Let's Look at the League - 2023 Season

For the fifth consecutive year, we are bringing back the IndyCar head-to-head league format.

Imagine if IndyCar was treated as a sports league where each week teams compete head-to-head against one another. Each victory counts in the league standings with the top records leading to a playoff berth and the worst teams having to fight for their safety in the top division while a lower division promotes the best second-tier teams for the following year. 

That is what we have here. With an expanding IndyCar grid, setting up this year's league format was the toughest by far. 

Where were we?

Last season was the first time Josef Newgarden and the #2 Penske entry did not win the league championship. Newgarden lost in the semifinals to Scott McLaughlin. We did get a fourth consecutive Penske championship though. 

Will Power defeated Scott McLaughlin in the final and did "The Double," taking the real championship and the league championship.

Marcus Ericsson was the other semifinalist while Scott Dixon, Graham Rahal, Alexander Rossi and Romain Grosjean were the other playoff drivers. Álex Palou and Simon Pagenaud both missed out on the playoffs, fifth in their respective conferences. Patricio O'Ward and David Malukas each won the first round of the relegation playoff to remain safe for another season. Colton Herta defeated Jack Harvey in the relegation final to remain in the top league while the #45 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing entry was dropped to the second division. 

Along with Harvey, also relegated was Christian Lundgaard in the #30 RLLR entry and Takuma Sato in the #51 Dale Coyne Racing entry. 

Who was promoted? The #7 Arrow McLaren SP entry with Felix Rosenqvist, the #48 Chip Ganassi Racing entry with Jimmie Johnson and the #21 Ed Carpenter Racing entry with Rinus VeeKay.

How do things look for 2023 then?

Conference One

#12 Penske

#3 Penske

#10 Ganassi

#7 AMSP

#27 Andretti

#21 ECR

#28 Andretti

#11 Ganassi

Conference Two

#2 Penske

#9 Ganassi

#8 Ganassi

#5 AMSP

#26 Andretti

#15 RLLR

#60 MSR

#18 DCR

The only note is the #48 Ganassi entry switched numbers, but the rest of the entries are unchanged.

What about the schedule? 

Schedule

League One:

Week 1 (ST. PETERSBURG):

#12 Penske vs. #11 Ganassi

#3 Penske vs. #28 Andretti

#10 Ganassi vs. #21 ECR

#7 McLaren vs. #27 Andretti

#2 Penske vs. #18 DCR

#9 Ganassi vs. #60 MSR

#8 Ganassi vs. #15 RLLR

#5 McLaren vs. #26 Andretti

 

Week 2 (TEXAS):

#12 Penske vs. #28 Andretti

#3 Penske vs. #11 Ganassi

#10 Ganassi vs. #27 Andretti

#7 McLaren vs. #21 ECR

#2 Penske vs. #60 MSR

#9 Ganassi vs. #18 DCR

#8 Ganassi vs. #26 Andretti

#5 McLaren vs. #15 RLLR

 

Week 3 (LONG BEACH):

#12 Penske vs. #21 ECR

#3 Penske vs. #27 Andretti

#10 Ganassi vs. #11 Ganassi

#7 McLaren vs. #28 Andretti

#2 Penske vs. #15 RLLR

#9 Ganassi vs. #26 Andretti

#8 Ganassi vs. #18 DCR

#5 McLaren vs. #60 MSR

 

Week 4 (BARBER):

#12 Penske vs. #27 Andretti

#3 Penske vs. #21 ECR

#10 Ganassi vs. #28 Andretti

#7 McLaren vs. #11 Ganassi

#2 Penske vs. #26 Andretti

#9 Ganassi vs. #15 RLLR

#8 Ganassi vs. #60 MSR

#5 McLaren vs. #18 DCR

 

Week 5 (GPOI):

#12 Penske vs. #7 McLaren

#3 Penske vs. #10 Ganassi

#27 Andretti vs. #11 Ganassi

#28 Andretti vs. #21 ECR

#2 Penske vs. #5 McLaren

#9 Ganassi vs. #8 Ganassi

#26 Andretti vs. #18 DCR

#15 RLLR vs. #60 MSR

Week 6 (INDIANAPOLIS 500):

#12 Penske vs. #10 Ganassi

#3 Penske vs. #7 McLaren

#27 Andretti vs. #28 Andretti

#21 ECR vs. #11 Ganassi

#2 Penske vs. #8 Ganassi

#9 Ganassi vs. #5 McLaren

#26 Andretti vs. #60 MSR

#15 RLLR vs. #18 DCR

 

Week 7 (DETROIT):

#12 Penske vs. #3 Penske

#10 Ganassi vs. #7 McLaren

#27 Andretti vs. #21 ECR

#28 Andretti vs. #11 Ganassi

#2 Penske vs. #9 Ganassi

#8 Ganassi vs. #5 McLaren

#26 Andretti vs. #15 RLLR

#60 MSR vs. #18 DCR

 

Week 8 (ROAD AMERICA):

#12 Penske vs. #11 Ganassi

#3 Penske vs. #28 Andretti

#10 Ganassi vs. #21 ECR

#7 McLaren vs. #27 Andretti

#2 Penske vs. #18 DCR

#9 Ganassi vs. #60 MSR

#8 Ganassi vs. #15 RLLR

#5 McLaren vs. #26 Andretti

 

Week 9 (MID-OHIO):

#12 Penske vs. #28 Andretti

#3 Penske vs. #11 Ganassi

#10 Ganassi vs. #27 Andretti

#7 McLaren vs. #21 ECR

#2 Penske vs. #60 MSR

#9 Ganassi vs. #18 DCR

#8 Ganassi vs. #26 Andretti

#5 McLaren vs. #15 RLLR

 

Week 10 (TORONTO):

#12 Penske vs. #21 ECR

#3 Penske vs. #27 Andretti

#10 Ganassi vs. #11 Ganassi

#7 McLaren vs. #28 Andretti

#2 Penske vs. #15 RLLR

#9 Ganassi vs. #26 Andretti

#8 Ganassi vs. #18 DCR

#5 McLaren vs. #60 MSR

 

Week 11 (IOWA):

#12 Penske vs. #27 Andretti

#3 Penske vs. #21 ECR

#10 Ganassi vs. #28 Andretti

#7 McLaren vs. #11 Ganassi

#2 Penske vs. #26 Andretti

#9 Ganassi vs. #15 RLLR

#8 Ganassi vs. #60 MSR

#5 McLaren vs. #18 DCR

 

Week 12 (IOWA):

#12 Penske vs. #7 McLaren

#3 Penske vs. #10 Ganassi

#27 Andretti vs. #11 Ganassi

#28 Andretti vs. #21 ECR

#2 Penske vs. #5 McLaren

#9 Ganassi vs. #8 Ganassi

#26 Andretti vs. #18 DCR

#15 RLLR vs. #60 MSR

 

Week 13 (NASHVILLE):

#12 Penske vs. #10 Ganassi

#3 Penske vs. #7 McLaren

#27 Andretti vs. #28 Andretti

#21 ECR vs. #11 Ganassi

#2 Penske vs. #8 Ganassi

#9 Ganassi vs. #5 McLaren

#26 Andretti vs. #60 MSR

#15 RLLR vs. #18 DCR

 

Week 14 (IMS ROAD COURSE):

#12 Penske vs. #3 Penske

#10 Ganassi vs. #7 McLaren

#27 Andretti vs. #21 ECR

#28 Andretti vs. #11 Ganassi

#2 Penske vs. #9 Ganassi

#8 Ganassi vs. #5 McLaren

#26 Andretti vs. #15 RLLR

#60 MSR vs. #18 DCR

The playoff format remains the same. Top four from each conference advance while the bottom team in each conference will be relegated. Before speaking about any type of promotion/relegation playoff, we need to discuss the difficulty of setting up League Two this year. 

League Two

IndyCar expansion caused a problem. With 27 full-time entries, it meant 11 cars were left for League Two. It is not easy to split 11 teams into two conferences. Three divisions was considered. You could do either, but it didn't quite pan out.

I don't like to do this, but this will be one 11-team table, double round-robin format. To make this happen, it will require every oval qualifying session to be counted as a head-to-head matchup. What happens if oval qualifying is cancelled? Entrants' points will decide the matchup. I don't like it. I wish there was a 12th team and then it could be split into either two groups of six or three groups of four. Maybe next year it will be easier. 

Who are the participants?

League Two

#6 McLaren

#30 RLLR

#20 ECR

#06 MSR

#51 DCR

#45 RLLR

#77 JHR

#29 Andretti

#14 Foyt

#55 Foyt

#78 JHR

What is the schedule?

Schedule

League Two:

Week 1 (ST. PETERSBURG):

#30 RLLR vs. #78 JHR

#20 ECR vs. #55 Foyt

#06 MSR vs. #14 Foyt

#51 DCR vs. #29 Andretti

#45 RLLR vs. #77 JHR

 

Week 2 (TEXAS QUALIFYING):

#6 McLaren vs. #78 JHR

#30 RLLR vs. #55 Foyt

#20 ECR vs. #14 Foyt

#06 MSR vs. #29 Andretti

#51 DCR vs. #77 JHR

 

Week 3 (TEXAS):

#6 McLaren vs. #55 Foyt

#30 RLLR vs. #14 Foyt

#20 ECR vs. #29 Andretti

#06 MSR vs. #77 JHR

#51 DCR vs. #45 RLLR

 

Week 4 (LONG BEACH):

#6 McLaren vs. #14 Foyt

#30 RLLR vs. #29 Andretti

#20 ECR vs. #77 JHR

#06 MSR vs. #45 RLLR

#55 Foyt vs. #78 JHR

 

Week 5 (BARBER):

#6 McLaren vs. #29 Andretti

#30 RLLR vs. #77 JHR

#20 ECR vs. #45 RLLR

#06 MSR vs. #51 DCR

#14 Foyt vs. #78 JHR

Week 6 (GPOI):

#6 McLaren vs. #77 JHR

#30 RLLR vs. #45 RLLR

#20 ECR vs. #51 DCR

#29 Andretti vs. #78 JHR

#14 Foyt vs. #55 Foyt

 

Week 7 (INDIANAPOLIS 500 QUALIFYING):

#6 McLaren vs. #45 RLLR

#30 RLLR vs. #51 DCR

#20 ECR vs. #06 MSR

#77 JHR vs. #78 JHR

#29 Andretti vs. #55 Foyt

 

Week 8 (INDIANAPOLIS 500):

#6 McLaren vs. #51 DCR

#30 RLLR vs. #06 MSR

#45 RLLR vs. #78 JHR

#77 JHR vs. #55 Foyt

#29 Andretti vs. #14 Foyt

Week 9 (DETROIT):

#6 McLaren vs. #06 MSR

#30 RLLR vs. #20 ECR

#51 DCR vs. #78 JHR

#45 RLLR vs. #55 Foyt

#77 JHR vs. #14 Foyt

 

Week 10 (ROAD AMERICA):

#6 McLaren vs. #20 ECR

#06 MSR vs. #78 JHR

#51 DCR vs. #55 Foyt

#45 RLLR vs. #14 Foyt

#77 JHR vs. #29 Andretti

 

Week 11 (MID-OHIO):

#6 McLaren vs. #30 RLLR

#20 ECR vs. #78 JHR

#06 MSR vs #55 Foyt

#51 DCR vs. #14 Foyt

#45 RLLR vs. #29 Andretti

 

Week 12 (TORONTO):

#30 RLLR vs. #78 JHR

#20 ECR vs. #55 Foyt

#06 MSR vs. #14 Foyt

#51 DCR vs. #29 Andretti

#45 RLLR vs. #77 JHR

 

Week 13 (IOWA I QUALIFYING):

#6 McLaren vs. #78 JHR

#30 RLLR vs. #55 Foyt

#20 ECR vs. #14 Foyt

#06 MSR vs. #29 Andretti

#51 DCR vs. #77 JHR

Week 14 (IOWA II QUALIFYING):

#6 McLaren vs. #55 Foyt

#30 RLLR vs. #14 Foyt

#20 ECR vs. #29 Andretti

#06 MSR vs. #77 JHR

#51 DCR vs. #45 RLLR

Week 15 (IOWA I):

#6 McLaren vs. #14 Foyt

#30 RLLR vs. #29 Andretti

#20 ECR vs. #77 JHR

#06 MSR vs. #45 RLLR

#55 Foyt vs. #78 JHR

Week 16 (IOWA II):

#6 McLaren vs. #29 Andretti

#30 RLLR vs. #77 JHR

#20 ECR vs. #45 RLLR

#06 MSR vs. #51 DCR

#14 Foyt vs. #78 JHR

Week 17 (NASHVILLE):

#6 McLaren vs. #77 JHR

#30 RLLR vs. #45 RLLR

#20 ECR vs. #51 DCR

#29 Andretti vs. #78 JHR

#14 Foyt vs. #55 Foyt

 

Week 18 (IMS ROAD COURSE):

#6 McLaren vs. #45 RLLR

#30 RLLR vs. #51 DCR

#20 ECR vs. #06 MSR

#77 JHR vs. #78 JHR

#29 Andretti vs. #55 Foyt

 

Week 19 (GATEWAY QUALIFYING):

#6 McLaren vs. #51 DCR

#30 RLLR vs. #06 MSR

#45 RLLR vs. #78 JHR

#77 JHR vs. #55 Foyt

#29 Andretti vs. #14 Foyt

Week 20 (GATEWAY):

#6 McLaren vs. #06 MSR

#30 RLLR vs. #20 ECR

#51 DCR vs. #78 JHR

#45 RLLR vs. #55 Foyt

#77 JHR vs. #14 Foyt

Week 21 (PORTLAND):

#6 McLaren vs. #20 ECR

#06 MSR vs. #78 JHR

#51 DCR vs. #55 Foyt

#45 RLLR vs. #14 Foyt

#77 JHR vs. #29 Andretti

Week 22 (LAGUNA SECA):

#6 McLaren vs. #30 RLLR

#20 ECR vs. #78 JHR

#06 MSR vs #55 Foyt

#51 DCR vs. #14 Foyt

#45 RLLR vs. #29 Andretti

Since League Two is using nearly every possible session, the top three will be promoted to League One in 2024. 

As for the final relegation spot from League One, the relegation playoff will return. Fifth in each conference will be safe. Sixth and seventh from each conference will face one another in the relegation playoff semifinals. The winners will maintain a spot in League One. The losers will face off with the winner staying up and the loser going down.

Does Newgarden get back on top? Will a Penske driver win a fifth league title? Can someone else pull off a stunner? Could a front-runner be relegated? We will revisit this over the course of the season. 

Previous league results:

2019 

2020

2021

2022

Track Walk: St. Petersburg 2023

The first round of the 2023 NTT IndyCar Series season will be the 20th Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. It is the 13th time St. Petersburg has opened an IndyCar season. Only three times has the St. Petersburg winner gone on to win the championship, most recently in 2014 with Will Power, who is the defending IndyCar champion. Team Penske has won 11 of 19 St. Petersburg races including three of the last four and six of the last nine. The last two St. Petersburg races have been the fastest St. Petersburg races, each exceeding 96.5 mph. Last year's race took place at an average speed of 96.899 mph.

Coverage

Time: Coverage begins at 12:00 p.m. ET on Sunday March 5 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 Dave Burns 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: 2:15 p.m. ET 
Sunday:
Warm-up: 9:00 a.m. ET (30 minutes)
Race: 12:30 p.m. ET (100 laps)

* - All sessions will be available live on Peacock

Out of the Desert

At the start of the month, IndyCar completed its series test at The Thermal Club out in Palm Spring, California. An unknown track and one that hosts no other events in the 2023 IndyCar season, the results have no direct carry over to the season, but at the moment it is the only measuring stick ahead of the opening weekend of the season. 

The 2022 Indianapolis 500 winner Marcus Ericsson topped the two-day test and led a Honda 1-2-3 in Palm Springs. Ericsson had the fastest lap at 98.4223 seconds, just 0.1459 seconds quicker than fellow Scandinavian Christian Lundgaard while Kyle Kirkwood, in his first series sanctioned session with Andretti Autosport, 0.3662 seconds behind Ericsson. 

The top Chevrolet was Callum Ilott in fourth. The Juncos Hollinger Racing driver was 0.4181 seconds back while rookie Marcus Armstrong rounded out the top five driving for Chip Ganassi Racing, making it four Honda drivers in the top five, with Armstrong 0.4186 seconds off his teammate. 

Defending champion Will Power was sixth ahead of 2021 champion Álex Palou while Scott McLaughlin was the final driver within a half-second of Ericsson on top. Felix Rosenqvist was the top Arrow McLaren driver in ninth while Scott Dixon rounded out the top ten, making it three Ganassi drivers in the top ten. 

Simon Pagenaud was 11th in the test, just ahead of his good friend Josef Newgarden. Alexander Rossi took the lucky 13th position in his first outing with McLaren, directly ahead of his former Andretti teammates Romain Grosjean and Colton Herta. Herta was the fastest on day one of the test. Patricio O'Ward was 16th, the slowest of the McLaren drivers. 

David Malukas and Hélio Castroneves were 17th and 18th respectively, and they were the final two drivers within a second of the top time. Devlin DeFrancesco and Jack Harvey rounded out the top twenty. Agustín Canapino was 21st, ahead of Graham Rahal, Rinus VeeKay and fellow rookie Sting Ray Robb. Santino Ferrucci, Conor Daly and Benjamin Pedersen rounded out the 27-car field for the test. Pedersen was 1.7074 seconds slower than Ericsson. 

Besides Palm Springs, Sebring hosted two private test sessions a day apart for most teams. 

On February 14, Grosjean topped the nine-car session at Sebring with a fastest lap of 52.059 seconds, 0.030 seconds quicker than Kirkwood. Ilott was third at 52.137 seconds, directly ahead of Armstrong by 0.080 seconds with Devlin DeFrancesco rounding out the top five. Daly, Herta, VeeKay and Canapino rounded out that test with Canapino 0.671 seconds off Grosjean.

The next day saw McLaren go 1-2-3 in a seven-car session, which included two drivers completing an evaluation test. O'Ward was fastest at 51.882 seconds, 0.252 seconds ahead of Rossi with Rosenqvist 0.354 seconds back in third. Porsche Penske Motorsports driver Felipe Nasr was fourth in an evaluation test for Team Penske. Nasr was only 0.003 seconds slower than Rosenqvist and still 0.120 seconds faster than Ferrucci. Nick Cassidy was sixth in an evaluation test for Chip Ganassi Racing with a fastest lap of 52.518 seconds, 0.021 seconds quicker than Pedersen. 

Power's Defense

Will Power is attempting to become the first driver to successfully defend a title since Dario Franchitti's three-year title run from 2009 to 2011. In each of those seasons Power was championship runner-up to Franchitti. 

In 2023, Power is coming off his best season in terms of average finish at 5.9412 last season. He matched his single-season best nine podium finishes in 2022 and he also won five pole positions, the eighth time in his 18-season career he has won at least five pole positions in a season. His 335 laps led, the seventh time he has led at least 300 laps in a season. 

Power's 2022 championship was Team Penske's fifth title in nine seasons. In the previous four championship defenses, all four drivers finished in the top five of the championship the following season. Power dropped to third in 2015 after his 2014 title. Simon Pagenaud went from first in 2016 to second in 2017. Josef Newgarden won the title in 2017 but dropped to fifth in 2018. Newgarden then picked up his second title in 2019 and was second in 2020. 

In three of those four title defenses, the defending champion won fewer races in the following season. Power went from two to one, Pagenaud from five to two and Newgarden went from four in 2017 to three in 2018. The exception would be Newgarden from 2019 to 2020. The Tennessean won three times in 2019 but responded with four victories in 2020.

Outside of the Penske champions, every defending champion since reunification has finished inside the top ten of the championship in the following season and 11 of 14 champions have finished in the top five of the championship the following season. Power has finished in the championship top ten in 13 consecutive seasons and he has been in the championship top five in 12 of those seasons. Power's worst championship finish during that 13-year span was ninth. 

There has not been a winless defending champion since Scott Dixon in 2004. Power enters this season with a race victory in 16 consecutive seasons, currently the second longest streak in IndyCar history, only trailing Scott Dixon's active streak of 18 consecutive seasons. Power is currently tied with Mario Andretti and Hélio Castroneves for third most seasons with a victory, each having won in 16 seasons. Dixon leads all drivers with 20 seasons and A.J. Foyt is second with 18 seasons with a victory. Power starts this season on 94 podium finishes, six away from becoming the fifth driver in IndyCar history to reach 100 podium finishes in a career. 

Last year, Power completed all 2,268 laps. It was only the second time in his career he had been running at the finish of every race in a season. The other time was his 2014 championship season. The most recent Team Penske driver to successfully defend a championship was Gil de Ferran in 2000 and 2001. The only other time a Team Penske driver won consecutive championships was Rick Mears in 1981 and 1982. 

If Power were to win his third championship in 2023, he would tie Mears for most IndyCar championships for a Team Penske driver.

Changes of Scenery

There have been plenty of changes on the IndyCar grid this season. We already know about Kyle Kirkwood's move to Andretti Autosport. In Kirkwood's place, Santino Ferrucci returns to full-time IndyCar competition to drive the #14 Chevrolet for A.J. Foyt Racing. This will be Ferrucci's five different team in six IndyCar seasons. He drove for three different teams in 2022 alone. His last two starts have come for Chevrolet teams after his first 41 starts and his first two full seasons were driving for Honda teams. 

Not everything will be new for Ferrucci at A.J. Foyt Racing. He will reunite with Michael Cannon as his race engineer. Cannon and Ferrucci worked together at Dale Coyne Racing in the 2019 season before Cannon moved to Chip Ganassi Racing ahead of 2020. 

Alexander Rossi left Andretti Autosport to join Arrow McLaren, taking over the #7 Chevrolet as Felix Rosenqvist moves to the #6 McLaren Chevrolet with McLaren becoming a three-car outfit. Rosenqvist and Rossi were eighth and ninth in the championship respectively with the Swede 12 points ahead of the American. Rosenqvist gained 13 positions in the championship from 2021 to 2022 while Rossi has finished in the championship top ten in six consecutive seasons. This will be the first time Rossi has driven for a Chevrolet team in his IndyCar career. 

With Rossi joining McLaren, personnel will shift around as well. Craig Hampson will be Rossi's engineer while Brian Barnhart also moves to McLaren from Andretti and Barnhart will be Rossi's strategist. Chris Lawrence will become Rosenqvist's engineer while Billy Vincent will remain as Rosenqvist's strategist.

Another pair of drivers that have flipped seats are Jack Harvey and Christian Lundgaard. Harvey will move to the #30 Honda for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing while Lundgaard takes over the #45 HyVee Honda. Lundgaard was 14th in the championship last year, claiming Rookie of the Year in the process, but he was eight positions ahead of Harvey in the championship. Twenty-second in the championship was Harvey's worst championship result in a full season. 

Also changing within the Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing camp are engineers. Eddie Jones will return to Graham Rahal's pit stand. Jones and Rahal won five races together from 2015 to 2017. Allen McDonald will become Harvey's engineer while Lundgaard will keep Ben Siegel on his car. 

Takuma Sato is stepping into a new role in his IndyCar career. Sato will drive the #11 Chip Ganassi Racing Honda at the five oval events this season, bringing an end to a full-time IndyCar career that dates back to the 2010 season. Last season, Sato drove for Dale Coyne Racing. Ganassi will be the sixth different team Sato has driven for in IndyCar competition and the third different team in the last three seasons. 

Sato isn't the only person moving from Coyne to Ganassi for 2023. Ross Bunnell will become Scott Dixon's race engineer after being David Malukas' engineer on the #18 Honda. Alex Athanasiadis will become Malukas' engineer for the 2023 season.

Class of 2023

There are four rookies entered for the 2023 season, including one that will be sharing the #11 Ganassi Honda with Sato. 

Marcus Armstrong will drive the #11 Honda in the 12 road/street course races this season. Armstrong moves to IndyCar after spending three consecutive seasons in Formula Two. He won four races in the Formula One development series. He was also second in the 2019 Formula Three championship. Armstrong could become the first Rookie of the Year for Chip Ganassi Racing since Juan Pablo Montoya in 1999. 

The other three rookies will be aiming to run the full season. 

Sting Ray Robb was second in the Indy Lights championship last year and won one race at Laguna Seca. This year Robb moves to Dale Coyne Racing in the #51 Honda, which Takuma Sato previously occupied. Robb is the first Idahoan to enter an IndyCar race since Davey Hamilton in 2011. Hamilton was ninth in his rookie season, the inaugural Indy Racing League season in 1996. Dale Coyne Racing's most recent Rookie of the Year winner was Alex Lloyd in 2010.

Benjamin Pedersen was fifth in Indy Lights last year. Pedersen also only won once in 2022, and now the Danish-American will take over the #55 A.J. Foyt Racing Chevrolet from Dalton Kellett. Pedersen will be the fourth Rookie of the Year contender for A.J. Foyt Racing in the last six seasons. None of those previous three Foyt rookies finished better than 18th in the championship with Matheus Leist being the best of the newcomers. A.J. Foyt Racing has never produced a Rookie of the Year winner. 

Agustín Canapino joins IndyCar in the #78 Juncos Hollinger Racing Chevrolet. Canapino comes to IndyCar after spending over a decade racing in Turismo Carretera and Súper TC2000 in his native Argentina. He is a four-time Turismo Carretera champion and a two-time Súper TC2000 champion. Canapino will be the first Argentine driver to contest for Rookie of the Year since Juan Fangio II ran the 1996 CART season for All American Racers. Canapino could become the ninth Argentine to start an IndyCar race.

The last eight IndyCar Rookies of the Year have represented eight different nationalities, including three of which that are represented in the 2023 rookie class, the United States, New Zealand and Denmark. The most recent South American Rookie of the Year was Gabby Chaves in 2015. If Pedersen were to take top rookie honors, it would be the first time a country had produced consecutive Rookies of the Year since Colombia won it in 2014 and 2015 with Carlos Muñoz and Chaves respectively. 

Only three of the Rookies of the Year in the DW12 era have finished in the top ten of the championship. Those drivers would be Simon Pagenaud in 2012 (fifth), Carlos Muñoz in 2014 (eighth) and Felix Rosenqvist in 2019 (sixth). The average championship finish for Rookies of the Year since 2012 is 12th. 

Only three rookies have won a race since 2012. Carlos Huertas won the first Houston race in 2014. Alexander Rossi did it in 2016 in the Indianapolis 500, and Colton Herta won twice as a rookie in 2019 at Austin and Laguna Seca. 

A Few Rule Changes

As with almost every new season, there have been a few tweaks to the rulebook and we will see them first hand this weekend.

IndyCar and Firestone will be experimenting with a new tire compound allocation for St. Petersburg and Long Beach. Each team will be receiving a second set of the alternate tire compound for available for the practice sessions in hopes of increasing participation in the two sessions. Teams will be allowed to the alternate compound in either session. A set of the alternate tire will still need to be returned prior to qualifying, but starting this season the teams will also have return a primary set of the tire compound as well.

At all street course events, Firestone's alternate tire will be the green sidewall tires made of sustainable guayule rubber. These tires debuted last year at the Nashville round. 

Qualifying will see a few timing changes. In 2023, timing for each qualifying session will not begin until the first car on track has crossed the alternate start/finish to begin a lap. In previous seasons, a session would begin once the cars were allow to leave pit lane and start their warm-up laps. This change was made in hopes of giving teams more time to create gaps on-track for their qualifying laps while also allowing teams at the further end of pit lane additional time to get their laps in. 

Time management for red flags in qualifying has also been adjusted. The clock will stop for the first red flag in each knockout round. Any additional red flags in a round will not see the clock stop. 

IndyCar has introduced a new rain vanes that will sit on the front suspension access panel in hopes of directing as much water as possible away from the aero screen after drivers had visibility complaints last season. A larger LED rain light will also be at the rear of the car this season. 

A new headrest has been developed to increase cushioning for a driver in the event of an accident, and teams will be allowed to use their short-oval barge boards on road and street courses this season.

Road to Indy

Along with the opening round of the 2023 NTT IndyCar Series season, St. Petersburg opens the season for all three to Road to Indy series. 

Nineteen cars are entered for the Indy Lights season opener, the largest field in the series since 19 cars started the 2012 Freedom 100 from Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Andretti Autosport will field the top returning driver from the 2022 championship, Hunter McElrea, and the 2022 Indy Pro 2000 champion, Louis Foster. McElrea was fourth in the championship last year with two victories and seven podium finishes from 14 races. Foster took the Indy Pro 2000 championship with seven victories, 11 podium finishes and 13 top five finishes from 18 races. 

Along with McElrea and Foster, Jamie Chadwick and James Roe, Jr. will round out the four-car Andretti lineup. Chadwick won three consecutive W Series championships. Roe, Jr. was 12th in Indy Lights starting only 11 races with his best finish being seventh. 

HMD Motorsports will field nine cars this Indy Lights season, six of which are in partnership with Dale Coyne Racing and one with Force Indy. Christian Rasmussen moves from Andretti Autosport to HMD while Christian Bogle and Danial Frost each return. Nolan Siegel and Josh Green each move up from Indy Pro 2000 after finishing fourth and sixth receptively in that championship. 

Rasmus Lindh returns to Indy Lights driving full-time for HMD. Lindh was runner-up in the 2019 Indy Pro 2000 championship behind Kyle Kirkwood, and he started six Indy Lights races with Juncos Racing in 2021. The Swedish driver has been competing primarily in IMSA's LMP3 competition. Josh Pierson will run some Indy Lights races this season while also competing in IMSA and the FIA World Endurance Championship. Kyffin Simpson will be in another HMD car while Ernie Francis, Jr. returns for a second season driving the car in partnership with Force Indy. 

Juncos Hollinger Racing will field two cars this season. Reece Gold moves up after finishing second in the Indy Pro 2000 championship last year. Matteo Nannini did not compete last season. He was 14th in the 2021 Formula Three championship and won a race at Budapest. Abel Motorsports expands to two cars, keeping Jacob Abel while adding Colin Kaminsky. Cape Motorsports joins Indy Lights and it brings Jagger Jones up from U.S. F2000 and Enaam Ahmed up from Indy Pro 2000. Jones was fourth in U.S. F2000 championship while Ahmed was third in Indy Pro 2000. 

Indy Lights will race at 10:00 a.m. ET on Sunday March 5.

USF Pro 2000 will feature the top three drivers from the 2022 U.S. F2000 championship moving up a division. 

The reigning U.S. F2000 champion Michael d'Orlando will drive for Turn 3 Motorsport alongside Jonathan Browne, who returns for a second season, and Jackson Lee, who drove in U.S. F2000 the previous two seasons. 

Myles Rowe and Jace Denmark will continue to be teammates and continue to drive for Pabst Racing. They will have a third teammate in Jordan Missing, who was 11th in the Indy Pro 2000 championship last year. 

Salvador de Alba is the top returning driver in the championship. De Alba was fifth in the championship last year and he will move to Exclusive Autosport to drive alongside Yuven Sundaramoorthy, Joel Granfors and Lindsay Brewer. Kiko Porto continues at DEForce Racing with Bijoy Garg as his teammate. 

Jay Howard Driver Development is back with a two-car team. Reece Ushijima joins the team after the American spent the 2022 season in Formula Three where he was 20th in the championship, but he finished third in the Silverstone sprint race. His teammate will be Ricardo Escotto.

TJ Speed Motorsports enters USF Pro 2000 with three cars. Christian Weir moves up from U.S. F2000 while Lirmi Zendeli moves over from Formula Two, and Francesco Pizzi moves over from Formula Three.

Jack William Miller is back for his third season in this series and Nicholas Monteiro moves up from the Formula 4 Brazilian Championship. 

USF Pro 2000 will race at 11:15 a.m. ET on Saturday March 4 and at 3:00 p.m. ET on Sunday March 5.

U.S. F2000 will look different this year as Cape Motorsports is not competing as it focuses on its Indy Lights program. Cape Motorsports drivers have won ten of 13 championships since U.S. F2000 returned in 2010. 

DEForce Racing won the 2021 championship with Kiko Porto, and it will field 2022 USF Juniors champion Mac Clark. Clark won the penultimate race of the 2022 U.S. F2000 season stepping up for the final round. Clark's teammates will be Jorge Garciarce, who was 13th in this championship last year, and Maxwell Jamieson. 

Jay Howard Driver Development will field four cars for Evagoras Papasavvas, Al Morey, Lochie Hughes and Louka St. Jean. Velocity Racing Development will field five cars, including a car for Nikita Johnson, who was on the podium in second of the first Portland race last year. Sam Corry, Danny Dyszelski, Gordon Scully and Noah Ping will round out the Velocity lineup. 

Jacob Douglas is back with Exclusive Autosport. Douglas had three top five finishes last season. Joey Brienza and Avery Towns will be his teammates this season. Elliot Cox will drive for Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing Development and Future Star Racing will field two cars for Andre Castro and Trey Burke.

The first race of the U.S. F2000 season will be at 3:45 p.m. ET on Saturday March 4 and the second race will be at 8:00 a.m. ET on Sunday March 5.

Fast Facts

This will be the third IndyCar race to take place on March 5 and the first since Jacques Villeneuve won on the streets of Miami in 1995. 

The only other March 5 IndyCar race was on March 5, 1922 at Los Angeles Motor Speedway. Tommy Milton won the 250-mile race on the 1.25-mile board oval. 

Scott McLaughlin could become the fifth driver to win consecutive St. Petersburg races joining Hélio Castroneves (2006-07), Juan Pablo Montoya (2015-16), Sébastien Bourdais (2017-18), and Josef Newgarden (2019-20).

The last two seasons have seen the season opener winner be a first time IndyCar race winner. 

Chevrolet has won eight of 11 St. Petersburg races since the start of the DW12 era in 2012.

Since reunification, 14 of 15 champions have finished in the top ten of the first race of the season. Nine of those 14 drivers were on the podium in the opening race and 11 of 14 finished in the top five.

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 Autosport 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.

The average starting position for a St. Petersburg winner is 5.3157 with a median of fourth. 

The last two St. Petersburg races have been won from pole position after only two of the first 17 St. Petersburg races were won from pole position. 

Fourth starting position has produced the most St. Petersburg winners. Five times has the St. Petersburg winner started fourth, including in four consecutive years from 2013 to 2016.

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

The average number of lead changes in a St. Petersburg race is 6.47368 with a median of seven. 

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

The average number of cautions in a St. Petersburg race is 4.1052 with a median of five. The average number of caution laps is 18.1052 with a median of 16.

Last year's St. Petersburg had a record-low one caution for a record-low eight caution laps.

Predictions

Josef Newgarden gets his third St. Petersburg victory in four seasons, and two Penske drivers will be standing on the podium. Kyle Kirkwood will get his career best finish. Alexander Rossi will be the best McLaren finisher. Marcus Armstrong will be the top rookie finisher by at least four positions, but Armstrong will not be the top New Zealander. There will at least be nine positions between the Ed Carpenter Racing drivers. At least two caution periods will occur, and an incident will occur in turn ten. Sleeper: David Malukas.

2023 Road to Indy Preview

Technically, the Road to Indy no longer exists, but without any other title for the ladder series to IndyCar, the nomenclature will remain. As in most years, IndyCar's opening weekend is the Road to Indy's opening weekend. All three series will be at St. Petersburg, but in this new age for the ladder system, the series will not always be together. Things are a little more fractured, something we haven't really seen in over a decade. 

For the moment, everyone is still officially together, and a few dozen drivers are on their way to IndyCar. Some drivers have moved up. Some drivers have moved over. Some drivers are back. Two-thirds of the series have new names, but Indy Lights will still be referenced as Indy Lights until the second series at least gets a more respectable name. 

Indy Lights

The season opens at St. Petersburg on March 5, but the series will have almost two months off before round two, which will be at Barber on April 30. Two weeks late, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course will host the series on May 13. The first of two doubleheader weekends will take place on the streets of Detroit over the weekend of June 3-4.

Road America on June 18 and Mid-Ohio on July 2 will close out the first half of the season. Iowa will be held on July 22, the first of two oval races. Nashville plays host on August 6 before Indy Lights returns to the IMS road course five days later. The final oval round will be Gateway on August 26. Portland hosts the penultimate round on September 3 before the Laguna Seca doubleheader closes out the season on September 9-10.

Teams:

Andretti Autosport

Louis Foster: #26 Copart/USF Pro Championship Scholarship Dallara

What did he do in 2022: Foster won the Indy Pro 2000 championship with seven victories, 12 podium finishes and 14 top five finishes in 18 races, ending with 451 points. 

What to expect in 2023: Foster drove a smart 2022 season in Indy Pro 2000. He grew into the season and became the man to beat. He could do the same this season. If he keeps up the consistency, he could make a run for the championship, but this grid is tougher than last season, and he has a teammate who will not be a push over. Foster should win a few races and be competing for the top five in the championship. 

Hunter McElrea: #27 Smart Motors Dallara

What did he do in 2022: Finished fourth in the 2022 Indy Lights championship with 460 points, the top rookie, with two victories, seven podium finishes and nine top five finishes. 

What to expect in 2023: McElrea is one of the early championship favorites. He was in the top five of both Homestead tests in January and earlier this week. He came to grips with the car and improved as 2022 went on. He should be starting 2023 vastly more comfortable than much of the competition. McElrea should win more races. He should at least improve on fourth in the championship. This isn't title or bust, but if he is fourth again it will be a disappointment. 

Jamie Chadwick: #28 DHL Dallara

What did she do in 2022: Chadwick won her third consecutive W Series championship with five victories in seven races, including three from pole position. 

What to expect in 2023: This will be a challenging season for Chadwick. Her Homestead testing results had her 15th in January and 13th earlier this week. She did have some good tests at Sebring. This is a tougher car to drive than what she has been in the last few years. She should improve as the season goes on, but top ten in the championship would be a brilliant season.

James Roe, Jr.: #29 Topcon Dallara

What did he do in 2022: Roe was 12th in the Indy Lights championship, participating in only 11 of 14 races with his best finish being seventh. 

What to expect in 2023: Roe never really showed any great pace last year. In testing, he was third at Homestead earlier this week, but last month he was 15th out of 18 cars. I am not sure what Roe we will see. He is in a good team, but he is arguably the team's fourth best driver. Andretti Autosport alone should bump up his results, but I expect him to be all over the board and in some fight just to make the top ten.

HMD Motorsports with Dale Coyne Racing

Josh Green: #3 Zimperium Dallara

What did he do in 2022: Green won the Indy Pro 2000 season opener at St. Petersburg, but he had only four total podium finishes and was sixth in the championship on 298 points. 

What to expect in 2023: There are nine HMD drivers this season. Green was good in the January Homestead test ending up ninth, but he was slowest in the Homestead test earlier this week. Green will be fighting to crack the top ten in the championship. 

Christian Rasmussen: #6 Valeo/Archer Law Firm Dallara

What did he do in 2022: Rasmussen was sixth in the Indy Lights championship with 440 points with two victories, five podium finishes and eight top five finishes.

What to expect in 2023: Sixth in the championship was a little harsh for Rasmussen considering he probably should have won the season opener in 2022 only to run out of fuel. He got in a few accidents. He was third in the January Homestead test, but 11th in the test earlier this week. At his best, Rasmussen could push for the championship, but he has to minimize those mistakes. Anything less than the top HMD driver will not be acceptable.

Christian Bogle: #7 Pelican Energy Consultants Dallara

What did he do in 2022: Bogle's best finish in Indy Lights was fourth at Belle Isle, but he finished 11th in the championship on 298 points with that lone top five finish. 

What to expect in 2023: This will be Bogle's third season in Indy Lights. In two U.S. F2000 seasons, he never finished better than sixth. He was 11th in the Indy Lights championship in each of his first two seasons. He doesn't really match well to the rest of this grid. He will be at the back, likely worse than 11th in the championship.

Rasmus Lindh: #10 GarageXYZ Dallara

What did he do in 2022: Lindh started four IMSA races in the LMP3 class after running a full season in 2021 while also competing in the IMSA Prototype Challenge series.

What to expect in 2023: At the end of 2019, Lindh looked poised to be in IndyCar in no-time. He was set with an Indy Lights ride for 2020, but then that season was cancelled due to the pandemic, and Lindh's career was re-routed. He has done well in LMP3 competition. He was in the top ten of both Homestead tests. This season is considerably more difficult than the Indy Lights season Lindh was set for in 2020. He could sneak into the top five of the championship and find a way to win a race or two. 

Nolan Siegel: #39 Menlo Ventures Dallara

What did he do in 2022: Siegel was fourth in the Indy Pro 2000 championship on 333 points after winning two races and standing on the podium six times with nine top five finishes. He also started the Indy Lights season finale at Laguna Seca, where he finished tenth and ninth in the two races. 

What to expect in 2023: Testing sent mixed messages. Siegel was sixth in the January Homestead test, but 18th earlier this week and slower than he ran in January. This is where being one of nine HMD-associated drivers is a bad thing. He should pull out some good races but other times he might be the bottom of the barrel.

Danial Frost: #68 DenJet Dallara

What did he do in 2022: Frost won on the IMS road course, but his five top five finishes only earned him seventh in the championship on 382 points. 

What to expect in 2023: Last season was a plateau for Frost. He won but he didn't make any gains. With the grid getting tougher in Indy Lights, I don't see Frost exceeding seventh. It would be something if he got back to seventh. He could still be in the top ten of the championship, but he could be lost in the clutter of HMD drivers.

HMD Motorsports

Josh Pierson: #14 Open Context Dallara

What did he do in 2022: Pierson was third in the FIA World Endurance Championship Endurance Trophy for LMP2 Drivers while winning on debut at Sebring. He was also sixth in IMSA's LMP2 class and he was sixth in class at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, where he became the youngest starter at 16 years and 119 days old. 

What to expect in 2023: We aren't quite sure how many races Pierson will do, as he will still have WEC and other sports car racing responsibilities. Pierson did two seasons in U.S. F2000 and was fourth in the 2021 championship. This is a change from an LMP2 car. He is an Ed Carpenter Racing development driver. The results don't carry that much weight. He is only 17 years old. When he commits to a full Indy Lights season then the results will matter.

Kyffin Simpson: #21 Ridgeline/American Legion Dallara

What did he do in 2022: With two top five finishes, Simpson was ninth in the Indy Lights championship on 312 points. He spent the first eight races with TJ Speed Motorsports and the final six races with HMD Motorsports.

What to expect in 2023: Simpson was eighth and seventh in the January Homestead and last week's Homestead test respectively. Last year was underwhelming, and considering his best results were with TJ Speed, it makes 2022 look worse. I don't see a championship driver, at least not in 2023. I am not sure he can win a race. If 2023 is identical to 2022, no one should be surprised. 

HMD Motorsports with Force Indy

Ernie Francis, Jr.: #99 James Schnabel Dallara

What did he do in 2022: Francis, Jr. was tenth in the Indy Lights championship on 299 points with his best finish being seventh in the St. Petersburg season opener. 

What to expect in 2023: With the grid getting deeper, I doubt Francis, Jr. will get back into the top ten of the championship. He is still relatively new to single-seater racing. This is year two in Indy Lights. There should be some improvement and he should be more competitive, but the competition has only increased. Improvement does not mean he will see better results.

Abel Motorsport

Jacob Abel: #51 Abel Construction Dallara

What did he do in 2022: Abel was eighth in the Indy Lights championship with five top five finishes, scoring 355 points.

What to expect in 2023: Performing slightly better than expected, Abel lifted expectations for himself. However, this grid has gotten tougher than 2022. Abel does have the advantage of time with this car and he knows the circuits. If he was eighth in the championship again that would be a respectable achievement. 

Colin Kaminsky: #57 Slick Locks Dallara

What did he do in 2022: Only starting ten of 18 Indy Pro 2000 races left Kaminsky 14th in the championship, but he did score three podium finishes. 

What to expect in 2023: Kaminsky will be toward the back of the field, but not without some good efforts. He just needs time to develop. The results should not stop him from getting a second season in 2024. A second season would got a long way.

Cape Motorsports

Enaam Ahmed: #47 Cape Motorsports Dallara

What did he do in 2022: Ahmed did not win in Indy Pro 2000, but he had five podium finishes and 13 top five finishes and would earn him third in the championship with 338 points. 

What to expect in 2023: Ahmed was a late addition to the Indy Lights grid, but he was fastest in the January Homestead test and he was fifth at Homestead earlier this week. Ahmed's best quality is he can bring the car home and not tear up equipment, but he was missing that last bit of magic to win races and be a force. He should at least continue his good form. If he is at the front, he will have a shot at victories, but he needs to find that extra boost if he wants to be a contender for more.

Jagger Jones: #98 TotalSim US/SimCrat/APEX Motor Club/Cape Brothers Speed Shop Dallara

What did he do in 2022: Jones was fourth in the U.S. F2000 championship with one victory and five podium finishes. 

What to expect in 2023: Jones is taking the big leap from U.S. F2000 to Indy Lights. The only other notable driver to do that was RC Enerson, and Enerson did quite well in Indy Lights. I don't think Jones is going to be competing at the front immediately. He should at least be a midfield driver and improve over the course of the season. This should at least be a two-year program. 

Juncos Hollinger Racing

Reece Gold: #75 Ticket Clinic Dallara

What did he do in 2022: Gold won four races in Indy Pro 2000, but his seven podium finishes and 11 top five finishes could only earn Gold silver, runner-up in the championship on 390 points. 

What to expect in 2023: Gold had fantastic testing results, second at Homestead in January and then fourth earlier this weekend. He was quite consistent over his two seasons in Indy Pro 2000. If he repeats that form, he could challenge for the top five in the championship. If he can pull out a few victories, it could be enough to win the championship.

Matteo Nannini: #76 Juncos Hollinger Racing Dallara

What did he do in 2022: Nothing. Nannini did not compete in 2022. In 2021, he was 14th in the Formula Three championship with one victory and two podium finishes. He also started eight Formula Two races and his best finish was tenth in the Bahrain feature race.

What to expect in 2023: Nannini surprisingly topped the Homestead test at the start of the week. In January, he was fourth in the Homestead test. He could be ready for a breakout season, but all the circuits will be new. He improved on his second visit to Homestead, but the only track he will visit twice is the IMS road course. A few race victories and a championship challenge is not out of the question, but there will be a few weekends where Nannini is behind the eight-ball and fighting from behind.

USF Pro 2000

The season begins with a St. Petersburg doubleheader over March 4-5. The first of two standalone weekends will be over March 25-26 at Sebring, the first time the series has visited the track since 2010. USF Pro 2000 will be back together on the IMS road course May 12-13 before running at Indianapolis Raceway Park on May 27. Road America marks the halfway point with a doubleheader over June 17-18. 

A doubleheader will occur at Mid-Ohio on July 1-2 and another will be on July 15-16. Austin will host the penultimate round of the season, a doubleheader over August 26-27, its first visit to the Texas capital since 2013. Portland will host the final round, ending with a triple-header spread over September 2-3.

Teams:

Exclusive Autosport

Yuven Sundaramoorthy: #90 S Team Motorsports Tatuus

What did he do in 2022: Sundaramoorthy had three podium finishes in Indy Pro 2000, but those were his only top five finishes of the season, and he was tenth in the championship on 244 points.

What to expect in 2023: Sundaramoorthy had a slow start in U.S. F2000 and in his third year it clicked. He spent those three seasons and last year in Indy Pro 2000 with Pabst Racing. He is now with Exclusive Autosport. A change of scenery could be a good thing, but I think Sundaramoorthy will be around where he was last year. It would not be surprising if he fell outside the top ten of the championship.

Salvador de Alba: #91 Archandel/Red Cola/Z MotorsTatuus

What did he do in 2022: De Alba was eighth in Indy Pro 2000 on 289 points with two victories, four podium finishes and six top five finishes.

What to expect in 2023: De Alba was the overachiever of the 2022 season. I think he can win a race or two, but end up around where he was last season. It is going to be tough to crack the top five in the championship, and it just feels like the depth will keep him from being a title fighter. He should be the top Exclusive driver in the championship.

Joel Granfors: #92 Corpay Cross-Border Tatuus

What did he do in 2022: Granfors was second in the GB3 Championship with two victories and 11 podium finishes in 24 races. 

What to expect in 2023: This is a big jump for Granfors. The GB3 Championship is effective a suped-up Formula 4 car. These will be new circuits. He should be outside the top ten in the championship.

Lindsay Brewer: #93 C4 Smart Energy/Biocide Systems/Autoshocker Tatuus

What did she do in 2022: Brewer competed in 11 of 18 Indy Pro 2000 races with her best finish being eighth. She was 15th in the championship.

What to expect in 2023: Brewer had a few good days in her partial season in 2022. I don't see much of a change in 2023. She will crack the top ten a few times but wind up in the back half of the championship.

Jay Howard Driver Development

Ricardo Escotto: #4 JHDD/CSU One Cure/Lucas Oil Products/LHP Tatuus

What did he do in 2022: Escotto was 22nd in the F4 Spanish Championship with his best finish being ninth. He was also 25th in the F4 UAE Championship.

What to expect in 2023: Testing looked good for a driver that was not that spectacular in Formula 4. It is tough to imagine he will be in the championship top ten. A handful of top ten finishes could be a good season for Escotto. He is driving with a respectable team. That will help him.

Reece Ushijima: #6 Susquehanna Tatuus

What did he do in 2022: Ushijima was 20th in the Formula Three championship with one podium finishes and five total points finishes.

What to expect in 2023: Ushijima did ok competing in Europe. He was fourth in the 2021 GB3 Championship. He was did score points in Formula Three. That isn't easy. He improved over each session at the Sebring test earlier this week. Ushijima is learning most of these circuits, as he mostly developed in Japan and Europe. You would think he should be a shoe-in for the championship top ten and perhaps a sleeper for the title. I am not sure that is the case. I do think he will have at least a few top five finishes.

DEForce Racing

Bijoy Garg: #7 DEForce Racing Tatuus

What did he do in 2022: Garg was ninth in the U.S. F2000 championship on 203 points despite not running the final three races. He had two podium finishes. Garg did run the final four Indy Pro 2000 races, where he finished tenth in three of those races.

What to expect in 2023: Garg did surprisingly well last year, and his U.S. F2000 championship finish would have been better if he had run the final three races. He got a taste of this series last year, but I think this will be a learning year and he will be in the back half of the top ten of the championship with a chance he is just outside the top ten, but there will be three or four notable days.

Kiko Porto: #12 Banco Daycoval/Petromega Tatuus

What did he do in 2022: Porto won one race, had three podium finishes and six top five finishes to earn seventh in the championship on 290 points.

What to expect in 2023: Porto had a tough first season in USF Pro 2000, but he should move forward in 2023. This championship has regenerated talent. A lot of good drivers left for Indy Lights, but the talent that has entered is equally as good. I don't think Porto is going to have his way, but he should still be competing for top five in the championship. A title isn't out of the question either.

Pabst Racing

Jordan Missig: #19 Racing For Mental Health/AMV Ventures Tatuus

What did he do in 2022: Missig was 11th in the Indy Pro 2000 championship on 199 points with his best finish being sixth.

What to expect in 2023: Missig took a good stride forward in preseason testing. Things looked better toward the end of 2022. I am not sure he can be a constant top five presence, but he should pick off at least a few top five finishes and maybe find three or four positions in the championship.

Jace Denmark: #20 Metal Works Custom Fabrication Tatuus

What did he do in 2022: Denmark was third in the U.S. F2000 championship with four victories, seven podium finishes and 11 top five finishes, leaving him with 363 points.

What to expect in 2023: Denmark was a quiet championship contender in U.S. F2000 last year. I almost expect the same thing to happen in USF Pro 2000 this year. He will have some strong days, but we will not see him dominate and win four or five consecutive races. He will build his season with top five runs and podium finishes while minimizing poor days.

Myles Rowe: #99 Penske Entertainment Tatuus

What did he do in 2022: Rowe was runner-up in the U.S. F2000 championship on 381 points, winning a series-leading five races, standing the podium ten times with 13 top five finishes.

What to expect in 2023: Rowe topped the USF Pro 2000 test held at Sebring earlier this week. Rowe had a big breakthrough last season, and it was crushing he didn't win the U.S. F2000 championship, where he was arguably the best driver in 2022. Accidents cost Rowe the title, and he has a way of getting into them while in strong positions. If he cleans it up, he could easily be USF Pro 2000 champion. Rowe should be competitive and win a few races, but I think there will still be a handful of results where he throws it away and it makes his season more difficult. 

Turn 3 Motorsport

Michael d'Orlando: #1 Focused Project Management Tatuus

What did he do in 2022: D'Orlando won the U.S. F2000 championship on 387 points with four victories, eight podium finishes and 14 top five finishes. 

What to expect in 2023: D'Orlando won the U.S. F2000 championship by not making mistakes. He didn't have many accidents and could bring a car home in the top five. He was in the top five of the U.S. F2000 championship in three consecutive seasons. Each of those three seasons basically look the same. Regular top five finisher, and that will get you victories and podium finishes. I almost expect to see the same in this series and at worst he will be fifth in the championship, at best he has another title and will be onto Indy Lights.

Jonathan Browne: #2 Human Centred Movement/CRPS Awareness Tatuus

What did he do in 2022: Browne was 12th in the Indy Pro 2000 championship on 187 points with one top five finish. 

What to expect in 2023: Testing didn't look much different from 2022. Browne could find his way into the top five more, but could still be just outside the top ten in the championship.

Christian Brooks: #3 OFTV Tatuus

What did he do in 2022: Brooks was entered for the 2022 Indy Pro 2000 season with Exclusive Autosport, but an accident in qualifying ahead of the St. Petersburg season opener ended his season. 

What to expect in 2023: We aren't sure. Brooks tested at Sebring and was tenth in testing, but Brooks has not announced any plans for this season. He had a promising few seasons in U.S. F2000 and looked ready for something special in 2022. 

Jackson Lee: #47 IU Simon Cancer Center/Browning Chapman/Prime 47 Tatuus

What did he do in 2022: Lee ran 13 U.S. F2000 races with his best finish being seventh. He was 15th in the championship.

What to expect in 2023: In 27 U.S. F2000 starts, Lee had four top ten finishes. I don't think it gets much better in USF Pro 2000. He will be battling Browne for who is better among the Turn 3 Motorsport drivers.

Miller Vinatieri Motorsport

Jack William Miller: #40 Patterson Dental/Blue Marble Productions Tatuus

What did he do in 2022: Miler had two podium finishes and six top five finishes in Indy Pro 2000 on his way to finishing ninth on 251 points.

What to expect in 2023: With the talent that has entered this series, Miller should take a step back. Expect fewer podium finishes, fewer top five finishes and Miller sliding back in the championship. 

TJ Speed Motorsports

Lirim Zendeli: #10 Vexavit/Ajdini Spedition Tatuus

What did he do in 2022: Zendeli competed in the Formula Three round at Barcelona, where he finished 20th and 15th, and the Formula Two round at Spa-Francorchamps, where he finished 20th and 21st. In 2021, he was 17th in the Formula Two championship with his best finish being seventh.

What to expect in 2023: TJ Speed is bringing over a few European drivers and Zendeli was seventh in the Sebring test. We haven't seen many drivers with Formula Two experience come to USF Pro 2000. Zendeli is a championship sleeper. Every track will be new, but he should have no issues with the car. It will not be surprising if he wins races this season. 

Christian Weir: #32 EComfort.com/Ferguson/ProFlow Tatuus

What did he do in 2022: Weir was eighth in the U.S. F2000 championship with 229 points. He stood on the podium twice and he had four top five finishes. 

What to expect in 2023: Weir looked good last season. He has flashes, but hasn't shown breathtaking pace. He left some room for improvement in testing. He should have a few top ten finishes and it should have him clawing for a top ten championship finish.

Francesco Pizzi: #55 Villa Mercede/Shaka Spirit/Roscioli Hotels Tatuus

What did he do in 2022: Pizzi was 27th in the Formula Three championship with one point scored at Imola. He stared 2023 winning the LMP2 class in the 24 Hours of Daytona with Proton Competition.

What to expect in 2023: Like Zendeli, Pizzi is coming from Europe, and he had a good start in Formula 4, but his Formula Regional European and Formula Three results are not anything to brag about. However, Pizzi was eighth in testing, right on Zendeli's heels. I feel less confident in Pizzi's success than Zendeli's. This season could see Pizzi be a stunning champion or he has a few brilliant results and then about nine races full of mistakes that knock him down the championship.

NeoTech Motorsport

Nicholas Monteiro: #81 Unique/Caye International Bank/Collection Suites Tatuus

What did he do in 2022: Monteiro was eighth in the F4 Brazilian championship. 

What to expect in 2023: This is a massive leap for Monteiro. It will be a rough season. 

U.S. F2000

The U.S. F2000 schedule almost exactly mirrors the USF Pro 2000 schedule. It starts with doubleheaders at St. Petersburg and Sebring. The IMS road course round will be a triple-header for U.S. F2000. There will be one race at Indianapolis Raceway Park and a doubleheader at Road America. 

Mid-Ohio will be a triple-header before a doubleheader in Toronto and the season will conclude with U.S. F2000's third triple-header in Portland. 

Teams:

Jay Howard Driver Development

Evagoras Papasavvas: #6 BodyWise/Tiger Natural Gas/Ares Elite Tatuus

What did he do in 2022: Papasavvass participated in the final ten races of the U.S. F2000 season. His best finish was 11th and he ended up 23rd in the championship. 

What to expect in 2023: Last year was Papasavvas' first in car racing. It was a good start. Results should get better. He should at least get a few top ten finishes and perhaps a few top five results.

Al Morey: #7 JHDD/CSU One Cure/Lucas Oil Products/LHP Tatuus

What did he do in 2022: Morey started 12 of 18 Formula 4 United States Championship races with his best finish being ninth.

What to expect in 2023: This is a big jump from Formula 4. I don't think he will be a front-runner immediately, but he could develop into one as the season progresses.

Lochie Hughes: #8 JHDD/CSU One Cure/Lucas Oil Products/LHP Tatuus

What did he do in 2022: Hughes won the Formula 4 United States Championship with six victories and ten podium finishes from 18 races. He also ran the Mid-Ohio U.S. F2000 round where his best finish was fourth. 

What to expect in 2023: Hughes should be competitive. He should be pushing for race victories and podium finishes. If he does that, he will be in the championship conversation.

Louka St. Jean: #9 Planiform Tatuus

What did he do in 2022: St. Jean was 11th in the Formula 4 United States Championship after starting 12 of 18 races with one podium finish.

What to expect in 2023: There should be a battle between St. Jean and Morey for third best JHDD driver this season. 

DEForce Racing

Mac Clark: #1 Clubine Motorsports/Valkyrie Al Tatuus

What did he do in 2022: Clark won the USF Juniors championship on 393 points with five victories and 12 podium finishes from 16 races. He started the U.S. F2000 round at Portland and won the second race while finishing fourth in the first race.

What to expect in 2023: Clark is exciting, and he could be set for a massive season. Clark was third in the Sebring test. No one would be surprised if he won the championship. He won immediately last year driving in a cameo role. He is more than ready for this step. He should be one of the best this season. 

Jorge Garciarce: #10 Sidral Aga/Red Cola/Skarch Tatuus

What did he do in 2022: Garciarce was 13th in the U.S. F2000 championship on 142 points with his best finish being sixth. 

What to expect in 2023: Results improved over the course of 2022. I think he will make a step forward and at least be in the top ten of the championship.

Maxwell Jamieson: #12 2W Technologies Inc. Tatuus

What did he do in 2022: Jamieson was 15th in the USF Juniors championship on 97 points with his best finish being eighth.

What to expect in 2023: With limited racing experience and slow testing results, Jamieson will be using this year to grow. 

Exclusive Autosport

Jacob Douglas: #90 JDM Properties Tatuus

What did he do in 2022: Douglas was 12th in the U.S. F2000 championship on 179 points with three top five finishes.

What to expect in 2023: Douglas should make an improvement in year two. Championship top ten should be his goal and he should be aiming to push for the top five.

Joey Brienza: #91 UBS Tatuus

What did he do in 2022: Brienza started only three U.S. F2000 races, but participated in three rounds. His best finish was tenth.

What to expect in 2023: Brienza has plenty of experience in F1600 competition. He will be part-time in U.S. F2000 while running full-time in USF Juniors. 

Nicholas d'Orlando: #92 Focused Project Management Tatuus

What did he do in 2022: D'Orlando started the final ten U.S. F2000 races and he had four top ten finishes, giving him 20th in the championship on 77 points. He ran the first two rounds in the USF Juniors championship.

What to expect in 2023: D'Orlando had a good first taste of U.S. F2000. He should be pushing to be the best Exclusive Autosport driver if he drives full-time, but at the moment, all he has confirmed is St. Petersburg.

Avery Towns: #93 Speed IntelliComm/Pizza Inn/Towns Law Firm Tatuus

What did he do in 2022: Towns won the SCCA Formula X US Majors championship for the second consecutive year. 

What to expect in 2023: Towns did not start racing until he was 18 years old in 2021. He immediately became an SCCA champion. This is a step above club racing. The success will not come as easy.

Chase Gardner: #95 Mindshift Financial Tatuus

What did he do in 2022: Gardner ran in the U.S. F2000 round on the IMS road course. His best finish was tenth.

What to expect in 2023: Though he ran at IMS last year, Gardner still does not have that much car racing under his belt. There will be some growing pains in 2023, but he could have a few impressive drives.

Velocity Racing Development

Sam Corry: #14 Red Line Oil/Fill-Rite/Stilo Helmets Tatuus

What did he do in 2022: Corry was second the USF Juniors championship on 369 points with three victories, 11 podium finishes and 12 top five finishes.

What to expect in 2023: Corry was in Mac Clark's shadow last season in USF Juniors. He is 15 years old and he should be using this season as a building block. Another year in U.S. F2000 would not be a bad thing in 2024.

 

Nikita Johnson: #17 Allen Exploration, LCC/Walker's Cay Tatuus

What did he do in 2022: Johnson ran in eight U.S. F2000 races. He was runner-up in the first Portland race and had four top ten finishes.

What to expect in 2023: Johnson showed a few sparkling moments in his partial season in 2022. He could piece together a strong season and find himself pushing for top five in the championship. 

Danny Dyszelski: #18 Formula Imports/Charlotte Mechanical Tatuus

What did he do in 2022: Dyszelski ran 14 of 18 U.S. F2000 races and his best finish was sixth. He finished 16th in the championship on 99 points. 

What to expect in 2023: Last year was his first year in car racing. He doesn't turn 15 years old until April. There is no rush. A few more top ten results than 2022 would be a good season.

Gordon Scully: #19 VRD Racing Tatuus

What did he do in 2022: Scully was seventh in the FRP Formula 16000 Championship Series.

What to expect in 2023: A late-bloomer, Scully is 24 years old and last year was his first year in car racing. Expectations are low. This is a big leap for him. 

Noah Ping: #32 Ping Racing/Star Pharmaceuticals Tatuus

What did he do in 2022: Ping was third in the Formula 4 United States Championship with four victories and eight podium finishes. 

What to expect in 2023: This car should be in Ping's comfort zone. He shouldn't struggle mightily, but the competition could be tougher than Formula 4 and have Ping scraping for results.

Zack Ping: #97 Ping Racing/Star Pharmaceuticals Tatuus

What did he do in 2022: Ping ran in the World Racing League and competed in the SCCA Spec Racer class.

What to expect in 2023: Ping has announced he will drive in USF Juniors, but it appears he will also get a few U.S. F2000 starts as well. 

Pabst Racing

Simon Sikes: #22 Group6Gear Tatuus

What did he do in 2022: Sikes started the first eight U.S. F2000 races with three top five finishes and his worst finish was ninth, but he did not run the final ten races and was 14th in the championship on 119 points. An average of 14.875 points per start had him on pace for 267.75 points, good enough for sixth.

What to expect in 2023: Sikes has had three partial seasons in U.S. F2000 and he has shown promise. Sikes topped the Sebring test. He has also won multiple SCCA national championships. If he competes full-time, he could compete for the championship, but history tells us he will not run a full season. 

Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing Development

Elliot Cox: #67 Drive Planning/Hartman Oil Tatuus

What did he do in 2022: Cox was 11th in the USF Juniors championship on 140 points but he did not run the final three races.

What to expect in 2023: This should be a building year, but Cox looked good in testing. He will only turn 16 years old in August. He should have a two-year U.S. F2000 plan, but an early championship could accelerate his career plans.

Future Star Racing

Andre Castro: #56 Wings & Wheels Foundation/Premier Arms Tatuus

What did he do in 2022: Castro was fifth in USF Juniors on 233 points with one podium finish and six top five finishes.

What to expect in 2023: This is a comeback for Castro. He first ran in U.S. F2000 in 2017 and ran six races in 2021. He did well in USF Juniors last year, but not remarkable. This is a new team. Results will be tough to come by. 

Trey Burke: #58 Wings & Wheels Foundation/Premier Arms Tatuus

What did he do in 2022: Burke ran the first ten U.S. F2000 races and his best finish was seventh. He also ran the Indy Pro 2000 race at Gateway and the NASCAR Truck race at Mid-Ohio. 

What to expect in 2023: Burke hasn't shown much in single-seater racing. He has been dabbling in NASCAR and ARCA. He isn't going to be in the top ten regularly and I sense this is the year he sees a shift in his career direction. 

DC Autosport

Ethan Ho: #68 Triple S Suspensions/MEGA Automotive Tatuus

What did he do in 2022: Ho was seventh in the USF Juniors championship with 182 points and two top five finishes. He ran in the U.S. F2000 final round at Portland where his best finish was 11th. 

What to expect in 2023: Ho will also be competing full-time in USF Juniors again this year while running part-time in U.S. F2000. However, he was second quickest in the Sebring test. Keep an eye on him. 

The first Road to Indy Series race will be USF Pro 2000 competing at 11:15 a.m. ET on Saturday March 4 from St. Petersburg. U.S. F2000 will have its first race later that afternoon at 3:45 p.m. ET. On Sunday March 5, U.S. F2000 opens up the day with its second race at 8:00 a.m. ET. Indy Lights will be at 10:00 a.m. ET and USF Pro 2000 rounds out the day at 3:00 p.m. ET.