Popular winners, scary crashes and a comeback win for the series’ championship marked the IZOD IndyCar Series in 2013. Some things were surprises, some expected and others will have to wait until 2014 and beyond before they can be judged.
But here for your review are items to think about over the upcoming five-month off-season:
• With the 2014 race schedule reduced to 18 races in just 14 cities (counting the two Indianapolis races as one city) after losing successful events at Baltimore and Sao Paulo, the lure for a new series sponsor to replace IZOD may prove to be difficult. Post-season discussions seem to always center on the hope that series’ races will eventually return to Road America, Chicagoland, Laguna Seca, Phoenix, Cleveland, Portland or fill-in the- blank. Will things change enough in 2015 so that those venues will decide it’s financially viable to return to the schedule after having once left the series? Only time will tell, but teams hoping to replace departed sponsors (Go-Daddy, HP), events looking for replacements for departing race sponsors (Honda at St. Petersburg) and the series search for a new title sponsor will depend on expanding the geographic footprint of upcoming schedules and the number of eyeballs watching on TV. We continue to hear that perhaps more events will be added in 2015, but how many more could a compacted five-month North-American schedule (late March to early September) handle?
• Dario Franchitti has become one of the most recognizable faces in open-wheel racing. He reveres the history of the sport and winning three Indianapolis 500’s and four series’ championships has frequently put him in the headlines. But has his scary crash at the Houston race and his subsequent injuries, put a question mark behind the 40-year-old’s desire to return to the Target-Chip Ganassi cockpit. Some think any future racing might find him in the new United Sports Car Series, perhaps with younger brother Marino. Indy car racing needs him in its series and the hope is that his injuries will heal and that he will return.
• Simona de Silvestro proved that she is the real racer that fans have been hoping for. Carrying the banner that Danica Patrick left behind when she moved to NASCAR, Simona, a native of Switzerland, separated herself from Ana Beatriz, Pippa Mann and Katherine Legge in 2013, finishing 13th in points after having started all 19 races for KV Racing Technology. She had two very competitive top-five’s (Baltimore-fifth and Houston-second) and nine top-ten’s while finishing 17 events. With Tony Kanaan as her teammate at KV, de Silvestro learned much this season, but she is likely to move on in 2014 while TK joins Target Chip Ganassi Racing. After just four seasons in Indy Car, the future for the 25-year-old seems bright wherever she ends up next year.
• The balance of ovals, permanent road courses and temporary street courses on past Indy Car schedules has long been a topic of discussion among fans and competitors. With its heritage rooted in ovals, the (then USAC-sanctioned) series’ move to road courses started in the 1970’s, and for 2014 the numbers read: ovals-six, road courses-four, street circuits-eight. Some feel that the imbalance of those numbers has led to a declining interest in the sport. With 18 races on the 2014 schedule- six of them street course double-headers in three cities-venues such as Laguna Seca, Road America, Chicagoland or Phoenix could be added for greater balance. We’ve always felt that street course racing didn’t show off the amazing competitive nature of the Indy Car series on its tight, narrow circuits. Oval track racing has proven to be a hard sell to fans recently, but permanent road courses have drawn some of the series’ largest and most enthusiastic crowds. Balance in the schedule and its venues may be one future key to rebuilding fan interest.
• Juan Pablo Montoya-you remember him don’t you: former NASCAR driver for Earnhardt-Ganassi, former star in Formula One for Williams and McLaren, former CART Champion and Indianapolis 500 winner? Well, he’s back, and the 38-year-old native of Colombia joins Kanaan (39) and Franchitti (40) as Indy Car “grays” a bit in 2014. Moving from Formula One to NASCAR was a big deal back in 2006, but with just two road-course wins on his NASCAR resume, and prospects for a move to a top team there dwindling, the third seat alongside Castroneves and Power at Team Penske looked pretty inviting. His return should spark some publicity in the series-at least initially, but winning a few races for a top team like the “Captain’s” may grow longer-term interest. Question is, however, will he mix well with the team as they try once more to win an Indy Car crown for the oft-denied Castroneves?
• Next week we’ll explore five more subjects to consider as Indy Car 2014 approaches.
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