2017 Verizon IndyCar SeriesOpen Wheel

[Kingofweasles]

Aleshin in doubt at SPM.

The rumor now is that reigning Auto GP Formula Open champion Luis Michael Dorrbecker, who is set to test with SPM at Sebring in March, is the odds-on favourite to fill that seat.

 

[GOTMAXPOWER]

Motorsport.com (yeah, I know) say Pastor Maldonado is in talks to join KV Racing for this season. I think if it does happen he'll do a very good job, he was an absolute beast at street circuits in the junior formulas and in F1 when the car was right, IndyCar will be perfect for him.

 

[L8 Apex]

Motorsport.com (yeah, I know) say Pastor Maldonado is in talks to join KV Racing for this season. I think if it does happen he'll do a very good job, he was an absolute beast at street circuits in the junior formulas and in F1 when the car was right, IndyCar will be perfect for him.

I know how Dallara feels about him:

 

[Eh Team]

Motorsport.com (yeah, I know) say Pastor Maldonado is in talks to join KV Racing for this season. I think if it does happen he'll do a very good job, he was an absolute beast at street circuits in the junior formulas and in F1 when the car was right, IndyCar will be perfect for him.

Well there's now a guaranteed caution in every race, it just doesn't have a clock on it.

 

[catamount39]

Motorsport.com (yeah, I know) say Pastor Maldonado is in talks to join KV Racing for this season. I think if it does happen he'll do a very good job, he was an absolute beast at street circuits in the junior formulas and in F1 when the car was right, IndyCar will be perfect for him.

...

 

[GTFan24]

The next JWT/Brian Scott has been found

 

[Panoz]

Francesco Dracone is a high benchmark for Pastor.

Lets see how well he does.

 

[AudiMan2011]

If Maldonado ends up worse than Milka Duno then Hell will have frozen over.

 

[catamount39]

If Maldonado ends up worse than Milka Duno then Hell will have frozen over.

It's not possible to be worse than Milka Duno, is it?

 

[Cap'n Jack]

Don't forget that Maldonado is actually a quick driver, having won the 2012 Spanish Grand Prix while fending off a hungry Fernando Alonso. That's no mean feat. His whole issue is his lack of discipline and crashing into everyone.

 

[prisonermonkeys]

If Maldonado ends up worse than Milka Duno then Hell will have frozen over.

I've never understood that expression, because in some classical interpretations, hell has less fire and brimstone and more ice and despair.

 

[twitcher]

I've never understood that expression, because in some classical interpretations, hell has less fire and brimstone and more ice and despair.

Ice and despair don't sell books and movies as well as fire and brimstone though

 

[RACECAR]

Well there's now a guaranteed caution in every race, it just doesn't have a clock on it.

Not anymore: http://www.motorsport.com/indycar/news/end-of-the-road-for-kv-racing-867314/

I know even I myself am not all that trustworthy of the site but racer.com is apparently "Getting a tune up" so..

 

[L8 Apex]

Anyone else starting to get concerned by the lack of a sponsorship announcement for Dixon? I mean I know the start of the season is still about two months away, and that Chip will make sure he's on the grid and kicking butt no matter what but...a four-time series champion and former 500 winner not having a new primary backer confirmed yet doesn't do the public perception of the series' health any favors.

 

[Eva]

Anyone else starting to get concerned by the lack of a sponsorship announcement for Dixon? I mean I know the start of the season is still about two months away, and that Chip will make sure he's on the grid and kicking butt no matter what but...a four-time series champion and former 500 winner not having a new primary backer confirmed yet doesn't do the public perception of the series' health any favors.

Dixon will be going for a fifth championship.

 

[Eh Team]

Hello IndyCar, you're my new home for motorsport now. I understand you run fewer races than I'm used to in a season but that's probably for the better of my spare time.

 

[Kingofweasles]

Hello IndyCar, you're my new home for motorsport now. I understand you run fewer races than I'm used to in a season but that's probably for the better of my spare time.

Indycar probably has a lot less cars on track and more road racing than you're used to as well, but it's fine. The on-track product has been solidly good over the last few years and there hasn't been a lot of BS to mess things up.

 

[TDZdave]

Anyone else starting to get concerned by the lack of a sponsorship announcement for Dixon? I mean I know the start of the season is still about two months away, and that Chip will make sure he's on the grid and kicking butt no matter what but...a four-time series champion and former 500 winner not having a new primary backer confirmed yet doesn't do the public perception of the series' health any favors.

Stress your concern after the Daytona 500, Ganassi would be more focused on both the Daytona 24h and the 500 over something further down the track PR wise.

 

[Kingofweasles]

Stress your concern after the Daytona 500, Ganassi would be more focused on both the Daytona 24h and the 500 over something further down the track PR wise.

There's always the possibility of making one of the open pre-season tests turn into a sponsorship reveal as well.

 

[catamount39]

Indycar, you're time has come again to dominate. You have just been gifted a clear road to being America's favorite racing series, NASCAR has been eliminated as your threat. Combined with your recent fantastic decisions, your new bodykit next year and the future ahead, it is all looking beautiful.

 

[Eh Team]

Indycar probably has a lot less cars on track and more road racing than you're used to as well, but it's fine. The on-track product has been solidly good over the last few years and there hasn't been a lot of BS to mess things up.

I have actually been sort of following it for the last couple years, I think I watched 4 races this past season. I was making a bit of an obvious dig at NASCAR though while welcoming IndyCar to myself with open arms. Well, apart from Eddie Cheever and his Indy 500 practices of course.

 

[Northstar]

Anyone else starting to get concerned by the lack of a sponsorship announcement for Dixon? I mean I know the start of the season is still about two months away, and that Chip will make sure he's on the grid and kicking butt no matter what but...a four-time series champion and former 500 winner not having a new primary backer confirmed yet doesn't do the public perception of the series' health any favors.

I'm guessing it will be a mixture of sponsors instead of just one and he's waiting to finalize all of them before making an announcement. I wouldn't be surprised if some of the sponsors from the NASCAR side expand to IndyCar (Cessna and McDonalds are probably the most likely)

 

[Kingofweasles]

I have actually been sort of following it for the last couple years, I think I watched 4 races this past season. I was making a bit of an obvious dig at NASCAR though while welcoming IndyCar to myself with open arms. Well, apart from Eddie Cheever and his Indy 500 practices of course.

Ah. Well, if it's any indication on where Indycar is going 2017 might be the last year of ABC's 4-race coverage deal, so hopefully we don't get to have our ears bleed while falling asleep listening to Cheever & Scott Goodyear drone on and on about nothing particular.

 

[Carbonox]

Ah. Well, if it's any indication on where Indycar is going 2017 might be the last year of ABC's 4-race coverage deal, so hopefully we don't get to have our ears bleed while falling asleep listening to Cheever & Scott Goodyear drone on and on about nothing particular.

And then NBC announces a renewed commentating team where Cheever gets to participate full-time.

 

[RACECAR]

And then NBC announces a renewed commentating team where Cheever gets to participate full-time.

NBC would have to beat ESPN in sheer stupidity for that to happen and at the moment, not even Fox is challenging for that crown (even with the clone that is FS1/FS2).

 

[ukfan758]

Ah. Well, if it's any indication on where Indycar is going 2017 might be the last year of ABC's 4-race coverage deal, so hopefully we don't get to have our ears bleed while falling asleep listening to Cheever & Scott Goodyear drone on and on about nothing particular.

I have a feeling that ABC will fight hard for rights to the 500 due to ad revenue and its history of broadcasting it. If they do get the 500, hopefully Indycar is smart enough to get rid of the network/cable exclusivity garbage that plagues the current deal so that NBC can finally broadcast.

 

[L8 Apex]

I have a feeling that ABC will fight hard for rights to the 500 due to ad revenue and its history of broadcasting it. If they do get the 500, hopefully Indycar is smart enough to get rid of the network/cable exclusivity garbage that plagues the current deal so that NBC can finally broadcast.

The 500 and the other handful of races are literally the last motorsports properties ESPN/ABC/Disney has left, having ceded NHRA to Fox and the second half of the NASCAR season to NBC in just the last couple of years. I would be surprised if they didn't get out of the racing coverage business altogether (aside from a handful of X-Games disciplines) once the current contract is up.

 

[Northstar]

I have a feeling that ABC will fight hard for rights to the 500 due to ad revenue and its history of broadcasting it.

I'm not so sure on that, ESPN isn't doing so hot at the moment so Disney may look to shed what they can.

 

[catamount39]

I'm not so sure on that, ESPN isn't doing so hot at the moment so Disney may look to shed what they can.

Which may be our saving grace from the idiots in the ABC booth.

 

[IforceV8]

I love to see a marketing program with the tagline of "pure racing" but I doubt IMS will grab this opportunity. http://www.racer.com/more/viewpoints/item/137893-miller-nascar-s-changes-are-great-for-indycar