IRL Silly Season 2008 [Archive] - World Racing Forum

Super Aguri

22nd Dec 2007, 04:21 PM

I updated this first post since the merger has taken place. This is the most current I know at this time as to drivers and teams..

Team Penske (2 Cars)

#3 Helio Castroneves
#6 Ryan Briscoe

Target Chip Ganassi Racing (2 Cars / 1 Partial?)

#9 Scott Dixon
#10 Dan Wheldon
#33 Alex Lloyd
Paul Tracy

Andretti / Green Racing (4 Cars)

#7 Danica Patrick
#11 Tony Kanaan
#26 Marco Andretti
#27 Hideki Mutoh

Rahal / Letterman Racing (2 Cars)

#17 Ryan Hunter-Reay
??

Panther Racing (1 Car)

#4 Vitor Meira

A.J. Foyt Racing (1 Car)

#14 Darren Manning
#41 Pablo Donoso

Vision Racing (3 Cars)

#20 Ed Carpenter
#2 AJ Foyt IV
#22 Alex Lloyd?

Dreyer & Reinbold Racing (2 Cars)

#15 Buddy Rice
#23 Milka Duno (Partial)
#23 Townsend Bell (Partial)

Roth Racing (2 Cars)

#25 Marty Roth
#24 Jay Howard

Conquest Racing (2 Cars)

#34 Franck Perera
#36 Enrique Bernoldi

KV Racing (2 Cars)

#8 Will Power
#5 Oriol Servia

Dale Coyne Racing (2 Cars)

#18 Bruno Junqueria
#19 Mario Moraes

Pacific Coast Motorsports (2 Cars)

#29 Alex Figge
#28 David Martinez

Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing (2 Cars)

#02 Justin Wilson
#06 Graham Rahal

HVM Racing

Ernesto Viso ?

SAMAX Motorsports

# Mario Dominguez

Luczo Dragon Racing (Partial)

#12 Tomas Scheckter

Sarah Fisher Racing (Partial)

#67 Sarah Fisher Racing

Aussie

22nd Dec 2007, 04:26 PM

Nice to see a Aussie driver in there!:D

Super Aguri

22nd Dec 2007, 04:44 PM

Yeah.... I think he might get a win next year.

I'm very pleased at the amount of cars that will be at Homestead.

DanicaRules

22nd Dec 2007, 05:10 PM

You posted this early...;) I was gonna wait until the teams got more finalized but this is good.

There are a lot of open slots available and a lot of possibilities in the talks now so it will be interesting how this plays out as the season draws closer.

EIR Loe.307

22nd Dec 2007, 05:11 PM

Just make sure you EDIT your first post rather than make new posts everytime.

Super Aguri

22nd Dec 2007, 05:30 PM

You posted this early...;) I was gonna wait until the teams got more finalized but this is good.

I know it is a bit early but I am a bit excited already about the 2008 season. :o

Just make sure you EDIT your first post rather than make new posts everytime.

OK :)

DanicaRules

22nd Dec 2007, 05:34 PM

Dont forget Buddy Rice. Last we know, still going to run with D&R Racing but not finalized. Lots of possibilities next year.

DanicaRules

3rd Jan 2008, 11:32 AM

A recent article in a local paper was hinting at the good possibility of Sarah Fisher Racing running full time next year in the IRL.

Sarah has left Dreyer & Reinbold Racing and she along with her husband, Andy O'Gara want to start thier own time as well as Andy's father, John.

Here is an excerpt from the article...

Andy and his dad, John, work at Sarah Fisher Racing, where efforts are under way to obtain sponsorship for the Indianapolis 500 and a full Indy Racing League season.

"Some things are starting to come together," said John O'Gara, former Dreyer & Reinbold team manager. "We're hopeful of being able to put enough together for the full season, not just the 500."

DanicaRules

25th Feb 2008, 11:13 PM

Bad News being reported...:(

Milka Duno has now signed with Dreyer & Reinbold Racing. She will again be driving the #23 car sponsored by Citgo.

The only good thing is she wont be running a full schedule only at select events. D&R losing Sarah and going to her was a turn for the worse, what were they thinking..:confused:

I still say she has no business being on the track with other drivers. She is too slow and becomes a danger to the other drivers.

Driverdb

25th Feb 2008, 11:18 PM

D&R losing Sarah and going to her was a turn for the worse, what were they thinking..:confused:

I'm guessing they were thinking $$$$$$.

DanicaRules

25th Feb 2008, 11:19 PM

I'm guessing they were thinking $$$$$$.

What, losing money ?:confused::D

She will not make them any money. She cant win. Heck, she cant even finish on the lead lap. They are throwing money away with signing her.

Ryan

25th Feb 2008, 11:30 PM

What, losing money ?:confused::D

She will not make them any money. She cant win. Heck, she cant even finish on the lead lap. They are throwing money away with signing her.

She brings sponsorship money, Fisher does not.

EIR Loe.307

26th Feb 2008, 12:09 AM

I agree that it's a bad racing move. Milka is more marketable for sure but Sarah is FAR better a racer. Either way they could sack both and get a better driver that is more marketable and win on both sides. Those aren't the only 2 drivers out there.

Driverdb

26th Feb 2008, 10:40 AM

What, losing money ?:confused::D

She will not make them any money. She cant win. Heck, she cant even finish on the lead lap. They are throwing money away with signing her.

Milka Duno's sponsors will pay the teams bills. Sara Fisher's probably couldn't bring anywhere near the same amount. The team is obviously thinking they will make more money by having Milka paying the bills than they will by winning prize money.

DanicaRules

26th Feb 2008, 11:36 AM

Milka Duno's sponsors will pay the teams bills. Sara Fisher's probably couldn't bring anywhere near the same amount. The team is obviously thinking they will make more money by having Milka paying the bills than they will by winning prize money.

You can thank Citgo for sponsoring which I dont see why they would. They will come to thier senses I hope after a few races when they see how poor of a driver she is. The propaganda with her is over. Last year, she was a fiasco in the IRL. She does not belong there.

Driverdb

26th Feb 2008, 01:51 PM

She does not belong there.

As motorsport is pretty damn expensive there will always be pay drivers occupying good seats that someone better really belonged in. It's always been like that and it probably always will. :mad:

By the way, Citgo has sponsored her since 2004 or something, so they should really know by now. Obviously they are not that interested in results, they apparently just wants to spend money on a Michael Jackson look-a-like.

DanicaRules

27th Feb 2008, 05:33 AM

Well, its official now. Ed Carpenter and AJ Foyt IV will be driving for Vision Racing this year. I also edited the front page.

KillerNut

29th Feb 2008, 02:23 AM

Rayhal Letterman still hasn't found a replacement for Scott Sharpe. I don't know for sure that they want to, but I saw today the Paul Tracy is now available and motivated to get into Indy Car.

Seems to me to be a good fit?

Does anyone else still have openings?

DanicaRules

29th Feb 2008, 05:37 AM

Yes, Forsythe Racing will not switch over to Indycar, so Paul Tracy will be available.

Im sure Paul is working the phones and he will be picked up by some team. Be an interesting development.

Ryan

1st Mar 2008, 01:39 AM

Paul Tracy has been offered a ride by Tony George's Vision Racing team, but has turned it down saying he's hopeful of a drive with a championship contender.

Andretti-Green Racing has already confirmed Tracy won't be with them leaving the likely spots as Penske or Target Chip Ganassi Racing. Ganassi racing is said to be the likely candidate as Ganassi wants their Pro-Series driver Alex Lloyd driving for Vision in 2008 but don't want to pay George to run him, so George could request that Ganassi field a third car for Tracy.

Tracy has also said he won't drive for less than $1 million.

saltysurprise

1st Mar 2008, 01:43 AM

Paul Tracy has been offered a ride by Tony George's Vision Racing team, but has turned it down saying he's hopeful of a drive with a championship contender.

Tracy has also said he won't drive for less than $1 million.

And who could blame him? If he's not in it this year, I'm gonna be hard pressed to watch the series.

He's a smart dude, and I'm sure he can make better use of his time and his ventures than occupying a back marker.

DanicaRules

1st Mar 2008, 02:07 AM

The local rumor is Ganassi picking him up. But I cant see that since they acquired Alex Lloyd this year.

Ryan

1st Mar 2008, 02:13 AM

The local rumor is Ganassi picking him up. But I cant see that since they acquired Alex Lloyd this year.

Read my post, Ganassi wants Lloyd to drive for George's Vision Racing team.

Get the kid some experience in the big leagues before putting him on a top team.

DanicaRules

1st Mar 2008, 02:50 AM

Alex Lloyd is up in the air right now. He may be a partial driver for Ganassi in the #33 car or full time with Vision in the #22 car. A decision should be made very soon.

I updated the first post in this thread with the latest driver and team information.

gordo634

3rd Mar 2008, 06:40 PM

Is this for sure or is it speculation? I've seen nothing to confirm this. I thought SAMAX had sold their ICS chassis'?:confused:

DanicaRules

3rd Mar 2008, 08:16 PM

Is this for sure or is it speculation? I've seen nothing to confirm this. I thought SAMAX had sold their ICS chassis'?:confused:

This is the latest buzz coming out of the Indy Track around here. Also speculation of Samax partnering with Dreyer & Reinbold Racing.

DanicaRules

12th Mar 2008, 09:12 PM

Well, KV Racing will comprise of Will Power and Oriol Servia this year in the IRL.

Keith Riggins will be running HVM Racing this year as well. His driver will possibly be Ernesto Viso.

I love all this shuffling going on near the start of the season. Interesting.

Ryan

12th Mar 2008, 09:31 PM

DanicaRules

12th Mar 2008, 09:41 PM

This sort of stuff is supposed to be all sorted out by the previous December so teams can get down to testing. The established teams are just going to walk all over these new teams, while IRL fans point to it as proof of how IRL was superior.

It's a very unprofessional move leaving it this late. But then again unprofessional moves are nothing new for Tony George and the IRL.

I have always agreed that the new teams will struggle this first year. Even if this was all finalized late in the fall last year, that wouldnt of left a whole lot more time to get ready either. But again, this had to happen. ChampCar wouldnt of made it a whole season this year. You and I both know that. Some champcar teams will be doing testing at Sebring next week.

But I do think the majority of the IRL drivers are better. Even the next couple years I believe we will see that they are.

Ryan

12th Mar 2008, 09:49 PM

I'm not saying it was bad, I'm saying was rushed and is not fairly treating the Champ Car drivers.

2009 would have been better. But the big thing is that IRL needs a new chassis. The Dallaras they have now are a step back for the Champ Car teams. Not to mention it is possibly the ugliest car is all of racing.

Harakimi

13th Mar 2008, 06:49 AM

2009 would have been better. But the big thing is that IRL needs a new chassis. The Dallaras they have now are a step back for the Champ Car teams. Not to mention it is possibly the ugliest car is all of racing.

Yeah I was giggling by myself yesterday when DR mentioned on other thread that older F1 cars look funny, to me CART rides have looked the same from early 80's to today.

This is rare but I agree with DR that IRL drivers are better....ON OVALS! :lol: As far as I know, the majority of races after this merger will be held on ovals, right? :wonder:

saltysurprise

13th Mar 2008, 06:59 AM

As far as I know, the majority of races after this merger will be held on ovals, right? :wonder:

It currently looks that way..:wonder:

DanicaRules

13th Mar 2008, 08:09 AM

This is rare but I agree with DR that IRL drivers are better....ON OVALS! :lol: As far as I know, the majority of races after this merger will be held on ovals, right? :wonder:
Well, for 2008, it will most likely be 3 street courses added. This will bring the total to 8 street/road courses. The remaining 11 races are ovals (thank goodness, I love ovals;)) For 2009, it remains to be seen.

And dont worry, the IRL drivers will handle thier own on the street courses. The AGR team is solid on street/road courses. (Kanaan, Andretti), even Danica improved greatly last year, she will hang with any champcar driver. Dont forget Scott Dixon who is very good on a street course.

And what are you saying Harakimi, that you dont agree with my racing views very often ?;)

EIR Loe.307

13th Mar 2008, 08:14 AM

I think all said, 8 Road / 11 Oval is a good balance for the series. 9/10 might be better but I'll take it. :thumbsup:

Harakimi

13th Mar 2008, 08:15 AM

Well, for 2008, it will most likely be 3 street courses added. This will bring the total to 8 street/road courses. The remaining 11 races are ovals (thank goodness, I love ovals;)) For 2009, it remains to be seen.

So 2008 is total 11 ovals and 8 road tracks = 19 races? Great, I thought that it's going to be like 20+3.

And what are you saying Harakimi, that you dont agree with my racing views very often ?;)

yyyep! :lol:

DanicaRules

13th Mar 2008, 08:21 AM

So 2008 is total 11 ovals and 8 road tracks = 19 races? Great, I thought that it's going to be like 20+3.

yyyep! :lol:
The IRL only had 16 races on thier schedule for 2008. And so far for any other races being added that is 99% confirmed are 3 more, Long Beach included. But remember, IRL teams wont be there, they will be at Twin Ring Motegi. The finalized 2008 schedule is still not out yet. I would like to see more races than 19.

I would like a 60% oval, 40% road/street courses myself. But for a longer and better season, I will take 50/50.:o