2021 IndyCar drivers - who leaves, who stays?

[CrankShaft]

One tub is for the primary car and another one for backup car. Usual scenario. To be honest, I thought already that TopGun is another dead born project since they were silent all this time.

Agreed but it seems that the deal lately with new teams is to only have one chassis (because teams don't really use a backup car in May anymore with the way the rules are with engines) per entry. Pretty sure that Paretta's deal has one car (which came from Juncos). Juncos did have just 2 chassis, for their 2 entries when they ran 2 cars at Indy. DragonSpeed only had 1 car for Ben Hanley the past 2 years. Clauson-Marshall leased one car from Foyt. Does Dreyer and Reinbold have more then the 2 chassis they have run at Indy for their 2 entries the past 2 years? (not sure on that one).

Just thought it was a bit surprising that for a brand new entity, that they'd already have 2 tubs and presumably will have 2 chassis at least in various states of readiness for May. I think its wise to go this route to have another car in the stable, should an unfortunate incident occur. But not the route the smaller one-off type teams/entries have been doing it lately.

[dwaldrep51]

BTW, James Davison did announce today that he'll be in a car for the Indy 500.

Where was this announcement? During the Cup pre-race?

EDIT: I have found the Indy Star story saying that he posted it on his private Instagram.

[thehairpin]

THE VIEW FROM THE HAIRPIN - 2021 NTT INDYCAR SERIES

CHEVROLET
Penske - 4 - Newgarden, Power, Pagenaud, McLaughlin
Foyt - 2 - Bourdais, Kellett
McLaren - 2 - O' Ward, Rosenqvist
Carpenter - 2 - VeeKay, Carpenter/Daly
Carlin - 1 - Chilton/Daly
PART-TIME
Dreyer & Reinbold - 1 - Karam?
INDY-ONLY
Foyt - 1 - Kimball (two-off)
McLaren - 1 - Montoya
Carpenter - 1 - Daly
Paretta - 1 - De Silvestro (other races possible)
Dreyer & Reinbold - 1 - Hildebrand

HONDA
Andretti - 4 - Rossi, Herta, Hunter-Reay, Hinchcliffe
Ganassi - 4 - Dixon, Kanaan/Johnson, Ericsson, Palou
Rahal - 2 - Rahal, Sato
Coyne - 2 - Jones, Grosjean/Davison
Meyer-Shank - 1 - Harvey
PART-TIME
Meyer-Shank - 1 - Castroneves (Indy 500, Nashville, IMS NASCAR weekend, Portland, Laguna Seca, Long Beach)
Coyne - 1 - Ware
Andretti - 1 - Andretti
INDY-ONLY
Andretti - 1 - Askew?
Rahal - 1 - Pigot

UNKNOWN MANUFACTURER (INDY-ONLY)
Top Gun - 1 - Enerson

[GRW1983]

One tub is for the primary car and another one for backup car. Usual scenario. To be honest, I thought already that TopGun is another dead born project since they were silent all this time.

From memory, didn't Top Gun discuss running some R/S races, as well as the 500 last year. Maybe the idea of 2 tubs is to have an Indy 500-specific car & a R/S car.

[thehairpin]

From memory, didn't Top Gun discuss running some R/S races, as well as the 500 last year. Maybe the idea of 2 tubs is to have an Indy 500-specific car & a R/S car.

Makes sense.

Also, aren't some smaller FT teams' 500 backups their IndyCar GP car?

[dwaldrep51]

Also, aren't some smaller FT teams' 500 backups their IndyCar GP car?

That's probably true for every team

[gottastayfly]

https://www.motorsport.com/indycar/n...-pain/5472017/

"[Grosjean] is set to compete in all 13 road and street course races on the 2021 NTT IndyCar Series calendar, with Pietro Fittipaldi favorite to fill in on the ovals including the Indianapolis 500."

[thehairpin]

starting to look like Fittipaldi in the 51, Davison in the 52, and the plane sponsorship falling through (for Indy)

[thehairpin]

THE VIEW FROM THE HAIRPIN - 2021 NTT INDYCAR SERIES

CHEVROLET
Penske - 4 - Newgarden, Power, Pagenaud, McLaughlin
Foyt - 2 - Bourdais, Kellett
McLaren - 2 - O' Ward, Rosenqvist
Carpenter - 2 - VeeKay, Carpenter/Daly
Carlin - 1 - Chilton/Daly
PART-TIME
Dreyer & Reinbold - 1 - Karam?
INDY-ONLY
Foyt - 1 - Kimball (two-off)
McLaren - 1 - Montoya
Carpenter - 1 - Daly
Paretta - 1 - De Silvestro (other races possible)
Dreyer & Reinbold - 1 - Hildebrand

HONDA
Andretti - 4 - Rossi, Herta, Hunter-Reay, Hinchcliffe
Ganassi - 4 - Dixon, Kanaan/Johnson, Ericsson, Palou
Rahal - 2 - Rahal, Sato
Coyne - 2 - Jones, Grosjean/Fittipaldi
Meyer-Shank - 1 - Harvey
PART-TIME
Meyer-Shank - 1 - Castroneves (Indy 500, Nashville, IMS NASCAR weekend, Portland, Laguna Seca, Long Beach)
Coyne - 1 - Davison/Ware
Andretti - 1 - Andretti
INDY-ONLY
Andretti - 1 - Askew?
Rahal - 1 - Pigot

UNKNOWN MANUFACTURER (INDY-ONLY)
Top Gun - 1 - Enerson

[dakinca]

starting to look like Fittipaldi in the 51, Davison in the 52, and the plane sponsorship falling through (for Indy)

It’s been mentioned and hinted at a few different places that all the drivers shut down the idea of Cody Ware making his debut at Indy. Want him to run some road courses and get up to speed supposedly.

[CrankShaft]

It’s been mentioned and hinted at a few different places that all the drivers shut down the idea of Cody Ware making his debut at Indy. Want him to run some road courses and get up to speed supposedly.

I think Cody Ware himself is in favor of it too. Also it's not going to be show up and fill the field this year. Cars will be going home.

[nospheratez]

I'll say - "Start 'em all!".

[thehairpin]

I'll say - "Start 'em all!".

If there's ever enough entries to do it, maybe resurrect the Freedom 100 as a consolation race.

[Vic Mackey]

It’s been mentioned and hinted at a few different places that all the drivers shut down the idea of Cody Ware making his debut at Indy.

Where exactly was that?

[GRW1983]

https://www.motorsport.com/indycar/n...-pain/5472017/

"[Grosjean] is set to compete in all 13 road and street course races on the 2021 NTT IndyCar Series calendar, with Pietro Fittipaldi favorite to fill in on the ovals including the Indianapolis 500."

On the assumption Pietro Fittipaldi runs all the ovals, he only has to skip the Portuguese & Monaco GP's in his duties as Haas reserve driver.