INDYCAR News for the Month of November 2019

Russian Orudzhev working towards Lights drive – Motorsport.com’s Jamie Klein reports Russian Egor Orudzhev is in contention for a 2020 Indy Lights ride with Andretti Autosport. “We are looking into it, and if everything is fine probably I will do it,” Orudzhev told Motorsport.com. “The objective would be to win Indy Lights and then get into IndyCar, that’s how I see the improvement in my career.” Full story at the link. – Motorsport.com – (11/27/2019)

Miller’s Mailbag 11/27/2019 – RACER’s Robin Miller’s weekly fan Q&A is a great read as always. – RACER – (11/27/2019)

Bourdais confirmed for ’20 IMSA drive after Coyne departure – “Big news today! JDC-Miller Motorsports will field the No. 5 Mustang Sampling Racing Cadillac DPi-V.R in the 2020 and 2021 seasons of the IMSA WeatherTech Sportscar Championship with drivers Joao Barbosa and Sebastien Bourdais. Loïc Duval will join the team for the endurance rounds, and Christian Fittipaldi joins the team as core advisor.” Full release at the link. – JDC Motorsports – (11/22/2019)

Coyne announces shock split from Bourdais – “Dale Coyne Racing announced today that it has parted ways with driver Sebastien Bourdais, who has spent four years with the Plainfield, Illinois-based team since his return to North American open-wheel racing in 2011…The team is exploring several options in order to complete its driver lineup for the 2020 NTT IndyCar Series and an announcement will be made in the near future.” Full release at the link. – Dale Coyne Racing – (11/22/2019)

Malukas confirmed at HMD Lights program for ’20 – “With the start of the 2020 race season still over four months away, HMD Motorsports continues to make strides on their growing program. With the move of the team to the Indianapolis, Indiana area and the hiring of an experienced staff, the team is happy to announce that David Malukas will be back for his sophomore Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires championship season.” Full release at the link. – HMD Motorsports – (11/20/2019)

ECR confirms VeeKay for No. 21 and Carpenter for No. 20 on ovals – “Ed Carpenter Racing announced today it will welcome Rinus VeeKay as the full-time driver of the No. 21 Chevrolet for the 2020 NTT IndyCar Series season. The 19-year-old joins ECR after a meteoric rise through the Road to Indy ranks and a second-place finish in this year’s Indy Lights championship. As VeeKay begins his Indy car career, he will benefit from the guidance of team owner Ed Carpenter, who will be driving in his 18th season.” Full release at the link. – ECR – (11/20/2019)

Miller’s Mailbag 11/20/2019 – RACER’s Robin Miller’s weekly fan Q&A is a great read as always. – RACER – (11/20/2019)

Trackside podcast 11/19/2019 – 1070 The Fan’s Trackside with Curt Cavin and Kevin Lee radio show from 11/19/2019 is a great listen as always. – 1070 The Fan – (11/20/2019)

Hulkenberg not in contention for ECR drive – Autosport’s David Malsher reports Nico Hulkenberg is not in the running for a seat with Ed Carpenter Racing in the NTT IndyCar Series for 2020. “I will be continuing as oval driver in the #20 Chevy next season,” Ed Carpenter told Autosport. “Maybe we’ll have the other #20 driver confirmed just before Thanksgiving, but most likely it will be the week after. But no, it’s not Nico Hulkenberg.” Full story at the link. – Autosport – (11/19/2019)

Jay Howard’s team announces purchase of two Lights cars – “Jay Howard Driver Development (JHDD) is delighted to announce that Christian Bogle will drive for the team in multiple categories once again for the 2020 racing season. Having enjoyed successful rookie campaigns in the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship and the F4 US Championship, Bogle will once again be competing in both categories for the 2020 season. To further enhance the driver development factor, JHDD has also added two Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires cars to its stable, one of which will be piloted by Bogle at multiple tests throughout the year, beginning with the series test at Sebring International Raceway, December 11 – 12.” Full release at the link. – Jay Howard Driver Development – (11/18/2019)

Dixon added to WTR Rolex 24 lineup – Chip Ganassi Racing’s Scott Dixon will be a part of a four-driver lineup for the No. 10 Wayne Taylor Racing Konica Minolta Cadillac DPi-V.R at the 2020 Rolex 24 At Daytona. Full release at the link. – Wayne Taylor Racing – (11/15/2019)

Pigot won’t return at ECR in ’20 – RACER’s Marshall Pruett reports Spencer Pigot will not return to Ed Carpenter Racing in 2020. Full story at the link. – RACER – (11/14/2019)

Trackside podcast 11/13/2019 – 1070 The Fan’s Trackside with Curt Cavin and Kevin Lee radio show from 11/13/2019 is a great listen as always. – 1070 The Fan – (11/14/2019)

Miller’s Mailbag 11/13/2019 – RACER’s Robin Miller’s weekly fan Q&A is a great read as always. – RACER – (11/13/2019)

MSR announces full-time program with Harvey and Andretti for ’20 – “Meyer Shank Racing (MSR) is pleased to announce the growth of the team’s relationship with AutoNation and SiriusXM. A new, multi-year, sponsorship will see MSR expand its NTT INDYCAR program to a full season campaign starting in 2020. The Ohio-based team will also continue to work with longstanding manufacturer, Honda. Demonstrating pace and promise with his continued progress behind the wheel of the No. 60 AutoNation / SiriusXM Honda IndyCar, MSR has signed an extension with driver Jack Harvey…Meyer Shank Racing has also announced that the team will enter a technical partnership with Andretti Technologies for the 2020 season.” Full release at the link. – MSR – (11/8/2019)

Trackside podcast 11/7/2019 – 1070 The Fan’s Trackside with Curt Cavin and Kevin Lee radio show from 11/7/2019 is a great listen as always. – 1070 The Fan – (11/8/2019)

Miller’s Mailbag 11/6/2019 – RACER’s Robin Miller’s weekly fan Q&A is a great read as always. – RACER – (11/6/2019)

Aeroscreen “passes final 2019 test” at Sebring – “INDYCAR continued its Aeroscreen development program Tuesday at Sebring International Raceway with Arrow McLaren SP and Dale Coyne Racing with Vasser-Sullivan participating in the fourth and final test session of the year…The steamy Florida weather allowed for trying various driver cooling options and further validate the anti-fogging mechanism. Bourdais, who wears glasses, had no visibility issues in his first experience with the Aeroscreen. O’Ward, in his first on-track experience with Arrow McLaren SP, similarly adapted quickly to his new cockpit surroundings. Ferrucci had no issues while driving Bourdais’ car. Pappas said INDYCAR and its suppliers are on schedule to deliver Aeroscreens to all full-season teams next month as preparation builds for Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. The Aeroscreen was announced in May and developed by Red Bull Advanced Technologies in conjunction with INDYCAR.” Full story from INDYCAR at the link. – INDYCAR – (11/6/2019)

Indy Lights chassis chosen for autonomous race at IMS – “The birthplace of motorsports innovation soon will be home to a historic, trailblazing and driverless competition. Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) and Energy Systems Network (ESN) today announced a two-year $1 million prize competition that will culminate in a head-to-head, high-speed autonomous vehicle race Oct. 23, 2021 around the Speedway’s famed 2.5-mile oval, which also plays host annually to the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge, the largest single-day sporting event in the world. The announcement was made at the SEMA Show in Las Vegas, the automotive industry’s premier venue for performance products.” Full release at the link. – Indy Lights – (11/5/2019)

Arrow McLaren SP unveils radical test livery – Arrow McLaren SP has unveiled a radical camouflage test livery for Patricio O’Ward to test at Sebring International Raceway on Tuesday. View the livery at the link. – Patricio O’Ward – (11/5/2019)

MSR teases news to be announced Friday – Meyer Shank Racing has teased news on Jack Harvey, AutoNation, and SiriusXM to be announced on Friday, November 8th. Stayed tuned to what appears to be news on their plans for the 2020 NTT IndyCar Series. – MSR – (11/5/2019)

Hulman & Company announces sale to Penske, including IMS & INDYCAR – “The Board of Directors of Hulman & Company are announcing the sale of the company and certain subsidiaries, including the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the NTT IndyCar Series and Indianapolis Motor Speedway Productions (IMS Productions), to Penske Entertainment Corp., a subsidiary of Penske Corporation.” Full release and video from the announcement at the link. – IMS – (11/4/2019)

All Road to Indy cars to employ a CFP device for ’20 – “Following the lead in safety enhancements set forth by its sanctioning body INDYCAR, Andersen Promotions today announced that all three levels of the Road to Indy Presented by Cooper Tires will be required to employ a Cockpit Frontal Protection (CFP) device for the 2020 season with additional enhancements expected in the coming years. Andersen Promotions has finalized the required installation update for teams with Dallara for the IL-15 in Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires and with Tatuus for the PM-18 and USF-17 in Indy Pro 2000 Presented by Cooper Tires and the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship.” Full release at the link. – Indy Lights – (11/1/2019)

Bell Helmets partners with Road to Indy – “Andersen Promotions today announced that Bell Helmets will be an Official Partner of the Road to Indy Presented by Cooper Tires, providing a variety of benefits to competitors on the world’s leading driver development platform. The new collaboration will take place effective immediately – for an initial period of three years – to offer drivers cost-savings in the off-season as they prepare for the start of Road to Indy competition in March of 2020… In addition to a Road to Indy scholarship to advance to the next step on the ladder, each of the 2020 champions will also receive a one-year Bell Helmet Athlete Contract which includes an FIA-8860 required helmet and accessories for that year.” Full release at the link. – Indy Lights – (10/31/2019)

Arrow McLaren SP confirms Askew and O’Ward for ’20 – “Arrow McLaren SP today announced its driver line-up for the 2020 NTT IndyCar Series season. 2018 Indy Lights Champion Pato O’Ward and 2019 Indy Lights Champion Oliver Askew will both compete in the full 2020 season for the newly announced entity.” Full release at the link. – Arrow McLaren SP – (10/30/2019)

Arrow McLaren SP confirms end to Hinch relationship – “Arrow McLaren SP and James Hinchcliffe have parted ways ahead of the 2020 IndyCar season. We want to thank James for his passion and commitment to the team over the last five years and we wish him all the best for the future.” Full release at the link. – Arrow McLaren SP – (10/30/2019)

Miller’s Mailbag 10/30/2019 – RACER’s Robin Miller’s weekly fan Q&A is a great read as always. – RACER – (10/30/2019)

Trackside podcast 10/29/2019 – 1070 The Fan’s Trackside with Curt Cavin and Kevin Lee radio show from 10/29/2019 is a great listen as always. – 1070 The Fan – (10/30/2019)

Report: Askew and O’Ward in at Arrow McLaren SP; Hinch out – RACER’s Robin Miller and Marshall Pruett are reporting Arrow McLaren SP are set to announce Oliver Askew and Patricio O’Ward as their drivers in the 2020 NTT IndyCar Series. That leaves James Hinchcliffe out of a seat for next season. Full story at the link. – RACER – (10/29/2019)

Arrow McLaren SP unveils logo – Arrow McLaren SP has unveiled their new logo as they’ve officially transitioned to their unified program for the 2020 NTT IndyCar Series. Check it out at the link. – Arrow McLaren SP – (10/25/2019)

IMS announces Luke Bryan for Legends Day concert – “Award-winning country music superstar Luke Bryan will headline the Firestone Legends Day Concert on Saturday, May 23, the day before the 104th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge. The concert, which also will feature additional acts to be announced, starts at 3:30 p.m. on the Firestone Stage inside Turn 4 of the IMS oval. Tickets will go on sale at 10 a.m. (ET) Friday, Nov. 1 at IMS.com, by calling 800-822-INDY or 317-492-6700, or by visiting the IMS Ticket Office at the IMS Administration Building.” Full release at the link. – IMS – (10/23/2019)

INDYCAR News From Last Month