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While Patricio O'Ward, pictured here in last year's
#31 Carlin entry at Barber Motorsports Park will be sporting a Kiwi Orange hue
this season, who'll be driving the #31 Carlin entry at St Pete this year? (The
Tomaso Collection)
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As can Alexander Rossi stop Team Penske's and Chip
Ganassi's IndyCar Championship Reign?
Ah, it's time once again for the start of a
new IndyCar season, when Spring brings the eternal Enthusiasm of a new season,
along with All the Hopes of those who Didn't Win last year seeing their chances
towards "Greatness" leveled once again with the Points Table reset at
Zero.
Obviously, SNAP! Where are Yuhs Jeffie' of
One Lap Down Fame? The Biggest News for this year's NTT IndyCar Series 2020
Season is the mandatory introduction of the Aeroscreen, which I've previously
misinterpreted as the Airscreen, but Hey Kiddies', that's what happens when
you're Blind, rely upon Screen Readers and listening to Ye Spoken Word Daily, ergo
live in thou world of FauxNetics'...
Although the Up side of being Blind is I
cannot see how Ugly the new Aeroscreen makes the Dallara IR-18 Chassis look,
but totally understand the safety enhancements intended to bring IndyCar
Drivers, which makes me wonder shouldn't it filter down to Indy Lights and
beyond?
Yet Thar seems many unresolved issues
surrounding the Devices implementation, which others in thoust Blogosphere have
already mentioned, i.e.; Fire and Visability issues, whilst I'm not sure how
well the Driver cooling needs have been rectified? Or if IndyCar has some sort
of mandatory Driver Extraction test a la what Formula 1 once had requiring
Drivers to extricate themselves from the Cockpit unaided in 5-seconds.
Meanwhile, as 'Ol Hobbo', nee HobbsCapp', aka
David Hobbs would say 'bout 'Ol Professor (Steve) Matchett having Eyes as Sharp
as the Proverbial Rat... Those of you Eagle-eyed Observers will probably notice
the extra Pit Member going over the Wall during Pit Stop's this year. As a new
Pit Member will be allowed to solely focus upon attending to the Aeroscreen to
either clean it or remove Tear-aways.
And whilst I've already eluded to wanting
Andretti Autosport's Alexander Rossi to finally Break his Championship Duck',
obviously he'll face a stacked field, primarily from Team Penske's three
Championship winning Drivers, Chip Ganassi Ultra Bad Arse Scotty Thee Iceman
2.0' Dixon and even presumably Andretti team-mates Ryan The Dude! Hunter-Reay
and NBC Sports Darling Colton Herta.
Hence, my Attenzione will probably swerve
towards focusing upon the proverbial Underdogs, especially since I'm eager to
see how the Dreaded SPAM', aka Arrow McLaren Sp responds this season with it's
All New Youth Makeover Driver lineup, including my latest Numero Uno IndyCar
Driver Pato O'Ward, along with reigning Indy Lights Champion Oliver Askew,
who'll spend his rookie campaign behind the wheel of the team's #7 entry.
And how will this year's Rookie Crop pan out?
As there's three Fulltime Rookies this season with the aforementioned Askew,
2019 Indy Lights "vice Champion," err Runner-up Rinus VeeKay aboard
the #21 Ed Carpenter Racing entry, which also effectively sports an All New
Driver lineup with the addition of Conor Daly doing the Twisties' portion
aboard Fast Eddie's #20 ECR mount.
Whilst the least known Rookie
surely; Nah, No Airplane Shirley Jokes Here;
Hya! Is Alex Palou in Dale Coyne Racing with Team Goh's #19 entry.
As Palou was plucked from the fairly unknown
Japanese Super Formula series, albeit we learned about it last year when
Patricio O'Ward spent some time there as a Red Bull Junior Driver before Der
Helmut' let him go back to Americre' after the FIA refused to grant him any
Super License Points due to Indy Lights anemic lack 'O entries...
While another Lights refugee from North of
Thee Border, nee Dalton Kellett will contest a partial season, including making
his Rookie Debut at Mother Speedway behind the wheel of A.J. foyt's storied No.
14 chassis, which will feature three Drivers sharing seat time including TK'
Follow-your-Schnoz! Kanaan and le Hamburgular', nee SeaBass, aka Sebastain Bourdais.
And Speakin' of Bourdais, can he do the
unthinkable and Pull Ah-Wabbit' outta his Firesuit for 'Ol SuperTex', where the
Hometown boyz' Done good twice before, winning the St Pete season opener two
years in-a-row for the Plucky Dale Coyne with Vasser Sullivan alphabet Soup
Brigade - before being unceremoniously Dumped!
how will the Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing
Duo perform this year? Will they come swinging outta the box? And can Thee
Great Santini', nee Santino Ferrucci continue his astounding performances with
the All New Engineering Crew at Coyne & Company?
While I'm also curious 'bout how Thee Battle
of Ye Swedes at Chip Ganassi Racing will pan out? Although I'll give the nod to
Felix Rosenqvist, who I'm a Huge Fan of. Nonetheless, Marcus Ericsson's
definitely got the Sweetest Ride on the IndyCar Grid, Ya, Sure, Yuh Betcha!
Ah C'mon, Y'all
saw that one Ah-comin', since Ericsson's primary sponsor is Husky Chocolates;
Uhm-Uhm, Sprinkles!
And I'd like to see Felipe Nasr in the No. 31
Carlin entry as much as possible, since he's definitely put in the effort to
win the Drive Part-time this season, and hopefully will make his IndyCar Debut
at St. Pete.
While No Disrespect towards DragonSpeed or
Ben Hanley, Jack Bloody Nige! Harvey or anybody else I've left out, albeit Sage
Karam's never overly wowed me. And uze Hosers Up North Eh! will have to wait
'til the Month 'O May for Hinchcliffe's return behind the steering wheel,
although he'll be entertaining us as a Pitlane Reporter this year.
Lastly, whilst some Bloggers are tirelessly
singing thou praises of the NBC Sports Gold Bricks Pay Wall Pass, which totally
misses the point of IndyCar needing every Gory Eyeball it can Obtain to watch
it's series, as I no longer bother following IndyCar on Friday's; But I
Digress...
Alas, I'll eagerly await watching; Err
listening to Thee Tape Delayed TV Broadcast of Qualie' and then give my Telie's
remote control's MUTE Button a serious workout when the race on NBC Sports
Network mirrors its Parent's Motto of Nothing But Commercials Sunday!
As Always, CHECK Your local
listings for Both Days events...
(Photo c/o George Phillips)
