The 2009 Status Quo

[MDS]

In total there are potentally seven new mid-level full-time teams for 2009. I don't think all of them will come together, but optomistically speaking I think three or four could. That means a huge reshuffling at the back of the pack.

This is how I see things shaping up next year.

A-Teir (In order)
Target Chip Ganassi Racing-2
Team Penske-2
Newman Hass Lanigan-2
Andretti Green Racing-4
KVRT-2

B-Teir (Not so much in order)
Rahal Letterman Racing-2
Panther Racing-1
HVM Racing-2
Luczo Dragon Racing-1
Vison Racing-2
Dale Coyne Racing-2
Dreyer & Reinbold Racing -1 (Plus one PT)
AJ Foyt Enterprises-1

C-Teir
Conquest-1

Rookie team
Forsythe Racing-2

For a total of 25 full time teams. If LDR, Panther and Foyt go to two cars and D&R stays at two, that means at least one full time car will go home every week. I think its going to be difficult for underfunded organizations like PCM, Roth, Fisher, to survive I think next year and definately in 2010 we will start to see teams go evaporate, and I have to think it already started with Marty Roth and the 24 team.

If the IRL doesn grab good ratings on Vs, I think the deterioration of back-of-the-pack teams will accellerate

[drewdawg727]

25 full time teams? Where are you getting this number from?

[ykiki]

Doesn't the term "Status Quo" mean that nothing has changed??????

[Chamoo]

In total there are potentally seven new mid-level full-time teams for 2009. I don't think all of them will come together, but optomistically speaking I think three or four could. That means a huge reshuffling at the back of the pack.

This is how I see things shaping up next year.

A-Teir (In order)
Target Chip Ganassi Racing-2
Team Penske-2
Newman Hass Lanigan-2
Andretti Green Racing-4
KVRT-2

B-Teir (Not so much in order)
Rahal Letterman Racing-2
Panther Racing-1
HVM Racing-2
Luczo Dragon Racing-1
Vison Racing-2
Dale Coyne Racing-2
Dreyer & Reinbold Racing -1 (Plus one PT)
AJ Foyt Enterprises-1

C-Teir
Conquest-1

Rookie team
Forsythe Racing-2

For a total of 25 full time teams. If LDR, Panther and Foyt go to two cars and D&R stays at two, that means at least one full time car will go home every week. I think its going to be difficult for underfunded organizations like PCM, Roth, Fisher, to survive I think next year and definately in 2010 we will start to see teams go evaporate, and I have to think it already started with Marty Roth and the 24 team.

If the IRL doesn grab good ratings on Vs, I think the deterioration of back-of-the-pack teams will accellerate

In all honesty, the grid will mostlikely look something more like this.


Target Chip Ganassi Racing-2 (+1)
Team Penske-2
Newman Hass Lanigan-2
Andretti Green Racing-4
KVRT-2
Rahal Letterman Racing-1
Panther Racing-1 (+1)
HVM Racing-2
Luczo Dragon Racing-1
Vision Racing-2
Dale Coyne Racing-2
Dreyer & Reinbold Racing -2
AJ Foyt Enterprises-2
Conquest-2

If Conquest was able to run two cars this year with funding from Sangari, then they will be able to again next year.

Panther shows more promise to move up to two cars for next year compared to RLR, as all the rumours have them testing drivers and publicly stating they are looking at a second car if the meetings the team is having with potential sponsors go as planned.

D&R will stay at two. They have just picked up Dad's Root Beer as a sponsor for next year, and there is no reason Townsend Bell and/or Milka Duno won't return as either full time rides, or part time. Only way they don't run two full time cars in my opinion is if Townsend takes his sponsorship elsewhere.

Until I see confirmation from GF that they are entering the ICS next year, I refuse to put Forsythe on my list.

Also, Ganassi may inflat the numbers by running a second car through another team, perhaps RLR or even running a third car himself.

I also wonder if this deal Dollar General signed with Sarah Fisher could lead to something bigger next year. Perhaps a full year sponsorship?

As for cars going home, I doubt it will happen. The IRL will do its best to fit every car onto the track. The only places I could see them having issues are Bristol, Iowa, and the Milwaukee Mile. But they will figure it out. They aren't safe enough to be able to tell teams they have to go home yet. Maybe in the future, but right now they can't afford to lose a potential team that decides it's not worth showing up at the track to get turfed each week.

[Refutation]

Signing Dan probably made Panther a little more attractive to potential sponsors, Dan's "bad" times are still better than most drivers good times. Still winning, still getting top 5's and podiums. I mean the fact that Ganassi even saw a reason to have fault with him, shows he has a few screws loose. I don't believe for a minute that any "Downturn" in performance is because of Dan's driving, it was so abrupt in happening Mid-way through the 2007 season, that is tells me that it was more due to something with the crew and engineering on his side. Thats for another thread though...

Anyway I'm liking Vitor's chances over anyone else if Panther can secure funds for a second car.

[NickFalzone]

I got the impression there were some personality conflicts between Wheldon and crew in 07 but they had mostly moved past that by 08. More likely, Chip make a straightforward business decision. Dario is perhaps a better overall driver than Dan, and Chip already has him on contract for a backmarker NASCAR team. Ditch the NCS effort, put Dario in Wheldon's car, and = profits. And all that said, I know Wheldon is not happy to be in a slower car, but I can guarantee you that he likes being the big star over at panther. He claims to be a team player but ultimately it's all about Dan.

[F1boat]

The fact that the IRL is goint to have 50/50 caldendar between ovals and road/street courses is the reason for Chip to prefer Dario to Dan IMO. I think that Dan is better than Dario on ovals, but Franchitti is much better on road courses. Dan needs to master the road courses, cause he will never have a shot on championship, if he doesn't. But maybe he cares more for the Indy 500.

[Refutation]

According to the interview with Dan and John Barnes up on SI.com it was Dan who decided not to return to Ganassi.

"Not to say the Kentucky situation really set anything off, obviously it wasn't the best, but when my management spoke to John and then in turn I spoke to John, I was just very excited about having this opportunity," Wheldon said. "I was pretty adamant about how this was where I wanted to be."

Barnes was initially taken aback by the approach, then remembered that unusual business is business as usual in a racing paddock.

"I've been doing this 41 years, so you don't not expect anything," he said. "I didn't expect Sam Hornish to go to NASCAR, so you never can tell."

Wheldon said he "respectfully declined" a "nice offer after Kentucky," from Ganassi which prompted Ganassi to ask his erstwhile NASCAR rookie, Dario Franchitti, to return to the IRL, where he won the 2007 championship and Indy 500. Franchitti's Sprint Cup program had been shelved, ostensibly due to sponsorship woes amid poor performance. He will replace Wheldon in 2009.

"I think it was best I moved on," Wheldon said. "Chip is Chip and you know what you're getting into when you go into an agreement with Chip. For everything that's happened, he's still a good guy. It's just the way he is. I still have obligations to the team and I am going to honor them because I've enjoyed my time there. It's not been as successful as we would have liked, but we won a lot of races."

Can you really blame Dan for turning Chip down, he knew he wasn't Chips #1 guy and likely would spend anothe three years toiling in Dixon's shadow unhappy. So he's going somewhere he's wanted and a team he has history with.

Seriously though if they get funding for a second car at Panther, it had better be for Vitor or another veteran racer, because putting Davidson, or Conway in the car would not help them in the long run.

[MDS]

If Conquest was able to run two cars this year with funding from Sangari, then they will be able to again next year.

Sangari isn't spending the $10 to $12 million or so it would take to justify being the primary on two cars. I know the team isn't happy with either driver and many on the crew wishes they could have stuck with Franck Perrera for the entire season.

From what I hear Sangari is pulling back to one car with Jamie Cammara in 2009 and Conquest is looking for a sponsor/ride buyer for the second car.

D&R will stay at two. They have just picked up Dad's Root Beer as a sponsor for next year, and there is no reason Townsend Bell and/or Milka Duno won't return as either full time rides, or part time. Only way they don't run two full time cars in my opinion is if Townsend takes his sponsorship elsewhere.

The way they worded that press release is intentionally misleading. They already had Dad's Root Beer on the car all year long. They have a small decal right behind the Honda logo on the engine sail. All the announcement was is a minor assocate re-upping for 2009, and paying for the full livery at Chicago, their home race.

D&R is still running two cars without one primary sponsorship, I'm not sure how long that can last. Especially if one or both of their ride buyers take their cash elsewhere.

[Chamoo]

Sangari isn't spending the $10 to $12 million or so it would take to justify being the primary on two cars. I know the team isn't happy with either driver and many on the crew wishes they could have stuck with Franck Perrera for the entire season.

From what I hear Sangari is pulling back to one car with Jamie Cammara in 2009 and Conquest is looking for a sponsor/ride buyer for the second car.

I agree that Sangari isn't spending big bucks on the program. But say they are paying between 6 and 8 million for both cars combined, then they should be able to run the same program for two cars again next year as long as they find a few associate sponsors to pick up the slack.

The way they worded that press release is intentionally misleading. They already had Dad's Root Beer on the car all year long. They have a small decal right behind the Honda logo on the engine sail. All the announcement was is a minor assocate re-upping for 2009, and paying for the full livery at Chicago, their home race.

D&R is still running two cars without one primary sponsorship, I'm not sure how long that can last. Especially if one or both of their ride buyers take their cash elsewhere.

I'll go with that, but they have been running two cars this way for the past few years, I don't see why it would change. There are plenty of ride buyers looking over at the IRL. Maybe Honda will put Davidson in a D&R car?