rank as his best so far.
From 26 combined races, Foyt’s full-time drivers have recorded 19 finishes outside the top-10 (10 for Sato, 9 for Hawksworth), which raises the question of whether changes could be on the horizon, as have been rumored.
With Foyt’s pre-season distractions in mind, it might be worth giving the combo another try, and Hawksworth, in particular, needs a second year with Foyt to gain the oval knowledge he’s missing. They a lot of talent on the engineering side, and Foyt’s Honda-powered cars have gotten faster as the season has progress, so hopefully A.J. will have more reasons to smile through Sonoma.
It’s entirely possible both drivers will be in the same cars next year—it wouldn’t be a surprise at all, actually, and if the Foyt team can spend its off-season focused on R&D, Sato and Hawksworth are capable of responding. If the last three races go well, look for a continuation. If things go sideways, A.J.’s patience, which is in short supply, just might run out.
Andretti Autosport: As RACER noted on Friday, Michael Andretti is working to keep his current roster of Ryan Hunter-Reay, Marco Andretti, Carlos Munoz, and Justin Wilson together. Only RHR is fully budgeted for 2016, Marco is close, Munoz is farther away, and a lot needs to be found for Wilson.
A return by Simona de Silvestro in a fourth or fifth entry next year would not be unexpected. Andretti’s Matty Brabham has been testing with the team and is also looking for a place in the program.
Bryan Herta Autosport: Gabby Chaves (BELOW) has been a model of consistency this year, and for Bryan Herta’s team, it’s a welcome change after a couple of rocky and expensive seasons. Chaves has driven with maturity beyond expectation, and Herta’s keen on continuing with the 2014 Indy Lights champion.
If they stay together, Chaves will need to show more speed and aggression. Nine finishes between P15-18 point to a kid who’s driving smart but might not have the fastest car at most rounds. Losing veteran BHA engineer Todd Malloy and their No. 2 engineer before the season has often kept Gabby from showing his full capabilities, and with a rededicated engineering program in place, hunting for more representative results should be possible.
CFH Racing: Josef Newgarden has turned the blended Ed Carpenter Racing and Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing teams into a regular contender in 2015. The fourth-year driver owns two wins, could have had two more, and is looking like a driver with a staying power in the sport.
And as a few sources have told RACER, he’s also starting to look like a driver who could be headed for one of the championship-winning teams. Chatter about Newgarden and Penske bubbled to the surface at Indianapolis, and more recently, the kid from Tennessee has been mentioned as a possible solution for Chip Ganassi.
It would be great if it happens for Newgarden, but with the pace and performance he and the CFH team have shown, there’s definite championship potential where he currently drives.
Of all the potential silly season movement from within the paddock, Newgarden is top of the list right now. CFH said they want to retain Newgarden, and provided he isn’t made an offer he can’t refuse from Chip, the 24-year-old should be back in the No. 67 Chevy.
His road course teammate Luca Filippi (ABOVE) is regarded as one of the fastest drivers over a single lap, but bringing the total package to the No. 20 entry has been a challenge this year. He appeared to turn a page at Toronto, is adored by the team, and if the end of the season goes well, the Italian will likely punch his ticket for a return next year.
Chip Ganassi Racing: Scott Dixon and Charlie Kimball are in place for 2016, Tony Kanaan’s contract is up for renewal, and the fourth Ganassi entry for Sage Karam/Sebastian Saavedra is a question mark. Asked how many cars they expected to have next year, Ganassi managing director Mike Hull said it wasn’t worth predicting this early in the decision-making process.
Regardless, it’s believed TK (LEFT), Ganassi, and NTT Data will sign a new contract to continue in the No. 10 Chevy, leaving the fourth car as the entry where changes could happen.
Michael Fux has been a massive supporter/sponsor for Karam, who is developing into the second coming of Robby Gordon. Gary Peterson has been the same supporter/sponsor for Saavedra, who impressed in limited outings with the team, but if the funding can be acquired, the thought of importing Newgarden to give Ganassi four full-time race winners might be hard to overlook.
Provided Newgarden changes teams and Fux and Peterson are interested, could a fifth Ganassi car split between the Sage and Sebastian emerge?
Dale Coyne Racing: IndyCar’s most benevolent team owner will have at least one car on the grid next year, and if DCR qualifies for a second Leader Circle contract, look for a two-pronged effort. As we’ve learned over a few decades, any attempts to predict who’ll drive for Dale is best kept until the first race is within sight.
KV Racing Technology/KVSH Racing: The team expects to have a new deal in place by the end of the season to keep Sebastien Bourdais in the No. 11 Chevy. After striking a new deal following Iowa, Coletti will finish out the season with the team, and is said to be on the list of candidates to return with the team.
Keeping a second entry, as some teams have noted, will depend on receiving the $1M Leader Circle payout, and if Coletti can put the No. 4 KVRT Chevy into a safer place in the championship standings, Bourdais should have a teammate in 2016. Determing who will end up driving the No. 4 is definitely a theme to follow throughout the off-season.
Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing: Bobby Rahal is always on the lookout to run two cars, which makes the team’s future plans an open-ended affair.
Funding for Graham Rahal’s second-place No. 15 Honda (RIGHT) is said to be getting closer to completion, and with RLLR’s renewed performances in 2015, we can assume the father and son duo will continue. Stake-n-Shake’s presence on the car has grown, and the restaurant chain is rumored to be headed towards a further increase next year.
Schmidt Peterson Motorsports: James Hinchcliffe is expected to start testing soon after the Sonoma season finale in preparation for his full-time return, and his teammate James Jakes, who joined SPM after spending more than a year hunting for sponsors, is a good fit as the No. 2 to Hinchtown. It’s believed Ryan Briscoe, who has been fast as Hinch’s stand-in, is headed for a full-time ride in sports cars.
If there’s a question on SPM’s second seat, it comes from their young guns in the Indy Lights series. Championship-leader Jack Harvey, in particular, looks like he’s ready to make the leap and has the speed and smarts to carve out an IndyCar career. Funding, as usual, will be the key for Jakes, Harvey, or any other driver wanting to partner with Hinch.
Team Penske: The team’s current roster of championship-leader Juan Montoya, Will Power, Helio Castroneves, and the curiously unproductive Simon Pagenaud will continue. Helio has risen to the challenge and halted every effort to be bumped to P4 in the four-car team. And while Pagenaud was expected to come in and put his stamp on the program, he’s actually made less from more—especially after two seasons of winning and placing inside the top-5 for SPM. Despite his struggles, he’ll have another chance to impress in 2016.
MISCELLANEOUS
Carlin Racing is interested in moving up from Indy Lights. Carlin’s Ed Jones would like to move up as well, but isn’t tied to the team. Conor Daly has done enough to warrant a full-time contract, the surprisngly funny Carlos Huertas could be back if his inner ear condition improves, Zach Veach would like to graduate after spending the year searching for opportunities, and there are a few other current or recent Indy Lights drivers looking for ways to land in IndyCar. Add in a few more of the usuals searching for seats, and the road to 2016 should be interesting to monitor.
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