Monday, March 18, 2024

Musings From the Weekend: What Are We Doing?

Here is a rundown of what got me thinking...

IMSA announced its 2025 schedule, so it's got that going for it. Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti Global took victory with Louis Delétraz, Jordan Taylor and Colton Herta. Sebring had about three passes that could have been pass of the year, and that isn't even taking into consideration Formula E had a candidate in São Paulo. MX-5 Cup had another stellar photo finish. There was less dirt at Bristol, and somehow NASCAR avoided a tire debacle. There was testing at North Wilkesboro. Kamui Kobayashi is going to run the NASCAR Cup race in Austin next week. However, focus is on a race next week that is technically for nothing.

What Are We Doing?
Soon, the foothills of the San Jacinto Mountains will be hosting IndyCar, but the second event of the 2024 season is not greeted with much fanfare. Despite only one race in the previous six months, the excitement has dipped from the St. Petersburg season opener ahead of the "$1 million" exhibition race held at The Thermal Club in Palm Springs, California. 

New track, new format, big (albeit inaccurately stated) prize, and yet, the general sense is everyone is waiting for Long Beach in over a month's time. 

For a series that does not do much outside the box, IndyCar's exhibition race at Thermal Club is different. It is something the series has never done before, but it has fallen flat and was not received with warmth when it was first announced late last year, nor has the sentiment changed in the last few months. 

IndyCar only has 17 races a year as it is. The offseason is as long, if not slightly longer, than the season itself. Does IndyCar really warrant having an exhibition race? 

The answer is yes because Thermal Club is paying for it. IndyCar isn't going to say no to a paycheck that is large enough. As has been the case for going on two decades now, not many tracks are lining up to host IndyCar. Anytime one is showing up at the door and waving money around, IndyCar must listen, even if the proposal is for a convoluted exhibition race that will neither draw in new viewers nor please those already watching. 

Despite the announced prize, does this event even matter? 

It is being billed as an "all-star race," but there are the same drivers already competing in IndyCar that really isn't turning that many heads. No offense to Nolan Siegel, but he isn't going to be the new face that gets the people excited. 

It is being billed as a "$1 million prize," bur it is only $500,000 for the winner after the decision to split the prize with a Thermal Club member was dropped. Whether that was dropped over the poor optic of giving a millionaire another half-million remains to be seen. Either way, the promoted prize really isn't the prize. It might be more than every other non-Indianapolis 500 IndyCar race winner has received, but it really isn't enough to make anyone gasp nor grease any peaches with excitement. 

What is the point of this race and how should we treat it? 

I don't know. Without this weekend, IndyCar would be in the middle of a six-week break between the first and second championship races, and no on would be happy about that either. Yet, it is still another month until the next event with championship implications. Arguably, the one thing that could grab people's attention is a race with stakes that carry over the entire season. 

There is also the fact that the limited $2,000 tickets that were being sold to non-Thermal Club members were reduced to $500 tickets a few weeks ago, and fans that had purchased at full price were given $1,500 back. I don't think there is a better way to illustrate how this event has been received and a lack of an embrace than a 75% reduction on ticket prices. 

This race will be different from other IndyCar races, but isn't an earth-shattering format. The field will be split in half for two 10-lap heat races with the top six from each race advancing to the 20-lap main event. The main event will be held in two 10-lap segments. It doesn't lead one to believe what one will see on track is really going to make them tune into Long Beach next month. 

After all, 12 cars on a three-mile circuit isn't all that breathtaking. It is actually constraining what is best about IndyCar. There will not be traffic nor any strategy the teams must work through.

If the hope is this will be an all-out event where drivers don't have to worry about tires or fuel and everyone will be tight together for the entirety of each race, well, Hollywood is a few hours west. Bring your script with you. 

IndyCar is doing something different. It is the stereotypical back-and-forth between fans and sanctioning body...

Fans: "Do something different."

IndyCar: (Does something different).

Fans: "No, not that!"

Some credit is due to IndyCar. It is using this weekend as a test of sorts for procedural elements of the series. During the qualifying session ahead of the heat races, teams will be allocated 40 seconds push-to-pass to use during the session. Push-to-pass will reset mid-race, and perhaps that is an element that could be used in actual races moving forward. It is a new track, though Thermal did host the preseason testing ahead of the 2023 season. This was always going to be a networking event, attempting to showcase IndyCar to millionaires who might not be involved in a series but has a company that could use the advertising space or maybe is having a mid-life crisis and either wants to purchase a team or start a team. 

IndyCar is living in a state of cognitive dissonance. It is a series that requires millions of dollars to compete with drivers making more than they have in the previous two decades and it requires wealthy individuals for the series to exist. Simultaneously, it is a series with an overwhelmingly primary fanbase that is firmly in the middle class and does not spend exorbitant amounts of tickets that thinks $100 for a seat is too much let alone $2,000 just to get in the door. IndyCar needs both but pleasing both is a challenge.

With how the lead up has gone to year one of this race, it is difficult to imagine there being a year two. It was always going to be an event where if one side of the series' economy divide is happy with how it turns out, the other will be disappointed and IndyCar would lose in some way. If this is a one-and-done, IndyCar will have lost a nice payday despite the celebrations that would come from the existing fanbase. If Thermal Club does turn out to be a success and the club members are willing to pony up more for next year, a return would alienate its Midwestern base even more. 

Conversations will continue beyond Thermal Club about what must be done to increase IndyCar's exposure and interest in the series. Just remember, in the end, money always wins.

Winners From the Weekend
You know about the overall Sebring winner, but did you know...

The #18 Era Motorsport Oreca-Gibson of Ryan Dalziel, Connor Zilisch and Dwight Merriman won the LMP2 class at the 12 Hours of Sebring. The #14 VasserSullivan Lexus of Jack Hawksworth, Ben Barnicoat and Kyle Kirkwood won the GTD Pro class. The #57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG of Indy Dontje, Philip Ellis and Russell Ward won in the GTD class.

Sam Bird won the São Paulo ePrix with a last lap pass on Mitch Evans. It ended a 35-race winless drought for Bird.

Denny Hamlin won the NASCAR Cup race from Bristol. Christian Eckes won the Truck race.

Jett Lawrence swept the Triple Crown races to win the Supercross round from Indianapolis, his third consecutive victory and fifth of the season. Cameron McAdoo won the 250cc round with finishes of first, secon and third. Haiden Deegan and Tom Vialle won the other two races in the Triple Crown format. 

Coming Up This Weekend
The aforementioned IndyCar exhibition in Palm Springs.
Formula One will be in Melbourne.
Supercars will be on the Melbourne undercard.
MotoGP is at Portimão.
World Superbike is across the Iberian peninsula in Barcelona. 
NASCAR is in Austin. 
Supercross sweeps into Seattle.




Thursday, March 14, 2024

You Cannot Be Afraid Of Getting Younger

IndyCar's fanbase is old. 

Overwhelmingly old.

Seventy-percent born before 1970 old. 

That is what we learned ahead of the 2024 season opener. Due to a supermajority of the fanbase approaching retirement age, the series is planning on emphasizing attracting younger fans this year, and that was unfortunately met with backlash that IndyCar was abandoning its current fanbase. 

A fanbase is not an exclusive club. There are not a finite number of seats in the place and if one comes in, one must leave. It can accommodate everyone, and frankly, everyone should be welcoming newcomers. 

The combined percentage of the present fanbase between the ages of 18 and 44, born between 1980 and 2006, is 12%. That is not a healthy distribution, especially when you break the older portion of the fanbase down further and find out 45% is 65 years or older. That is not a stable foundation to be standing on. It is part of the population that is retiring, living on more fixed incomes and approaching death. If the average IndyCar race draws one million viewers, 450,000 people are 65 years or older. Not all those 450,000 people will not be around in 20 years, and even fewer will be around in 30 years 

If IndyCar does not attract more younger fans, it will be in a critical position within the next two decades. You can argue it is in a critical position now. 

Fandom is not a precise science. IndyCar isn't just going to have new fans show up when they turn 65 years old because there is something in the air that makes 65 years old watch IndyCar. The current 65-year-olds have been watching likely for most of their lives. They grew up watching A.J Foyt, Mario Andretti, the Unsers and Rick Mears, and the only video games they grew up with were down at the arcade or Pong.

At the same time, just because you don't have a 30-year-old watching now doesn't mean you will not get them in 15 years when they are 45 years old. A nine-year-old that is obsessed with race cars might not be as interested and hardly watch 20 years later when he or she is on the verge of turning 30. 

It must be a constant cycle to try and attract fans of all ages. Gains must be made across the board for overall health of the series. 

Motorsports isn't as transferable as football, baseball, basketball, soccer or hockey. You cannot just pick it up in the backyard. It isn't accessible to a number of people depending on where they live. Exposure might not come until an older age. Interest might not develop until an older age. 

A person might not see the appeal at the age of 12 and think it is just cars going around in circles, but at the age of 20 or 21, while studying engineering in college, that person might see motorsports in a different light and spark an interest in how the cars work and want to be apart of it. 

While some people might grow into it, there will always be that life-long fan, someone who was enthralled from the age of five seeing the cars zoom by and the noise and colors. They will play with the toy cars on the carpet, going around in circles and mimic engine sounds for hours. It will continue into teenage years with video games, birthday parties at the indoor go-karting place and that person will continue watching races and attending races and it will become a passion into adulthood and for decades to come. You cannot rely on every fan following this path. This is the anomaly. 

No series will have all its future fans locked up when those people are seven years old. People will come and go at various different points in their lives. The important thing is to have various jumping-on points for people of all ages. 

At the present moment, IndyCar must turn its attention to drawing young adults and those recently out of college. That doesn't mean IndyCar is turning its back on older fans. 

If you are already watching IndyCar races and you are 55 years old, IndyCar is happy to have you. Just because it is having a concert during a race weekend with a musical group you have never heard of doesn't mean you are no longer welcomed. Just because IndyCar is going to college campuses and offering ticket packages doesn't mean you are being cast aside. 

This isn't a competition. 

IndyCar isn't telling the older fans to scram. It is attempting self-preservation because it needs more people it can count on that will be fans 20 and 30 years from now. It cannot afford to lose a segment of the population for decades. Motorsport in general, but IndyCar in particular at this moment, needs a rather causal following. 

The best thing we can do is use non-motorsports specific avenues to gauge what the interest is in motorsports. As a listener of The Tony Kornheiser Podcast, last month, the famous co-host of ESPN’s Pardon the Interruption, Tony Kornheiser noted he tuned in for the finish of the Daytona 500, something he feels is important to do because of the importance of the Daytona 500 to NASCAR. When asked if his son Michael tuned in, Michael said no. When he asked his assistant Nigel saw it, Nigel said no. 

It is only three people, but it is a microcosm of motorsports in the general sports landscape in the 2020s. To Kornheiser, the Daytona 500 represents an important American sporting event that has been around his entire life and is meaningful. However, to the younger members of his show, both in that late-30s to early-50s range, neither thought it was worth tuning into even as causal sports fans. This will likely be the case come May, where Mr. Kornheiser will tune into the Indianapolis 500 somewhat out of a generational reflex to the Memorial Day holiday while a younger crowd, represented by his son, will likely go through the weekend and have no clue the race even happened. 

That is what every motorsports series is facing today. That is what IndyCar is facing today. The Indianapolis 500 winner was once something the average person might have known on the street. Today, you could probably stroll through New York City on Memorial Day and ask 10,000 people if they saw a lap of the "500" before finally finding someone who did.

IndyCar isn't going to get 100 million people watching the Indianapolis 500. It would be an accomplishment just to get ten million people watching, but it must improve awareness of the series, and at least having more younger people willing and comfortable to tune in, or possibly attend a race if it is in their local area, and give it a shot. 

The 450,000 65-plus viewers still have a seat at the races. IndyCar isn't looking to kick people out and take away from that current 450,000 number and fill it elsewhere. IndyCar is looking to add to that 450,000 number in other younger age groups. Only about 120,000 people between the ages of 18 and 44 are watching. IndyCar is trying to make that number bigger, perhaps having it equal the 450,000 senior citizen crowd. 

There cannot be fear that IndyCar is trying to get younger, especially from older fans. Don't forget, you were once young as well. There should be some encouragement to increase the size of the congregation and fill in more seats, if not force more seats to be added. 

Anyone that is new will not have the same amount of knowledge or experience with the series. They are going to learn about the drivers, the past, the rules, etc. Just because they don't know everything doesn't mean they don't belong. Not everyone at a baseball game is analyzing bullpen decisions and not everyone at a hockey game is thinking about rotating line mates. Some people are just there to have a good time, and occasionally dip in to care about what is happening on the field. A race can be the same way. What we should be happy with is a person is choosing to have a good time at a race. That is progress. 

This isn't an either/or situation. This isn't choosing one over the other. 

This is about bringing many different people together from different backgrounds and age groups. That is what a truly healthy IndyCar will look like. 



Monday, March 11, 2024

Musings From the Weekend: Money, Money

Here is a rundown of what got me thinking...

Carlos Sainz, Jr.'s appendix kept him from racing, but it did allow Oliver Bearman to become the third youngest Formula One starter, and Bearman finished seventh. Haas used Kevin Magnussen's penalty to its advantage to earn a point. It rained for Supercross' first trip to Birmingham. The Daytona 200 was only 200 miles this year. Despite a wet start on Friday, MotoGP began its season without any other issues. Josef Newgarden won the St. Petersburg season opener for IndyCar, but that isn't what is on everyone's mind after this weekend.

Money, Money
It is going to be one of those years in IndyCar. It could be one of those years in motorsports in general. 

No matter what happens on the track, the discussions off the track will seize control, putting in the backseat what is trying to be sold, but so goes it. 

We couldn't get through the first race before Michael Andretti dropped a bombshell of a quote on the paddock. Speaking to Nathan Brown of the Indianapolis Star on Friday of the St. Petersburg weekend, Andretti said if series owner Roger Penske was not going to invest more that Penske should sell the series.

It has already been an acrimonious relationship between the team owners and IndyCar this offseason, as the team owners are looking for greater equity from the series to increase value in participating full-time. Discussions of an adaptation of the current Leader Circle program into something more in line with NASCAR's charter system have been ongoing with a pivotal hurdle being guaranteed participation in the Indianapolis 500. 

That is currently at an impasse with the hope it will be settled before this year's Indianapolis 500. Also on the series' plate is a new television contract, which the series has said it would like settled before the Indianapolis 500, as the series also hopes to introduce the hybrid system sometime after the Indianapolis 500. Not is also not including work on new regulations with the hope of those being introduced come the 2027 season. 

Let's just say, IndyCar has a lot on its plate over the next two and a half months. 

But let's address the newest drama to the series. On the morning of Monday November 4, 2019, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway announced the Hulman-George family was selling the track after nearly 75 years of ownership, as well as the IndyCar Series, to Roger Penske. In less than five years, a team owner is calling for a change in leadership. 

It is a gutsy call considering it was just under four years ago, in the midst of a global pandemic, everyone was saying there was no way an IndyCar Series season would have happened in 2020 without Roger Penske's ownership. Penske had spent millions on renovations to the 2.5-mile Speedway over the winter of 2019-20 only for his first year of track ownership to see its biggest events held behind closed doors with zero revenue coming in. 

This is also coming at a time when the NTT IndyCar Series has 27 full-time entries when five years ago, the season prior to Penske's ownership, the average number of entries in non-Indianapolis 500 races was 22.875 cars. Not to forget mentioning, IndyCar directed $17 million more toward marketing last year. 

Chip Ganassi mentioned Penske's guidance through 2020 in a rebuttal interview issuing more support for current series ownership with Brown after Andretti's quotes. 

Things can be two things. IndyCar can be doing more and things can be better, and yet, more can still be done. 

More can always be done. The problem is the money must come from somewhere. 

That $17 million marketing increase came from the Leaders Circle program. Each entry received about $150,000 less money than it did in 2022. That money has returned to the teams for 2024. Where else could the series find money to give the teams?

Unless there is something we don't know about, IndyCar isn't known for its high-profile contracts. It isn't making billions from television and its title sponsor. Compared to NASCAR and Formula One, it is making a fraction to those behemoths. There surely is money in the bank, but emptying the vault for the sake of the teams isn't a viable long-term strategy. 

Throwing money at a problem only solves so much. Would $100 million more toward marketing make a difference? Would it double the average viewership, drawing two million people to their televisions on race day instead of the customary one million? Would it increase the average attendance at every race to 100,000 spectators? Would it make Josef Newgarden, Patricio O'Ward, Scott Dixon and Álex Palou household names? But more importantly, would IndyCar be able to make its sizable invest back?

I doubt it.

That is the important thing. You can only burn so much money. Roger Penske is not a risk-taker. He also isn't a foolish man. He isn't going to throw caution to the wind on an investment. He isn't looking to make take a loss. Let's not forget Tony George lost an estimate $500 million over his time leading the series when he was removed from his role in 2009. This is new ownership, but IndyCar was losing money for a significant period of time and the series wasn't growing then. How would losing tens, if not hundreds of millions dollars, be for the best of the series? Whatever is chosen will be done after methodically weighing the risks and the rewards. 

I get it. I have written about it multiple times over recent years. At a time when other series are doing new things, taking risks and being exciting, IndyCar is sticking to its playbook. It isn't being flashy. It isn't risking going over its skis. NASCAR and Formula One are seeing a boom of sorts. IndyCar is making baby steps with the status quo. 

We want something exciting that stands out, something IndyCar hasn't done in a very long time. 

Michael Andretti might be knee-jerk, but he is also right about a few things. He is right that IndyCar should look to expand its regulations to entice multiple new manufacturers instead of just focusing on adding a third. Adjusting the rules to potentially allow IMSA engines could be a great thing for the series. It isn't a guarantee to work, but the current plan isn't drawing a third manufacturer as it is.

Remember, we were supposed to have new 2.4-litre V6 engines introduced with the hybrid system until IndyCar decided with the manufacturers it would just bolt the hybrid to the existing 2.2-litre engine because why force Honda and Chevrolet to adopt a new engine structure when Honda and Chevrolet are still the only manufacturers' competing? 

IndyCar is saying it will have new regulations in 2027. We were supposed to have a new chassis two years ago, along with hybrid engines. Developing a common chassis that can accommodate a range of engine structures seems to be an easy thing the series and teams can agree upon, and honestly, we could put it to bed this afternoon and commit to it, along with a loose formula that allows for a variety of engine sizes from displacement to cylinders, for in three years time. We can lock that down and not hem and haw leading to any further delays. Then attention can be turned elsewhere. 

Would it likely require IndyCar to adopt Balance of Performance and new regulations for competitiveness? Yeah, probably, but it is the unnecessary evil in modern motorsports. Without Balance of Performance, sports car racing likely doesn't have the number of manufacturers and entries we are seeing in IMSA and the FIA World Endurance Championship at this moment. The question is, how bad do you want it for IndyCar? Because you are likely not going to get increased manufacturer participation in the way you want it. 

Andretti wants what is best for IndyCar. He wants IndyCar to grow and garner more attention and present itself in the best possible way. It wants the series to take itself seriously. It sounds like every other team owner in the series agrees. The issue is this is a series that has been successfully operating under the slow and steady philosophy for 15 years at this point, well prior to Penske's ownership.  

The series doesn't make many big gambles. It will take a moment to persuade it to do so. Throwing more money is doing something, but it must yield some kind of produce to make it worth it. If IndyCar is the same size with no discernible change in average viewership and general awareness five to ten years after such a staggering investment, you cannot blame series ownership for being upset and then pulling in the reigns.

Penske might have been the guy that could lead IndyCar through this rough patch, through a global pandemic. The series might have grown in size with more cars taking part full-time, and there could have been modest increases in viewership and race attendance. However, Penske might not be the guy willing to pull the trigger on a nine-figure investment that has a low-chance of breaking even. Whether such a fervor from those within the paddock is enough to twist his arm and de-vest from the series he purchased less than five years ago is a game of political chess that likely will not have a clear and satisfying winner. 

It is also important to remember be careful of what you wish for. Just over four years ago, everyone was applauding Roger Penske taking over the series. Now, here we are.

Winner From the Weekend
You know about Josef Newgarden, but did you know...

Max Verstappen won the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, his ninth consecutive victory dating back to last season.

Francesco Bagnaia won MotoGP's Qatar Grand Prix. Jorge Martín won the sprint race. Alonso López won the Moto2 race. David Alonso won the Moto3 race.

Christopher Bell won the NASCAR Cup race from Phoenix. Chandler Smith won the Grand National Series race. 

Josh Herrin won the 82nd Daytona 200, his second consecutive Daytona 200 victory and third total Daytona 200 victory.

Nolan Siegel won the Indy Lights race from St. Petersburg. Lochie Hughes and Nikita Johnson split the USF Pro 2000 races. Max Garcia swept the U.S. F2000 races.

Richard Verschoor (sprint) and Enzo Fittipaldi (feature) split the Formula Two races from Jeddah.

Tomoki Nojiri won the Super Formula race from Suzuka. 

Jett Lawrence won the Supercross race from Birmingham, his fourth victory of the season. Tom Vialle won the 250cc race, his second consecutive victory.

Coming Up This Weekend
12 Hours of Sebring.
Formula E is back in São Paulo.
NASCAR is racing on Bristol's concrete.
Supercross heads to Indianapolis.


Sunday, March 10, 2024

First Impressions: St. Petersburg 2024

1. Coming into this season, it was noted that for all of Josef Newgarden's oval success, his form on road and street courses hurt him in 2023. It took all of one weekend for Newgarden to get back on top. Pole position, most laps led, victory in convincing fashion. The Tennessean had not finished on the podium on a street course since his Long Beach victory in 2022. 

For a year where Newgarden wants to focus on his craft, something he was already quite excellent at, this is just what one offseason can do. He was flawlessly all weekend, and after getting off to slow starts the last three years, starting out in first is a much better position to be in. 

There is a long-way to go in this season. There will be tough days for everyone, but for Newgarden, he isn't climbing out of a hole. He isn't looking up. He holds serve and the next race is Long Beach. If the team is this good at St. Petersburg, how do you think they must be feeling about Long Beach?

Expanding beyond this weekend and 2024, this was Newgarden's 30th career victory, the 13th driver to reach the milestone, and he did it in his 199th start. 

Who else had 30 victories in their first 200 start? 

A.J. Foyt
Sébastien Bourdais
Will Power 
Al Unser
Mario Andretti 
Michael Andretti

Now, add Josef Newgarden.

That's it. That's the list. Are those guys any good? 

Newgarden is 33 years old. His career is just getting started. He is one victory behind tying tenth all-time. One of those drivers tied for tenth is Dario Franchitti. When Franchitti turned 33 years old, he had 14 victories, zero championships and zero Indianapolis 500 victories. Think about the career Franchitti ended with. The sky is the limit for Newgarden and we should already be appreciating his ability.

2. The mid-race restarts played into Patricio O'Ward's favor as being on the alternate tire while others struggled to get the primary tires up to speed allowed O'Ward to move up to second. He didn't have anything for Newgarden today, no one did, but he was able to capitalize on an opportunity, and it earned him a few spots up the order. Second consecutive year starting with a second, but this one feels significantly better than last year. 

3. If it wasn't for Josef Newgarden's dominance, I think Scott McLaughlin had the best performance. McLaughlin went from ninth to sixth in turn one at the start, his crew had a fine first pit stop to get him another position, and holding off on using the alternate tire until the final stint put him on the podium. Solid run on what was a solid day for Team Penske.

4. Rounding out Team Penske was Will Power in fourth. Like McLaughlin, Power held off on the alternate tire until the final stint. That got him a few more spots. It was always going to be a race where Power was going to finish in the middle of the top ten. The cautions and the strategy got him a few more spots. Either way, Team Penske looks good. 

5. On the flip side of the tires, Colton Herta probably lost a podium finish because he started on the alternates and he was swallowed up on each restart with new primary tires. Herta lost spots to McLaughlin and O'Ward the first time. He lost another spot to Power the second time. That's three spots and he was fifth. This wasn't as bad as last year for the Andretti Global team. Unfortunately, it is another case of the team not coming to grips, mind the pun, with one of the tire compounds and it costing them.

6. And here in sixth we find Álex Palou. For the first 60% of this race, it didn't feel like he was going to finish in the top ten. Then one pit stop, one stint on the alternate tires to close the race, and he is sixth. Even on a bad day for the #10 Chip Ganassi Racing crew they find a way to pick off a respectable result. The team didn't panic. Palou is a capable set of hands. They stuck to the plan and pulled out something to be pleased with on a weekend that wasn't great for the Ganassi team across the board.

7. It is difficult to look at seventh for Meyer Shank Racing and Felix Rosenqvist and say it was a bad day. If you had offered MSR and Rosenqvist seventh at the start of the weekend, they would have bitten off your hand. This is the team's best finish since Toronto 2022. The problem is Rosenqvist was keeping up with Newgarden in that opening stint. Like Herta, the primary tire did not suit Rosenqvist and he lost spots on every restart. This is an abject failure on the team considering this was a car that spent practically the entire day in the top five and MSR couldn't spend a lap in the top ten for its life in 2023. This is a great starting point for this new combination.

8. Alexander Rossi finished eighth. That's really all that needs to be say. He made up a few spots on each stint, but did nothing exceptional. He started 15th. There was a gap between O'Ward and the other Arrow McLaren cars this weekend. Entering the race, a few teams looks like that with one driver clear of the others. Rossi did the minimum today. At some point, he must do more.

9. Scott Dixon was ninth. Palou found something in the closing stages of the race. The rest of the Ganassi team was not a factor in this race. It appeared the entire team was struggling with the balance of the car. Dixon had a few squirrelly moments. Marcus Armstrong had an error under braking put him in the tires. Not a great day for Dixon, but it could have been much worse.

10. Rinus VeeKay spent a fair amount of the race in the top ten, and he finished tenth. VeeKay ended 2023 heading in the right direction and he picked up 2024 heading in an upward trajectory. He did lose some spots over the closing laps. I think some of that can be pinned down to the likes of Power and Palou finishing on the alternate tire versus VeeKay on the primary. 

11. Santino Ferrucci spent the entire race somewhere between 15th and 11th and he ended up finishing 11th. Through practice, it didn't feel like Ferrucci would be on the cusp of the top ten. There wasn't anything to suggest he would have been on the bubble to advance from the first round of qualifying, and yet he was. He backed up that speed today. It is one race. The technical alliance with Team Penske is bound to yield some results.

12. Kyle Kirkwood was stuck outside the top ten all race. He started 18th, he really couldn't make up much ground. He looked like he could push for a top ten but ended up bogged down in 12th. It felt like Kirkwood should have been up there with his teammates through practice. One off qualifying session set him back and this was the best he could do.

13. Considering he was a substitute, 13th should be feel unfulfilling for Callum Ilott. Ilott didn't get much time in the car as David Malukas' deputy, but there must be some disappointment Ilott wasn't more of a threat for the top team while O'Ward ended up third and Rossi in eighth. Every race is an audition. This one wasn't make or break, but he probably feels he could have done better.

14. Credit to Kyffin Simpson because he ended up 14th and ran respectably well. He didn't make any mistakes and for someone who didn't have outstanding Indy Lights results, he started his IndyCar career as well as the average rookie. Not bad. 

15. We are going to start hitting teams and drivers in bunches. Not the opening weekend Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing likely hoped for. Once Christian Lundgaard's tire was punctured on the opening lap, his race was ruined. He was kept out under the first caution to put him out front and hopefully run about five to eight laps to open a gap and maybe help him. Of course, Sting Ray Robb then broke down and that Hail Mary strategy was cancelled out. Lundgaard had to settle for 20th.

Pietro Fittipaldi was best in the team finishing 15th, but he never showed great pace. Graham Rahal struggled with electrical issues all weekend, and he fought to finish 16th. For a team hoping to be clear of the issues from last year, they haven't quite ironed everything out.

16. Tom Blomqvist was 17th. It is an improvement from his first three races but he has a long way to go. Agustín Canapino ran wide in turn one at one point, losing Canapino a few spots, and he still finished 18th. Jack Harvey went from 27th to 19th. It isn't worth throwing a parade but considering how late everything was put together at Dale Coyne Racing, how good did you really think Harvey and this team would do? 

17. Christian Rasmussen was having issues prior to the start and the team got the car sorted just before the race went green. It did mean Rasmussen had to start at the back, which isn't saying much since he was starting 21st anyway, but it was six more cars ahead of him than expected, and he still finished 21st. 

18. Colin Braun's IndyCar debut will never turn into a feature film, but it did have a flashy moment when it appeared the fuel hose broke apart on one stop and it sent Braun out in a burst of flames, literally. The fire put itself out and it wasn't much of a scene. Braun did run wide in turn nine at one point. Despite all this, Braun remained on the lead lap and finished 22nd with only one day of testing prior to the season. Again, how good did you really think Coyne would do this weekend?

19. Romain Grosjean spun Linus Lundqvist in turn nine. It was just after the final pit stops had concluded. No one was caught out, but this did cost Grosjean a possible top ten. Lundqvist had been the top running rookie for most of the race up to that point. To add insult to injury, Grosjean's race ended 18 laps early with what sounded like a gearbox issue. 

20. Two other cars broke down. Marcus Ericsson lost power while running in the top ten. There was the aforementioned incident with Sting Ray Robb stopping on course. Robb wasn't making waves prior to that incident. Ericsson was running in the top ten as well. 

21. St. Petersburg has a small problem. The race reverted back to 100 laps in 2020, during the pandemic. It has remained 100 laps for the last five seasons. When it was 110 laps, we saw greater variety in strategies, better battles because it was a three-stop race, but a three-stop race with large pit windows. At 100 laps, it is a two-stop race with small pit windows. 

After a few races last year, I suggested IndyCar should mandate each tire compound must be used twice during a race. It would at least break a race up. Either that or IndyCar should shortened St. Petersburg by another ten laps. It isn't going to return to 110 laps in all likelihood. Those races always took over two hours and television doesn't want a race that takes two hours and 12 minutes to complete. Even 100 laps is a little long. This is the longest street race by over 12 miles and it is 29 miles longer than Toronto. 

Shortened this race to 90 laps. It would be 162 miles in length, in the ballpark with Long Beach and Detroit. Everyone ended today's race with stints between 34 and 37 laps in length. If a stint is an average of 35 laps, you are talking about drivers able to pit as early as lap 20 and being able to make it to the finish. Or you could go 35 laps. It opens it up, and adds some variety in strategy.

22. Let's get out of here. There is two weeks until an exhibition race from The Thermal Club in Palm Springs, California, and only... 42 days until race number two of the season in Long Beach. Oh boy. 


Morning Warm-Up: St. Petersburg 2024

Josef Newgarden won pole position for the season opening Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg with a lap of 59.5714 seconds in the final round of qualifying. It is Newgarden's first pole position since Belle Isle in 2022 and the 17th in his career. The Tennessean has won four times from pole position in his career, most recently at Mid-Ohio in 2021. He has never won from pole position on a street course in his career. This is his sixth pole position on a street course. Newgarden has failed to finish in the top fifteen in the last three season openers. 

Felix Rosenqvist makes his debut with Meyer Shank Racing from second on the grid, after coming up 0.0058 seconds shy of pole position. This is Meyer Shank Racing's best starting since Jack Harvey started second at St. Petersburg in 2021. This is the eighth front row start of Rosenqvist's career. Since finishing fourth on his IndyCar debut in 2019 at St. Petersburg, Rosenqvist has an average finish of 16.5 in four St. Petersburg starts. The Swedish driver's best finish when starting on the front row is fifth. 

Patricio O'Ward had the top three covered by 0.0826 seconds, as O'Ward matches his career best starting position at St. Petersburg. The Mexican driver started third last year in this race before finishing second with 23 laps led. O'Ward enters this weekend with ten consecutive top ten finishes, the longest streak of his IndyCar career. 

Colton Herta put himself fourth on the grid. This will be Herta's fifth top five starting position in the last seven races. However, he did not finished in the top five in the final seven races of last season, the longest drought since Herta went 13 races between top five finishes during his rookie season. 

Romain Grosjean will start fifth in his first race for Juncos Hollinger Racing. JHR did not have a top five start at all last season. After finishing runner-up in consecutive races last year at Long Beach and Barber Motorsports Park, Grosjean had only one top ten finish in the final 13 races of 2023.

Marcus Ericsson starts besides the driver he is replacing in the #28 Honda for Andretti Global in sixth position. Ericsson could become the fourth driver to win consecutive St. Petersburg races. Ericsson has only had podium finishes in the same race in consecutive years once in his career. That was the Indianapolis 500, which he won in 2022 and finished second in 2023.

Rinus VeeKay was 0.0119 seconds shy of making the Fast Six, and VeeKay will settle for seventh on the grid, his best street course starting position since starting fourth at St. Petersburg in 2022. The Dutchman has not finished in the top ten in his last nine street course starts. His most recent street course result was sixth in the 2022 St. Petersburg race. 

Will Power was only 0.0212 seconds outside the top six, and Power will start eighth. This is the third time in the last four St. Petersburg races Power has not started on the front row. In his first 12 St. Petersburg starts, Power started off the front row only twice. Power led 242 laps in his first eight St. Petersburg starts, including leading 50 laps or more in three races. In his last seven St. Petersburg starts, Power has led only 27 laps, and the most laps he has led in a St. Petersburg race is 17.

Scott McLaughlin finds himself starting ninth. This is the third time McLaughlin has qualified ninth in his career. He has finished worse than his starting position in the prior two occasions. McLaughlin has led 87 laps in four St. Petersburg starts. He ranks eighth all-time in laps led in the history of the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. 

Marcus Armstrong rounds out the top ten, the top Chip Ganassi Racing driver. Last season, the only time Armstrong was the top Ganassi qualifier was in the summer race on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course. He will make his 13th career start this weekend. The most recent driver to have their first career victory come in their 13th career start was Marco Andretti at Sonoma in 2006. 

Scott Dixon takes 11th on the grid and makes it three consecutive New Zealanders in the starting lineup. Each of Dixon's three victories last year came from a starting position outside the top ten. Dating back to 2022, his last four victories have come when starting outside the top ten. Dixon's eight victories from outside a top ten starting spot are the most in IndyCar history, and double the next closest drivers. Dixon has five consecutive top five finishes in St. Petersburg and eight consecutive top ten finishes in this race.

Christian Lundgaard rounded out the second round of qualifying, his second consecutive year starting on row six at St. Petersburg. The Dane has finished 11th and ninth in his first two St. Petersburg visits. Lundgaard was the top Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing finisher in ten of 17 races last year.

Álex Palou begins his title defense from 13th starting position. Palou missed out on advancing form round one by 0.1695 seconds. He failed to make it out of the first round of qualifying only once in 2023. That was at Toronto. Palou is attempting to become the first defending champion to win the season opener of the following season since Dario Franchitti won at St. Petersburg in 2011.

Santino Ferrucci fell 0.0242 seconds off advancing from group two, and Ferrucci will start 14th, his best starting position on a street course since he started 12th for the second Belle Isle race in 2021. Since finishing third in the 2023 Indianapolis 500, Ferrucci's best finish in his last 11 starts was 13th at Gateway, his only top fifteen finish during that span. His average finish on road/street courses last year was 19th. 

Alexander Rossi leads an all-Arrow McLaren row eight. This is the fourth consecutive year Rossi will start outside the top ten in St. Petersburg. He has led 84 combined laps over the last three seasons. In Rossi's prior four seasons, he had never led fewer than 83 laps in a season. 

Callum Ilott will be to Rossi's outside on row eight. Ilott is driving the #6 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet in place of an injured David Malukas. Last year, Ilott went from 22nd to fifth, the biggest mover in the race. It was his first career top five finish. Ilott was fifth in the 2023 season finale from Laguna Seca. 

Tom Blomqvist was the top rookie qualifier in 17th. This is the best starting position of Blomqvist's IndyCar career. His previous best was 20th on debut last year in Toronto. The Brit made three starts last season driving for Meyer Shank Racing. Blomqvist had finishes of 25th, 24th and 26th in those events.

Kyle Kirkwood ended up 18th in qualifying, Kirkwood's worst starting position since he started 20th at Texas last year. This will be the fifth consecutive race and seventh in the eight that Kirkwood has started outside the top ten. His first two victories have come on street courses. The last driver to have his first three victories come on street courses was Mike Conway from 2011 to 2014. All four of Conway's victories came on street courses.

Linus Lundqvist's first race for Chip Ganassi Racing will come from 19th starting position. Lundqvist started in the top 12 in each of his three starts last year with Meyer Shank Racing. The Swede scored fastest lap in two of his first three career starts. Since 1993, the fastest to three fastest laps in a career is five starts, which Tomas Scheckter did in 2002.

Agustín Canapino rounds out the top twenty. Last year, Canapino started in the top twenty in five races, four of which were on road/street courses. Canapino had an average finish of 16.6 in the street races last season, including three top fifteen results. His best finish was 12th, which came at St. Petersburg.

Christian Rasmussen will make his IndyCar debut from 21st starting postion. Rasmussen becomes the sixth Danish driver to compete in an IndyCar race. In eight Road to Indy starts at St. Petersburg, Rasmussen had one victories and six top five finishes.

Graham Rahal starts 22nd, only the third time Rahal has started outside the top twenty at St. Petersburg. Rahal has only two top five finishes in 16 St. Petersburg starts, his first career victory in 2008 and a runner-up finish in 2018. He started 24th in that runner-up finish six years ago.

Kyffin Simpson ended up 23rd in qualifying. Born in Bridgetown, Barbados and representing the Cayman Islands, Simpson will be the first driver from a Caribbean Island to start an IndyCar race. Simpson was 11th and tenth in his two Indy Lights races at St. Petersburg.

Sting Ray Robb qualified 24th, the fourth consecutive race he has qualified 24th. Robb ended the 2023 season with his best finish of the season, 12th at Laguna Seca. Laguna Seca was only the second lead lap finish Robb had in 2023. The other was at Road America. 

Colin Braun will start 25th for his IndyCar debut. Braun will become the fourth driver born in 1988 to start an IndyCar race. The other of three drivers born in 1988 to start in IndyCar are Mario Moraes, Simona de Silvestro and J.R. Hildebrand. Of the "class of 1988," Hildebrand is the most recent to make his IndyCar debut, coming on August 8, 2010.

Pietro Fittipaldi makes his first IndyCar appearance since May 30, 2021 in the Indianapolis 500, and it will come from 26th on the grid. This will be Fittipaldi's tenth career IndyCar start. The average number of days between his ten starts is 240.4.

Jack Harvey rounds out the 27-car grid. Harvey is coming off a 30-race stretch with Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing where he had one top ten finish and an average finish of 18.4. Harvey's best St. Petersburg result was fourth in 2021 with Meyer Shank Racing. 

NBC's coverage of the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg begins at noon ET with green flag scheduled  for 12:30 p.m. ET. The race is scheduled for 100 laps.


Thursday, March 7, 2024

Track Walk: St. Petersburg 2024

The first race of the 2024 NTT IndyCar Series is on the streets of St. Petersburg, as for the 14th time the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg opens a season. Three different teams have won the last three years at St. Petersburg, and it is only the third time St. Petersburg has had three different teams winning in three consecutive years. There has never been a streak of four consecutive different teams winning this race. Four different drivers have won the last four years, the longest streak at St. Petersburg since there were five different winners from 2011 through 2015. 

Coverage
Time: Coverage begins at 12:00 p.m. ET on Sunday March 10 with green flag scheduled for 12:30 p.m. ET.
Channel: NBC
Announcers: Leigh Diffey, Townsend Bell and James Hinchcliffe will be in the booth. Marty Snider, Kevin Lee and Georgia Henneberry will work pit lane.

IndyCar Weekend Schedule
Friday:
First Practice: 3:00 p.m. ET (75 minutes)
Saturday:
Second Practice: 10:00 a.m. ET (60 minutes)
Qualifying: 2:00 p.m. ET 
Sunday:
Warm-up: 9:10 a.m. ET (30 minutes)
Race: 12:30 p.m. ET (100 laps)

* - All sessions will be available live on Peacock

Ganassi's Title Defense
Walking into this season, Chip Ganassi Racing is the team to beat. Ganassi won nine of 17 races last year, its most since 2009. Ganassi went 1-2-6 in the championship, and it enters this season on a four-race winning streak. Ganassi is looking for five consecutive victories for the first time since 1998. The team also enters as the defending St. Petersburg winners. 

Álex Palou has not finished outside the top ten since 2022. Last year, Palou's worst finish was eighth, one of which came at St. Petersburg. He completed 2,258 of 2,260 laps as he won five times with ten podium finishes. Palou was on the podium in the last three street course races, including a victory in Detroit. The Catalan driver has 13 consecutive top ten finishes in street races entering this season. 

Besides Palou, Ganassi has Scott Dixon, a driver who won three of the last four races to close out the 2023 season. Dixon had 11 top five finishes last year, and he enters this season with 14 consecutive top ten finishes. His retirement at Long Beach last April was Dixon's only result outside the top ten last season. 

Ganassi had a top five finisher in every race in 2023, and it has had a top five finisher in 19 consecutive races dating back to 2022. The team had multiple top five finishers in 11 races last year. Marcus Ericsson was one of the reasons behind those results. Ericsson is no longer with the organization, and Ganassi has two rookies and a sophomore rounding out an expanded five-car team. 

Marcus Armstrong started all 12 road/street races in 2023, and he will now be full-time in the #11 Honda. Armstrong had five top ten finishes with two finishes of 11th and a 13th allowing him to capture rookie of the year honors despite not running a full schedule. 

Ganassi will attempt to claim its second consecutive rookie of the year honors with Linus Lundqvist, who replaces his fellow Swede in the #8 Honda. Lundqvist made three starts last year with Meyer Shank Racing, where he scored fastest lap twice, including on debut, and his best finish was 12th. 

In the fifth Ganassi entry will be rookie Kyffin Simpson driving the #4 Honda. Simpson spent the last two seasons in Indy Lights where he had two podium finishes and six top five finishes in 27 starts. Simpson won the European Le Mans Series LMP2 championship last year and he also won in the LMP2 class at the 2023 12 Hours of Sebring. 

Ganassi's St. Petersburg victory last year was only its second, coming 12 years after Dario Franchitti earned its first.

Driver Changes
Ganassi is keeping its top two drivers from 2023, and it is promoting one to a full-time gig, but the likes of Lundqvist and Simpson are just two of 12 drivers that are in different seats from last year. 

We know Lundqvist replaced Ericsson at Ganassi, as Ericsson has moved to Andretti Global, taking over the #28 Honda. Ericsson replaces Romain Grosjean, who has moved to Juncos Hollinger Racing to drive the #77 Chevrolet.

Lundqvist and Simpson are two of four rookies in the 2024 field. Tom Blomqvist ran three races at the end of last year, but the IMSA champion will be full-time in IndyCar this year, driving the #66 Honda for Meyer Shank Racing as MSR underwent a re-numbering of its second full-time entry. 

Christian Rasmussen will be the fourth rookie in 2024. The 2023 Indy Lights champion, Rasmussen will drive the #20 Chevrolet for Ed Carpenter Racing in every road and street course race this year, as Ed Carpenter will drive the oval events in this entry. ECR is scaling back and not running the additional third car for Carpenter this year, reverting to the two-driver setup the team used in the #20 Chevrolet from 2014 through 2021. Rasmussen will be entered in a third ECR car for the Indianapolis 500 as well.

While Blomqvist has a new number, he will also have a new teammate as Felix Rosenqvist moves to the #60 Honda for MSR. Rosenqvist had spent the prior three seasons at Arrow McLaren.

Sting Ray Robb moves from Dale Coyne Racing to A.J. Foyt Racing's #41 Chevrolet. 

Dale Coyne Racing's other driver from 2023, David Malukas, will drive the #6 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet this season, however, a wrist injury suffered last month in a mountain biking accident will keep Malukas out of the car for St. Petersburg. Substituting for Malukas in the season opener will be Callum Ilott, who spent the previous two seasons at Juncos Hollinger Racing. 

Ilott is driving full-time this season in the FIA World Endurance Championship, where he is in the #12 Porsche 963 for Hertz Team Jota. Ilott is coming off a second-place finish in the WEC season opening Qatar 1812 km last week.

Not a rookie, and not unfamiliar to IndyCar, Pietro Fittipaldi will take over Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing's #30 Honda entry in a full-time effort. Fittipaldi has nine IndyCar starts to his name, but his most recent was the 2021 Indianapolis 500 and his IndyCar debut came nearly six years ago. Fittipaldi remains a test/reserve driver to Haas F1. He ran for Team Jota in WEC's LMP2 class last year, where he was victorious at Monza. 

Dale Coyne Racing will field Jack Harvey in the #18 Honda while Colin Braun will make his IndyCar debut in the #51 Honda. Harvey is slated to compete in 14 races for Coyne while Indy Lights driver Nolan Siegel will drive at Long Beach, the Indianapolis 500 and Toronto, as well as the exhibition race at Thermal Club in Palm Springs, California. Braun is only scheduled to run St. Petersburg and at Thermal Club, but the Texan could run additional races this season.

What Did Testing Tell Us?
IndyCar had a two-day test last week at Sebring International Raceway ahead of the season opener. The field was split over each day with half the entries testing on Monday February 26 and the other half testing on Tuesday February 27. The entire field never experienced the same track conditions. 

This split meant those testing on Tuesday swarmed the top of the combined results. The top five were all from Tuesday, as were seven of the top ten. 

Andretti Global's Marcus Ericsson led the session around Sebring's short course at 51.9512 seconds, only 0.0564 seconds ahead of Will Power. Patricio O'Ward was only 0.0592 seconds back in third with Meyer Shank Racing's Felix Rosenqvist in fourth, 0.0793 seconds behind his fellow Swede. Graham Rahal was in fifth, the first driver over a tenth off Ericsson. Álex Palou made it six different teams represented in the top six, 0.1371 back. Palou was the top Monday participant.

Christian Lundgaard and Josef Newgarden also ran on Monday, and they were seventh and eighth. Kyffin Simpson and Linus Lundqvist rounded out the top ten. Colton Herta was in 11th, only two ten-thousandths off Lundqvist. 

Santino Ferrucci was 12th ahead of Alexander Rossi, who was just over three-tenths behind Ericsson. O'Ward ran on Monday in the #6 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet in place of the injured David Malukas, and O'Ward was 14th, just two thousandths behind Rossi. Scott Dixon rounded out the top fifteen, 0.3158 seconds slower than his former teammate. 

Romain Grosjean was 16th ahead of Marcus Armstrong, Kyle Kirkwood and Christian Rasmussen. Scott McLaughlin rounded out the top twenty after competing on Monday. Seven of the bottom eight ran on Monday. McLaughlin was 0.5921 off Ericsson. Rinus VeeKay was 21st ahead of Pietro Fittipaldi, Tom Blomqvist, Agustin Canapino and Sting Ray Robb. 

Dale Coyne Racing took the bottom two spots with Tuesday's runner Colin Braun ahead of Monday's runner Jack Harvey. Braun was 0.9657 seconds off Ericsson with Harvey 1.1254 seconds back.

Street Course Guessing Game
Last season, four different drivers won the five street course races held. Dating back to 2022, there have been eight different winners in the last ten street course races.

Kyle Kirkwood was the only winner of multiple street course races in 2023. The Andretti Global driver won at Long Beach and Nashville. Marcus Ericsson, Álex Palou and Christian Lundgaard won the other three street course races, as Honda swept the street events last year. Honda has won seven consecutive street course races dating back to 2022. 

It should come as no surprise that Palou led all drivers in street course points last year with 185, 19 points more than Kirkwood and 29 points more than Ericsson. Despite not winning a street race, and having only one top five finish in the street races, Scott McLaughlin was fourth on 137 points, one more than Scott Dixon.

Last season was the second time in three seasons Team Penske failed to win a street race. It won the first three street races in 2022 with all three of its drivers, Scott McLaughlin at St. Petersburg, Josef Newgarden at Long Beach and Will Power at Belle Isle. Scott Dixon won the final two street course races that year at Toronto and Nashville.

Familiar names struggled on street courses last year. Patricio O'Ward may have been second at St. Petersburg, but his next best street result was eighth and he finished outside the top fifteen in two of those races. O'Ward was tenth in street points on 108, two fewer than Marcus Armstrong. Colton Herta had three fewer points than O'Ward, and Herta finished outside the top ten in three of five street races, including finishing 20th or worse in two of them. 

While Alexander Rossi was in the top five in two street races, he was outside the top fifteen in the other three, ending up 14th in street points on 96, one fewer than Romain Grosjean, who was second at Long Beach, but outside the top fifteen in three street races. Graham Rahal scored only 88 points in the five street races last year.

The last four first-time winners in IndyCar have all come on street courses, including Kirkwood and Lundgaard last season. For three consecutive seasons, at least one first-time winner has occurred in a street race. 

There will be 13 drivers entered at St. Petersburg looking for a first career victory. Three times has St. Petersburg produced a first-time winner. Those were Graham Rahal in 2008, James Hinchcliffe in 2013 and Scott McLaughlin 2022. 

Procedural Changes
A few things will look different this IndyCar season, and you will see them straight away at St. Petersburg, specifically in first practice. 

In an effort to increase participation in the practice session, the first 20 minutes of practice will be open to every car to participate. After the first 20 minutes, the field will be divided into two groups, determined by alternating pit boxes, and each group will get to take to the track in alternating ten-minute increments. 

Group one will get the first ten minutes before being called to pit lane where group two will get the next ten minutes. The groups will alternate until all 75 minutes of the practice session has elapsed. 

This new practice format will be trialed at St. Petersburg and future use will be decided based on how this weekend goes. 

During the race, there will be a new restart procedure. A restart line will be painted at the exit of the final turn. Drivers must remain in line and cannot pass until a driver has crossed the line. 

This has been introduced after a number of accidents on restarts, most notable in last year's season finale at Laguna Seca. Three of the eight cautions in that Laguna Seca race were due to incidents in the final corner with cars coming to the restart. 

One thing you will see on the race cars will be a new LED light strip on the edge of the rear wing endplates in an effort to improve awareness of a car ahead on track in wet conditions. With the introduction of aeroscreen and the center bar down the middle, the LED rain light on the rear attenuators was obscured to the trailing drivers. 

Road to Indy
The Road to Indy brings 64 cars to St. Petersburg this weekend for the opening road in all three series. Indy Lights has 21 cars entered, the most since July 4, 2009 at Watkins Glen, a race that J.R. Hildebrand won, and in which James Hinchcliffe was last. 

Nolan Siegel is the top returning driver from the 2023 championship, Siegel was third in points, and he already has a foot in IndyCar, as he is scheduled to run three championship races for Dale Coyne Racing this year, including the Indianapolis 500, as well as the exhibition race at Thermal Club. The Californian began last season with four podium finishes, including two victories, in the first six races, but he had only one podium result in the final eight events.

Siegel is one of ten HMD Motorsports supported drivers this season. Also in the team will be Myles Rowe, the 2023 USF Pro 2000 champion, who will be driving the Force Indy supported entry. Reece Gold, Josh Pierson and Christian Bogle are back as well. There are five other rookies with the team, including Caio Collet, a Brazilian moving over from FIA Formula Three. Callum Hedge joins the team after winning the 2023 Formula Regional Americas Championship. 

Jonathan Browne, Nolan Allaer and Niels Koolen round out the HMD lineup. 

There are seven returning regulars from last season, including three of the four Andretti Global entries. Louis Foster was fourth in the championship last year, and his 2023 season ended up the upswing. After having only three podium finishes in the first ten races, Foster was on the podium in three of the final four events. James Roe, Jr. was seventh in the championship with only one podium result, and Jamie Chadwick is back after her best finish was sixth at Portland. 

American Bryce Aron rounds out the Andretti lineup. Aron spent the previous four years competing in Europe. His best achievement was finishing fifth in the 2020 Formula Ford Festival at Brands Hatch, and then finishing third in the Walter Hayes Trophy at Silverstone later that year. 

Andretti Global is also running two cars in partnership with Cape Motorsports. Salvador de Alba and Michael d'Orlando both move up from USF Pro 2000. D'Orlando is currently only confirmed for St. Petersburg. 

Jacob Abel was fifth in the championship last year, but fell short of a race victory. Abel is back with Abel Motorsports, and he will have Josh Mason and Yuven Sundaramoorthy as his teammates. 

Lindsay Brewer and Jack William Miller round out the Indy Lights grid. Both drivers are moving up from USF Pro 2000 with Juncos Hollinger Racing and Miller Vinatieri Motorsports respectively. 

The Indy Lights race is scheduled for 45 laps or 55 minutes, and it will take place at 10:10 a.m. ET on Sunday March. 

Twenty-two USF Pro 2000 cars will be competing this weekend.

The 2023 U.S. F2000 champion Simon Sikes moves up with Pabst Racing, where his teammates will be Christian Brooks and Jace Denmark. Denmark is the top returning driver to USF Pro 2000. He was seventh in the championship last year.

Nikita Johnson was runner-up in U.S. F2000, and Johnson won two races at the end of last USF Pro 2000 season. He continues on with VRD Racing. Shawn Rashid will be Johnson's teammate this weekend. Lochie Hughes makes it the top three from U.S. F2000 graduating up a level. Hughes is one of five Turn 3 Motorsport cars on the grid along with Adam Fitzgerald, Danny Dyszelski, Tyke Durst and Ethan Ho. 

Mac Clark moves up with DEForce Racing after finishing fifth in U.S. F2000 the year before. Clark's teammate from last year Jorge Garciarce also moves up with DEForce. They will have Nicholas Monteiro join the team in a three-car lineup. 

BN Racing had two quick drivers in testing with Colombian Nicolás Baptiste and Mexican Ricardo Escotto. Exclusive Autosport sees the return of Braden Eves, a past USF Pro 2000 race winner who did not compete last year. Avery Towns will be in a second Exclusive Autosport seat. TJ Speed Motorsports has entered three cars for Liam Sceats, Hunter Yeany and David Morales. 

Jay Howard Driver Development is down to one car for Frankie Mossman. Logan Adams will drive for Comet/NCMP Racing. 

Race one for USF Pro 2000 will run at 11:55 a.m. ET on Saturday March 9 with the second race on Sunday March 10 at 8:00 a.m. ET. Each race will be 25 laps or 45 minutes.

For U.S. F2000, 21 cars will be on the grid. 

Evagoras Papasavvas was fourth in the championship last year, and he is back with Jay Howard Driver Development with Tanner DeFabis and Michael Costello as his teammates. 

Pabst Racing will be looking to retain the championship with a three-driver lineup with Max Garcia, Sam Corry and Hudson Schwartz. VRD Racing has Nico Christodoulou and Max Taylor leading the way. Cole Kleck and Xavier Kokai round out the VRD team. 

USF Juniors champion Nicolas Giaffone joins the series with DEForce Racing in a five-car lineup. DEForce has the top two from USF Juniors last year, as Quinn Armstrong will drive for the team. Lucas Fecury, Maxwell Jamieson and Brady Golan are in the other three cars. 

Exclusive Autosport is running a three-car team with Jack Jeffers, Joey Brienza and Thomas Schrage. DC Autosport has entered Carson Etter and Ayrton Houk this weekend. Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing Development continue with Elliot Cox this season. 

U.S. F2000 kicks off the racing this weekend at 4:20 p.m. ET on Friday March 8. The second race will be at 4:45 p.m. ET on Saturday March 9. Both races are scheduled for 20 laps or 45 minutes. 

Fast Facts
This will be the fourth IndyCar race to take place on March 10 and the first since Josef Newgarden won at St. Petersburg in 2019.

The other March 10 winners were Bobby Unser at Ontario in 1974 and Cristiano da Matta at Monterrey in 2002.

All three March 10 winners have gone on to win the championship in those three respective seasons. 

Chip Ganassi Racing has won three of the last four season openers with three different drivers at three different circuits (Scott Dixon at Texas in 2020, Álex Palou at Barber Motorsports Park in 2021 and Marcus Ericsson at St. Petersburg in 2023).

Chip Ganassi Racing has not won consecutive season openers at the same venue since Dan Wheldon won at Homestead in 2006 and 2007.

Last year, Marcus Ericsson won with only four laps led. It is the fewest laps led for a St. Petersburg winner. The previous lowest laps led for a St. Petersburg winner was ten laps by Dan Wheldon in 2005.

Of the ten teams on the grid, only Arrow McLaren, Ed Carpenter Racing, Meyer Shank Racing and Juncos Hollinger Racing have never won an IndyCar season opener. 

Andretti Global has not won a season opener since James Hinchcliffe won at St. Petersburg in 2013. 

Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing's only season opener victory was Homestead in 2000 with Max Papis. A.J. Foyt Racing's most recent season opener victory was the 1996-97 Indy Racing League opener at Loudon with Scott Sharp.

Since reunification, five of the 16 champions won the season opener.

Since reunification, 14 of 16 champions have finished in the top ten of the first race of the season. Nine of those 16 drivers were on the podium in the opening race and ten of 15 finished in the top five.

The average starting position for a St. Petersburg winner is 5.25 with a median of fourth. 

Last year, Marcus Ericsson became the sixth driver to win from fourth starting position at St. Petersburg. Fourth starting position has produced the most St. Petersburg winners, including in four consecutive years from 2013 to 2016.

Four times has the pole-sitter won at St. Petersburg, including in two of the last three years.

The third-place starter has never won at St. Petersburg. 

Only twice has the St. Petersburg started outside the top ten (Sébastien Bourdais from 21st in 2017 and Sébastien Bourdais from 14th in 2018).

The average number of lead changes in a St. Petersburg race is 6.45 with a median of seven. 

Five of the last seven St. Petersburg races have had seven or more lead changes. 

The average number of cautions in a St. Petersburg race is 4.15 with a median of five. The average number of caution laps is 18.15 with a median of 18.

Last year's St. Petersburg race had five cautions for 26 laps. It was the 11th St. Petersburg race to feature at least five cautions and the tenth St. Petersburg race to feature at least 20 caution laps.

Predictions
Colton Herta gets off the snide early this season and wins a thriller over Scott McLaughlin. Álex Palou continues his top ten streak. There will not be a seven-car pileup on the first lap. No car will be launched into the air. One of the Dale Coyne Racing entries will have a mechanical issue. Patricio O'Ward has no engine woes this weekend. Callum Ilott will qualify ahead of Alexander Rossi and at least make the second round of qualifying. Linus Lundqvist will be the top rookie by at least five positions and finish in the top ten. Sleeper: Marcus Ericsson.



Wednesday, March 6, 2024

2024 Road to Indy Preview

It is set to be a banner year for the Road to Indy series. All three divisions in IndyCar's development system have entry lists that exceed 20 cars for the season opening round. Indy Lights is set to have its largest since July 4, 2009 at Watkins Glen. 

Indy Lights will run a 14-race season while USF Pro 2000 and U.S. F2000 will each contest 18-race seasons. 

Indy Lights
The 2024 Indy Lights championship begins in St. Petersburg on March 10. The series will then have six weeks off until round two at Barber Motorsports Park. The first of two doubleheader weekends will be held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course over May 10-11. 

There will be four races in June, starting on the streets of Detroit on June 2. A week later, the series will be at Road America. The final doubleheader will be Laguna Seca, held over the weekend of June 22-23, and that will bring the series into the second half of the season. 

Mid-Ohio will be on July 7 before the first oval race at Iowa on July 13. A month later, Indy Lights will race at Gateway before heading to Portland on August 25. Milwaukee hosts the penultimate round on August 31 with the season finale being September 15 from Nashville Superspeedway. 

Teams:
HMD Motorsports
Christian Bogle: #7 HMD Motorsports Dallara
What did he do in 2023: 11th in Indy Lights on 266 points with one top five finish and three top ten finishes. 

What to expect in 2024: In three Indy Lights seasons, Bogle has finished 11th in the championship each season. He has had only one top five finish in each of the last two seasons. A fourth year should benefit him. This is a large Indy Lights field but not necessarily a stronger Indy Lights field.  

Reece Gold: #10 HMD Motorsports Dallara
What did he do in 2023: Eighth in Indy Lights on 334 points with a victory, two podium finishes, four top five finishes and seven top ten finishes.

What to expect in 2024: Gold has good spats of results, but he also stumbled into slumps. He should be more settled into the top ten of the championship, but I don't think he will enter that top group.

Nolan Allaer: #11 HMD Motorsports Dallara
What did he do in 2023: SCCA National Champion in Formula Continental and Formula F. Sixth in the BRSCC National Formula Ford Championship.

What to expect in 2024: This is a massive leap up from SCCA competition and British Formula Ford. Considering the depth of the HMD lineup alone, it will be tough to be in the top five of the team let alone the entire championship.   

Josh Pierson: #14 HMD Motorsports Dallara
What did he do in 2023: 15th in Indy Lights on 173 points after starting only nine races. Pierson was also fifth in the FIA World Endurance Championship's LMP2 class championship with a victory in Portimão.  

What to expect in 2024: Pierson will focus on Indy Lights this year, and his results should be better. He should be competing for the podium in a few races, and he has an outside shot at the championship. It will require a big step forward, as his best finish last season was sixth. 

Callum Hedge: #17 HMD Motorsports Dallara
What did he do in 2023: Formula Regional Americas Champion 13 victories from 18 races. Second in the Formula Regional Oceania Championship with three victories and nine podium finishes in 15 races. 

What to expect in 2024: Track record is hit-or-miss for drivers from Formula Regional Americas coming to Indy Lights. Other past Formula Regional Americas champions include Kyle Kirkwood and Linus Lundqvist. David Malukas won races in the series. Another past champion was Kyffin Simpson, who did not have great Indy Lights results, and then there was Benjamin Pedersen. Hedge will have competitive days, but I don't think the championship will go through him.   

Caio Collet: #18 HMD Motorsports Dallara
What did he do in 2023: Ninth in the Formula Three championship on 73 points with a victory, four podium finishes, seven top five finishes and eight top ten finishes.

What to expect in 2024: Collet did well in Europe, and he should be a sleeper. It would not be surprising if he picked up a victory or two and ended up on the podium semi-regularly. He should make the championship top ten.   

Jonathan Browne: #23 HMD Motorsports Dallara
What did he do in 2023: Eighth in the USF Pro 2000 Championship on 230 points with two podium finishes, five top five finishes and 11 top ten finishes.

What to expect in 2024: A few good days, but ending up in the back half of the field more times than not.  

Niels Koolen: #33 HMD Motorsports Dallara
What did he do in 2023: 37th in the Formula Regional European Championship on zero points with his best finish being 19th. 

What to expect in 2024: Nothing from Koolen's career in Europe shouts he will be competitive in Indy Lights. Bottom of the championship.

Nolan Siegel: #39 HMD Motorsports Dallara
What did he do in 2023: Third in Indy Lights on 415 points with two victories, five podium finishes, six top five finishes and nine top ten finishes. 

What to expect in 2024: Siegel was a surprise championship contender last year. A rocky second half knocked him out of contention. He will run in four IndyCar events this year, including the Indianapolis 500. Expectations are much higher than last year. Siegel will need to be firmly at the top of the championship. 

Andretti Global
Louis Foster: #26 Copart/Novara Technologies Dallara
What did he do in 2023: Fourth in the Indy Lights on 410 points with two victories, six podium finishes and nine top ten finishes.

What to expect in 2024: Foster found his form in the latter stages of last season. He should have the speed to be in the title mix. A few victories is the minimum.

Bryce Aron: #27 Jaguar Land Rover Chesterfield Dallara
What did he do in 2023: Fourth in the Euroformula Open Championship on 238 points with three victories, five podium finishes and 13 top five finishes.

What to expect in 2024: Aron did ok in Europe, but wasn't lighting the world on fire. He should be behind Foster, but he has a chance to be the second best of the Andretti group. Any trip to the podium will be a good sign.

Jamie Chadwick: #28 VEXT Dallara
What did he do in 2023: 12th in Indy Lights on 262 points with five top ten finishes.

What to expect in 2024: Improvements from 2023, and Chadwick felt more confident in testing. It is unlikely she will regularly be on the podium or finishing in the top five, but she should be in the top ten more and break into the top five once or twice. 

James Roe, Jr.: #29 TopCon Dallara
What did he do in 2023: Seventh in Indy Lights on 335 points with one podium finishes, four top five finishes and ten top ten finishes.

What to expect in 2024: Roe, Jr. performed better than expected in 2023. I don't expect much improvement from where he was last year. Another year in seventh would not be a surprise.  

Abel Motorsport
Jason Mason: #21 Abel Motorsports Dallara
What did he do in 2023: Competed in eight Formula Two races with PHM Racing by Charouz with his best finish being 12th. Six starts in Euroformula Open Championship with a victory and three podium finishes. 

What to expect in 2024: Tough days because Mason is coming to Indy Lights on late notice and without any real testing. All the tracks are new. Top ten in the championship would be a great year for him. That might be out of reach. 

Yuven Sundaramoorthy: #22 S Team Motorsports Dallara
What did he do in 2023: 15th in the USF Pro 2000 Championship on 121 points with five top ten finishes in 13 starts. Sundaramoorthy also started four Indy Lights races last year with his best finish being ninth.

What to expect in 2024: Sundaramoorthy has been good in the Road to Indy, but not great and it has usually taken him a few years to get up to speed. This feels like a step too soon. He should be outside the top ten in the championship. 

Jacob Abel: #51 Abel Construction Dallara
What did he do in 2023: Fifth in Indy Lights on 397 points with four podium finishes, eight top five finishes and 11 top ten finishes.

What to expect in 2024: Abel was a surprise fifth in the championship and was on the verge of a victory for most of the season. That victory should come in 2024. A championship push could be possible, but the top of the field is strong.

Juncos Hollinger Racing
Lindsay Brewer: #76 C4 Smart Energy Dallara
What did he do in 2023: 18th in the USF Pro 2000 Championship on 108 points with her best finish being 11th.

What to expect in 2024: If you were 18th in USF Pro 2000 in a full season effort, 18th in Indy Lights is the starting point. If enough drivers don't run the full season, she will end up in the top fifteen by default. 

HMD Motorsports with Force Indy
Myles Rowe: #99 HMD Motorsports with Force Indy Dallara
What did he do in 2023: USF Pro 2000 champion on 391 points with five victories, nine podium finishes, 13 top five finishes and 16 top ten finishes.

What to expect in 2024: Rowe got up to pace quickly in testing. He did show teething issues in U.S. F2000 and USF Pro 2000. He should have a few podium finishes, possible a victory or two. The championship is not out of the question, but it is not a given. 

Andretti Cape
Salvador de Alba: #2 Grupo Indi Dallara
What did he do in 2023: Third in the USF Pro 2000 Championship on 291 points with one victory, four podium finishes, seven top five finishes and 14 top ten finishes.

What to expect in 2024: De Alba had a good results in USF Pro 2000, and he should have some good days this season. A few podium results should be a good start. A victory would be great. Somewhere in the championship top ten. 

Michael d'Orlando: #3 Andretti Cape Dallara
What did he do in 2023: Fourth in the USF Pro 2000 Championship on 288 points with four victories, six podium finishes, seven top five finishes and ten top ten finishes.

What to expect in 2024: At the moment, this is d'Orlando's only Indy Lights round. He was streaky last season, but when he wasn't getting into incident, d'Orlando was one of the best in USF Pro 2000. He could be competitive in a full season effort. 

Miller Vinatieri Motorsports
Jack William Miller: #40 Patterson Dental Haven Go by SAAM Dallara
What did he do in 2023: Ninth in the USF Pro 2000 Championship on 212 points with two podium finishes, three top five finishes and eight top ten finishes.

What to expect in 2024: Miller has had good days in the Road to Indy, but he has never been the knockout driver. It will be tough to crack the championship top ten this season.

USF Pro 2000
There will be eight race weekends this year for USF Pro 2000, including one standalone event. St. Petersburg opens the calendar with a doubleheader. The lone standalone race will be a triple-header at NOLA Motorsports Park over the weekend of April 5-7. 

The month of May will start with a triple-header on the IMS road course over May 9-11. The only oval race will be at Indianapolis Raceway Park on May 24. The final triple-header will be at Road America over June 7-9. 

There will be a doubleheader at Mid-Ohio over the weekend of July 6-7. The penultimate round will be a doubleheader at Toronto over July 20-21. The season will end at Portland on August 24-25. 

Teams:
Pabst Racing
Simon Sikes: #18 Mockett/Bell Racing/Sabelt Tatuus
What did he do in 2023: U.S. F2000 champion on 447 points with six victories, 14 podium finishes and 15 top five finishes.  

What to expect in 2024: Sikes pulled through in his first full season in U.S. F2000. His testing results were not spectacular. This season could start slow before Sikes shows better results in the later stages of the season.  

Christian Brooks: #19 BUCKED UP/Deploy Surveillance Tatuus
What did he do in 2023: Brooks won the USF Pro 2000 season opener at St. Petersburg and finished sixth in the second race weekend. He only competed in one other round, Toronto, where he finished eighth and fourth. 

What to expect in 2024: Brooks has had his season fail to get through the first round in consecutive years. It feels like if he runs a full season he could be competitive. Until he does that, we should expect the season ending prematurely.  

Jace Denmark: #20 Pabst Racing Tatuus
What did he do in 2023: Seventh in the USF Pro 2000 Championship on 252 points with three podium finishes and eight top five finishes.

What to expect in 2024: Denmark was close to victory on a few occasions last year. The series has reenforced. He could be on the podium a few more times, including a victory, but not make a great leap in the championship. 

Turn 3 Motorsport
Adam Fitzgerald: #2 Turn 3 Motorsport Tatuus
What did he do in 2023: 17th in the Formula Regional Oceania Championship after starting nine races with his best finish being fourth. Competed in four rounds of the Formula Regional European Championship. 

What to expect in 2024: Testing results were good, but Fitzgerald feels like a fringe top ten championship driver. 

Danny Dyszelski: #3 Vera Guitars/Formula Imports/Charlotte Mechanical Tatuus
What did he do in 2023: 13th in the U.S. F2000 Championship on 141 points with one top five finish in 13 starts. Dyszelski competed in the final round of the 2023 USF Pro 2000 championship where his best finish was ninth in the final race from Portland. 

What to expect in 2024: Dyszelski was in the top ten in every session at the NOLA test. Top ten in the championship with a few podium and top five finishes is practical. 

Tyke Durst: #33 FHI/Relay Payments/Drive Toward a Cure Tatuus
What did he do in 2023: 18th in the Formula 4 United States Championship on 16.5 points with his best finish being eighth. 

What to expect in 2024: This is a big jump for Durst. It is hard to see him doing better than cracking the top ten in the championship, and that is asking a lot.

Lochie Hughes: #44 Turn 3 Motorsport Tatuus
What did he do in 2023: Third in the U.S. F2000 Championship with four victories, eight podium finishes, and 11 top five finishes.

What to expect in 2024: Hughes was quickest in testing. His U.S. F2000 championship was derailed when he was caught in a few accidents and he had to be more cautious. With a new season and crash damage not hanging over this head, Hughes is going to be in the fight for the championship.

Ethan Ho: #68 Triple S Suspensions/MEGA Automotive Tatuus
What did he do in 2023: 14th in the U.S. F2000 Championship on 137 points with one top five finish in 13 starts.

What to expect in 2024: Someone where outside the top ten of the championship, and it is unlikely he will be finishing in the top five in any races. 

DEForce Racing
Mac Clark: #7 Valkyrie AI/ARM/Clubine Motorsports/TNG Exotics Tatuus
What did he do in 2023: Fifth in the U.S. F2000 Championship on 318 points with two victories, six podium finishes and ten top five finishes. Clark was also second and third in the USF Pro 2000 races at Austin last year.

What to expect in 2024: Clark improved over the 2023 U.S. F2000 season. He is going to have good results, likely win a race or two. It isn't certain he can fight for the championship, but it is not unthinkable.

Jorge Garciarce: #10 Sidral Aga/Red Cola/Skarch Tatuus
What did he do in 2023: Eighth in the U.S. F2000 Championship on 212 points with three top five finishes.

What to expect in 2024: Garciarce was good in U.S. F2000, but good is not going to be good enough at this level.  

Nicholas Monteiro: #81 Unique/Caye International Bank/Collection Suites Tatuus
What did he do in 2023: 19th in the USF Pro 2000 Championship on 106 points with his best finish being 11th in two races.

What to expect in 2024: Outside the top ten in the championship. Maybe outside the top fifteen.  

TJ Speed Motorsports
Liam Sceats: #26 Tony Quinn Foundation/Omega Rental Cars Tatuus
What did he do in 2023: Fourth in the Formula Regional Oceania Championship on 235 points with three podium finishes. Sceats was second in this year's Formula Regional Oceania Championship on 341 points with three victories and eight podium finishes. He was also second in the 2023 Formula Regional Japanese Championship with three victories and eight podium finishes. 

What to expect in 2024: Testing was good, but these will be new tracks. Sceats has a chance to break into the top ten. 

Hunter Yeany: #27 TJ Speed Motorsports Tatuus
What did he do in 2023: Competed in ten Formula Three races with zero points scored and his best finish was 16th.

What to expect in 2024: Yeany was outside the top ten in most of the test sessions form NOLA. His European results were not good. I don't think he will be in the top ten here.  

David Morales: #28 TJ Speed Motorsports Tatuus
What did he do in 2023: 13th in the GB3 Championship on 178 points with two top five finishes. Sixth in the Formula Regional Oceania Championship on 200 points with a victory and two podium finishes.

What to expect in 2024: Morales was only a little better than Yeany in testing.  

Exclusive Autosport
Braden Eves: #92 Corpay Cross-Border Solutions Tatuus
What did he do in 2023: Competed in national level karting, but he was fifth in the 2022 Indy Pro 2000 championship on 304 points with a victory, five podium finishes and seven top five finishes.

What to expect in 2024: Before sitting out last season, Eves felt like he had a chance to make a run to IndyCar. He wasn't quick in winter testing. We know what he can do, but it doesn't feel like Eves will be matching his previous form.  

Avery Towns: #95 Towns Law Firm Tatuus
What did he do in 2023: 17th in the U.S. F2000 Championship on 101 points with one top ten finish in 15 starts.

What to expect in 2024: At the moment, Towns is only signed for the season opener with plans for a part-time season.  

Jay Howard Driver Development
Frankie Mossman: #6 ShopGLD/Offset Sport/Stilo/Simpson Tatuus
What did he do in 2023: Competed in the final five races in the USF Pro 2000 season where his best finish was ninth in the first race from Austin. 11th in the Formula 4 United States Championship on 45.5 points with two podium finishes and four top five finishes in nine starts.

What to expect in 2024: Bottom half of the championship. 

VRD Racing
Nikita Johnson: #17 Allen Exploration, LCC/Walker's Cay Tatuus
What did he do in 2023: Second in the U.S. F2000 Championship on 344 points with a victory, eight podium finishes and 13 top five finishes. Johnson competed in the final five USF Pro 2000 races, where he won twice and had four podium finishes.

What to expect in 2024: Johnson was already winning in USF Pro 2000 last year. He should be in the thick of it for the championship. Multiple race victories, regularly in the top five.  

Shawn Rashid: #32 Futos, Inc./ADS/Buckhead Collision Tatuus
What did he do in 2023: 25th in the GB3 Championship on 28 points with one top ten finishes in 19 starts. 

What to expect in 2024: Rashid was not at the NOLA test. Expectations are low, especially compared to Johnson. 

BN Racing
Nicolás Baptiste: #74 Bati's Roast Beef & Shakes/Iridian Tatuus
What did he do in 2023: Last competed full time in the 2022 Formula Regional European Championship where he scored zero points and his best finish was 15th.

What to expect in 2024: A but of surprise from the test Baptiste, as he was in the top five for four of the five sessions and he topped the final one. If he already has that speed, he should have a few podium finishes. If he is clicking off the results early, he could steal a championship. 

Ricardo Escotto: #77 BN Racing Tatuus
What did he do in 2023: 13th in the USF Pro 2000 Championship on 153 points with a victory but only five top ten finishes.

What to expect in 2024: Escotto was not far off his teammate Baptiste. Escotto does have experience in this series. His results should improve and he should find a way into the championship top ten. 

Comet/NCMP Racing
Logan Adams: #21 Comet/NCMP Racing Tatuus
What did he do in 2023: Competed in the Mid-Ohio and Toronto U.S. F2000 rounds where he was third in the first Toronto race but finished outside the top ten in the other four races. Twenty-second in the Formula 4 United States Championship where his best finish was seventh and he scored 10 points in 12 races. 

What to expect in 2024: Adams was at the bottom of every test session he participated in at NOLA. Don't expect to hear much from Adams. 

U.S. F2000
The U.S. F2000 season will run identical race weekends as USF Pro 2000, with a few exceptions. For U.S. F2000, the IMS road course and Road America will only be doubleheader weekends. Mid-Ohio and he final round at Portland will be a triple-headers.

Teams:
Pabst Racing
Hudson Schwartz: #22 Lucas Oil School of Racing/Axios/Axios HQ Tatuus
What did he do in 2023: Lucas Oil School of Racing Championship Series champion with six victories and 13 podium finishes in 15 races. Eighth in the USF Juniors Championship with three podium finishes and seven top five finishes in 13 starts.

What to expect in 2024: Schwartz ran respectable times in the NOLA test. He will have tough competition within his own team. The goal should be somewhere in the championship top ten. He will only turn 15 years old this May. Regular top ten results would be a good year.

Sam Corry: #23 Redline Oil/Stilo/Simpson Race Products Tatuus
What did he do in 2023: Seventh in the U.S. F2000 Championship on 222 points with a victory, three podium finishes and six top five finishes. 

What to expect in 2024: Corry was solidly in the top ten in testing. He could be a fringe player for the top five in the championship.

Max Garcia: #24 Advance Auto Parts Tatuus
What did he do in 2023: Ninth in the U.S. F2000 Championship on 207 points with two podium finishes and five top five finishes. 

What to expect in 2024: Garcia will only be turning 15 years old a week after St. Petersburg, but he got up to speed quickly last year. He led the NOLA test. He should be one of the championship favorites and pick up a few victories.

Jay Howard Driver Development
Evagoras Papasavvas: #6 BodyWise/Tiger Natural Gas/Ares Elite Tatuus
What did he do in 2023: Fourth in the U.S. F2000 Championship on 323 points with a victory, six podium finishes and nine top five finishes.

What to expect in 2024: Papasavvas is the top returning driver from last season. Experience will go a long way. Papasavvas should win more. He and Max Garcia should be battling it out quite a bit this season. 

Tanner DeFabis: #7 Destination Athlete Tatuus
What did he do in 2023: 24th in the Formula 4 United States Championship on five points with his best finish being eighth. 

What to expect in 2024: DeFabis only ran a few car races last ear in his first year of car racing. He likely will not be competing for top five finishes. His goal should be to run as many laps as possible.

Michael Costello: #8 ProGuard Warranty Tatuus
What did he do in 2023: Fifth in the Formula 4 United States Championship on 148 points with three victories, five podium finishes and nine top five finishes. 

What to expect in 2024: Costello showed good speed in testing. He wasn't quite pushing for the top five. He looks like a consistent top ten finisher that could pull out some top five results. 

VRD Racing
Nico Christodoulou: #2 VRD Racing Tatuus
What did he do in 2023: Eighth in the GB3 Championship on 261 points with three podium finishes. Christodoulou competed in the Toronto U.S. F2000 round and finished fifth and first in those races.

What to expect in 2024: Christodoulou had a great debutant weekend last year, and he tested the USF Pro 2000 car at NOLA with respectable speed. He should be fighting for top five in the championship. 

Max Taylor: #3 PINK ETF/Susan G. Komen Foundation Tatuus
What did he do in 2023: Sixth in the USF Juniors Championship on 236 points with a victory, three podium finishes and six top five finishes. 18th in the U.S. F2000 Championship on 86 points with four top ten finishes in 11 starts. 

What to expect in 2024: Taylor was consistently quick in testing, but never topping the speed charts. Championship top five is in play, but he could be squeezed out. It should not be a cause for concern though for the 16-year-old.

Cole Kleck: #14 International Mechanical Services/Kleck Racing Tatuus
What did he do in 2023: Competed in six Formula Regional Americas races and his best finish was third at Austin.

What to expect in 2024: Outside the top ten in the championship. 

Xavier Kokai: #19 KWILL Constructions Tatuus
What did he do in 2023: Fourth in the Australian Formula Ford Championship with a victory and three podium finishes.

What to expect in 2024: This is quite the learning curve for Kokai coming over from Australia. He was at the bottom in every test session. The hope will be to improve as the season goes along.  

DEForce Racing
Nicolas Giaffone: #1 OMNI Tatuus
What did he do in 2023: USF Juniors champion on 389 points with six victories and 11 podium finishes in 16 races.

What to expect in 2024: Giaffone is coming in off an impressive USF Juniors season. At 18 years old, he is a little older than others in this series. He should be in the championship top ten, but there should be tougher weekends than what he experienced last year. 

Lucas Fecury: #10 Br Consulting/Jeneve Soda/Allma Racing Lab Tatuus
What did he do in 2023: Ninth in the USF Juniors Championship on 206 points with a podium finish and four top five finishes. Competed in the 2023 U.S. F2000 final round in Portland where he finished 12th, 15th and 17th. 

What to expect in 2024: Fecury turns 21 years old in May. He was toward the bottom in testing. If he can pull out a few top ten finishes it will be a good year. 

Quinn Armstrong: #11 NDA Tatuus
What did he do in 2023: Second in the USF Juniors Championship on 324 points with three victories, nine podium finishes and 11 top five finishes. 

What to expect in 2024: Armstrong was constantly between eighth and 14th in testing. Making the championship top ten would be a good season.

Maxwell Jamieson: #12 2W Technologies Inc. Tatuus
What did he do in 2023: 16th in the U.S. F2000 Championship on 121 points with four top ten finishes.  

What to expect in 2024: Results similar to last season. 

Brady Golan: #18 DEForce Racing Tatuus
What did he do in 2023: Tenth in the USF Juniors Championship on 202 points with one top five finish. Competed in the U.S. F2000 round at Mid-Ohio where he finished 17th, 12th and 13th. 

What to expect in 2024: Goaln did not run in the NOLA test. It will be tough for him to crack the top ten. 

Exclusive Autosport
Jack Jeffers: #90 Corpay Cross-Border Solutions Tatuus
What did he do in 2023: Third in the USF Juniors Championship on 313 points with three victories, eight podium finishes and ten top five finishes. Competed in the U.S. F2000 round at Road America where Jeffers finished 11th and 12th.

What to expect in 2024: Jeffers was not at the NOLA test. The Exclusive Autosport cars showed some speed. Jeffers could be competitive on a regular basis. 

Joey Brienza: #91 Huntsman Mental Health Foundation/UBS Tatuus
What did he do in 2023: Fifth in the USF Juniors Championship on 280 points with a victory, six podium finishes and nine top five finishes. Brienza also competed in five U.S. F2000 races where his best finish was tenth. 

What to expect in 2024: Brienza was consistently in the top five at the NOLA test. He might not be a championship favorite, but he should pick up a few podium finishes and could win a race or two.  

Thomas Schrage: #92 Corpay Cross-Border Solutions Tatuus
What did he do in 2023: 20th in the U.S. F2000 Championship on 55 points in six starts with his best finish being fourth and three top ten finishes.

What to expect in 2024: There was breathing room regularly between Brienza and Schrage in testing. That should be the same during the season. 

Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing Development
Elliot Cox: #67 Drive Planning/Hartman Oil Tatuus
What did he do in 2023: 12th in the U.S. F2000 Championship on 145 points with two top five finishes and seven top ten finishes. 

What to expect in 2024: Cox will be in a fight to finish in the championship top ten.  

DC Autosport
Carson Etter: #57 Priority Workforce/GATC Health Tatuus
What did he do in 2023: 12th in the USF Juniors Championship on 155 points with five top ten finishes. 

What to expect in 2024: Toward the bottom of the championship. 

Ayrton Houk: #58 Wings and Wheels Foundation Tatuus
What did he do in 2023: Second in the F1600 Championship Series with three victories and 11 podium finishes. Team USA Scholarship winner and competed in the Formula Ford Festival from Brands Hatch and the Walter Hayes Trophy at Silverstone.

What to expect in 2024: Houk was all over the place in testing. He should have some races where he is in the top ten, but I don't think that is where he will spend most of his season. 

U.S. F2000 will race at 4:20 p.m. ET on Friday March 8 and at 4:45 p.m. ET on Saturday March 9. Both races are scheduled for 20 laps or 45 minutes. USF Pro 2000 will race at 11:55 a.m. ET on Saturday March 9 and 8:00 a.m. ET on Sunday March 10 with both races scheduled for 25 laps or 45 minutes. The 45-lap Indy Lights race will take place at 10:10 a.m. ET on Sunday March 10.