Tuesday, October 29, 2024

How many IndyCar Seats remain for 2025?

And how many lick does it take to get to the center, Oh Never Mind!

 

Following that epic, Heart stopping Disco Cyclops Petit Le Mans finish. Where Renger van der Zande said He liked Disco when trying to get the lights to stay on in the closing minutes of the race! And had simply started pushing buttons, with somebody telling Him to push the white button…

 

Arse-sumedly we can now focus, Hocus Pocus? Upon the remaining IndyCar seats still up for grabs for the 2025 season, El Correctomundo?

 

Thus, as of Monday, October 14th, when I began this riveting prose. Hot on the heels of Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing having inked the reigning Indy NXT champion Louis foster to the de riggour multi-year contract.

 

Thar’ were still technically seven seats available: (1) Chip Ganassi Racing, (2) Dale Coyne Racing, (2) Juncos Hollinger Racing, (1) Prema Racing, and (1) Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing.

 

Yet the Ganassi and Prema seats are already taken, with Kyffin Simpson moving to the No. 8 entry formerly driven by 2024 IndyCar Rookie Of the year Linus Lundqvist. And Robert Shwartzman in the second, unannounced Prema Racing seat alongside Callum Ilott.

 

Where to start, Eh? As we know Dale Coyne won’t have anything finalized until the week before St Pete’s season opener, Righto? Although Dale’s hands are somewhat tied now, due to the Dale Coyne Charter rule of only three drivers in a car per season. Meaning He’ll have to find drivers with more than a single race’s funding…

 

No idea over whether or not Romain Grosjean will be back at Juncos Hollinger Racing next year? Or which “Pay” Driver they’ll insert into the No. 78 next season? Since I’m guessing we shouldn’t read too much into Conor Daly testing for them at Mother Speedway’s Hybrid system test.

 

Whilst interestingly, another Free Agent named Rinus veeKay was testing for Dale Coyne at Indianapolis…

 

As the pool of current IndyCar drivers without rides theoretically exceeds current vacancies. As Lundqvist, Grosjean, VeeKay, Daly, Toby Sowery, Hunter McElrea and Sting Ray Robb are All seeking employment.

 

Oops, how could I forget “Teddy Porkchop”, aka Theo Pourchaire, who seems totally deserving of an IndyCar drive! And I’ve also momentarily forgotten current RLLR Simulator Jockey Juri Vips.

 

Not to mention that Sparky’, aka Devlin DeFrancesco is supposedly trying to find His way back into an IndyCar seat.


With no disrespect to thy Leggy Juan’, aka Katherine Legge, whom I’ve also overlooked…


Whilst that doesn’t include any other potential Indy NXT  graduates like runner-up Jacob Abel, whom seems locked out of an IndyCar career. Or any FIA Formula 2 drivers wanting to come Stateside. Since we know that Zane Maloney tested with RLLR this past August on Indianapolis’s road course, during His IndyCar debut.

 

Along with current Aston Martin Formula 1 test and reserve driver Felipe Drugovich’s recent test for Ganassi. As it seems a waste for Drugovich, the 2022 FIA Formula 2 Champion to still be sitting on the sidelines!

 

Or the upcoming test for former Williams F1 driver Logan Sargeant at the Thermal Club with Meyer Shank Racing (MSR) on November 19th.

 

Since we know that both Ganassi and MSR don’t have any vacancies for next year. But these late season tests give them an opportunity to evaluate future talent, set-ups and a variety of other things. Like MSR testing out its new technical alliance with CGR.

 

As I fear that many of the drivers named above, and those I don’t know about will be disappointed “When the Music’s Over” and we “turn Out the Lights!” Upon the 2025 IndyCar Silly Season…