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| Simona De Silvestro tests her 2013 ride at Texas (PHOTO: KV RACING) |
The 2012 IndyCar season was one of the best we have been treated to since the devastating split of CART and the IRL in 1996. We can expect more of the same in 2013 if we don't let the backroom politics and backstabbing of the sport get in the way of that. With the loss of Lotus at the end of the 2012 season we can expect more cars and teams getting a shot this year, as per the IndyCar rule book, Chevy and Honda each have to provide 60% of the field.
In this post I will break down where the cars, teams and drivers will end up for the 2013 season, but don't take my word as the end-all be-all because I am probably way off the mark on some of these.
Bold drivers are confirmed, Plain are rumored, and Italicised are speculative.
ANDRETTI AUTOSPORT (4)- CHEVY
#1 Ryan Hunter Reay- Last year's champion had an offer from Roger Penske to take over Ryan Briscoe's former ride at the end of last year. Hunter-Reay politely declined and then took the Championship from Penske's Will Power.
#25 Marco Andretti- Marco seems to have all of the Andretti luck but none of the successes of his Father and Grandfather. Maybe his change of number will help him.
#27 James Hinchcliffe- Was in the championship hunt for most of the season last year but didn't get a win. Expect this to change.
#TBA Ryan Briscoe- The fourth full-season Andretti Autosport car seems like a certainty and Ryan Briscoe seems to be on the top of the list to drive. Was originally supposed to be for Sebastian Bourdais but the funding fell through. Presuming the funding is there for Briscoe, this could be a team to watch.
#TBA Carlos Munoz- This will be an Indy 500 only entry for Indy Lights graduate Carlos Munoz, possibly in conjunction with AFS Racing.
TEAM PENSKE (2)- CHEVY#2 TBA- Apparently this car is still available to Briscoe but the funding to run it is not there. Potentially we could see it at Indy.
#3 Helio Castroneves- Helio extended his carrier at Team Penske last year by showing great form and scoring two wins.
#12 Will Power- Someday Will Power will break through and win the IndyCar Championship, he will be the one to beat once again in 2013.
CHIP GANASSI RACING (3)- HONDA#9 Scott Dixon- Dixon had a productive year last year and took third in the championship, despite the fact he might be in the twilight of his carrier he is still a threat for the championship and the Indy 500.
#10 Dario Franchitti- Depending on how the year goes it is rumored this may be the last year we see the flying Scot in a car, the goal this year likely is to join the four-time winner's club at Indianapolis.
#38 TBA- Ryan Briscoe is on the top of the list for this car as well. Really it depends on the funding if we see the #38 next year. Memo Rojas, who has funding from Telmex and races for Ganassi in the Grand-Am Rolex Series, has expressed interest in the seat. We might see this car as an Indy 500 only entry.
#83 Charlie Kimball- Kimball showed vast improvement last year with a brilliant drive at Toronto that saw him take second-place. If Kimball shows more of the same he might be the prime candidate for the #10 car when Dario retires. Stranger things have happened.
KV RACING TECHNOLOGIES (2)- CHEVY#8 Simona De Silvestro- After having a lack-luster season for HVM's Lotus powered team we finally get the oppertunity to see Simona with a strong team, with a strong engine. She might be a dark-horse at places like Brazil or St. Petersburg.
#11 Tony Kannan- TK starts his third season with the KV team. Had things worked out differently he had wins at both Texas and Indianapolis. If KV can figure out their qualifying setups he could be a threat on the road courses as well.
SAM SCHMIDT MOTORSPORTS (2)- HONDA#77 Simon Pagenaud- The IndyCar rookie of the year is a future star, no doubt about it. If he wasn't locked into a contract with Schmidt he would be racing for Penske this year. Expect him to battle Power, Hunter-Reay, and Dixon for the Championship.
#99 Rubens Barrichello- Rubens is looking to take Hekki Kovalienen's seat at the Caterham-Renault Formula One team, but likely will be passed over for someone bringing a large check. Will likely see him paired with Pagenaud at Schmidt.
DALE COYNE RACING (2)- HONDA#18 Justin Wilson- Wilson is one of the most talented drivers in the field and proved that at Texas by saving his tires and passed a limping Graham Rahal with two laps to go to win. If more luck would go his way we could see him in the winner's circle more often.
#19 James Jakes- Dale Coyne has found himself a nice little driver with James Jakes. The Englishman has steadily improved and might be a podium contender this year if dealt the right cards.
RAHAL-LETTERMAN-LANIGAN RACING (2)- HONDA#15 Graham Rahal- Nepotism has finally struck young Rahal's carrier, who has only driven for his father on one other occasion, the 2010 Indianapolis 500. However, the RLL Team is one of the strongest in the paddock and Graham has the potential to be a threat at every race, especially the Indy 500.
#30 Takuma Sato- This was another seat that was in the sights of Ryan Briscoe but it looks like the most likely driver will be Sato, who is a Honda favorite and looked strong last year but crashed a few too many times.
BARRACUDA-VISO VENEZUELA RACING (2)- HONDA#5 E.J. Viso- Viso has funding from the Venezuelan owned Citgo oil company and is looking for an opportunity to start his own team to help his countrymen find rides in top-tier motorsports he may have found in in the former Bryan Herta Autosport team.
#98 Alex Tagliani- After receiving the Honda power plant at the Indinapolis 500 the Bryan Herta Autosport team looked great with Tagliani dominating at Edmonton only to pick the wrong tire compound on the last stint and lose the race to Castroneves. It is unknown if the partnership with Viso will be positive or negative.
PANTHER DRR RACING (2)- CHEVY#4 JR Hildebrand- Hildebrand suffered a sophomore slump in 2012 but with the aid of the Oriol Servia in the second half of the season he showed some of the promise he showed in 2011.
#22 Oriol Servia- It was a year to forget last year for Oriol Servia but this year has some positives to look forward to, not the least of which is the fact that he is with the same team for the second year in a row for the first time since the ChampCar days.
DRAGON RACING (2)- CHEVY#6 Katherine Legge- 2012 was a year to get re-acquainted with the high speed American-Open Wheel scene after a few years racing for Audi in the DTM. Legge is expected back at Dragon but it is not confirmed at this time. She showed promise in the final race of the season at Fontana running in the top 5 for the first half of the race.
#7 Sebastian Bourdais- Bourdais was rumored to be nearly signed at Andretti Autosport but the funding fell through. He has been confirmed back at Dragon for next year and has the potential to threaten for race wins on a weekly basis.
SARAH FISHER-HARTMAN RACING (1)- HONDA#67 Josef Newgarden- Perhaps the most impressive car/driver combination of 2012 was the Fisher Harman team and Josef Newgarden. While they couldn't put it all together they showed that this team could be a winning combination and with a year under his belt Newgarden could deliver on all his promise.
FOYT RACING (2)- HONDA#14 TBA (Bertand Baguette/Takuma Sato)- One of the strangest and most intriguing cases this off-season is who is going to drive the #14 AJ Foyt Racing car. For a while it seemed like Ryan Brisoce was destined for this seat but now that does not seem like it will happen. Belgian Bertand Baguette seems to be one of the front runners for this seat but it all depends on whether he wants to continue racing at Le Mans next year. The Honda connection would indicate Takuma Sato might also be a candidate and his driving style seems to match Foyt's style. It might also help that Sato would be bringing a Honda check and AJ has never met a check he didn't like.
#41 Wade Cunningham/Mike Conway- This car could end up being the 14 but Honda wants all of their teams to have two cars next year, potentially Cunningham and Conway could split this car with Wade on the ovals and Mike on the Road and Street courses.
#48 Chase Austin- Austin was confirmed as an Indy 500 entry for AJ Foyt way back in the middle of the year. Austin looks to be the third African-American to start the Indianapolis 500. He is a veteran of the Indy Lights Series and the NASCAR Camping World Trucks Series.
#20 Ed Carpenter- The best oval track driver in the series is also one of the best team owners, winning with his newly founded team in only its first year at Fontana. He will be a treat at all ovals and possibly could have a second car at Indy.
CONQUEST RACING (1)- CHEVY#34 Martin Plowman- As long as the Lotus debacle is over and team owner Eric Bachelart can get an engine lease, you will see them on the grid. Martin Plowman drives their ALMS car and has made a couple starts for AFS Racing in IndyCar. The stars just seem to align on that one. Ana Beatriz might also be considered.
MICHAEL SHANK RACING (1)- TBA
#66 Jay Howard- Another team that is dependent on the Lotus debacle to be done. Owns a DW-12 chassis just needs an engine. Jay Howard was lined up for this ride last year and I would assume that it is the same this year. May also take a pay driver.
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