As Here we G-O! Uhm, What's that 'Ol Saying 'bout
Thee Wheels Go Round 'N Round, especially on an Oval...
Obviously I Hope for the very Best for Indy
Cars this Saturday Nite' at (TMS) Texas Motor Speedway, and that we have a Safe
'N Entertaining race to give us IndyCar Fans some momentum towards Kick
Starting the Stilted 2020 season. But what's that 'Ol Saying 'bout Cautions
Breed Cautions, especially on Ovals, Eh?
Upon the announcement of this being the NTT
IndyCar Series Season Opener nearly a month ago, somewheres' I read that
IndyCar was anticipating 25 entries, which made me ponder who they were?
Team Entries
A.J. Foyt Enterprises: 2,
Andretti Autosport: 4*, Andretti Herta Autosport: 1, Andretti Steinbrenner
Autosport: 1, Arrow McLaren SP: 2, Carlin: 2, Chip Ganassi Racing: 3, Dale
Coyne Racing with Vasser Sullivan: 1, Dale Coyne Racing with Team Goh: 1,
Ed Carpenter Racing: 2, Meyer Shank
Racing: 1, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing: 2 and Team Penske: 3. TOTAL = 25
* = James Hinchcliffe running three races this
season for Andretti Autosport, i.e.; TMS Indy GP & Indy 500.
But I'
had No Clue who'd be filling Carlin's No. 31 entry when TMS was confirmed as
the season opener, And still don't know who'll get Thee Nod this Saturday.
Since the original plan calls for Conor Daly
driving the No. 59 for Max Chilton on All Ovals except for Indianapolis. And
would Carlin be willing to throw prosective Rookie IndyCar Driver Felipe Nasr
into the Deep end on an Oval?
As the Brazilian ex-formula 1 Pilote would
not only be making his IndyCar Debut, but on a High Bank Oval No less! And
that's before we even get into the potential Travel Ban issues...
As Racer's Marshall Pruett notes in his
article above, the IndyCar Drivers facing the largest Travel Hurdles are those
International Drivers currently at Home being Rookie's Alex Palou in Spain and
Rinus VeeKay in Holland, along with some of Carlin's Staff.
And whilst I'd Arse-sume Nasr's currently at
Home in Brazil, Ci? Pruett notes that both Swedes' Marcus ericsson and Felix
rosenqvist along with Japan's Takuma Sato All stayed Stateside following the St
Pete cancellation. And Thee Mayor 'O Hinchtown', aka James Hinchcliffe now resides
in Indianapolis Me Thinks.
As now comes word that the latest U.S. Travel
Restrictions do Not include Racing Drivers or their Affiliated Crew
Members/Team Personnel, still being Deemed Not Essential since Thar Not Gory
Stick 'n Ball athletes...
While Marshall alludes to the fact that Conor
Daly could likely Fill-in if VeeKay's unable to race at Texas for (ECR) Ed
Carpenter Racing, which would imply that Carlin would need to find two Drivers,
Hmm?
And while Carlin seems to be the Biggest
Wildcard on Drivers of the IndyCar Leaders Circle Mandatory Full Season
participants, which comprises the entire Texas Grid; along with adapting the
Dale Coyne Amalgamations Gong Show scheme, A la multiple drivers, albeit Sadly,
A.J. Foyt Enterprises has also succumbed to this practice this season due to
lack of Sponsorship funding with its No. 14 Three Card Driver Monty...
Yet I'm more interested in whether or not
another relative Newcomer IndyCar Team will be able to answer Thee Bell this
season in what's intended to be Thar Sophomore campaign. As I'm a Fan of the
Plucky Elton Julian and his Minnowesqe DragonSpeed concern who presumably are
now focusing upon the Indy 500 as their next IndyCar race, while Thar intended
six race season is presumably in shambles.
While I'm also intrigued by V-8 Supercars
Star and reigning Bad Arse Kiwi' Scott McLaughlin, who was initially set to
make his IndyCar Debut at this May's Indy GP in a fourth Team Penske entry,
which naturally now his IndyCar Debut is currently on Hold. As I'll hazard guessing
he'll make his maiden appearance at St Pete's Season Finale since Portland seam's
Iffy for now.
Although I know it's of small consolation to
him, a tiny silver lining in beginning at Texas means that TK'
Follow-your-Schnoz! Kanaan's Consecutive Starts streak is extended at least one
more race to an incomparable 318 Starts!
As 'Ol Narly Pinball', aka Charlie Kimball
will be Foyt's only Fulltime season driver in its #4 entry. Whilst we All know of NBC Sports Darling Colton
Herta's move to Mikey A's IndyCar armada, which swells to seven cars during
periods of this year's events; Aye Karumba!
With Meyer Shank Racing and Jack Bloody Nige!
Harvey contesting Thar first Full Season this year now as an Andretti
Affiliate, who they take up their Honda Technical Alliance with.
And Don't forget that we'll also see the
mandatory introduction of the Aeroscreen, which somehow I doubt IndyCar wished
to have it make its series Debut on an Oval, El Correctomundo?
As I also noted
the Over-the-Wall Pit-crew member Addition in my previous No Fenders eclectic
original season preview...
Whilst lastly, I'm somewhat Cornfuzed over
just how many Rookies will truly be contesting this year's IndyCar season?
Since some in Ye blogosphere' and elsewhere are proclaiming that Pato O'Ward is
one once again, Huh? Since I've always unofficially tallied Rookies, albeit
focusing upon my first love of Formula 1 being for any Driver having contested
more than three races. Hence I find the following information suspect...
Although O'Ward will indeed be making his Oval Debut after
having failed to Qualify for last year's Indy 500, we know that he competed in
nine races last year for Carlin; Rounds 2-8, 10, beginning at Barber
Motorsports Park thru Road America, ironically with the exception of (TMS(
Texas last year since Charlie Kimball was contesting multiple events for Carlin
aboard it's No. 23 entry.
But we know that O'Wards SPAM' team-mate, nee
Arrow McLaren SP No. 7 will be occupied by Oliver Askew, the reigning Indy
Light Champion. While the #55 Dale Coyne with Team Goh cockpit will host Alex
Palou, and the #21 ECR entry will find Rinus VeeKay at its controls as the
series three Full Season Rookies.
Meanwhile, Oh KanaDuh's Dalton Kellett anxiously
awaits making his IndyCar Debut in the storied #14 entry presumably at the Indy
GP, Eh? Although only a Part-time campaign since Kanaan is the No. 14's lead
chauffer, with the caveat of making his Indy 500 Debut in a third SuperTex'
(A.J. Foyt) entry.
Otherwise the Grid's fairly Status Quo, with
the exception of The Great Santini, nee Santino Ferrucci who made waves during
the i Racing Season Finale at virtual Mother Speedway now becoming the lead
driver at Dale Coyne's Alphabet soup Brigade with Top Jimmy', nee Jimmy Vasser
and James sully' Sullivan in the #18 formerly occupied by le Hamburgular', nee
Sebastain Bourdais, who's trying to resurrect his IndyCar career with a
part-time Gig at A.J. Foyt, also in the No. 14 later this season.
While Marcus Ericsson moves to Chip Ganassi
Racing in the Sweetest Ride on Ye Grid, in the third CGR #8 entry sponsored by
Huski chocolate, Ya-Sure-Yuh-Betcha!
As the race will now be shown this Saturday Night,
June 6th on what Ye Eldest IndyCar blogger Denotes as Big NBC.
Yet be Aware that IndyCar will be running a Single
Day event on multiple Platforms, i.e.; a
solitary practice session that morning, only available on NBC Sports Gold
Bricks Paywall Pass! Followed by Qualie' on NBC Sports (NBCSN) and then a Shortened
Distance Race reportedly beginning at 5PM Pacific on NBC. But as Always, Check
your local listings for All Television Air times and let's G-O Racing!