A record was broken and one of the most absurd drives occurred. It honestly feels like the motorsports world will never be the same after Sunday. Somebody lost the respect of an entire series at Martinsville. A few championships were awarded. Scott McLaughlin dressed up early for Halloween. There were a few traffic jams in Surfers Paradise. Fernando Alonso said some words. Many disagreed. Some old guys raced. A title defense was successful. Here is a rundown of what got me thinking.
Protecting the Ladder
When another Indy Lights season concluded a little under two months ago at Laguna Seca, there was another young driver and another family excited about the future. A champion was crowned best of the level below IndyCar. There was only one way to move, and with it comes greater potential future earnings and possibly spending the next two decades making a living as a race car driver.
The same way college graduates are celebrated after a cap has been tossed in the air, Linus Lundqvist climbing out his IL-15 chassis and raising his arms to the Northern Californian sky was a release after years of painstaking work to better his future and set him up for a long and prosperous career.
Indy Lights and the Road to Indy system has long promoted its scholarship program, which awards champions of the three series, as a functional ladder system that helps talented young drivers get a shot at IndyCar and not get left behind in the junior series, no matter the financial background of the driver and his or her family. The system has brought many drivers to IndyCar, including the likes of Josef Newgarden, Patricio O'Ward, Rinus VeeKay and Kyle Kirkwood, all drivers on the 2022 IndyCar grid.
Lundqvist was prepared for his prize, not a full ride in IndyCar, but a starting point, three races including the Indianapolis 500. When it was time to receive the check, it was less than anticipated. Instead of a $1.2 million prize that had await those before him, Lundqvist received $500,000 after Penske Entertainment, owner and promoter of the series, changed its prize structure for the 2022 season without publicly addressing the issue.
Instead of looking to IndyCar, Lundqvist's 2023 prospects have gone rather chilly as October is about to turn to November and open seats are vanishing quick.
The prize money decrease isn't the only Road to Indy issue at hand. One of the issues is the "Road to Indy" moniker is about to cease to exist. With Indy Lights fully under the Penske Entertainment/IndyCar banner and no longer organized in association with Andersen Promotions, which fully sanctions Indy Pro 2000 and U.S. F2000, the ladder system is effectively split, two companies with two different agendas, but it isn't clear if they are working toward the same goal, though that is what both are saying on paper.
The "Road to Indy" name will likely change ahead of the 2023 season. "Indy Pro 2000" is now "USF Pro 2000." Looking to 2023, there will be two USF Pro 2000 and U.S. F2000 weekends not run with or around an IndyCar event, a trip to Sebring in late-March and a trip to Austin in late-August. Each series will still share the bill on seven IndyCar race weekends, but the IndyCar ladder system is fractured greater than it has ever been over the last decade-plus. I fear we have forgotten what life was like prior to the Road to Indy.
Prior to the Road to Indy, champions died on the vine. The only champions from Star Mazda/Pro Mazda/Indy Pro 2000/USF Pro 2000 from 1991 to 2009 to make an IndyCar start were Michael McDowell and Raphael Matos. McDowell only made two starts at the end of the 2005 Champ Car season before moving to sports cars which led to a NASCAR career. Joey Hand and Guy Comso never got a sniff of IndyCar. Neither did Dane Cameron nor John Edwards, though those four made good livings in sports cars.
Since the creation of the Road to Indy, seven of 13 champions from the third rung of the ladder system have started an IndyCar race, and three of those drivers, the last three champions at this level, are still in the ladder system. Of the champions from 2010 to 2019 only Santiago Urrutia, Aaron Telitz and Victor Franzoni have not started an IndyCar race.
Between Indy Lights and the Atlantics championship, there were a number of champions and race winners who could not get full-time rides. Wade Cunningham dominated Indy Lights, but it wasn't until six years after his championship he made his first IndyCar start, and only made five starts over two seasons. Alex Lloyd broke records at the Indy Lights level but only had one full season in IndyCar, three years after his Indy Lights championship.
The ladder system was busted at the start of the 21st century and there wasn't a path for young American drivers to make it to IndyCar. In 2010, there were only four Americans regularly on the IndyCar grid. Danica Patrick, Ryan Hunter-Reay, Marco Andretti and Graham Rahal, who started 12 of 17 races driving for four different teams. Even Hunter-Reay wasn't sure if he would be full-time that season, only having a deal through the Indianapolis 500 until a strong start to the season, which included a victory at Long Beach, got him funding for the full year.
The Road to Indy changed that. It has allowed many young drivers to get to IndyCar, but it has benefited Americans. The 2022 season had eight American regulars. The 2020 season had 11 American regulars. Every season since 2016 has had at least seven American regulars, and four of the last seven seasons have at least nine American regulars.
It feels like a step back to decrease the opportunity for young drivers, especially for those who do not come from wealthy backgrounds. Lundqvist went from IndyCar hopeful to IndyCar afterthought not because of what he did on-track but because of the size of his bank account.
There seems to be a disconnection under the Penske leadership for Indy Lights. It is worrying that a regression occurred in prizing. Lundqvist received less than half of his predecessors. That isn’t a strong side of support for a development series. After Lundqvist's light payday, Indy Lights and the Road to Indy’s reputation took a hit. It has long been seen as a place of opportunity and a chance for talent to earn its way to the top. But if the prizes are going to be slashed, talent means less. It might be a good slice of funding, but more work now has to be done for a driver to reach the next level.
Many were frustrated when it became public Lundqvist earned significantly less money for his championship. It felt like a larger hurdle was put in front of the Swedish talent when he had done nothing but what he had to do. Hopefully, the Indy Lights prize returns to its previous size and it allows the top driver from the Road to Indy to get a greater shot at IndyCar. On top of that, IndyCar and Andersen Promotions must remain on the same page for the greater good of the North American open-wheel system.
I fear the change in IndyCar leadership and the absorption of Indy Lights back into the IndyCar offices has caused some friction among the two parties responsible for the development system. If these two sides do not get along, young drivers will lose out and in turn we will get a weaker IndyCar Series. A serious discussion must occur this offseason to make sure the Road to Indy or whatever it will be called remains an enticing path for talent drivers.
Champions From the Weekend
Tomoki Nojiri clinched the Super Formula championship with a runner-up finish in the first race from Suzuka.
Shane van Gisbergen clinched the Supercars championship with his victory in the first race from Surfers Paradise. It is van Gisbergen's second consecutive Supercars championship and the third in his career. Van Gisbergen completed the weekend with a victory on Sunday as well, a record-extending 21st victory this season.
Winners From the Weekend
You know about Shane van Gisbergen, but did you know...
Max Verstappen won the Mexican Grand Prix, a record-breaking 14th victory this season.
Christopher Bell won the NASCAR Cup race from Martinsville, his third victory of the season. Ty Gibbs won the Grand National Series race, his sixth victory of the season.
Ukyo Sasahara and Tomoki Nojiri split the Super Formula races from Suzuka.
Coming Up This Weekend
MotoGP season finale weekend from Valencia.
NASCAR season finale weekend from Phoenix.
Super GT season finale weekend from Motegi.
