Is TCGR in charlie kimballs future?

[in the marbles]

thoughts

[Mr. Bean]

Yea, especially since he's already on it. His sponsor brings the same amount of dough as a Target car. This year, unlike last, it is very much more a 3 car team as opposed to last two years when it was Ganassi lite with Graham and Charlie getting less info into the Target teams data. There would be no real reason to upgrade to a Target car, unless Novo Nordisk backs out.

[Proveapoint]

thoughts

But he's on NNCGR not TCGR . So taking it literally, no, I don't think they'll move him to a target car, he has brought sponsorship that will be mostly dependent on him or another diabetic in the seat, and I don't know if there are any upcoming diabetic racing stars (but I would assume it's not likely).

Taking the spirit of the question (if it's will he stay with Chip), at this moment, I'd say yes. Things can always change, but at this moment the only seats equal are Penske and Andretti, I can't see a reason (I don't know if he gets along with everyone on the team or anything) for him to jump over, or for either of those teams to offer him a better package (He wouldn't be #1 on either team, and would be hard pressed to be #2 as well).

Then again, I didn't think we'd see Jr. in a Penske, or see Kanaan being ushered out of AA, so who knows?

[in the marbles]

i did mean would he get a target seat. I didnt think about how strong his nn sponsorship is, so that wouldn't make sense unless he loses that. he is more of a team mate this year. But i still see him as b-teamer. i.e. The big reason he got that win was because chipster thought a 2 stop strategy would be the winning strategy so he put his TCGR boys on that and hedged his bets with charlie. i guess we will see if chip ever moves him to true a-team status, no matter what his sponsor is.
However, the vacancy dario will leave will be the most coveted seat indycar will have seen for a number of years, and i just dont see charlie at that level yet.

[Grizzlor]

Who knows, because Dixon ain't going anywhere, and Dario probably isn't either for several years.

[in the marbles]

i disagree. i think dario has two more years with chip maximum. then he'll retire to pasture and race sports cars.

[IPS-Indy]

Darn ride-buying, talentless, go-nowhere, American scrub.........who has a win.

lol, where's Racing Steward anyway...???

[Jakester]

His sponsor brings the same amount of dough as a Target car.

I'd have to disagree...but will also admit I could be wrong due to the amount of money in pharmaceuticals. I will note that Norvo market capitalization, at 93.86B, is greate than Target's 45.67B.

The Target deal is a masterpiece deal of Target suppliers contributing as many or more dollars than Target itself. Combined, that money could well be more than Norvo Nordisk (a single product of a company that's also involved in hemophilia care, growth hormone therapy, and hormone therapy).


That said, I don't believe there's not a strong argument for putting Charlie in a 'Target car'. Norvo Nordisk, by the product's nature, is pretty closely tied to Charlie. Putting Charlie in a Target car would likely relegate NN to associate sponsor placement on the car, as Target would require the prime placements. Assuming NN and Target money are relatively close, that's a negative approach to existing sponsorship....i.e. Mr. Bean's '3 car team' approach.

A more likely and more desireable scenario would be an increased emphasis by Chip on making the NN car an equal to the 2 'red' cars, with tighter integration and sharing of resources and/or knowledge.

Or a totally different scenario of Charlie and NN going to a different team. IMO, that's a backward move unless it was Andretti. Given where the Ganassi 'junior' team is right now, KV would be a step in the wrong direction.

In any case, I'll be cheering for Charlie to continue his success. A pretty darn good shoe and a nice guy. So he was born in England, big deal...he's an American now.

[Proveapoint]

I also think (now that I get the question) that if Dario retired today, Kimball isn't the best guy Chip can get. He's looking better this year, but the dude has one win. The list of drivers with 1 win is huge (including Rahal, Servia, Tags, Sato, Pagenaud, Salazar, Philippe, Hearn) and 1 win in 45 starts isn't world beating.

If I were Chip, it makes more sense to keep a good '3rd' driver who brings a sponsor and fill your Red car with another good driver than go down to two, and either waste the sponsor being brought, or lose some Red car funding (assuming he can keep two Red cars and the Novo-Nordisk car)

Not to say Charlie can't improve between now and Dario's swan song, but I think between him bringing sponsorship and 'better' drivers available, it's not the most likely. (IMO- Servia, Kanaan, Wilson, are better now and in 'worse' rides, Pagenaud, Newgarden, Jakes, Vautier and Munoz have shown potential to be there at some point)

[Rossfeld]

Isn't he already there, pretty much? If Dixon or Franchitti left and he replaced them, what would he get other than different mechanics/engineers? And they're already sharing on the engineering size. So other than car number and driver suit the change is.... ?

[Muskie4041]

He's in a real good spot right now. No need for Chip to move him as long as his sponsor is on board.

[rrrr]

Isn't he already there, pretty much? If Dixon or Franchitti left and he replaced them, what would he get other than different mechanics/engineers? And they're already sharing on the engineering size. So other than car number and driver suit the change is.... ?

He has a good crew right now.

Charlie's win was a great one for one of my old grizzled gray haired buddies that works as one of his mechanics. Old guys rule!

[JohnMc]

It is obvious that he will be in the same seat for next year.

[Racing Steward]

Darn ride-buying, talentless, go-nowhere, American scrub.........who has a win.

lol, where's Racing Steward anyway...???

lol, if you've been reading I have been praising Charlie all season long and have admitted many times that he proved me wrong. Most people would disappear, I have no issue admitting when im wrong.

[Cooper5]

He will be in the 83, because he has a reliable sponsor and he has had success this year. He will be at Ganassi for the next few years. It sounds like Hinch could be the guy who goes to the 10 car when Dario retires. Hinch would move to a 4th Ganassi car next year and then move to the 10