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-BAM Racing to Indy Car (with Foyt's team). Joey Hand could be in the mix as the driver.
-Wade Cunningham will run 4 races with SSM (Texas 2, Kentucky and Vegas).
-Townsend Bell likely to run Indy and Vegas for SSM.
-Jay Howard likely farmed out to a 2nd Rahal/Letterman/Lanigan car at Indy.
-Coyne still is trying to get Milka's money (come on, Dale).
Yeah, that's way, way premature. Most likely they're going to be a rent-a-owner of a second or third Foyt car at Indy.Quote:
Originally Posted by Scotty G.
BAMFoyt are doing the whole deal where the fans sponsor the car. That's basically declaring they won't answer the bell before they've even tried.
Glad to see the news about Cunningham/Bell at SSM, though. Wade's deserved this for a long time and Townsend Bell is one of my favorites. Not to mention the team is easy to support.
Its like I know something sometimes.
http://auto-racing.speedtv.com/artic...s-mailbag-216/Quote:
Any chance this BAM Racing/Foyt partnership is going to happen? Will AJ run Joey Hand in the second car? ...
RM: I talked to A.J. about it and he says they'll try and put something together for Indianapolis with Beth Ann but didn't mention any particular driver.
Simone Pagenaud is looking a partial schedule this year and then a full time schedule next year. He's talked with a lot of teams but doesn't bring a lot, if any, money to the table. The two teams he's been rumored to be associated with is Conquest and Newman Haas.
http://auto-racing.speedtv.com/artic...o-join-series/
I think the great thing about Chip and Roger going from four cars between them to seven is its really pressuring the rest of the field to respond. They can't just drop a pay driver in anymore and get enough tow money from the league in order to keep going. I think what's really pushing the smaller teams to go after guys like Simone, PT and Bourdais is the loss of the team money. Keith caught on last year and now has a fairly secure future for HVM, and it looks like Conquest, Newman Haas and DR&R are following that same model.
Here's the way I see the top 22 in points shaking out
Ganassi - 4
Andretti - 4
Penske - 3
KV-Lotus - 2
de Ferran Dragon - 1
DR&R - 2
FAZZT - 1
HVM - 1
Panther - 1
Newman Haas - 1
Those teams are probably all locks for the top 22 and that only leaves three spots for the Conquest, Foyt, Coyne, and a third plus possibly a fourth KV team, a potentially second NHR car. Add in part time entries from Sarah Fisher and Sam Schmidt taking up points and potentially squeezing people out of the Indy 500 or other races, and someone is going to get left out,The whole grid is under pressure to get better.
His name is Simon, without the extra e. Simone is a girls name in France.Quote:
Originally Posted by MDS
I certainly follow you in this. That's why I think the rent-a-ride outfits of KV and the second D&R car will have serious problems next season. Especially if Conquest and Coyne produce serious 2-car efforts. Sato barely made the cut last year.Quote:
I think the great thing about Chip and Roger going from four cars between them to seven is its really pressuring the rest of the field to respond. They can't just drop a pay driver in anymore and get enough tow money from the league in order to keep going. I think what's really pushing the smaller teams to go after guys like Simone, PT and Bourdais is the loss of the team money. Keith caught on last year and now has a fairly secure future for HVM, and it looks like Conquest, Newman Haas and DR&R are following that same model.
Here's the way I see the top 22 in points shaking out
This is being written up as an anti-NASCAR bill but it would have pulled the National Guard off of the Panther car as well.
Quote:
Congress is expected to tighten its fiscal belt this year, but not at the expense of military logos on NASCAR race cars. A budget-cutting proposal by Minnesota Democrat Betty McCollum to end military NASCAR sponsorships crashed and burned Friday on the final lap of a House amendment process. It was voted down 281-148.
http://www.startribune.com/politics/...9cP3DieyckcUsI
Curt Cavin just reported that Tony Kanaan and de Ferran did not reach a deal after all.
http://blogs.indystar.com/racingexpe...ran-part-ways/
Gary
Just when everything seemed to be going in the right direction, it becomes apparent once more that the damage of the last 15 years cannot be undone overnight. Tony Kanaan, Dan Wheldon, Sebastien Bourdais, Paul Tracy and Sam Hornish Jr. won ten IndyCar and Champ Car championship titles in the last decade and have 111 race wins combined. None of them has a full time ride for 2011.Quote:
Originally Posted by garyshell
The latest
Bold is set-*for now....but things can and have changed!
TK fits in just about any where......
Andretti Autosport (4)
Marco
Danica
RHR
Conway
Penske Racing/Team Penske Racing (3)
Power
HCN
Briscoe
TK?
Target Chip Ganassi (2)
Dixon
Dario
TK?Could there be a TK in the house?
Ganassi II (2)
Rahal
Kimbal
A.J. Foyt Enterprises (1)
Vitor
KVRT (2)
$ato
Vi$oThe smart money says sign TK, but then this owner is not that smart.
Panther (1)
JR Hildebrand
de Ferran Dragon Racing (0)
Done
HVM (1 or 2)
SDS
TBD
The team might have landed a second driver. Could be a part time deal. Could be big?FAZZT/SMR (1)
TaglianiSarah Fisher Racing (1)
Carpenter-part time
Conquest (1)
TBD/Tracy
The team faces a struggle to make the grid. Depends on who can bring a check. PT's funding not as solid as thought.
Newman Haas (1)
TK/Hinch/Servia
Trying like hell to get TK and funding for a second car. Still, only one crew.
D&R (2)
Wilson
Wheldon/TK (Oval/RC)?
Beatriz (part time)
Dale Coyne Racing (1 or 2)
SeaBass/Milka (RC/Ovals)
TBD/LloydWell, they are looking for a solid engineer to work on SB's car, and another to work with Milka. The one engineer sould switch between SB and the 2nd car. If TK does not land anywhere, he might come to play if SB takes a pass.
Team "Zed"There have been some rumblings of a new team/new entry possibly in conjunction with a current or former team, with some backing for a part time/full time car for a known driver. I am not sure if this is part of the Sam Schmidt/FAZZT or a new entity. The people in the know can not say, though it appears some deal was done, as such team is being assembled. Expect this to come out within a week or so. There is a chance this effort might be for another series....but the well known players are very hush, hush.
Team "$5 miilion is a lot"
Several entities are talking about a Vegas effort, as a stand alone effort or part of an existing team. Once the season gets underway, MDS could set up a new thread with rumors and potential drivers/team and combos. Much talk here!!!