Looks like Honda’s ready to Dominate the Grid once
again with 15+ entries…
Now that the 2021 IndyCar season’s over, I
suppose all that’s left is who’ll end up where when we begin racing again at St
Pete on February 27, 2022. Which at least it’s only a five monthsOffseason this
time, compared to our typical 6-7 Months Snoozers!
Alas,
here’s what us lowly Bloggers do during the dreaded Offseason, we Madly Gesticulate
like All Bench Racers do! As this is just an attempt of updating what I’ve
previously scribbled here upon No Fenders in early August…
http://www.nofenders.net/2021/08/jumping-aboard-indycar-silly-season.html
As we All know, two of the worst kept secrets have
since been confirmed. One a week prior to Long Beach when Ryan Hunter-Reay was
dismissed from his long tenure at Andretti Autosport to make way for Romain
Grosjean. And the other announcement at Meyer Shank Racing, confirming simon
Pagenaud as Helio Castroneves team-mate just some 36 hours after Long Beach as
the departing Jack Harvey’s replacement.
Thus continuing on with my No Fenders 2 Part
Harmony, Here’s a quick rundown on what’s been Confirmed Driver-wise for 2022
so far.
Chevrolet
(2) Arrow McLaren SP: #5 Pato O’Ward, #7 Felix Rosenqvist; (2) Ed
Carpenter Racing: #20 Ed Carpenter, #21 Rinus VeeKay; (1) Juncos Hollinger Racing:
#77 R-Callum Ilott; (3) Team Penske: #2 Josef Newgarden, #3 Scott McLaughlin,
#12 Will Power.
(R = Rookie)
Honda
(3) Andretti Autosport: #26 Colton Herta, #27 Alexander Rossi, #28 Romain
Grosjean; (4) Chip Ganassi Racing: #8 Marcus Ericsson, #9 Scott Dixon, #10 Alex
Palou, #48 Jimmie Johnson/Tony Kanaan; (2) Meyer Shank Racing: #06 Helio
Castroneves, #60 Simon Pagenaud; (1) Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing: #15 Graham
Rahal.
Hence by my very Quick, Unofficial count, this
gives us 8 Chevy and 10 Honda runners equaling 18 entries currently confirmed.
Out of the presumably minimum 27 Car count next season, leaving us with nine
Seats available. Which I’ll just Jot my remaining first impressions below.
Andretti Steinbrenner Autosport
(1) #29 TBA
It seems a foregone conclusion that The Mayor ‘O
Hinchtown’, aka James Hinchcliffe Has left The Building, i.e.; Departed Andretti
Autosport’s IndyCar team, and we’re All just ah-Waitin’ the next glossy, Snap
Happy Press release announcing that fellow Hoser’, Err Kuhnuck Devlin
DeFrancesco who’s just concluded his Rookie Indy Lights campaign will move up
to IndyCar’s for 2022.
Dale Coyne Racing with Vasser Sullivan
(1) #18 TBA
I’ll stick with my earlier speculation (For the
moment) that Kyle Kirkwood, having now
won the 2021 Indy Lights Championship will fill this seat. Even though Mikey A’
(Andretti) has said he really wants to keep Kirkwood who’s “The Real Deal!” Uh
Duh, Mikey! Who holds an Option on him following his Indy Lights campaign, even
though He Doesn’t have any IndyCar seats available for the Yank. But it’ll be a
Crime if Kirkwood Doesn’t get a Full Season ride in Indy Cars next year!
On an interesting Sidenote, Don’t know if Y’all
saw the recent conjecture over Toyota possibly becoming the long sought after
third IndyCar engine manufacturer beginning in the 2023 2.4-litre V-6 Turbo
Hybrid era? As could a future Vasser Sullivan Racing IndyCar entity be the
Kickoff team to launch such an effort, Who knows? And surely Andretti, and more
importantly Honda wouldn’t want to lose the services of Kirkwood, Righto?
Dale Coyne Racing with Rick Ware Racing
(2) #51 TBA, #52 TBA
With No Disrespect towards Taku-san’, aka
Takuma Sato, who I’m a Huge Fan of! Why would Dale Coyne and his Assorted Cast ‘O
Merrymen choose the 44yr old Japanese driver over the younger 34yr old Kuhnuck’
James Hinchcliffe? Other than I suppose Sato’s name has more “star Power” due
to his being a Two-times Indianapolis 500 winner, not to mention his Honda
ties. But it’s just a Stop Gap move at best, unless Dale Coyne’s truly Happy
with his never ending revolving Merry Go Round Driver Factory model, eh?
No idea if the No. 52 with Co-Owner Rick Ware’s
son Cody, who’s supposedly focusing upon his Journeyman RASSCAR’ Career will
return to the cockpit again next year? But I think they want to check off some ‘lil
‘Ol Oval race at 16th and Georgetown. Or if somebody else will make
limited appearances aboard it?
Oh Shit! As I
really need to Stop thinking about this! But two more names for CWR’s “lead”
No. 51 car just came to thoust Tip of Thy Tongue. Since Dale Coyne seems to
fancy European lads’, why not either Linus Lundqvist who just finished third
Overall in Indy Lights, or perhaps “Poach” Christian Lundgaard?
Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing
(2) #30 TBA, #45 TBA
This is probably one of the more coveted seats
on the grid that we’re All Ah-Waitin’ to “See” who fills RLLR’s third No. 45
entry. As it seems only a matter of time until Jack Bloody Nige! Harvey’s
confirmed as Takuma Sato’s replacement in the No. 30, currently the team’s
second entry.
Believe that Hy-Bee the Midwest Grocery Chain
that’s also the title sponsor of the forthcoming Iowa Double Header will be the
#45’s primary sponsor. And I’m left wondering if it’s essential for them to
have an American Driver onboard?
Since after all, once again, wouldn’t Hinch’ be
the perfect fit for this seat? Even though I’d like to see Oliver Askew land
the ride, not sure he or Thee Great Santini’, nee Santino Ferrucci have done
enough to close thou Dealio?
And now pretty sure I just heard IndyStar’s
Nathan Browne note that Ferrucci’s claimed he’s no longer in the Frame for the
ride…
And Thar Yuhs Have it Ladies and Germ! For the
previous 2022 Bowtie Brigade Silly Season Volume 2 edition, please visit the
following No Fenders link.
http://www.nofenders.net/2021/10/2022-indycar-silly-season-volume-2.html