Indycar Silly Season 2024

[RHR Fan Always]

I feel like this thread gets started earlier and earlier each year. But Pruett put out a good article this morning on possibilities

https://racer.com/2023/05/03/sizing-up-a-bumper-crop-of-indycar-free-agents/2/

Summarize:
1. we could see 29full time cars next year. HMD could do their own program, McLaren to 4 cars. Abel to Indycar. Cusick expansion, and Paretta expansion all listed as semi-realistic possibilities
2. everybody wants Illott
3. Ericsson seems to want out from Ganassi. Wants to be paid, not pay the team to drive. Ganassi wants to keep him
4. MSR is looking to fire at least 1, if not both of their drivers. Blomqvist said to be signed for one of the seats
5. Back of the pack jack is gonna get the ax at the end of the year. Apparently he could return to MSR which is absolutely laughable
6. Grosjean is the first domino to fall. AA could look like: Kirkwood, Herta, Grosjean and Illott.... if so, omg, the team would be loaded like they were in 2005
7. McLaren could go to 4 cars if they want to retain Felix
8. Ganassi could drop to 3 cars, could stay at 4
9. Penske is staying at 3, with their current 3
10. Kyffin Simpson to Ganassi probably
11. Oliver Askew is in the mix for a ride
12. David Malukas could go to Ganassi and replace Ericsson as a talented/funded driver. Could stay with DCR. Could lead a new HMD team
13. Graham Rahal could stay at RLL if he wants, could leave if he wants

this silly season could get very silly indeed

[Chris Paff]

If I was Graham, I would leave his fathers team if he wants to get back to victory lane

[gottastayfly]

Blomqvist going to Shank's Indycar team has been the worst kept secret since his dominating performance in the 24 of Daytona it seems like.

[RHR Fan Always]

Blomqvist going to Shank's Indycar team has been the worst kept secret since his dominating performance in the 24 of Daytona it seems like.

My presumption is that Helio is the 1 that's going to get the ax. If so, it's a massive upgrade for 16 races on the schedule. Tom is a stud.

[Mearsfan53081]

My presumption is that Helio is the 1 that's going to get the ax. If so, it's a massive upgrade for 16 races on the schedule. Tom is a stud.

If Simon was running away from Helio I'd think it was the driver that was the problem.....

Being in the spot they're in....I don't think switching drivers is gonna fix it.

[RHR Fan Always]

If Simon was running away from Helio I'd think it was the driver that was the problem.....

Being in the spot they're in....I don't think switching drivers is gonna fix it.

they have the same data and technical support that Andretti Autosport has.

Put Romain Grosjean, or Colton Herta in those cars, and they are further up the grid.

just my opinion. Helio has lost his fast ball in Indycar races, not called the Indy 500

[TonyGeorgeWasRight]

Helio should go back to IMSA and get a Indy-only ride.

[LAindycarfan80]

If I was Graham, I would leave his fathers team if he wants to get back to victory lane

Graham probably would be out of Indycar if it wasn't for his father's team.

[Chris Paff]

My presumption is that Helio is the 1 that's going to get the ax. If so, it's a massive upgrade for 16 races on the schedule. Tom is a stud.

Agreed, Castroneves should have never been offered the 06 outside of Indy.. It was obvious for years that he is not competitive anymore outside of Indy

[joe]

Where does Ericsson land? I suggest Arrow McLaren along with Palou. Rosenqvist to MSR or Ganassi.

[RHR Fan Always]

Where does Ericsson land? I suggest Arrow McLaren along with Palou. Rosenqvist to MSR or Ganassi.

Ganassi wants to retain him. Andretti is said to be wanting him. McLaren could go after him. RLL would love to have him.

Marcus is done bringing funding, so it's going to be a team that can pay him, instead of him paying the team.

[IS-Drew83]

The Ericsson stuff will be interesting to watch. If his backers are done paying for his ride and he wants to be treated like a top driver, not sure that works for Floyd Ganassi. I think the only way he's back with them next year is if he gets the 10 car sponsorship; which could more and more be reliant on Ridgeline, which is destined to be Kyffin Simpson's Ganassi ride (even though he has shown DeFrancesco level competence in IndyNXT). But Chip also likes drivers who win and contend and he's got that with Ericsson. And Chip knows Dixon is on the back 9 of his career, and might be starting to slip a bit this season. So not sure he'd want to go into 2024 with a potentially sliding Dixon and no true 2nd dog that has proven anything.

I also think Malukas and HMD have serious interest (and vice versa) in Ganassi. They want to become a full-time IC team but may not be ready to go it alone on their own yet. Potentially doing a Meyer-Shank type of conglomeration with the team (where HMD runs a car or two in conjunction with Ganassi in a technical partnership).

My guess right now is Ganassi returns in 2024 with Dixon, Ericsson and Armstrong (who brings serious coin) as their sole 3 full-timers. With Malukas and Simpson on the HMD/Ganassi satellite portion of the team.

I think an Indy Car team would be wise to take a Rasmussen or McElrea as well. Both are very quick and proven race winners in the lower ladder series. If either wins the NXT championship, they will be with someone in 2024.

The only place I see a spot for Illot is the potential 4th McLaren car. That's about the only one I see that wouldn't require a big check. Ganassi and Andretti's 4th car could need one. Maybe MSR wouldn't need one for their 2nd car.

With Andretti now being 50% owned by the Gainbridge guy, maybe he helps them be able to choose a driver of their own for the 29 car? And there's that association with Wayne Taylor Racing, which could be interesting too to watch.

I think both Helio and Pagenaud are gone. Blomqvist a virtual lock for one car. I can see Askew and a Rasmussen/McElrea here for the 2nd car. WIth all 3 having ties to Andretti.

Lundqvist could be either the Jack Harvey seat with Rahal or the top seat at Coyne, if Malukas/HMD leaves. Coyne would likely need another sugar-daddy like Henry Malukas to fund that car though, which might be an issue for Linus. But if Harvey gets canned after Indy, that could be Lundqvist's audition for 2024 if he gets hired this summer to get into the 30 car.

Why Pruett continues to mention Paretta as a potential full-time team is laughable. Yes a team with no money and no equipment is one to watch. Put me down as a potential full-time entrant too.

[ndcrs]

i'm shocked that mp didn't metion katherine, which must mean she's already be snooping in for the jack harvey ride and he knows it and is keeping it hush.
i'm always surprised that pietro fitti doesn't get mentioned as a candidate.
also, don't see simpson anywhere near ready for indycar.

[RHR Fan Always]

....staying on topic....

I will be curious to see if RLL sacks Harvey after Indy. That wasn't mentioned in the article as a possibility, but at some point you need to put up, and jack has yet to do that, even once. If he's gone, I'd guess they'd go with Linus immediately, and re-evaluate the 30 car at the end of the year.

the possibility of malukas to Ganassi is pretty damn interesting to me. Chip likes money, and Malukas can bring plenty of it. Plus Henry wants to open his own team. So I love the idea mentioned above of a partnership with Ganassi. HMD on their own as a new team would get Ganassi data, and Ganassi would get Malukas money.... seems like a winner all around to me.

I'd love to see Askew return, talk about a guy who never really had a shot. But his problem is he doesn't have a dime to offer to teams. That's a problem in this day and age.

My May 3rd prediction is that Ericsson ends up staying with Ganassi and will slide into the 10 car. I've said it many times in the last year that Marcus reminds me of Dixon. Quick, smart, clean, takes care of the car and doesn't make mistakes, and pounces when an opportunity presents itself.

[decembergoat]

Blomqvist going to Shank's Indycar team has been the worst kept secret since his dominating performance in the 24 of Daytona it seems like.

Weren't they caught cheating?