Hinchcliffe says his future prospects are wide open....does wide open mean he has nothing headed his way?

Does it mean that Andretti is wanting to hire an 18 year old who doesn't know he can get hurt yet?

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emailBy Marshall Pruett | September 16, 2021 9:20 AM ET

James Hinchcliffe isn’t sure where he’ll be working next season, but the 11-year veteran of the NTT IndyCar Series is confident it will involve driving race cars in some capacity.

His team, Andretti Autosport, is expected to welcome a new driver to the No. 29 Honda he currently occupies, so the 34-year-old Canadian’s future — at least in open-wheel racing — is filled with more question marks than he or his legion of fans have come to expect over the last decade. Andretti seems to be tossing his drivers on the scrap heap lately........see a few posts ago...

Will he get a call from another team to continue in IndyCar, or switch to IMSA, SRX, broadcasting, or another discipline that piques the the Mayor of Hinchtown’s interest?

“Many thoughts, no firm decisions, unfortunately, is about all I can all I can reveal at the time,” he said. “There’s a lot of things going on in the background, a lot of conversations being had with a lot of different people and in a lot of different areas. Ultimately, there are a lot of different options for me and for my future. It’s really going to come down to what makes the most sense for me at this point, and then pursuing that.

“But there’s some fun stuff in the works for sure. There’s some exciting stuff and some stuff that I’m looking forward to. So hopefully, there’s some kind of resolution soon, and I can let you all know what’s happening.”

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Hinchcliffe is also preparing himself for the possibility that the season finale next week in Long Beach could also serve as his last IndyCar race. The passion to drive, however — for those who question whether it’s diminished — definitely remains within the six-time IndyCar race winner.

“You know, I’ve been so, so lucky,” he continued. “Up to this point in my career, having 11 years in IndyCar, whether or not that’s the end of the IndyCar journey, we don’t know yet; but I’m just so thankful for a lot of the things that I’ve had. I’ve survived some things that I shouldn’t. I’m lucky to even be here.

“If I never got the chance to race another car again, it’d be hard to sit here and look for sympathy or pity from anyone. But that said, you don’t spend this much time in this sport without an unquenchable love for it and a desire to compete in it. So yeah, I will definitely be behind the wheel of something next year. I don’t think I’m quite ready to stop that journey yet.”

 

Rahal Letterman Lanigan confirms Sato's exit

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emailBy Marshall Pruett | October 5, 2021 7:46 PM ET

Takuma Sato’s time with the Rahal Letterman Lanigan organization has come to an end. As RACER has reported for months, the popular two-time winner of the Indianapolis 500 did not figure in RLL’s future plans, which the team confirmed in a farewell social media post on Tuesday.
Thank You, @TakumaSatoRacer.

It has been a privilege and honor to have you at our team, not once but two times.

We are forever grateful for the dedication, energy and success you brought. You will always be part of our family.

🖤❤️🖤

A few of our favorites 👇🏼 pic.twitter.com/bmNCkSreWZ

— Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing (@RLLracing)

Sato’s future in the NTT IndyCar Series remains unclear. In an interview with RACER at the recent Acura Grand Prix at Long Beach, the 44-year-old admitted that his chances of landing a ride with a new team was “just 50/50, so it’s a difficult situation. But I’ll never give up.”
Thank you everyone @RLLracing. It was a truly honor to drive #30 car to the absolute on the limit all the time. My 30boys did always an amazing job and I will never forget the time we had together. Our relationship and memories are forever.
Thank you again for all your support. https://t.co/5mwyNz5i4l

— Takuma Sato (@TakumaSatoRacer)

Former Meyer Shank Racing driver Jack Harvey is expected to be confirmed as Sato’s replacement and Graham Rahal’s new teammate.

From his first stint at RLL in 2012 and during his return from 2018-2021, Sato amassed 10 podiums, four wins, including the 2020 Indy 500, and earned his highest finishing position in the championship the same year with seventh in the No. 30 Honda.

Following a seven-year Formula 1 career, Sato joined KV Racing for his IndyCar debut in 2010. He’d move to A.J. Foyt Racing in 2013 and earn his first win in only the third round; the Foyt relationship lasted through 2016. Inbound at Andretti Autosport, Sato won his second IndyCar race at the 2017 Indy 500 and was on the move to RLL at the end of the season.

To date, Sato has competed in 198 IndyCar races over 12 years.

 

Why the timing's right for Harvey's move

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emailBy Marshall Pruett | October 11, 2021 7:41 PM ET

Five years into a budding NTT IndyCar Series career, Jack Harvey decided the time was right for a change. Assessing his results, he found satisfaction in some areas, disappointment in others, and it was the latter that drove the swap from Meyer Shank Racing for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing.

The bold maneuver came as a surprise to his former team, and with his long-awaited confirmation at RLL, the Briton has embraced a new reality where excuses won’t be accepted. At MSR, a team on a slow march that finally made the leap to full-time participation in 2020, the growing pains were part of the maturation process for driver and crew. At RLL, which just celebrated its 30th IndyCar season, reconnecting with its most competitive days is the task presented to its newcomer.

Last season, MSR and Harvey routinely starred on Saturdays in qualifying, where the No. 60 Honda started sixth or better at six races. Harvey also charged forward on multiple occasions where disappointments in qualifying were resolved with drives from 20th to fourth in Portland, and 20th to seventh in Long Beach. A few too many Sundays, however, went awry as odd strategy calls and other misfortunes blighted a year where Harvey failed to make a single trip to the podium.

Somewhere along the way, the free agent noted the interest he’d drawn from RLL, opened up talks with team president Piers Phillips and co-owner Bobby Rahal, and felt better fortunes could be found as teammate to Graham Rahal.

“First, I spoke to Piers because I’ve known him for a long time, and he said he and Bobby were interested in talking to me,” Harvey tells RACER. “My parents always said there’s never really any harm in listening, and I ended up having a call with them and it went really well. I feel like the team is exceptionally strong; they’re very well organized. They’ve got all the pieces of the puzzle to mount a really successful effort. I want to win races. I want to win championships. And I feel like I’m ready to do that with this team.”

Signed to a multi-year deal, Harvey’s stepping into Takuma Sato’s former Indy 500-winning program. For the sake of branding and continuity with midwestern grocery store Hy-Vee, the car number will change from the No. 30 to No. 45 Honda to better align with the marketing program associated with the No. 45 car in 2021. Make no mistake; Harvey is Sato’s replacement, not the third driver. Whomever is inked to pilot the No. 30 Honda will be in the expanded entry.

Harvey is mindful of the message he sends in regard to MSR. Careful to avoid saying anything that might be construed as negative or overly critical, the 28-year-old points to an urgent need to vie for wins and titles as the reason to leave for RLL.

“Throughout certain parts of the season, we just were always lacking something, and I include myself in that statement,” he says. “And again, the first thing I want to say is obviously a huge thank you to Michael Shank and Jim Meyer; at no point have I ever wanted to be disrespectful towards them. Without them, I wouldn’t have had this opportunity and for people see what our potential was. We just didn’t hit it often enough.”

“The nice thing about that RLL wanted to take a risk on me and I believe I can help them achieve their goals. Why did I leave? Their goals mirror mine, and this is a step forward in my career. I know MSR will also be successful; they were successful winning the Indy 500, and to be honest, it stung a bit watching Helio win first time out, knowing all I’d been through with MSR from the start. I obviously wanted that to be me. So I can look back on that chapter with MSR, and it was just an absolutely incredible chapter. But I look at the complete package RLL has to offer, and I didn’t want to turn down and I felt like it was a better opportunity and one that I wanted to pursue.”
After being part of the MSR setup since the beginning, Harvey admits that it stung a little to see Helio Castroneves put the team into victory lane at Indianapolis. But he hopes that the move to RLL will put him on a faster track to achieving similar results himself. Photo by Jake Galstad/Motorsport Images

Just as MSR is looking to take a big leap forward in competitiveness with its new lineup, RLL is on a similar mission with a need to rediscover its top five form, last seen in 2016 with Rahal in the No. 15 Honda. Winless in 2021, Rahal was the best among the RLL drivers with seventh in the championship, but with a sizable gap to its bigger rivals, RLL’s leadership was far from satisfied with their output.

As mentioned, Harvey and the No. 60 Honda made big qualifying waves that were often missing when it was time to go racing and at RLL, with Rahal in particular, Saturdays have been the big deficit. On Sundays, however, the No. 15 Honda was on a constant charge to overcome poor starting positions and made a steady habit of passing all but the leaders.

If you combine their respective strengths across a race weekend, RLL could be a big mover next season. With Harvey in the mix, there’s a hope to create a stronger tandem and improved technical feedback to point the Nos. 15 and 45 towards victory lane.

“The thing I liked about the team straight away was the ambition and the honesty of where they’re at right now what they see as the areas that needs to improve on,” Harvey continues. “And also I felt like we could really help each other. If I can continue to qualify near the front as often as possible, and they continue to have really good race cars, and I can help them with their qualifying car, we’re going to be very close to achieving all of the things we want. That’s the environment I want to be in.

It might come as a surprise for those who watched Harvey and Rahal lob verbal grenades at each other after May’s doubleheader at Texas Motor Speedway, but Rahal has long been a fan of his new teammate. There’s no relationship to mend; they’ve been close all along.

“Yeah, when I left Texas, it was somewhat unpleasant with how that all happened with Graham,” Harvey says. “But I needed to make it known that I won’t be the easy guy to overtake, and when we spoke afterwards, I accepted my portion of the blame, took 90 percent of it, said I was going to keep racing him hard, and after that, he was he was completely cool. And we’ve actually got on really well the whole time I’ve been in IndyCar.

“I really respect him and what he’s done to push the team, and I think he had a bit of an influence on me being here. I want to contribute; I don’t want to be the driver who just rocks up on the weekends. I will be in the shop, want to share the simulator duties, share all the sponsorship events with him, and be a real, genuine teammate. I’m really excited to make the most of this opportunity that I’ve been given. All the pieces to win are there. I want to come in and try and be the glue that helps them do that.”

 

Penske confirms reduction to three cars for 2022 IndyCar campaign

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emailBy Marshall Pruett | October 26, 2021 12:50 PM ET

Team Penske will not seek to keep its former No. 22 Chevy entry piloted by Simon Pagenaud in motion with a different driver next season. Although the reduction from four cars to three was not unanticipated, the change represents one of the few instances of downsizing expected within the NTT IndyCar Series paddock for 2022.

“We’ll be three cars,” Roger Penske told RACER. “And we’ve taken the people that we’ve had to run the car and they’re sprinkled within the existing team and also getting prepared to run the Penske Porsche Motorsports cars, for sure.”

Having signed to run Porsche’s factory LMDh prototype effort in IMSA and the FIA World Endurance Championship, Penske’s need for turnkey staff with the sports car program made trimming its IndyCar program an easy call.

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It leaves 2017 and 2019 IndyCar champion Josef Newgarden, 2014 IndyCar champion Will Power, and 2021 Rookie of the Year Scott McLaughlin as the trio to pursue another title and the Indy 500 when the new season starts in February.

Penske also confirmed he has no plans “at this time” to add a fourth car for the Speedway in May, and says the team parted ways with Pagenaud on good terms after seven years.

“Simon’s contract was up, we talked to him about coming over and joining us in sports cars, but he said, ‘Look, I’d like to see what’s out there from an IndyCar perspective,’ and found something with the Meyer Shank team.”

“We said, ‘Hey, we’re great friends, you’ve done a terrific job, and we’re not hiring anybody else. This isn’t a situation where you haven’t done a super job.’ And he was able to find something good for him and the timing was right for him, and so we’ll run three cars next year.”

 

McCall to crew chief Keselowski at Roush Fenway in 2022

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emailBy Kelly Crandall | November 2, 2021 4:18 PM ET

Matt McCall will join Roush Fenway Racing and become crew chief for Brad Keselowski beginning in 2022, the team announced Tuesday.

Keselowski, the 2012 series champion, is set to join Roush Fenway Racing as both a driver and having a minority ownership stake in the organization. Keselowski and McCall will work together on the flagship No. 6 team and be teammates to Chris Buescher.

McCall is a seven-year veteran in the NASCAR Cup Series who has recently worked with Kurt Busch at Chip Ganassi Racing. Ganassi announced in June he was shuttering his program at the end of the season, having sold the assets to Justin Marks and Trackhouse Racing. Busch is headed to 23XI Racing as they expanded into a two-car operation.

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Under McCall’s guidance, Busch’s No. 1 team at Ganassi has won three wins since 2019 and made three playoff appearances. The group sits 11th in the championship standings going into the season finale at Phoenix Raceway after being eliminated from the post-season in the Round of 16.

McCall’s first win as a Cup Series crew chief came in ’19 with Busch at Kentucky Speedway.

Aside from Busch, McCall has also worked with Jamie McMurray as a Ganassi crew chief in the Cup Series. McCall has 252 career starts as a crew chief with 98 top-10 finishes and 30 top-five finishes.

Before becoming a crew chief, McCall was the lead race engineer at Richard Childress Racing on the No. 31 team. In 2014, the team finished second in the championship standings in what was the first year of the elimination-style playoff format.

Additional details on the rosters for Roush Fenway Racing will be announced at a later date.

 

Sean Gardner | NASCAR via Getty Images

Keselowski says goodbye, thank you to Penske in touching video

By
Staff Report NASCAR.com November 3, 2021 at 3:26 PMBrad Keselowski will run his final Team Penske race in the No. 2 Ford in Sunday’s season finale at Phoenix Raceway (3 p.m. ET on NBC/NBC Sports App/Peacock, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

RELATED: Brad Keselowski’s career stats | Recap all his Cup wins

Ahead of that start, Keselowski posted a video to social media looking back at his time with Penske and what he viewed as the key milestones of his tenure. You can watch the video below.
I feel incredibly blessed to be a part of something that makes saying goodbye so hard. I will forever be thankful for what we were able to accomplish together these last 12 years. It’s been an incredible ride, @Team_Penske. pic.twitter.com/SgsQ294TXR

— Brad Keselowski (@keselowski) His playoff run came to an end following the Round of 8 race at Martinsville Speedway, where despite finishing third in the race, he was eliminated from the postseason. Keselowski spent 12 full-time seasons with Penske that saw him total 34 Cup wins (heading into Sunday’s season finale) and a 2012 NASCAR Cup Series championship.

Keselowski is moving to Roush Fenway Racing in 2022 where he will drive the No. 6 Ford and serve in a driver-owner role with the longtime organization of owner Jack Roush. He is already building his new team with the announcement of Matt McCall as the team’s crew chief being made on Tuesday.

 

Is Phoenix Newman’s final NASCAR Cup race? ‘I don’t know but I hope not’

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emailBy Kelly Crandall | November 7, 2021 9:19 AM ET

Ryan Newman hopes Sunday afternoon at Phoenix Raceway does not end up being his final start in NASCAR Cup Series, but he acknowledges the possibility.

“I hope not,” Newman said. “I don’t know, but I hope not.”

Newman, 43, does not have a contract with Roush Fenway Racing for next season. Saturday, after qualifying 19th for the season finale, Newman admitted there aren’t any quality rides out there that he knows of or that he’s been called about to be made available.

A former Cup Series Rookie of the Year (2002) and Daytona 500 champion (200, Newman has driven the No. 6 Ford at Roush for the past three seasons. In that period, he made the playoffs in 2019, which broke a drought for the No. 6 team dating back to 2006 while earning 21 top-10 finishes.

But next season, the car will be Brad Keselowski’s as he competes alongside Chris Buescher and the No. 17 team. Keselowski is also going to become a minority owner of the organization.

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If Newman is going to continue racing, he wants it to be at the Cup Series level.

“(The) focus has always been on Cup,” Newman said. “I still view those series as minor leagues, and I consider myself a major. That’s a matter of opinion, but in the end, if I’m going to do it, take away time from my family, I want it to be for a Cup championship, and that’s the challenge in itself.”

Even so, Newman is not opposed to a part-time deal or a one-race situation. However, as long as the opportunity is a winning one since Newman believes he can still get the job done.

“I want to get back to victory lane,” Newman said.
Twenty-one years on from where it started Newman faces the prospect of the end of his career at Phoenix. Motorsport Images

Phoenix, the site of his first career start with Team Penske, will be Newman’s 725th career start. He has 18 career wins, and Newman’s most recent came at Phoenix in 2017 in his final season with Richard Childress Racing.

“It’s emotional, but it’s ironic, I guess, at the same time because I know my first start was here 21 years ago,” Newman said of the location. “To come back 21 years later and have my last contracted driving start means something. I don’t know that it means much, but I’m not announcing any kind of retirement or anything like that. I don’t have anything on paper for next year right now.”

If Sunday is the end, Newman plans on enjoying it. But he won’t walk away content with his career.

“Never content,” said Newman. “I’ve said this a million times, I’ve got way too many losses, and there’s no way of having as many wins to make up for those losses. So, therefore, I can never be content. I can be more, but never all the way content.”

 

Ryan 'ol buddy,
When Mark Martin was getting fired by Roush, Mark made it public that the following year
he would be racing Chevrolets.

At that point.................... when Mark Martin had one last year to win a NASCAR championship in a Ford,
Roush gave him old cars and detuned engines, to be sure Mark Martin would not win.

Ryan, if you get a deal for next year, I hope you keep your mouth shut.

 

Almirola to call time on NASCAR career at the end of 2022

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emailBy Mark Glendenning | January 10, 2022 11:13 AM ET

Aric Almirola has announced that his upcoming 15th season as a NASCAR Cup Series driver will also be his last.

“I truly enjoy driving racecars and I’m excited to race my heart out in 2022 for Smithfield and Stewart-Haas Racing,” said Almirola, driver of the No. 10 Smithfield Ford Mustang. “But to be the best in this business, you’ve got to be selfish, and for the last 37 years my life has always revolved around me and what I needed to do.

“I want to be present. I want to be the best husband and father, and that to me means more than being a racecar driver. So, it’s one more year where I’m all in on racing, where we’ll do whatever it takes to compete at the highest level. But when the season is over, I’ll be ready to wave goodbye. I’ve loved every minute of it, but it’s time for the next chapter of my life.”

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The 37-year-old, who is Florida-born of Cuban heritage, was one of the first drivers to go through NASCAR’s Drive for Diversity program in 2004, and emerged onto the Truck and then-Nationwide scene as part of Joe Gibbs Racing’s development program. That led to a Cup debut at Las Vegas in 2007 in a one-off with JGR, but another three years of part-time Cup programs for various teams followed before he linked up with sponsor Smithfield Foods and landed a full-time ride with Richard Petty Motorsports in 2012.

He remained at RPM for six seasons, and then moved to his current home at Stewart Haas in 2018, earning his first career win at Talladega that same season. A second victory followed last year at New Hamphire.

“It means a lot to be able to walk away on my own terms,” Almirola said. “It’s been a great ride. I have been blessed beyond my wildest imagination and I honestly have no regrets.

“Do I wish I would’ve won more races? Sure, and there’s still an opportunity this year. Do I wish I would’ve won a championship? Sure, and I’ve got a lot of drive to make that happen this year. I’m a competitive person. I want to win and I want to be a champion, but at the end of the day, I know that those things mean way less than being there for my family.

“I made it to the highest level of American motorsports as a professional racecar driver. It’s been amazing, with a lot of ups and downs and everything in between. I wouldn’t trade it for the world. But I’m ready to go back to being a fan.”

SHR co-owner Tony Stewart’s relationship with Almirola dates back to when they both raced for Gibbs in 2004, and the three-time series champion said he respects the journey that Almirola has been on in the years since.

“I’ve watched Aric develop into a really good racecar driver and it was a proud moment when we were able to bring him to Stewart-Haas Racing,” Stewart said. “He’s really delivered for our race team and for Smithfield, always putting in maximum effort. I know he wants to go out on a high note and we’re going to give him all the resources to succeed.

“That being said, we also want him to enjoy this season. Aric is a great husband and father, and this year will bring a lot of cool moments that he’ll be able to share with his family. He’s earned this opportunity to go out on his terms.” He is a far nicer guy
than that racist F1 driver Lewis Hamilton with his Liberal BS about "diversity and inclusion" and special privileges based on being
darker skined.

Longtime sponsor Smithfield will continue as an anchor partner of Almirola and the No. 10 team, with 2022 marking the brand’s 11th year with Almirola and its fifth with SHR.

 

Budkowski out at Alpine

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emailBy Chris Medland | January 13, 2022 11:36 AM ET

The Alpine Formula 1 team has announced the departure of its executive director Marcin Budkowski with immediate effect.

Budkowski joined Alpine — then Renault — from the FIA in 2017, having previously worked for McLaren and Ferrari before his spell with the governing body. Despite Alpine winning a race last year on its way to fifth place in the constructors’ championship, the team has now announced that the Pole will leave and that CEO Laurent Rossi “will temporarily ensure the team’s management to allow everyone to focus on the next season’s preparation.”

“I truly enjoyed being part of the leadership team of Renault then Alpine F1 Team, working with such a talented and dedicated group of people,” Budkowski said. “I will be watching the teams’ progress fondly in the seasons to come.”

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Budkowski’s departure comes amid speculation that former Aston Martin team principal Otmar Szafnauer could be set to join the Enstone-based team, but there was no announcement of any replacement other than Rossi’s temporary responsibilities.

“I would like to thank Marcin Budkowski for his commitment and contribution to the team’s results over the last four years,” Rossi said. “The team is fully focused on getting the car ready for the first race in Bahrain and deliver a step beyond in performance.”

The change in management structure comes 12 months almost to the day after Cyril Abiteboul also left the team.