Friday, November 30, 2018

INDYCAR: Let the McLaren Racing and Fernando Sweepstakes roulette Begin in earnest



Kiwi Bird on nose of Johnny Rutherford's McLaren at the IMS Hall of Fame museum. (The Tomaso Collection)
Will it be one Orange Car or two? While we know it won't be sponsored by Fuzzy's...

I suppose by now I should understand why Zak Brown and McLaren & Co. are so eager to Toy with Us IndyCar Masses...

Especially now that another Abysmal Formula 1 season's "Done 'N Dusted" for McLaren, and Fernando's "Left Duh Building;" Err retired from Formula One, and any good press is welcomed.


Obviously by now, Y'all have heard of McLaren's new Indy 500 project, Righto? For which longtime ex-Force India Deputy Team Principal Bob Fernley's been announced as the project's leader, which many have found puzzling since Gil de Ferran is currently heading the F1 side of Woking's Palace, who's intimately connected to Indy Cars, albeit it's worth remembering he was Honda F1's Sporting Director briefly.


Yet I'm getting quite Cornfuzed over the continuing references being made about Fernando Alonso driving with, and the 2019 McLaren Indy 500 project being in conjunction with Ed Carpenter Racing.
ECR

Especially since ECR's previously announced that Ed Jones will drive the No. 64 Scuderia Corsa Dallara DW12-Chevy, their third Indy 500 entry, along with the entire "Twisties," nee Road & Street Courses portion of the 2019 IndyCar calendar in collabouration with Scuderia Corsa.

With the team's other two drivers, aka FAST EDDIE', nee Ed Carpenter in his longtime #20 mount & Spencer Pigot in the  #21 at Mother Speedway this May.

Although I've read recently on Race Fans
that Alonso's signed to drive GM Products next year, i.e.; Cadillac at the Daytona 24hrs & Chevy at Indianapolis, but McLaren's running their own team and any combination with ECR would seem to imply EdCarpenter's running 4-cars at Indy, or 5 if McLaren enters a second car, which 5 ECR cars seems fairly unlikely to Mwah. So, am I missing something?


And whilst we're All still Ah-wash' in the Afterglow of Fred's retirement from the Pinnacle of Motorsports. It's worth remembering that the Swashbuckling Spaniard isn't All Smiles and Charm, especially when he doesn't get his way!


Whilst lastly, presumably Y'all know that McLaren's got a rich History at thee Brickyard, most notably it's two victories with Lonestar JR' at the controls, which I've previously scribbled here on No Fenders in;


(Photo c/o No Fenders ‘Offical Photographer CARPETS')