News for the Month of January 2018

INDYCAR names Sansum managing director of engine development – “INDYCAR has landed a lead engineer from a championship-winning manufacturer as its new managing director of engine development. Darren Sansum joins INDYCAR after a successful stint at Toyota Racing Development, which has won the past two manufacturer championships in NASCAR’s Cup series. Sansum brings considerable experience to INDYCAR, having also worked for Ford Motor Company, Cosworth Technology and Ilmor Engineering. At INDYCAR, Sansum will oversee engine development and competition between Honda and Chevrolet in the Verizon IndyCar Series effective Feb. 6.” Full release at the link. – INDYCAR – (1/31/2018)

RLL announces partnership with TOTAL QUARTZ – “Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing (RLL) and Total Specialties USA, Inc., Total S.A.’s U.S. marketing affiliate, have announced a multi-year agreement that will see TOTAL QUARTZ become the Official Lubricant Partner of their Verizon IndyCar Series team and the primary sponsor of the No. 15 Indy car driven by Graham Rahal in the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach. It will mark Total’s return to the team after being an associate sponsor of their inaugural season in 1992 where Bobby Rahal earned his third Indy car title. The 2018 Long Beach race will mark their first as a primary sponsor of an Indy car.” See the livery on our No. 15 livery page here. – RLL – (1/31/2018)

Miller’s Mailbag 1/31/18 – RACER’s Robin Miller’s weekly fan Q&A is a great read as always. – RACER – (1/31/2018)

Trackside podcast 1/30/18 – 1070 The Fan’s Trackside with Curt Cavin and Kevin Lee radio show from 1/30/18 is a great listen as always. Rob Edwards and Ryan Briscoe are guests on the show. – 1070 The Fan – (1/31/2018)

INDYCAR Rolex 24 recap – “Try It Tiny and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway are introducing a luxury, pop-up Tiny House Hotel at the 102nd Running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by PennGrade Motor Oil…Each tiny house is packed with a host of amenities never before available to attendees, including a compact kitchen with high-end finishes, a modern bathroom, air conditioning, sleeping quarters and more. Interested fans can select from a mix of several different houses with varying layouts and options. Fifteen Tiny House spots will be located at IMS and available to customers for Race Weekend. The Tiny House Hotel will be conveniently located on the track’s property from Thursday, May 24 until Monday, May 28. In addition to the accommodations, guests will enjoy four General Admission tickets to the race, on-site parking, a private concierge service and much more. The total cost for the weekend is $3,000.” Full release at the link. – IMS – (1/30/2018)

Bell returns home from Rolex 24 to find racing items stolen – Townsend Bell returned home from driving in the Rolex 24 at Daytona to find his house had been robbed. Missing items include two Rolex watches related to racing victories, his ring for winning the 2001 Indy Lights championship, 10 rings from starting in the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race, and more. Full story at the link. – RACER – (1/30/2018)

INDYCAR Rolex 24 recap – INDYCAR’s recap of INDYCAR drivers’ experience at the Rolex 24 at Daytona is a great read. Scott Dixon was a driver for Chip Ganassi Racing Team’s winning effort in GT Le Mans and Sebastien Bourdais drove for the team’s other car that finished P2 in the same class. Other drivers didn’t have as successful of an experience but performed well themselves. Full story at the link. – INDYCAR – (1/29/2018)

Coyne hopes to finalize lineup before 2/9-10 Phoenix test – RACER’s Marshall Pruett reports Dale Coyne Racing owner Dale Coyne wants to finalize the teams’ plans for the driver of the No. 19 car before the Verizon IndyCar Series test at ISM Raceway in early February. Full story at the link. – RACER – (1/29/2018)

DCR announces Pietro Fittipaldi to test No. 18 on Thursday – Dale Coyne Racing announced Pietro Fittipaldi will test for the team on Thursday at Sebring International Raceway while Sebastien Bourdais prepares for the Rolex 24 at Daytona. Pietro is Emerson Fittipaldi’s grandson. – Dale Coyne Racing – (1/25/2018)

Report: INDYCAR looking for $30M+/year title sponsor to replace Verizon – Indianapolis Business Journal’s Anthony Schoettle reports INDYCAR is looking for a title sponsor that spends up to $30 million year to replace Verizon for the IndyCar Series. Schoettle reports that figure includes both a payment to INDYCAR and the sponsor’s spend in promotion of the series. Full story at the link. – IBJ – (1/24/2018)

Andretti formally releases No. 26 livery for Veach – Andretti Autosport has released the Group One Thousand One livery for their No. 26 car for Zach Veach. See the livery on our No. 26 livery page here. – Andretti Autosport – (1/24/2018)

DCR announces Claman De Melo as No. 19 driver for Wednesday test – From Dale Coyne Racing at Wednesday’s Verizon IndyCar Series test at Sebring International Raceway: “For those wondering who our TBA is for this test, it’s @ZACHCD13, he’s testing in the 19 car.” – Dale Coyne Racing – (1/24/2018)

INDYCAR gives teams 2018 rule book and highlights changes – The highlights are practice for the 102nd Running of the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race starting on the Tuesday after the INDYCAR Grand Prix and this regarding oval qualifying: “The qualifying order for all oval track events except the Indianapolis 500 will be determined by entrant points entering the event. The qualifying order will run in reverse order of entrant points, with the highest in entrant points qualifying last. A car without entrant points will be placed at the front of the qualifying line. If more than one car has no entrant points entering an event, a blind draw among those cars will determine their qualifying order at the front of the line. The qualifying order for the Indianapolis 500 will still be determined by a blind draw.” Full release at the link. – INDYCAR – (1/24/2018)

Miller’s Mailbag 1/24/18 – RACER’s Robin Miller’s weekly fan Q&A is a great read as always. – RACER – (1/24/2018)

Trackside podcast 1/23/18 – 1070 The Fan’s Trackside with Curt Cavin and Kevin Lee radio show from 1/23/18 is a great listen as always. Brian Till and Jim Ayello are guests on the show. – 1070 The Fan – (1/24/2018)

Juncos confirms Chevy partnership for ’18 – “Juncos Racing announced today the team will continue their partnership with Chevrolet for the 2018 Verizon IndyCar Series. Kyle Kaiser will run a four-race schedule starting with Phoenix for the 2018 season…As previously announced Austrian Rene Binder will pilot the #32 Juncos Racing entry for four races including on the streets of St. Petersburg, Barber Motorsports Park, the streets of Toronto, and at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.” Full release at the link. – Juncos Racing – (1/23/2018)

Carlin happy with first shakedown test in IndyCar – RACER reports Carlin’s first test with a Verizon IndyCar Series car went well on Monday at Homestead-Miami Speedway. “It’s a very exciting day for us as a team,” owner Trevor Carlin told RACER. Both Max Chilton and Charlie Kimball were on track. “It’s our first ever run with an IndyCar at a shakedown test. It’s gone extremely well – we’ve had no technical issues whatsoever. The car ran flawlessly. We’re very happy, and now tomorrow we can start pushing on with our test program.” Full story at the link. – RACER – (1/23/2018)

Axwell Λ Ingrosso, Deadmau5, Diplo and GRiZ headline 2018 Indy 500 Snake Pit lineup – “The Indy 500 Snake Pit presented by Coors Light once again will be Race Weekend’s biggest and best party, with superstars Axwell Λ Ingrosso, Deadmau5, Diplo and GRiZ headlining the Sunday, May 27 Race Day concert. The star-studded lineup of global EDM heavyweights will perform in the infield adjacent to Turn 3 of the IMS oval during the 102nd Indianapolis 500 presented by PennGrade Motor Oil.” Full release at the link. – IMS – (1/22/2018)

IndyCar engine manufacturers agree to limit ’18 changes in buildup to ’20 overhaul – RACER’s Marshall Pruett reports Chevrolet and Honda have agreed to scale back on planned engine upgrade options for 2018 due to newer regulations set to be implemented around 2020. “When we agreed over the summer that we were going to look at a new engine a couple years from now, we collectively agreed to limit the amount of development that’s going on to the engines right now because they are getting, I’ll say, old,” HPD race team leader Allen Miller told RACER. Full story at the link. – RACER – (1/19/2018)

Alfa Romeo open to entering IndyCar – David Malsher reports for Motorsport.com that Alfa Romeo is open to the idea of entering the Verizon IndyCar Series as an engine manufacturer. Why not Alfa Romeo in IndyCar?” Sergio Marchionne, CEO of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles told reporters. “We are thinking about it…Gian Paolo Dallara – I consider him a great, the best Italian engineer around.” Full story at the link. – motorsport.com – (1/19/2018)

DRR has “plan” to run two cars at Indy – RACER’s Marshall Pruett reports Dreyer & Reinbold Racing is planning on running two cars at this year’s 102nd Running of the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race. Pruett reports Sage Karam is “expected” back in one of the cars and Danica Patrick is in play for the second seat. “And I do plan to run a second car at Indy,” owner Dennis Reinbold told RACER. “I have spoken with her people, but I don’t know where we’re at with them.” Full story at the link. – RACER – (1/19/2018)

IMS unveils Sato banner and “THIS IS MAY” campaign – “2017 Indianapolis 500 presented by PennGrade Motor Oil winner Takuma Sato helped to start a major promotional campaign for the 102nd edition of “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” by unveiling a large banner over Gate 2 of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Jan. 18. The banner, which measures 91.5 feet wide and 19.5 feet high, features the tagline “THIS IS MAY.” on an image of Sato celebrating his victory in the 101st Running of the Indianapolis 500. “THIS IS MAY.” will be the centerpiece of the Indianapolis 500 promotional campaign this spring, including television and print advertising, billboards, social media content and digital and print collateral.” Full release at the link. – IMS – (1/18/2018)

Daly/Rossi advance in Episode 3 of “Amazing Race” – “Amazing Race” Team IndyCar of Conor Daly and Alexander Rossi finished second in the episode that aired on Wednesday night and they’ll continue to appear on the show next week. Read the INDYCAR recap at the link. – INDYCAR – (1/18/2018)

Danica’s 500 double to be backed by GoDaddy – The AP’s Jenna Fryer reports Danica Patrick’s yet to be confirmed rides at the 2018 Daytona 500 and 102nd Running of the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race will be backed by long-time Patrick sponsor GoDaddy. “There’s this great story: I left IndyCar with GoDaddy on my car, I started NASCAR with GoDaddy on my car, I’m most recognized as the GoDaddy green car and driver, and so to finish up my career that way feels appropriate,” Patrick told the AP. Full story at the link. – AP – (1/18/2018)

Sato and Michael Andretti receive “Baby Borg” from Borg-Warner/IMS – Winners of the 101st Running of the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race Takuma Sato and owner Michael Andretti each received their “Baby Borg” trophies on Wednesday. “In a very good way there have been moments, like seeing (my likeness) on the (actual) trophy,” Sato said. “But seeing this trophy in Japan – the first time it was outside the United States – that was a very special moment. Very special.” Full story at the link. – IMS – (1/18/2018)

Team Penske announces Horizon Global associate sponsorship for Pagenaud car – “Horizon Global Corporation (NYSE: HZN) has joined Team Penske with a new multi-year partnership beginning in 2018…Horizon Global will also serve as a full-season associate sponsor on the No. 22 Dallara/Chevrolet driven by Simon Pagenaud in the Verizon IndyCar Series this season.” Full release at the link. – Team Penske – (1/17/2018)

Miller’s Mailbag 1/17/18 – RACER’s Robin Miller’s weekly fan Q&A is a great read as always. – RACER – (1/17/2018)

Trackside podcast 1/16/18 – 1070 The Fan’s Trackside with Curt Cavin and Kevin Lee radio show from 1/16/18 is a great listen as always. Josef Newgarden, Townsend Bell, Roger Penske, Bobby Rahal, Mario Andretti, and C.J. O’Donnell are guests on the show. – 1070 The Fan – (1/17/2018)

IMS announces Sharp INTELLOS as Official Security Robot – “‘Start your engines’ at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) now extends to its automated, driverless security robot, the Sharp INTELLOS Automated Unmanned Ground Vehicle (A-UGV). Named the Official Security Robot of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the Sharp INTELLOS A-UGV provides an added layer of safety and security protection for what is known as the highest capacity sports venue in the world.” Full release at the link. – IMS – (1/16/2018)

Watch INDYCAR’s “The Future Starts Now” – “Watch a replay of INDYCAR’s live stream from the event in Detroit. Josef Newgarden, the 2017 series champion, detailed the racing and safety enhancements of the sleekly designed new aero kit. Motorsports legends Mario Andretti and Roger Penske shared their take on what it means to the growth of the sport. Executives from INDYCAR, Chevrolet and Honda discussed the continued building momentum in the Verizon IndyCar Series.” – INDYCAR – (1/16/2018)

SPM adds Gade as first female lead race engineer in IndyCar – “Schmidt Peterson Motorsports announced today that three-time Le Mans 24 Hours winning race engineer Leena Gade has joined the Indianapolis-based organization to captain the No. 5 Arrow Electronics Honda driven by James Hinchcliffe. Gade’s appointment to SPM marks the first female lead race engineer in Verizon IndyCar Series history. The FIA Commission for Women in Motorsport Ambassador has engineered racecars in Formula BMW, A1 Grand Prix, GT racing and has worked for Jaguar Cars, Audi and most recently for Bentley Motorsport. The Briton holds the distinction for the first female race engineer to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and following her second win at the 24-hour race, Gade was named the FIA World Endurance Championship ‘Man of the Year’ and received the C&R Racing Women in Technology award.” Full release at the link. – SPM – (1/16/2018)

INDYCAR to officially unveil 2018 car at NAIAS in Detroit on Tuesday – “There’s no bigger or better event than the North American International Auto Show to make a major automotive announcement, which is why INDYCAR will unveil its sleek new 2018 race car during media day on Tuesday at the show in Detroit. In a presentation that will stream live on IndyCar.com and on INDYCAR’s Facebook page beginning at 9:05 a.m. ET Tuesday, an all-star cast from the motorsports and automotive industries will gather to show off the universal aero kit that will make its competition debut this year in the 17-race Verizon IndyCar Series season that kicks off in March at St. Petersburg, Florida.” Full release at the link. – INDYCAR – (1/16/2018)

Team Penske announces Hitachi partnership extension with transition to Newgarden – “Team Penske and Hitachi Group today announced an extension of their partnership for the 2018 Verizon IndyCar Series season. After a productive five-year relationship working with three-time Indianapolis 500 winner Helio Castroneves of Team Penske, the familiar Hitachi branding will transition to the No. 1 Dallara/Chevrolet of reigning INDYCAR champion Josef Newgarden for eight races in the 2018 season.” Full release at the link. – Team Penske – (1/15/2018)

IMS statement on the passing of Dan Gurney – “A statement from Indianapolis Motor Speedway President J. Douglas Boles on the death Sunday, Jan. 14 of legendary American race driver, team owner and car constructor Dan Gurney, who finished three times in the top three during his nine Indianapolis 500 starts from 1962-70. Gurney is one of only three drivers to win races in IndyCar, Formula One, NASCAR Cup and elite sports car competition, along with Mario Andretti and Juan Pablo Montoya.” “When we talk about legendary American drivers, owners and car constructors on an international stage, Dan Gurney is one of the all-time greats. His skill in all three areas helped him make an indelible mark and serve as a huge influence in this sport. Dan was a giant in the racing world, in every sense. Our sincere condolences and prayers are with his wife, Evi, and the entire Gurney family. Godspeed, Dan Gurney.” Full release at the link. – IMS – (1/15/2018)

Harding Racing confirms Chaves for full-time effort in ’18 – “Harding Racing is announcing its full season entry in the 2018 Verizon IndyCar Series. This will be the team’s first full-time campaign after a three-race stint in 2017. Chaves will return to Harding Racing to pilot the #88 Chevrolet after an impressive ninth place in the team’s IndyCar debut at the 2017 Indianapolis 500. Chaves and Harding continued to surpass expectations at Texas Motor Speedway and Pocono Raceway where they finished fifth and 15th to round out 2017.” Full release at the link. – Harding Racing – (1/12/2018)

Danica and CGRT “not talking any longer” over 500 deal – RACER’s Kelly Crandall reports Chip Ganassi Racing Teams and Danica Patrick are no longer it talks to work out a deal for Patrick to drive for the team in both the 2018 Daytona 500 and 102nd Running of the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race. “No, we’re not talking any longer,” CGRT president Steve Lauletta said during an appearance on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. “I think it would have made sense, and we did have conversations, if she wanted to run in both races, the Daytona 500 and the Indianapolis 500. Ultimately, we couldn’t come to a solution that worked for both of us.” Full story at the link. – RACER – (1/12/2018)

Trackside podcast 1/11/18 – 1070 The Fan’s Trackside with Curt Cavin and Kevin Lee radio show from 1/11/18 is a great listen as always. Adam Stern and Dillon Welch are guests on the show. – 1070 The Fan – (1/12/2018)

Daly/Rossi advance in Episode 2 of “Amazing Race” – “Amazing Race” Team IndyCar of Conor Daly and Alexander Rossi finished fifth in the episode that aired on Wednesday night and they’ll continue to appear on the show next week. Read the INDYCAR recap at the link. – INDYCAR – (1/11/2018)

Andretti reveals No. 28 livery for RHR – Andretti Autosport reveled the livery for their No. 28 DHL entry for Ryan Hunter-Reay on Wednesday. See the livery on our No. 28 livery page here. – Andretti Autosport – (1/10/2018)

ISM Raceway announces “Prix View” open test details – “Kicking off the 2018 racing season, ISM Raceway is excited to invite fans and media back to the track for the third-annual Verizon IndyCar Series “Prix View” test session on Saturday, Feb. 10. Fans will be able to see virtually the entire field of drivers on the track as the stars of the sport prepare for the Phoenix Grand Prix, which takes place on April 7, as well as interact with their favorite drivers at an autograph session. Gates open at noon with free admission for all fans to find the perfect seat for the two testing sessions throughout the day, the first from 1 – 4 p.m. and the second beginning at 6 p.m. To keep the entertainment rolling between tests, an autograph session will be held from 4:45 – 5:30 p.m. on the DC Solar Power Pavilion. Fans can obtain a wristband to participate from the ISM Raceway Booth beginning at noon at the ISM Raceway display on the DC Solar Power Pavilion (while supplies last).” Full release at the link. – ISM Raceway – (1/10/2018)

Andretti reveals No. 27 livery for Rossi – Andretti Autosport reveled the livery for their No. 27 NAPA entry for Alexander Rossi on Wednesday. See the livery on our No. 27 livery page here. – Andretti Autosport – (1/10/2018)

Miller’s Mailbag 1/10/2018 – RACER’s Robin Miller’s weekly fan Q&A a great read as always. – RACER – (1/10/2018)

RACER’s video/photo gallery from Sebring test – RACER’s Marshall Pruett posted an excellent video and photo gallery from Verizon IndyCar Series testing at Sebring International Raceway on Wednesday. Check it out at the link. – RACER – (1/10/2018)

SPM to unveil liveries on 2/1 – Schmidt Peterson Motorsports will unveil their 2018 Verizon IndyCar Series liveries on February 1st. See the tweet at the link for details. – SPM – (1/9/2018)

SPM rules out Montoya or Patrick for Indy 500 drive with team – Autosport’s Tom Errington reports Schmidt Peterson Motorsports owner Sam Schmidt has ruled out Juan Pablo Montoya or Danica Patrick as candidates for the team’s third seat for the 102nd Running of the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race. Full story at the link. – Autosport – (1/9/2018)

GreenLight teases Veach livery in ’18 die-cast image – GreenLight Collectibles has posted an image of a 2018 1:18 scale die-cast of Zach Veach’s No. 26 car. See the livery on our No. 26 livery page here. – GreenLight Collectibles – (1/8/2018)

INDYCAR officially names Novak new race director – “INDYCAR has named veteran race official Kyle Novak as race director for the Verizon IndyCar Series. Jay Frye, INDYCAR president of competition and operations, made the announcement today. As race director, Novak will lead operations in Race Control at all Verizon IndyCar Series events. Race Control utilizes a variety of video, audio and data communications to oversee all aspects of competition and assure a safe, timely and competitive event. Novak will also work in conjunction with INDYCAR’s race stewards to initiate reviews of on-track incidents, though it will remain with the panel of stewards to decide whether a penalty should be levied against a driver or team.” Full release at the link. – INDYCAR – (1/5/2018)

Juncos announces Binder as driver for four IndyCar races including St. Pete – “Juncos Racing announced today that Rene Binder will join the team for a partial season in the 2018 Verizon IndyCar Series. Binder will run a four-race schedule beginning with the season opener on the streets of St. Petersburg, Florida…Binder joins the Verizon IndyCar Series after competing in the World Series Formula V8, where he captured four wins, five podiums and two poles. Binder was a title contender throughout the first half of the 2017 season, however multiple technical issues forced him to retire early or to start from the back multiple times throughout the year, causing him to finish fourth in the championship. Binder competed in the GP2 series from 2013 – 2015 where he earned five top-10 finishes including a sixth- and seventh-place finish at Monte Carlo.” Full release at the link. – Juncos Racing – (1/5/2018)

Trackside podcast 1/4/18 – 1070 The Fan’s Trackside with Curt Cavin and Kevin Lee radio show from 1/4/18 is a great listen as always. – 1070 The Fan – (1/5/2018)

Daly interested in Xfinity road course ride – NBC Sports’ Daniel McFadin compiled a story on Conor Daly’s interview on a RACER podcast where he admits interest in racing in the NASCAR Xfinity Series if a Verizon IndyCar Series deal doesn’t pan out. “I’d love to try and do NASCAR stuff,” Daly said. “I’ve been trying to talk to Xfinity Series teams about their road course races. I think that would be very entertaining. I think it would be a great idea. I obviously love my IndyCar family, but if there’s no possibilities there and there seems to be some chances to be had in the NASCAR world, then I’m certainly going to take it because I want to drive anything that I can.” Full story at the link. – NBC Sports – (1/5/2018)

Danica admits finding ’18 rides “taking longer than I’d like” – NBC Sports’ Daniel McFadin put together a piece with quotes from a Danica Patrick interview with SiriusXM’s NASCAR radio where she admits the process of finding a ride for the 2018 Daytona 500 and Indianapolis 500 Mile Race hasn’t happened as fast as she’d prefer. “It’s taking longer than I’d like it to take, I’ll be really honest with you,” Patrick said. “I thought it was going to be a quicker process. You can’t rush things. I’m a big believer, more and more all the time of letting things flow and letting things take shape in the way that they would. That’s kind of why I ended where I ended with finishing up (my) full-time career last year and doing the Daytona 500 and Indy 500 for this year. Full story at the link. – NBC Sports – (1/5/2018)

Andretti names O’Ward as driver of Lights No. 27 – “Entering his first full season of Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires competition with Andretti Autosport, Pato O’Ward will pilot the No. 27 Mazda and join the team’s roster alongside returning Andretti drivers Colton Herta, Dalton Kellett and Ryan Norman.” Full release at the link. – Andretti Autosport – (1/4/2018)

ECR names King as No. 20 road/street course driver – “Ed Carpenter Racing completed the lineup of the team’s No. 20 Chevrolet today with the addition of British driver Jordan King. The native of Warwickshire, England will compete in the 11 road and street course events for Ed Carpenter Racing in the No. 20 Fuzzy’s Ultra Premium Vodka Chevrolet. The only owner/driver in the Verizon IndyCar Series, Ed Carpenter, will continue to pilot the No. 20 Fuzzy’s Ultra Premium Vodka Chevrolet at all oval races.” Full release at the link. – Ed Carpenter Racing – (1/4/2018)

INDYCAR unveils 2018 TV schedule and broadcast details – “INDYCAR and its broadcast partners announced the 2018 television schedule today featuring an expanded use of in-car cameras to bring fans the thrilling action of the Verizon IndyCar Series from a variety of new angles in the upcoming 17-race season. ABC and NBCSN will utilize never-before-seen views of the intense racing that the Verizon IndyCar Series offers with cameras strategically placed on the universal bodywork kit that is new for all cars in 2018. In addition to the traditional in-car position above and behind the driver’s head, cameras will be mounted to the nose, sidepod and rear attenuator. There also will be expanded use of the popular visor cam mounted on the driver’s helmet and pioneered by INDYCAR.” Check out the 2018 Verizon IndyCar Series TV schedule at the link. – INDYCAR – (1/4/2018)

Report: INDYCAR hires new race director – RACER’s Marshall Pruett reports INDYCAR has hired Kyle Novak to be the new Verizon IndyCar Series race director after Brian Barnhart left for Harding Racing. Novak comes from IMSA where he served as race director for the Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge among other series. Full story at the link. – RACER – (1/3/2018)

Daly and Rossi’s “Amazing Race” debut airs Wednesday night – Season 30 of “The Amazing Race” debuts on Wednesday night on CBS and Verizon IndyCar Series Conor Daly and Alexander Rossi are a team on the show. Full preview from INDYCAR at the link. – INDYCAR – (1/3/2018)

INDYCAR to increase minimum car weight – RACER’s Marshall Pruett reports the minimum car weight will increase for the 2018 Verizon IndyCar Series season. “In reality, the car itself, separate from the tub, is something like 15 to 17 pounds lighter with all the bodywork that has come off it,” INDYCAR president of competition Jay Frye told RACER. “But the way we changed the sidepods and put the big crushable impact piece meant the weight increase of the tub itself negated the weight reduction elsewhere.” Full story at the link. – RACER – (1/3/2018)

Miller’s Mailbag 1/3/2018 – RACER’s Robin Miller’s weekly fan Q&A a great read as always. – RACER – (1/3/2018)

Report: INDYCAR to evaluate future of chassis after ’18 Indy 500 – Autosport reports INDYCAR will evaluate the future of the Dallara IR12 (aka DW12) chassis after the 102nd Running of the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race. “It’s part of the five-year plan,” INDYCAR president of competitions Jay Frye told Autosport. “We decided this fall that we have to work out what we’re going to do in 2021. The car is locked in for 2018, ’19, ’20. We might just go ‘hey this car, we’re just getting started with it, everybody likes it, it looks right, do we just extend this thing for one year?” Full story at the link. – Autosport – (1/2/2018)

INDYCAR adjusts tire allotment changes for ’18 – RACER’s Marshall Pruett reports INDYCAR has adjusted its planned tire allotment changes for the 2018 Verizon IndyCar Series season. “The rookies will get an extra set of tires next season, but those outside the top 10 will not,” INDYCAR competition president Jay Frye told RACER. “We got to a situation where, with 22 or 24 cars coming to most events, more than half the field would be getting an extra set of tires, and that seemed like it was a bit much.” Full story at the link. – RACER – (12/29/2017)

Belardi announces Telitz will return for ’18 Lights season – “Belardi Auto Racing is pleased to confirm its first driver for the 2018 Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires season. The reigning Indy Lights Team Champions will welcome back American star Aaron Telitz for the coming season, with full intent on running the entire 10-weekend schedule. Telitz currently has a partial budget for the season, and he and his management team continue talks with prospective marketing partners. The 26-year-old is confirmed to start the season, and will once again be paired with Belardi’s staff of experienced race engineers to pick up where they left off last year, having dominated the wet weather action in the season finale at Watkins Glen.” Full release at the link. – The Open Wheel – (12/28/2017)

SPM and Enerson resolve legal dispute – From Schmidt Peterson Motorsports: “Schmidt Peterson Motorsports and RC Enerson, as well as RC Enerson’s former Indy Lights sponsor, Team Enerson Racing, LLC, have settled their claims against each other on mutually acceptable terms.” SPM owner Sam Schmidt stated “We are pleased to have this situation behind us. For the record, the terms of our contract with the Enersons provided for early exit and that is what happened in this matter. As the terms of the settlement agreement are confidential, we will have no further comment on this matter. RC is a talented driver, and we wish him nothing but the best in the future.” – SPM – (12/27/2017)

Miller’s Mailbag 12/27/17 – RACER’s Robin Miller’s weekly fan Q&A a great read as always. – RACER – (12/27/2017)

Update on third engine manufacturer progress – Autosport’s Tom Errington has a great report on INDYCAR’s continued quest towards a third engine manufacturer with quotes from Jay Frye. Full story at the link. – Autosport – (12/27/2017)

Carlin unveils car numbers for first season in IndyCar – Carlin has announced their car numbers for the 2018 Verizon IndyCar Series. Charlie Kimball will drive their No. 23 car and Max Chilton will drive the No. 59 car. – Carlin – (12/26/2017)

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