IndyCar 2015: The Boss Level

IndyCar is known for its famous Indianapolis 500 miles, on a 4 km oval track completed 200 times in 2h40 (in 2014), with lap speeds exceeding 370 km/h. However, road and street races have gained significant importance in recent years. The level is very high on this type of circuit: in 2014, the 22 participating cars were regularly within less than 1 second of each other per lap!

16 events are scheduled for 2015, with 5 street races, 5 road races, and 6 oval races. The Louisiana Grand Prix makes its debut on the calendar while the Sonoma Grand Prix will close the season very early in the year; on August 30.

The forces at play

IndyCar features many headline drivers capable of winning the title, starting with the man to beat, Will Power, the reigning champion. The Australian, a three-time runner-up, finally managed to secure the crown last year.

His compatriot, Scott Dixon, is a 3-time champion. He is a formidable competitor and is very strong during the end of seasons.

Helio Castroneves is the second man to watch. At 39, he finished two seasons as runner-up. The Brazilian is also a 3-time winner of the Indy 500.

Simon Pagenaud is the Frenchman who is in demand. Three full seasons and three times in contention for the title in the final races. It is only logical that the Honda driver was poached from SPM by Team Penske (linked to Chevrolet), the reigning champion team and a true icon of motorsport across the Atlantic.

Juan Pablo Montoya has proven that he hasn’t lost his touch in single-seaters after 9 seasons in NASCAR. The Colombian, CART champion in 1999 and multiple winner in F1, had a difficult start to 2014 before finishing the season in a superb 4th place in the championship.

Last year, not all races went as planned for the American Ryan Hunter-Reay, the 2012 champion and 6th in the 2014 standings. However, he proved his top speed by securing 3 victories, as many as the champion Will Power.

© Team Penske – Will Power, le champion en titre

Men Who Can Surprise

The 2004 champion Tony Kanaan is struggling to keep up the pace over an entire season. The veteran is less comfortable on road courses. Slowing down in 2012 and 2013 (despite his Indy 500 victory), he has the technical means to surprise in his second season with Chip Ganassi, one of the biggest teams on the grid. He won the last race of 2014.

But the Brazilian will have his work cut out for him with his replacement at KV Racing: the four-time Champ Car champion, Sébastien Bourdais. The Frenchman has delivered strong performances and secured his first victory on the American continent since 2007. He promises better results after this year of adaptation to his new team.

James Hinchcliffe has a card to play this year. He finds himself in the car that Simon Pagenaud occupied at SPM. The team is sharp, finishing in the top 5 over the last three seasons, and it could provide the Canadian with the little extra he was missing with the Andretti team.

And after a rollercoaster 2014 season, we can’t rule out a surprise from Takuma Sato, Carlos Munoz, Josef Newgarden, Charlie Kimball, or any of the other 21 drivers who weren’t mentioned.

© Team Penske – Indianapolis

The Case of the Indy 500

The Indianapolis 500 is a unique race in the IndyCar calendar, and also a unique race in motorsport competition. It is part of the informal “Triple Crown,” along with the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the Formula 1 Monaco Grand Prix.

This particular character attracts many drivers, for fun, for posterity in case of a surprise victory, or for visibility. Last year, the legendary race attracted former F1 world champion and former winner of the legendary race Jacques Villeneuve, NASCAR driver Kurt Busch, and Buddy Lazier, the 46-year-old open-wheel champion and also a former winner of the Indy 500.

For the 2015 edition, the following are already registered:

– Jay Howard, champion Indy Lights 2006 (l’antichambre de l’IndyCar) et pilote malheureux à la carrière éphémère,

– Pippa Mann, la seule femme du plateau 2015, facilement reconnaissable à ses habits et sa voiture tout en rose.

The Great Absentees

IndyCar is not only ruthless on the track but also in the paddocks. The first race drivers engage in is to secure the budget that allows them to get a seat. The single-seater championship no longer has the luster of yesteryear and is largely overshadowed by NASCAR in the media.

© Justin Wilson

The Englishman Justin Wilson, double vice-champion of Champ Car behind Sébastien Bourdais, has had difficulty breaking through since 2008. He might not gather the budget this year. He has already bounced back with Michael Shank Racing (whose Honda-powered Ligier Prototype secured pole position at the 24 Hours of Daytona at the beginning of the year). He is set to participate in the 12 Hours of Sebring this month.

The Colombian Carlos Huertas secured a surprising victory in Houston last year during his first season. However, he finished only 20th in the overall standings.

Ryan Briscoe has once again been dropped by his team. The Australian disappointed Chip Ganassi with an 11th place overall and no podium finishes. Nevertheless, he has found refuge in GT racing as an official Chevrolet driver for the 2015 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Mike Conway made the logical choice of the WEC, as an official Toyota driver in LMP1. He is a 2-time winner in IndyCar in 2014, even though he only competed in part of the season.

J.R. Hildebrand is part of the long list of talented Indy Lights champions who can’t find a seat in IndyCar. He might make occasional appearances, like in the last two years.

Sebastián Saavedra, teammate of Bourdais, finishes on 2 disappointing seasons (21st overall), with an 8th place as his best race result.

The talented Mikhail Aleshin found himself a collateral victim of the crisis in Ukraine. The American government froze the assets of the Russian bank that sponsored him, leaving the Formula Renault 3.5 champion without a budget. Fortunately, he will continue his collaboration in WEC with his compatriots from SMP Racing, thanks to the LMP2 project. He hopes to return to IndyCar in 2016.

Simona de Silvestro also hopes to return. After her disappointment and false hopes with Sauber F1, the Swiss is working to secure a competitive seat in North America.

As every year, the list of contenders for the American dream is long. Among the drivers who have conducted tests this winter are Conor Daly, Davide Valsecchi, Stefano Coletti, and Rodolfo Gonzalez. Unfortunately for them, the economic situation in the USA is no better than in Europe.

Despite this, we find ourselves with at least 6 drivers capable of winning the title (including 4 driving for Penske!) and a good dozen capable of securing a victory… it promises some great battles ahead!