Since every Racing Driver obviously Needs A Quality
Engineer to Go Fast…
Yeah, this is somewhat dated news, but simply
haven’t had a chance to find any “Clear” track space to include it in Ye No
Fenders rotation…
Although there’s already been a pair of private
IndyCar tests taking place at Florida’s Sebring International Raceway, with both
of Meyer Shank Racing’s (MSR) cars and Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing (RLLR) running
IndyCar Rookie Christian Lungaard on January 10th. Followed by Team
Penske and A.J. Foyt Enterprises with single cars on Jan 19th. Arse-sumedly
it was IndyCar rookie Kyle Kirkwood running for Foyt.
Actually, Foyt ran both of it’s new Rookie Drivers, i.e.; Tatiana Calderon in the #11 and Kyle Kirkwood in the #14 during it’s Jan 19th Evaluation Day outing at Sebring…
And we’re now just a scant eleven days away from seeing our first major mass gathering at Sebring’s Short Course on Valentine’s Day, be still my Beating Heart!
According to Racer’s Marshall Pruett, a total
of 20 cars are expected from Andretti Autosport, Arrow McLaren SP, (AMSP) Chip
Ganassi Racing. (CGR) One Half of Dale Coyne Racing’s Alphabet Soup Brigade,
his new “Trucking” concern. Plus Ed Carpenter Racing, (ECR) Juncos Hollinger
Racing, (JHR) RLLR and Penske. Followed by two cars apiece from Dale Coyne and both
of the longest named IndyCar Teams, Hya! Along with MSR on Feb 15th,
before we go Racing February 27th!
Of note, since think I’ve speculated ‘bout this
before? Uhm, Nope think it was another former Penske Sports Car Ace named Ricky
Taylor instead. But Porsche Penske Motorsports Sports Car driver Dane Cameron took
part in Penske’s Chevrolet IndyCar test evaluation
Day outing Jan 19th before returning to his Day Job. As Cameron will help test
Porsche’s forthcoming LMDH Prototype this year along with racing in the FIA’s
World Endurance Championship aboard a Penske entered LMP2 car with Felipe Nasr
and Emanuel collard.
It’s great news that Conor Daly will be driving
Full season aboard the #20 ECR Dallara-Chevrolet! Giving the likeable Indiana
Native his first Full season Single Car ride since 2017.
And I don’t know ‘bout Y’all, but I certainly didn’t
See the late signing of Columbia’s 28 year old Femme Fatale Tatiana Calderon to
a third A.J. Foyt Racing Bowtie’ entry for All of the Road and Street Courses behind
the wheel of the team’s third #11 entry this season coming. Giving us 26
entries on the Twisty portion of the IndyCar calendar.
Whilst I’ll speculate that good ‘Ol Narly
Pinball’, aka Charlie Kimball will eventually be announced as the No. 11’s
Ovalmeister this season…
Meanwhile, I initially read about some of the Staffing
changes via Marshall Pruett on Racer, regarding the multiple changes occurring
at various IndyCar teams Engineering Staffs, they were broken down into
individual team news, with the biggest change having occurred at Arrow McLaren
SP.
As AMSP has “Poached” the services of Gavin No
Love Boat Jokes Here! Ward who previously engineered Team Penske’s Josef
Newgarden to his 2019 IndyCar title. Where (Gavin) Ward, a previous Red Bull Racing
F1 Engineer will take up a new Senior role with the team, a la a Technical
Director role. Presumably in part for the expected expansion of AMSP to a Fulltime
three car entity in 2023. Not to mention the forthcoming 2023 Hybrid motors and
new 2024 Dallara IndyCar chassis on the Horizon.
But the best news of AMSP’s reshuffle is noted
veteran Engineer Craig Hansen becoming Felix Rosenqvist’s Engineer for 2022.
And if you’re not familiar with Hansen’s name, just think le Hamburgular’, nee
SeaBass’, aka Sebastien Bourdais! As Hansen was Bourdais’s Engineer during All
of His Glory Years and four consecutive Champ Car Championships at Newman Haas
Lanigan Racing.
While Motorsport.com’s David Malcher notes that
Team Penske is expected to hire an Engineer from Pratt & Miller as Newgarden’s
new Engineer. And that Blair Berschbacher, who helped Rosenqvist’s fortunes
improve during the latter portion of the 2021 IndyCar season will presumably
become AMSP’s new third car engineer…
Although according to Marshall Pruett, Pratt & Miller Engineer Eric Leichtle will become Newgarden’s new Engineer…
Yet instead of trying to regurgitate All of the
various Engineering changes, I’ll let the Pro’s at IndyCar.com do the Heavy
lifting in the article below, which gives a cursory overview on All of the Players
moving, along with noting the 12 IndyCar Drivers having just contested this year’s
Rolex 24 at Daytona International Speedway, which I’d previously covered…