INDYCAR News for the Month of December 2019

Daly, Davidson, and Ferrucci to be teammates at Chili Bowl – “Conor Daly will return to the Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Midget Nationals in Tulsa, Okla., for the second year in a row, and this time NTT IndyCar Series regular Santino Ferrucci and five-time Indianapolis 500 starter James Davison (pictured at the bottom) will join him in getting their first taste of the famed event to be held Jan. 13-18 at the Tulsa Expo Raceway. The three NTT IndyCar Series drivers will be part of team owner David Byrd’s attack. Byrd’s partner in the team is Scott Petry, whose company built the dirt track in Turn 3 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. This will be the 34th time the Chili Bowl Nationals have been held.” Full story at the link. – INDYCAR – (12/31/2019)

Report: Track limits to be enforced at COTA Turn 19 – RACER’s Marshall Pruett reports INDYCAR will enforce track limits in Turn 19 at Circuit of the Americas next year with an electronic timing line. Full story at the link. – RACER – (12/30/2019)

Report: Changes coming to P2P – RACER’s Marshall Pruett reports changes are coming to the push-to-pass system in the NTT IndyCar Series in 2020. INDYCAR plans on removing the abilities for teams to track push-to-pass usage of other cars in real time. Full story at the link. – RACER – (12/27/2019)

Miller’s Mailbag 12/25/2019 – RACER’s Robin Miller’s weekly fan Q&A is a great read as always. – RACER – (12/25/2019)

DragonSpeed announces six race schedule for ’20 – DragonSpeed announced its current schedule for the 2020 NTT IndyCar Series on Tuesday. The team plans to enter events on the Streets of St. Petersburg, Streets of Long Beach, the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race, Texas Motor Speedway, Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, and WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. “Driver & Sponsor announcement after the new year.” – DragonSpeed LLC – (12/24/2019)

Exclusive Autosport names Lastochkin as Lights driver for ’20 – “Exclusive Autosport is happy to announce the return of Nikita Lastochkin to the team, making his debut in the 2020 Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tire season. The Russian-born, Los Angeles, CA resident will pilot the team’s #90 Dallara IL-15 featuring the Exclusive Autosport’s red and white livery with branding from his sponsor Russkaya Mekhanika. This will be the team’s first season in Indy Lights, but they have already shown in the series’ official winter test that they have serious pace, topping the speed charts in one of the five sessions earlier this month in Sebring.” Full release at the link. – Exclusive Autosport – (12/23/2019)

Arrow McLaren SP confirms car numbers for ’20 – Arrow McLaren SP has confirmed their car numbers and assignments for the 2020 NTT IndyCar Series. Patricio O’Ward will drive the No. 5 entry and Oliver Askew will drive the No. 7 entry. – Arrow McLaren SP – (12/23/2019)

Coyne announces deal with Palou and Team Goh for full ’20 season – “Super Formula race winner and Rookie of the Year, Spaniard Alex Palou will be coming to America to compete full-time in the 2020 NTT IndyCar Series driving for Dale Coyne Racing with Team Goh. Palou will be vying for Rookie of the Year honors as he takes on the 17-race schedule. The driver from Sant Antoni de Vilamajor is hot off an impressive season in the Japanese Super Formula Series with TCS Nakajima Racing.” Full release at the link. – Dale Coyne Racing – (12/19/2019)

Trackside podcast 12/18/2019 – 107.5 The Fan’s Trackside with Curt Cavin and Kevin Lee radio show from 12/18/19 is a great listen as always. – 107.5 The Fan – (12/19/2019)

Miller’s Mailbag 12/18/2019 – RACER’s Robin Miller’s weekly fan Q&A is a great read as always. – RACER – (12/18/2019)

Arrow McLaren SP confirms Hampson addition – “Arrow McLaren SP today announced that veteran IndyCar engineer Craig Hampson will join the team in the role of Race and R&D Engineer from January 1, 2020. Hampson comes to Arrow McLaren SP with more than 25 years of frontline experience in the sport with leading teams. During his race engineering career to date, he has more than 30 wins, four Champ Car titles and two Indy 500 victories to his name.” Full release at the link. – Arrow McLaren SP – (12/16/2019)

Safety pioneer Simpson passes away at 79 – “Veteran racer Bill Simpson, who made one Indianapolis 500 start and was renowned in global motorsports for his development of groundbreaking safety equipment, died Monday, Dec. 16 in Indianapolis due to complications from recent health problems. He was 79. Simpson competed as a driver in drag racing, sports car racing and open-wheel formula racing, including in SCCA and USAC Indy-car competition. He made 52 career Indy-car starts between 1968 and 1977. He produced 11 top-10 finishes, including a career best of sixth in the 1970 Milwaukee 200.” Full release at the link. – IMS – (12/16/2019)

Arrow McLaren SP adds Hampson – RACER’s Robin Miller and Marshall Pruett report Arrow McLaren SP has acquired the services of veteran engineer Craig Hampson from Dale Coyne Racing. Full story at the link. – RACER – (12/16/2019)

Team Penske to test McLaughlin at Sebring – “Team Penske announced today that Scott McLaughlin, the recently-crowned, back-to-back Virgin Australia Supercars Champion for DJR Team Penske (DJRTP), will participate in an INDYCAR Rookie Evaluation test at Sebring International Raceway in Sebring, Fla. on Monday, January 13.” Full release at the link. – Team Penske – (12/13/2019)

Lindh fastest over two days of Lights testing at Sebring – Rasmus Lindh’s lap of 55.9580 was the quickest over two days of Indy Lights testing at Sebring International Raceway. The Top 5 was Lindh, Kirkwood, Megennis, Frost, and Charpentier. Full combined results from the two days of testing at the link. – Indy Lights – (12/12/2019)

Team Penske announces XPEL partnership and livery for two ’20 races – “Team Penske and XPEL, Inc. (NASDAQ: XPEL) a leading provider of automotive paint protective film and window tint, today announced a multi-year partnership. XPEL will be the primary sponsor of the No. 1 Dallara/Chevrolet driven by reigning and two-time NTT IndyCar Series Champion Josef Newgarden for two races in 2020. XPEL will also serve as the “Official Protective Film Partner of Team Penske.”” See the livery on our No. 1 livery page here. Full release at the link. – Team Penske – (12/12/2019)

Frost tops Day 1 of Lights testing at Sebring – Danial Frost topped Day 1 of Indy Lights testing at Sebring International Raceway in an Andretti Autosport entry with a lap of 56.8616. The Top 5 was Frost, Megennis, Lastochkin, Lindh, and Kirkwood. Full combined results from Day 1 at the link. – Indy Lights – (12/12/2019)

Miller’s Mailbag 12/11/2019 – RACER’s Robin Miller’s weekly fan Q&A is a great read as always. – RACER – (12/11/2019)

Trackside podcast 12/10/2019 – 107.5 The Fan’s Trackside with Curt Cavin and Kevin Lee radio show from 12/10/19 is a great listen as always. – 107.5 The Fan – (12/11/2019)

Entry list for Lights series test at Sebring – Nine car and driver entries are set for an Indy Lights test to take place on December 11th and 12th at Sebring International Raceway. Full entry list at the link. – Indy Lights – (12/10/2019)

IMS announces title sponsor for GMR Grand Prix – “Global Medical Response (GMR), the world leader in compassionate, quality emergency medical and patient relocation services, has reached a multi-year agreement to become the title sponsor of the NTT IndyCar Series road race in May at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The seventh annual GMR Grand Prix is scheduled for Saturday, May 9 on the 14-turn, 2.439-mile permanent road course at IMS, which includes portions of the famous 2.5-mile oval that hosts the 104th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge on Sunday, May 24. The GMR Grand Prix is the fifth race of the 2020 NTT IndyCar Series season, which kicks off on Sunday, March 15 with the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg.” Full release at the link. – IMS – (12/10/2019)

INDYCAR announces ’20 green flag times – “INDYCAR released the green flag times today for the 2020 NTT IndyCar Series season that features starting time shifts at four races – St. Petersburg, Circuit of The Americas, Iowa and Mid-Ohio – and the anticipated evening return to Richmond Raceway. Those four returning races represent the only significant green flag start time changes from a year ago in the 17-race 2020 NTT IndyCar Series schedule, beginning with the season-opening Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg scheduled for Sunday, March 15.” Full release at the link. – INDYCAR – (12/9/2019)

ECR confirms Daly/USAF for No. 20 on road & street courses plus third car for Indy 500 – “Ed Carpenter Racing announced today the addition of Conor Daly and the U.S. Air Force to the team’s 2020 NTT IndyCar Series program. Daly will race the U.S. Air Force Chevrolet at the road and street course events, finalizing the lineup of the No. 20 alongside team owner and oval driver Ed Carpenter. Additionally, Daly will compete in the 104th Running of the Indianapolis 500 as ECR will expand to a three-car lineup. Daly and ECR will work alongside the U.S. Air Force to use Indy car racing to inspire young adults, communicate the service’s mission and build awareness about career opportunities.” Full release at the link. – ECR – (12/9/2019)

HMD to test Serravalle in Lights car at Sebring – “Competing in the Indy Pro 2000 Championship Presented by Cooper Tires as an independent for the past two seasons, Canadian driver Antonio Serravalle is set to make his Indy Lights debut. Taking on the Sebring International Raceway with HMD Motorsports next week, the multi-time karting champion will take to the track for the two-day Series Test on December 11 and 12.” Full release at the link. – HMD Motorsports – (12/5/2019)

Trackside podcast 12/4/2019 – 107.5 The Fan’s Trackside with Curt Cavin and Kevin Lee radio show from 12/4/19 is a great listen as always. – 107.5 The Fan – (12/5/2019)

Miller’s Mailbag 12/4/2019 – RACER’s Robin Miller’s weekly fan Q&A is a great read as always. – RACER – (12/4/2019)

IMS announces REO Speedwagon and Styx for Carb Day Concert – “Music legends REO Speedwagon and Styx will co-headline the Miller Lite Carb Day Concert on Friday, May 22, 2020 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, performing their hits that have defined melodic power rock for generations. The concert featuring two of the most popular American rock bands in history starts at 3:30 p.m. on the Miller Lite Stage inside Turn 4 of the IMS oval. Styx will perform first, followed by REO Speedwagon.” Full release at the link. – IMS – (12/3/2019)

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)

INDYCAR News From Last Month