2024 NTT Indycar series - News, rumours and hijinx

[MonteCristo]

Ok people, party's over.

@John pulled his wiener out on the Corkscrew, so you know what that means.

Start 2024.

... In September. (Nice one Indycar.)

[MonteCristo]

https://apnews.com/article/indycar-alls ... 13c690b4a6

All-star race at the Thermal Club in 2024. Quite the bombshell to close this season on.

I expect very poor racing.

But a fun enough concept

Hopefully they pull in some extra gimmicks like money for the most passes or something to make it a bit more interesting.

[John]

https://racer.com/2023/09/11/longtime-s ... etti-exit/

DHL leaves Andretti. Heading to CGR?

[John]

https://eu.indystar.com/story/sports/mo ... 835144007/

McLaren claims Palou signed a three year contract with them last year.

Let's gooooo off-season drama

[John]

https://eu.indystar.com/story/sports/mo ... 889128007/

Kyffin Simpsons dad has bought him a CGR ride for 2024. Chip will field five cars, four good ones and Kyffin.

[MonteCristo]

https://eu.indystar.com/story/sports/mo ... 889128007/

Kyffin Simpsons dad has bought him a CGR ride for 2024. Chip will field five cars, four good ones and Kyffin.

10th in NXT is a place too.

[John]

Chip stopped listening after Daddy Simpson said "10 million dollars".

[John]

https://racer.com/2023/09/19/askew-rasm ... -for-2024/

Askew and Rasmussen having a shootout for the ECR car at Barber.

[Vassago]

Simpson was involved in some collisions in NXT, he's clearly not ready for the big show but money talks.

ECR needs some "know how" in order to compete with the second car. Then again RHR was a complete waste since he's washed-up dinosaur at this stage.

[MonteCristo]

ECR needs some "know how" in order to compete with the second car. Then again RHR was a complete waste since he's washed-up dinosaur at this stage.

Yep. I can't imagine they thought it was a good move in hindsight.

[Everso Biggyballies]

Reports that IndyCar could host an exhibition race on the streets of Adelaide are without foundation.

Indycar has been looking at the potential of adding an ‘international’ event, with a race in South America tipped as the most likely location.

Rumours regarding a possible IndyCar return to Adelaide were raised in an article published in the Indianapolis Star, picked up by other outlets without question.

The rumour has continued to swirl ever since despite there being no official comment on the matter.

And that is because, according to multiple sources, it is simply not true.
.
IndyCar paddock insiders had not even heard the rumour when it was put to them, while others locally scoffed at the practicalities of it.

As an aside it could not ever have been a goer..... the track is only FIA Grade 3, which means only Category II cars with a weight/power ratio of 2-3kg/bhp are eligible (plus some historic cars) to compete on the circuit.

A current-spec IndyCar weighs around 740kg with a power output estimated at between 550 and 700bhp (according to Honda Racing’s specifications).

That gives the cars, at worst, a ratio of 1.34kg/bhp, and at best 1.06kg/bhp. In short, the cars are too fast for the circuit and on safety grounds would not be able to compete. Without major reconfiguration.
On the IndyCar front, there is no deal in place and sources both locally and in IndyCar have no knowledge of one even being a possibility.

It’s a fanciful thought at best, and it seems a rumour that stems from some local US journo with the need for a story. Not necessarily one based on fact.

More on this crock of shit here: https://www.speedcafe.com/2023/09/20/no ... ycar-race/

[John]

https://eu.indystar.com/story/sports/mo ... 902652007/

It might be tough to slot Texas in for 2024.

[MonteCristo]

Indianapolis 500 entrant and Thermal Club resident Don Cusick is working to place Cusick Motorsports on the grid of next March’s $1 Million Challenge at the private road course located in Thermal, California.

Provided Cusick is able to strike a deal with an IndyCar team to field an entry, his driver Stefan Wilson will make his return to open-wheel racing after suffering a back injury during practice for May’s Indy 500.

https://racer.com/2023/09/20/cusick-tar ... rmal-club/

Nice.

Looks like it's paying dividends already.

Also:

The format for the Thermal Club $1 Million Challenge will see a qualifying session and two heat races which will take the top six finishers from both heats and transfer them into the All-Star Showcase. From there, a total purse of $1.25 million will be distributed among the top finishers and Thermal Club members who’ve entered the event and joined forces with an IndyCar or, in Cusick’s case, potentially become an entrant with their own team.

[MonteCristo]

Indianapolis 500 entrant and Thermal Club resident Don Cusick is working to place Cusick Motorsports on the grid of next March’s $1 Million Challenge at the private road course located in Thermal, California.

Provided Cusick is able to strike a deal with an IndyCar team to field an entry, his driver Stefan Wilson will make his return to open-wheel racing after suffering a back injury during practice for May’s Indy 500.

https://racer.com/2023/09/20/cusick-tar ... rmal-club/

Nice.

Looks like it's paying dividends already.

Also:

The format for the Thermal Club $1 Million Challenge will see a qualifying session and two heat races which will take the top six finishers from both heats and transfer them into the All-Star Showcase. From there, a total purse of $1.25 million will be distributed among the top finishers and Thermal Club members who’ve entered the event and joined forces with an IndyCar or, in Cusick’s case, potentially become an entrant with their own team.

Story update for the Thermal Club challenge:


Qualifying (8:05 p.m. ET – Saturday, March 23) (IndyCar.com, IndyCar Radio Network)
Based on a random draw dividing the field into two groups, each group receives a 15-minute qualifying session to determine the starting order of their respective heat race the following day.
The Thermal Club $1 Million Challenge (Noon ET – Sunday, March 24) (NBC, Peacock, INDYCAR Radio Network)
Two NTT IndyCar Series heat races will decide the 12-car field for the $1 Million Challenge. Laps under Full Course Yellow will not count. Pit stops for emergency service only will be allowed.
Heat Race 1 (10 Laps)
Top six finishers advance to the final
Heat Race 2 (10 laps)
Top six finishers advance to the final
Final (20 laps)
The field of 12 cars line up according to their finishing positions in each heat race with the finishing order in Heat Race 1 occupying the odd-number starting positions and the finishing order in Heat 2 occupying the even-numbered starting positions. The first driver to complete 20 laps will be named The Thermal Club $1 Million Challenge Champion.
$1 Million Challenge Purse Breakdown

1st Place $1,000,000
2nd Place $700,000
3rd Place $500,000
4th Place $200,000
5th Place $100,000
Sixth through 27th place receive $23,000

[John]

When your gated community is so loaded that you can pay for Indycar to pop by and do an All-star race there.