The Future after the 94th Indy 500

[Scotty G.]

What could we see in the future, after the recent running of the Indy 500? Here are a few thoughts and questions to ponder:


1. Why will the next generation of Indy Car likely (in some fashion) have closed wheels? Because of accidents like the Conway one today. Can't afford to have cars launching into the air like that. And it happens way too often with Indy Cars. Have to keep the cars from launching over the tires of another car and out of catch fences/crowd. Indy Car has been very lucky over the years. One day, that luck will run out.

2. Could today's win for Dario mean retirement is near? I think its very likely now. Might have happened even without today's result. But I would guess we have seen Dario's last race at Indy.

3. Could Ganassi be looking at 2 new drivers in 2011? I think its possible. How could it shake out?

-Dario retires
-Dixon goes to deFerren/Dragon
-Chip hires Rahal and Wilson

4. Is Ryan Briscoe in any trouble with The Captain? Briscoe seems way too mistake-prone and has clearly fallen to 3rd on that team. Plus Roger has a former Indy 500 winner down in NASCAR (with no sponsor signed yet for 2011) who may ready for a return to his former #6 car in the Indy Cars. Sam reunited with his old sponsor Pennzoil in Indy Cars?

5. Who could be the hottest free agent for 2011? Simona de Silvestro should be in high demand and a higher level team should come calling. Keep your eye on Panther Racing, and a possible 2nd car there. If Stargate and the rest of her sponsors stay with her, they will no doubt be looking for a move up.

[call_me_andrew]

The Conway crash had me thinking about the future of catch fences without posts in them as Tony George mentioned a few years ago. These cars are so light that they spin when they hit the post, and the spin does the most damage.

Perhaps some sort of flying buttresss system would be ideal.

[NickFalzone]

3. I was going to bring up the same thing. Briscoe's a major talent, but particularly since the incident in Japan last year that cost him the championship, it seems like he's lost his focus. He's back on shaky ground with Penske right now IMO.

4. Simona has seriously impressed me. I agree if she may very well be picked up by a big team next season.

[Scotty G.]

3. I was going to bring up the same thing. Briscoe's a major talent, but particularly since the incident in Japan last year that cost him the championship, it seems like he's lost his focus. He's back on shaky ground with Penske right now IMO.

4. Simona has seriously impressed me. I agree if she may very well be picked up by a big team next season.

-I think The Captain's short and terse response to the Briscoe boner today (which was just on the local TV replay here in Central Indiana) tells me all I need to know about his standing with Team Penske right now. RP was pissed.

Briscoe has done a good job for RP, but he just makes too many unforced mistakes (especially now at Indy; where it matters most to RP) for a team of that caliber. With Power, he has a road/street course ace who still isn't all that great on ovals. With Helio, he has a marketable star and still one of the best at Indy. If you bring Sam back (which I think is very plausable), you don't get the best of road racers, but you get a top 2 or 3 oval talent who has proven he can win at Indy. With Helio and Power, you have 2 solid road racers. Getting Sam back into the fold, gives you a much better oval racer then Power and someone who has proven he can win at Indy (which Briscoe has failed to show he can do). Plus if Pennzoil is a part of the Indy Car equation next year, the Sam/Pennzoil connection is a natural. I would expect these "rumors" to start circulating sometime this summer.


-Simona is the "real deal". In fact, I heard a well known Indy Car owner make the exact comment this May. Its only natural she moves up to a bigger team very soon. I think Panther makes a ton of sense. If Wheldon moves on, they could team Simona up with a young (and much cheaper) driver in the #4 National Guard car to form a nice 2 car team. I am thinking Mr. Hildebrand would make some sense if Dan moves on, but we'll just have to see on that one. That is total speculation on my part (but I think JR has to figure in somewhere, soon). Dan's 2nd place run today and his improved performance this season may make him and the team want to continue this marriage past 2010.

But I think Simona is on her way up the ladder in this sport. She has exceeded most people's expectations of her and she looked very comfortable all month at Indy with a car that EJ Viso was never good in last year. She was solid in the race and kept her nose clean (although she had a few close calls). That says a lot, when you consider she had no teammates, had run 1 oval race in her life and one of the smallest operations in the field.

[NickFalzone]

Yeah, Roger really did look pissed, haven't seen him like that in awhile and usually it's directed at Barnhart, not one of his drivers.

Hornish probably should come back to Indy, he's embarrassing himself (and indycar a bit too) over in stock-car land. Won't happen though, too much pride on the part of RP and Sam to give up on it. Only way it will happen is if sponsorship for Sam's 77 becomes an impossibility. I also think that at this stage, Sam would not necessarily be a stronger Indycar driver than Briscoe. Yeah he was good on ovals, but he's prob lost a bit of that touch the last few years, and he was never all that good on road/streets. I'd stay with Briscoe, or go with another driver like Rahal.

What I see in Simona is focus. She may not be getting great cars but she is working with whatever she gets to run mid-pack or better. At Indy for her rookie year to run 14th with HVM is I think a significant accomplishment. She is not out there throwing tantrums or making desperate moves on the track. She's driving smart and fast. While she may not be making the "big" results yet, for those hardcore fans who watch every week, it's pretty clear that she's one of the most talented rookies to come along in awhile. That she is intelligent, well-spoken, and good with fans is just a bonus.

[px400r]

Time will tell.

Here's the IBJ's take on this year's 500...

http://www.ibj.com/the-score/2010/05...AMS/post/20249

[SarahFan]

Time will tell.

Here's the IBJ's take on this year's 500...

http://www.ibj.com/the-score/2010/05...AMS/post/20249

decent article.....


*wouldnt it be nice if Penske or the Pimp quitly slipped sarah a chassis next May...

[bblocker68]

Bring back Allmendinger and put him in the #6. That'll shake things up a bit.

[NickFalzone]

Bring back Allmendinger and put him in the #6. That'll shake things up a bit.

I would rather see the Dinger move to IndyCars rather than Hornish. More entertaining personality and certainly a major threat on the roads/streets. Unfortunately he's doing too well in NASCAR to even contemplate the move at the moment.

[ICWS]

-Simona is the "real deal". In fact, I heard a well known Indy Car owner make the exact comment this May. Its only natural she moves up to a bigger team very soon. I think Panther makes a ton of sense. If Wheldon moves on, they could team Simona up with a young (and much cheaper) driver in the #4 National Guard car to form a nice 2 car team. I am thinking Mr. Hildebrand would make some sense if Dan moves on, but we'll just have to see on that one. That is total speculation on my part (but I think JR has to figure in somewhere, soon). Dan's 2nd place run today and his improved performance this season may make him and the team want to continue this marriage past 2010.

But I think Simona is on her way up the ladder in this sport. She has exceeded most people's expectations of her and she looked very comfortable all month at Indy with a car that EJ Viso was never good in last year. She was solid in the race and kept her nose clean (although she had a few close calls). That says a lot, when you consider she had no teammates, had run 1 oval race in her life and one of the smallest operations in the field.

I agree; Simona is the driver to look out for during the off-season. Getting a good ride with a team like Panther, KVRT, D&R, etc. would improve her situation greatly. She seems to go along with what she has and makes the best of it and she seems to also lack a sense of entitlement, which is a good thing. She's doing a terrific job considering her situation right now, which should appeal to other teams. I also think that she presents a good representation of a female auto racer and is a better role model for aspiring female racers in comparison to Danica Patrick and Milka Duno.

What I like most about her is that although she races aggressively in order to maintain or improve her position on the track, she has enough etiquette to not race like a moving chicane and knows when to get out of other drivers' way if she doesn't run as fast as them. This shows that she has integrity and has a more honest approach to racing in comparison to some of the other drivers out there (John Andretti).