2025 Indycar series - News/rumours/hijinx

[Everso Biggyballies]

Bottom post of the previous page:

Linus explains ''his situation" with a very descriptive (ie fairly long) statement published on the X files.

[Everso Biggyballies]

Arrow McLaren unveils 2025 liveries

Arrow McLaren made an event out of revealing the revised liveries carried on its three Chevy-powered IndyCar Series entries on Thursday evening.

The hosted event at the end of the St. Petersburg Pier served as the final kickoff ahead of Friday’s on-track debut for the cars.

“Pato O’Ward and Arrow Electronics Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer Steve Kerdock unveiled the No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet, while Nolan Siegel and NTT DATA Americas Head of Marketing Margo Cooke revealed the No. 6 NTT DATA Arrow McLaren Chevrolet and Christian Lundgaard and R.J. Reynolds Senior Director of Modern Oral Lavania Balasingam introduced the No. 7 VELO Arrow McLaren Chevrolet,” the team said.

“St. Pete is always an exciting race to start the season, and this year is no different,” added Arrow McLaren team principal Tony Kanaan. Kicking things off with our car launch event at the Pier makes it even more special. Now, it’s time to put all the work we’ve done in the offseason to the test.”

https://racer.com/2025/02/27/arrow-mcla ... -liveries/

[MonteCristo]

Thank god they changed the PNC bank livery this year, and reversed the colours.

That would have been awkward.



2024:

[John]

LET'S GO FRO

[Everso Biggyballies]

Scotty Mac signs ‘simple’ Team Penske contract extension

Team Penske has locked down Scott McLaughlin’s services for the foreseeable future, and the Scott says he has no plans to leave the United States any time soon.

The Kiwi took to social media to reveal he had signed a “long-term” contract extension with the racing giant, which boasts the most IndyCar titles, a record 22 Indianapolis 500 wins, and many more NASCAR Cup Series titles and sports car accolades.

McLaughlin moved to the United States at the end of 2020 to pursue a career in the IndyCar Series. This year marks the beginning of his fifth IndyCar campaign, which has so far netted 11 pole positions, seven wins, and 19 podium finishes.

“Yeah, just over the off-season, man. Was a simple sort of conversation we all had,” McLaughlin said of his contract extension.

“It was done pretty quickly, I guess. So yeah, pumped to do that. Good security for me and my family moving forward.

. https://speedcafe.com/indycar-news-2025 ... -extension

Has it really been near as damm it 5 years (It would have been 5 if it wasnt for Covid I think ? Jeezus, time flies dunnit.

Edit. Just checked he did V8SC in 2020, in what was an early finish year at Bathurst. He then did his first Indycar race in October 2020 the weekend after Bathurst. Ironically it was at St Petes, where today we saw him take pole. So started full time Indycar in 2021 so this is his 5th fulltime season.

[MonteCristo]

35 entries for Indy?

Hopefully.

[MonteCristo]

Decent TV numbers.

Hopefully the rest of the season sees growth.

[MonteCristo]

https://racer.com/2025/03/11/sato-to-ch ... -with-rll/

Sato to chase third Indy 500 win with RLL

Sato back for Indy!

We has bumping.

[MonteCristo]

https://racer.com/2025/03/19/defrancesc ... y-contest/

DeFrancesco is a crypto bro?

“I first invested in Dogecoin in 2020 and drove everyone crazy, telling anyone that would listen that they needed to own it,” DeFrancesco said. “It’s not only my favorite crypto, but the plan to become a global currency and drive payment adoption is awesome. I’m pumped to be part of the community and an ambassador for the vision.”

He was already shit.

But now he's on my shit list.

[MonteCristo]

No Abel entry for the 500.

https://racer.com/2025/03/20/abel-motor ... 500-entry/

So probably only 34 cars.

[Everso Biggyballies]

IndyCar turns to Belli to enhance the look of its next chassis

This stems from the rather meh reaction of teams to the Penske showing of renderings of the car they put forward over the off season to replace the now very old Dallara DW12.

At that preview where comments from some team owners had described Dallara’s rendering as a warmed-over DW12 caused an internal re-think.

Veteran open-wheel race car designer and engineer Welshman Tino Belli has been tasked with updating the appearance of the new Dallara chassis that’s meant to arrive in 2027 or ’28. The change comes after IndyCar relied solely on Dallara to conceive and craft the visuals of its upcoming car.

Belli’s involvement has had an immediate impact. According to those who’ve seen Belli’s influence on the upcoming design, the most recent version of the next-generation car is said to look nothing like the original rendering, with comments offered that suggest Belli has taken its appearance to a much more appealing place.

Belli joined IndyCar in 2014 and serves as its head of aerodynamic development, it’s a return to shaping IndyCars in a more pleasing fashion.

Full Story: https://racer.com/2025/03/26/indycar-tu ... t-chassis/

[MonteCristo]

Just make it a mid-to-late 90s Champ Car with an aeroscreeen. Winning!

[Everso Biggyballies]

Just make it a mid-to-late 90s Champ Car with an aeroscreeen. Winning!

Well on his CV he was involved back then.....

Belli spent the 1980s through the mid-1990s working for sports car, IndyCar, and Formula 1 chassis constructors where his expertise in design, plus research and development — including vast experience in aerodynamics — delivered some of the better-looking machines of the period. The March 90P, in particular, made for Porsche in what became the final season for its factory IndyCar program, was widely praised as being sublime from every angle.

The 1990 March 90P / Porsche of Fabi


March 90P at Indy.

[MonteCristo]

Nothing amazing on the TV ratings front:

The 50th running of the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach delivered an audience of 552,000 viewers on FOX.

It represents a sizable improvement over the disappointing 307,348 who watched last year on NBC’s USA cable channel. Despite the 80 percent year-to-year gain, the volume of viewers was the second in a row to fall below seven figures, which was likely influenced by going up against The Masters golf tournament on CBS.

https://racer.com/2025/04/15/long-beach ... ence-gain/

[MonteCristo]

Open test is on tomorrow and Thursday.

34 cars running: https://racer.com/2025/04/17/34-cars-se ... next-week/

Open Test entries:

AJ Foyt Racing (2) – Santino Ferrucci, David Malukas

Andretti Global (4) – Marco Andretti, Marcus Ericsson, Colton Herta, Kyle Kirkwood

Arrow McLaren (4) – Kyle Larson, Christian Lundgaard, Pato O’Ward, Nolan Siegel

Chip Ganassi Racing (3) – Scott Dixon, Alex Palou, Kyffin Simpson

Dale Coyne Racing (2) – Jacob Abel, Rinus VeeKay

Dreyer & Reinbold Racing/Cusick Motorsports (2) – Jack Harvey, Ryan Hunter-Reay

Ed Carpenter Racing (3) – Ed Carpenter, Christian Rasmussen, Alexander Rossi

Juncos Hollinger Racing (2) – Conor Daly, Sting Ray Robb

Meyer Shank Racing (3) – Marcus Armstrong, Helio Castroneves, Felix Rosenqvist

PREMA Racing (2) – Callum Ilott, Robert Shwartzman

Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing (4) – Devlin DeFrancesco, Louis Foster, Graham Rahal, Takuma Sato

Team Penske (3) – Scott McLaughlin, Josef Newgarden, Will Power

It will be streamed both days.