The fourth IndyCar Wrap-Up is Dale Coyne Racing. IndyCar's smallest team continues to be one of IndyCar's most interesting teams. This year was no different, as the team brought back a former driver who won rookie of the year with the organization, and a Formula One transfer who came to IndyCar as one of the most known drivers in the world after his exit from the grand prix stage.
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| Romain Grosjean drew much attention for all the right reasons |
Romain Grosjean
One of the most anticipated IndyCar introductions, Grosjean came to IndyCar with his Formula One career abbreviated by two races after a fiery accident in the 2020 Bahrain Grand Prix. Nearly five months after his final Formula One appearance, and with healed hands, Grosjean debuted in IndyCar and had a rookie season full of tremendously encouraging highs.
What objectively was his best race?
The Grand Prix of Indianapolis. Pole position and 44 laps led on his way to a runner-up finish. It could have been better for Grosjean. He struggled with traffic and the primary tires during the middle of the race, keeping Rinus VeeKay and Álex Palou in contention. VeeKay's pace was more consistent over each stint and it gave the Dutchman the victory while Grosjean settled for second. Grosjean was also second in the August IMS road course race.
What subjectively was his best race?
The Grand Prix of Indianapolis. Pole position and 44 laps led on his way to a runner-up finish. It could have been better for Grosjean. He struggled with traffic and the primary tires during the middle of the race, keeping Rinus VeeKay and Álex Palou in contention. VeeKay's pace was more consistent over each stint and it gave the Dutchman the victory while Grosjean settled for second. Grosjean was also second in the August IMS road course race.
What subjectively was his best race?
It is hard to go against the Grand Prix of Indianapolis, but Grosjean was incredible at Laguna Seca. Starting 13th, Grosjean had one of the best balanced cars and had speed on both tire compounds. He made not one, not two but three passes into the Corkscrew and gained positions on each stint. His strategy saw him drive up to third when he took the checkered flag.
Grosjean also spent much Road America around the top five and finished fifth. His oval debut at Gateway deserves a mention. He passed many cars in that race but his problems on cold tires cost him all those spots after each pit stop and it dropped him to 14th, one lap down.
What objectively was his worst race?
It would be 24th in the second Belle Isle race when a brake failure took him out of the event. He was penalized earlier in that race after contact with Jack Harvey in turn six.
What subjectively was his worst race?
We can lump all the street courses in here. St. Petersburg was not bad considering he finished 13th, but he had an accident in the first Belle Isle race after already being knocked out of a front running position with a tire puncture, we covered the second Belle Isle race and Grosjean lost another top ten result when contact with Simon Pagenaud earned him a penalty in Nashville. He brushed the barrier while solidly in the top ten at Long Beach. At least Grosjean has an area to improve in 2022.
Romain Grosjean's 2021 Statistics
Championship Position: 15th (272 points)
Wins: 0
Podiums: 3
Top Fives: 4
Top Tens: 6
Laps Led: 53
Poles: 1
Fast Sixes: 2
Fast Twelves: 8
Average Start: 9.3077
Average Finish: 12.692
Championship Position: 15th (272 points)
Wins: 0
Podiums: 3
Top Fives: 4
Top Tens: 6
Laps Led: 53
Poles: 1
Fast Sixes: 2
Fast Twelves: 8
Average Start: 9.3077
Average Finish: 12.692
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| Ed Jones was back with Dale Coyne Racing in 2021 |
Ed Jones
After spending 2020 sidelined, mostly due to the pandemic, Jones returned to IndyCar and he was back to full-time competition after having last been part-time in the series. After three teams in three seasons, Jones was back where his IndyCar career started, where he made a good first impression. This time around, things were not as rosy as his rookie year.
What objectively was his best race?
Jones avoided the mess at Nashville and came home in sixth-place, notably getting that sixth spot with a strong pass on Felix Rosenqvist late.
What subjectively was his best race?
Jones avoided the mess at Nashville and came home in sixth-place, notably getting that sixth spot with a strong pass on Felix Rosenqvist late.
What subjectively was his best race?
Not many races standout for positives when it comes to Jones. Nashville is probably the correct answer to this question considering he started 26th. The first Belle Isle race deserves a mention, as he started fourth and lost some ground after running long on the alternate tire, but still finished ninth.
Jones did end strong with finishes of 11th, tenth and 12th in the final three races. It was the only period this season when he had three consecutive top 15 finishes.
What objectively was his worst race?
Jones was 28th in the Indianapolis 500 after starting 11th on the grid. He made his final pit stop on lap 198 and the gamble led him to finishing as the final car one lap down.
What subjectively was his worst race?
The biggest problem in Jones' season is he has too many events where he was anonymous, 20th from 21st on the grid at St. Petersburg, he was caught in Will Power's spin at Mid-Ohio and completed only three laps and he got into Graham Rahal after two laps at Gateway, taking both drivers out of the top ten. Road America was another missed opportunity after starting 12th in his first race with the same damper package as Grosjean, only for a suspension failure to eliminate Jones with five laps to go.
It also didn't help Jones that he will most remembered for spinning Patricio O'Ward in the hairpin on the first lap of the Long Beach finale, effectively ending the championship battle right then and there.
Ed Jones' 2021 Statistics
Championship Position: 19th (233 points)
Wins: 0
Podiums: 0
Top Fives: 0
Top Tens: 3
Laps Led: 4
Poles: 0
Fast Sixes: 0
Fast Twelves: 5
Average Start: 13.071
Average Finish: 16.438
Championship Position: 19th (233 points)
Wins: 0
Podiums: 0
Top Fives: 0
Top Tens: 3
Laps Led: 4
Poles: 0
Fast Sixes: 0
Fast Twelves: 5
Average Start: 13.071
Average Finish: 16.438
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| Pietro Fittipaldi was back for oval races this season |
Pietro Fittipaldi
With Grosjean not committing to the ovals at the start of the 2021 season, Dale Coyne Racing drafted in another Haas F1 driver. For the first time in three years, Fittipaldi, grandson of two-time World Drivers' Champion and two-time Indianapolis 500 Emerson Fittipaldi, was back in IndyCar. Coincidentally, it was Fittipaldi who replaced Grosjean in the final two races of the 2020 Formula One season.
What objectively was his best race?
Fittipaldi was 15th in the first Texas race, finishing on the lead lap. He was on the edge of the top ten for most of this race, but dropped back a few spots late. It was a good showing considering he had not been in an IndyCar since September 2018.
What subjectively was his best race?
Fittipaldi was 15th in the first Texas race, finishing on the lead lap. He was on the edge of the top ten for most of this race, but dropped back a few spots late. It was a good showing considering he had not been in an IndyCar since September 2018.
What subjectively was his best race?
Texas was his best day, but Fittipaldi's Indianapolis 500 debut deserves some attention. He qualified 13th, the fastest rookie qualifier. His race was not spectacular. He did not make the most of his starting position and lost ground throughout the race, but he took the checkered flag, albeit it a lap down in 25th.
What objectively was his worst race?
Strangely enough, it was the Indianapolis 500.
What subjectively was his worst race?
Fittipaldi was taken out in the start accident in the second Texas race and was classified in 21st with barely a lap started let alone an entire lap completed. It was sad not to see Fittipaldi more this year. With Grosjean running Gateway, Fittipaldi made one fewer start than anticipated and the team did not enter an extra car for him. It feels like Fittipaldi could be a strong full-time driver, and yet he constantly finds himself on the periphery of many series.
Pietro Fittipaldi's 2021 Statistics
Championship Position: 32nd (34 points)
Wins: 0
Podiums: 0
Top Fives: 0
Top Tens: 0
Laps Led: 0
Poles: 0
Fast Sixes: 0
Fast Twelves: 0
Average Start: 13th (Field set via entrants' point for both Texas races. Fittipaldi qualified 13th for the Indianapolis 500).
Average Finish: 20.333
Championship Position: 32nd (34 points)
Wins: 0
Podiums: 0
Top Fives: 0
Top Tens: 0
Laps Led: 0
Poles: 0
Fast Sixes: 0
Fast Twelves: 0
Average Start: 13th (Field set via entrants' point for both Texas races. Fittipaldi qualified 13th for the Indianapolis 500).
Average Finish: 20.333
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| Cody Ware started three races in 2021 |
Cody Ware
With Rick Ware Racing partnering with Dale Coyne Racing for the 2021 IndyCar season and the team's #51 Honda, Rick Ware's son got to compete in a few races in a third entry. The NASCAR experienced driver, who has an average finish of 32.8 in 52 Cup Series, did about how you would expect in an IndyCar.
What objectively was his best race?
Ware was 19th on debut at Road America. He also started 25th in that race.
What subjectively was his best race?
Ware was 19th on debut at Road America. He also started 25th in that race.
What subjectively was his best race?
Road America. Nothing like your first time. Ware didn't draw any attention to himself and kept the car on the track. Cautions might have kept him on the lead lap, but Ware did not put himself in trouble at any points.
What objectively was his worst race?
Ware was 25th in the August IMS road course race, two laps down and a little in the way.
What subjectively was his worst race?
When you are parked for being too slow, that is your worst race, and Ware was disqualified after 70 laps for being too slow at Nashville. The number of accidents allowed Ware to end up with a 20th-place classification, but he was slow in this race. Despite his pace, he got up to seventh during a pit cycle and then immediately spun in turn three after holding up the field.
Cody Ware's 2021 Statistics
Championship Position: 34th (26 points)
Wins: 0
Podiums: 0
Top Fives: 0
Top Tens: 0
Laps Led: 0
Poles: 0
Fast Sixes: 0
Fast Twelves: 0
Average Start: 26.333
Average Finish: 21.333
Championship Position: 34th (26 points)
Wins: 0
Podiums: 0
Top Fives: 0
Top Tens: 0
Laps Led: 0
Poles: 0
Fast Sixes: 0
Fast Twelves: 0
Average Start: 26.333
Average Finish: 21.333
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| Ryan Norman was a surprise debutant |
Ryan Norman
After three years in Indy Lights, Norman has spent the last two seasons competing in IMSA's Michelin Pilot Challenge series. When an opportunity came for him to run at his home track of Mid-Ohio in Dale Coyne Racing's extra entry, Norman took it and made his IndyCar debut.
What objectively was his best race?
Norman was 20th, the first car, one lap down.
What subjectively was his best race?
Norman was 20th, the first car, one lap down.
What subjectively was his best race?
While Norman was only 20th, he was ahead of Dalton Kellett and Jimmie Johnson. Norman also gained six spots on the day, moving up from a 26th starting position.
What objectively was his worst race?
Mid-Ohio was Norman's only start of the season.
What subjectively was his worst race?
Running at Mid-Ohio meant Norman had to miss the Michelin Pilot Challenge race at Watkins Glen, but his car owner Bryan Herta encouraged Norman to run the IndyCar race. The only downside is by missing that race, Norman could no longer defend his TCR class championship. His co-driver Parker Chase is second in the championship entering the final round at Road America at the end of October.
Ryan Norman's 2021 Statistics
Championship Position: 30th (10 points)
Wins: 0
Podiums: 0
Top Fives: 0
Top Tens: 0
Laps Led: 0
Poles: 0
Fast Sixes: 0
Fast Twelves: 0
Average Start: 26
Average Finish: 20
Championship Position: 30th (10 points)
Wins: 0
Podiums: 0
Top Fives: 0
Top Tens: 0
Laps Led: 0
Poles: 0
Fast Sixes: 0
Fast Twelves: 0
Average Start: 26
Average Finish: 20
An Early Look Ahead
Dale Coyne Racing is coming off another stellar season and in turn it will be going through another shakeup.
Grosjean has left for Andretti Autosport and he took engineer Olivier Boisson with him. At the same time, the Vasser/Sullivan partnership could be ending, as Vasser/Sullivan has already independently taken on the Lexus GT Daytona program in IMSA, it could be looking to do the same with its IndyCar team soon.
The team expressed dissatisfaction with Jones' performance during the season. It was stated that Jones had a different damper program than Grosjean for the first half of the season and the two cars didn't have the same dampers until Road America. We did see Jones closer to equal with Grosjean as the season went on, but while Grosjean stood on the podium three times and had a pole position, Jones had three top ten finishes all season.
Grosjean made three fewer starts and scored 39 points without the benefit of a double points race.
Coyne has a knack for finding drivers and getting cars to the front. The team lost Craig Hampson to Arrow McLaren SP and Michael Cannon to Ganassi and the team hasn't fallen off. Coyne can head in any direction it wants. In the last decade, it is more likely going to find two respectable drivers and overachieve. For a team with a history of shuffling drivers through its cars without much success and historically having TBA on entry lists, the last ten years has Coyne as more of an Oakland Athletics' Moneyball-esque team than a cellar dweller like the Seattle Mariners. The team finds away to compete rather than just take up space.
The hope is Coyne will have a good rock to build its 2022 around, as Takuma Sato is linked to one of the seats. Sato might be turning 45 years old in January, and he might be coming off a season where he did not make it out of the first round of qualifying once on a road/street course and did not start in the top ten once, but he did have eight top ten finishes, falling just eight points outside the top ten in the championship. Sato is a great place to start and he will keep the team in the conversation most weekends.
While the team is going through another overhaul, I except Coyne to remain competitive. It is going to find two drivers who can get the job done, and if there is anything we have learned from the last two season with Coyne alone, there are plenty of drivers out there who can enter IndyCar and score results. Would a Sato-led Coyne team necessarily win races? No, but the organization should still be competing for top ten finishes on a regular basis and possibly challenge for a top five finish here or there.
The biggest concerns is if Coyne keeps the partnerships going for another season. Rick Ware Racing might not be a multi-year thing. Vasser/Sullivan could leave this year and bring more uncertainty. The Coyne-Vasser/Sullivan pairing has been together five years and it has yielded great success with multiple drivers. That breakup could set Coyne back. We need to find out sooner rather than later who Coyne will be working with. Once we know that we will have a better idea what to expect for the team in 2022.
