IndyCars - The off-season: Series news and comment until the March 2014 kick-off

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A day of Road to Indy news…

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First off, the ranks of Indy Lights CONFIRMED drivers swelled as big Cajun Christian Bogle will switch horses for his sophomore season of the Lights, going from Carlin / Jay Howard to HMD Motorsports. Christian will team with already-confirmed fellow sophomores Danial Frost and Benjamin Pedersen.

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Christian Bogle

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Bogle is one of the bigger guys in the sports and it’s always been hard to fit him in the junior formula cars, but HMD seems to have found a way, and Christian thinks that will help a ton.

Said the 20-year-old, “I am still fairly new to motorsports compared to my competitors but feel the home I have found at HMD Motorsports will help accelerate my progress with the help of some very fast teammates. We have had several test days together [with HMD] already and have been able to get to know one another. The way they have fit me to the car is the most comfortable I have ever been, and that is showing in the on-track progress. They have welcomed me with open arms and surrounded me with the people that I need to improve as a driver.”

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In USF2000 news DEForce Racing has announced that Dylan Christie will move to the team for his sophomore season as their 2nd CONFIRM for USF2000, joining Thomas Nepveu.

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Dylan was the 2020 Vice Champion of FRP F1600, driving for Team Pelfrey and WINNING 4 races. In his rookie season of USF2000 for Turn 3 Motorsports Dylan posted 4 TOP TENS.

Dylan drove for DEForce at the Chris Griffis Memorial Test in late October and was one of the big surprises of the Test, posting 4 TOP FIVES in the crowded field, with a best of P2 in the rainy 1st session. The 18-year-old could have a breakout year in 2022.

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Newman Wachs Racing is returning to the Road to Indy. The team was a part of the Road to Indy in USF2000 since 2006. Between 2010 and 2015 they were absent, but returned to USF2000 in 2016. Then, in 2020 they shifted over and up to Formula Regional Americas, where they collected 4 WINS with drivers Victor Franzoni, Jordan Missig, Ian Rodriguez, and Jacob Abel.

Now, team principal Brian Halahan in announcing that NWR will join the fray in Indy Pro 2000, buying two brand new Tatuus PM-22 chassis to do so.

Said Brian, “I am extremely happy to be returning to the Road to Indy for the 2022 Indy Pro 2000 series. Andersen Promotions runs a very professional program and I look forward to being a part of it again on the team level. The new car is an extremely high-quality product, and we’ve taken the necessary time to prep our cars to our high standards. The team and I are going into the season with the goal of putting NWR in the fight for podiums and wins with the ultimate goal of battling for the championship.”

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No word yet on who will be in those two chassis at the start of the season.

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Jan Heylen awarded the Porsche Cup for 2021…

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We call IndyCar driver Jan Heylen one of the finest Porsche pilots in North America and apparently Porsche agrees with us, as this week they have awarded the former Champ Car driver the annual Porsche Cup, given to the finest performing non-factory Porsche driver in the world.

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Jan Heylen

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In 2021 Jan captured no less than THREE prestigious SportsCar titles driving Posches. They included:

• The Fanatec GT World Challenge America Pro-Am class honors alongside Fred Poordad.

• The IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup for the GTD class within the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, alongside Trent Hindman and Patrick Long.

• The IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge GS-class Championship, which he claimed on his own.

In all three cases Jan was driving for Wright Motorsports. He will continue to do so in 2022 as one of the two drivers in the # 16 Wright Motorsports GTD Pro class Porsche 911 GT3 R in the WeatherTech series. His co-driver in the car will be Ryan Hardwick, who was with him for several races in the Michelin Pilot Challenge # 16 Porsche Cayman GT4 in 2021.

Porsche has awarded him with a brand new road car and a trophy for his efforts.

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We are SO PROUD to claim Jan as an IndyCar driver!

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IndyCar young lions will invade Daytona in the LMP2 class…

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Announced today, three young IndyCar drivers - Pato O’Ward, Colton Herta and Devlin DeFrancesco - will come together with Eric Lux to drive the # 81 ORECA 07 Gibson for DragonSpeed in the LMP2 class of the WeatherTech SportsCar Chanmpionship for the Rolex 24 at Daytona, this January.

All three are graduates of Indy Lights, with Pato also taking the Lights title in 2018. Pato was also the IMSA Prototype Challenge Champion in 2017, while Devlin has driven prototypes in the Rolex 24 at Daytona for three of the last four years. Only Herta has no prototype experience, but he owns a Rolex watch for WINNING the GTLM class of the iconic race for Rahal Letterman Lanigan in 2018.

33-year-old Eric Lux is the old man on the squad, with a career full of great SportsCar driving.

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The 2022 # 81 DragonSpeed ORECA 07 Gibson for Eric, Pato, Colton and Devlin

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Very enthused about the squad was team principal Elton Julian:

“This gives our streak of attracting the best driving talent to DragonSpeed another massive bump. We already know how well Eric and Devlin can perform with us at Daytona from last year, and adding two of IndyCar’s brightest stars to our 2022 squad makes our prospects even more exciting. Most of our LMP2 rivals are capable of delivering a fast, efficient, and reliable run. We aim to do the same and give our all-stars — all with plenty of Daytona experience — the platform they need to make the difference.”

Elton Julian

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Said Devlin, “The Rolex 24 is always an awesome way to kick off the racing season and I’m really looking forward to returning in 2022 with DragonSpeed and having my old friends Pato and Colton as part of the package. I have a big season ahead stepping into IndyCar but I always find Daytona an energizing start to the. I expect that will be even more so this January sharing the experience with Colton and Pato! I really enjoyed driving with Elton and the team last year and to return with this line-up in 2022 is just brilliant.”

Devlin DeFrancesco
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Said Colton, “I’m pretty comfortable at Daytona, but I’ve never driven a prototype before so I’ll be focused on getting to grips with that. I can’t wait to get stuck in with Devlin and Pato. I’ve been really good friends with them for a long time and to team up together at the Rolex is going to be a lot of fun, and I’m looking forward just a much to working with Eric as one of the top Bronze drivers.

“Driving in races like the Rolex is so good for your development as a driver, preparing you for different situations and making you more adaptable in terms of race strategy and driving approach.”

Colton Herta

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Said Pato, “I think it’s a great line-up which gives us a real shot at winning. We’re all part of the same generation, so coming together for this race makes a very cool reunion.”

Pato O’Ward

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Eric Lux was only 16 years old in his first Rolex 24. He said of the news, “2022 marks my 19th season competing in sportscars and my 12th Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona. I’ve come so close to winning this race on several occasions, and for it to become a reality you need the right team, the right car, and the right teammates.

“I’ve known Elton as a teammate, team owner, and friend over the past ten years, and I’m confident that with DragonSpeed, Devlin, Colton, and Pato, we have what it takes to fight for the win. It’s truly an honor to share the car with these guys, and I can’t wait to get down to business at the Roar!”

Eric Lux

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We can’t wait to watch!

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USF Juniors is getting some names added to their rolls

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Kart racing powerhouse International Motorsport will contest its first season in the open-wheel ranks with entry in the YACademy Winter Series and the new Road to Indy series, USF Juniors in 2022. American Justin Garat and Frenchman Alan Isambard were named as drivers, continuing a long history with the team from their karting platforms. The pair will compete in the February YACademy Winter Series at Sebring International Raceway and Homestead-Miami Speedway in preparation for their racing debut in USF Juniors at Ozarks International Raceway on April 23-24.

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Alan Isambard shaking down the International Motorsport Ligier Honda

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Said team principal Carlos Martinez, “We have high expectations for this new stage. We are ready to join YACademy as a preamble to USF Juniors, and have three cars ready and two drivers confirmed. There is a lot of work ahead but the team is mentally and technically prepared to meet this new challenge and learn more about open-wheel racing."

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In more USF Juniors news, DEForce Racing has announced two drivers for the debut season of 2022. They are Jake Bonilla and Maxwell Jamieson.

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Houstonian Maxwell Jaimeson drove in U.S. F4 for DEForce in 2021, so he is very familiar with the Honda-powered Ligier which is the series chassis for both F4 and USF Juniors. San Antonio’s Jake Bonilla has 3 years in F4, mostly driving for Jensen Global Advisors.

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Maxwell Jamieson

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…and Jake Bonilla

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With their familiarity with the Ligier, both should give DEForce a good debut season of USF Juniors. More to follow as we get closer to the start of the new series.

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New USF Juniors team - DC Autosport with Cape Motorsports…

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Race Engineer Don Conner and team owners and brothers Nicolas and *Dominic Cape successfully took young Kyle Kirkwood to the U.S. F4 title in 2017. The following year, Don wanted to be an owner instead of just an employee, and DC Autosport was formed and allied with Cape Motorsports. That 2-year alliance took Dakota Dickerson to the U.S. F4 title, too.

Now, Connor will rejoin with the Capes to once again form DC Autosport with Cape Motorsports and field a 3-car effort in the Road to Indy’s new USF Juniors series for 2022.

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Kyle Kirkwood - 2017 U.S. F4 Champ with Don Connor and the Cape Brothers

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The attraction for Connor and the Capes? USF Juniors costs about the same as running a car in U.S. F4 but it has the added benefit of a $200,000 scholarship for the Champion and a tie-in with the rest of the Road to Indy.

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Said Connor, “I’m looking forward to working with the Capes again in this new series. USF Juniors is at the same price point as F4 and we’ll be affiliated with the Road to Indy, which is very professionally run. The drivers will be held to a very high standard. Also, the scholarship program is very clear-cut, with continuity throughout the Road to Indy ladder.

“It’s great to be back under the Cape Motorsports umbrella. We’ll help each other in any way we can, as we all have strengths in different — and complementary — areas. We’ve won a lot of championships over the years so I’m looking forward to bringing that effort to USF Juniors. We are speaking with several top-notch drivers who are capable of running at the front, so I expect to be doing well straight away, since we know the car and all but one of the racetracks.”

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a DC Autosport w/ Cape Motorsports Ligier Honda at Sebring in test

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USF Juniors is attracting top talent on the team level and that should make for great racing.

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Vasser Sullivan names their 2022 GTD class squad for the WeatherTech series…

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In 2022 the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship will drop the GTLM class and begin running GTD class and GTD Pro Class - the latter to replace GTLM class. GTD powerhouse team Vasser Sullivan will field 1 car in each class. We have already detailed their GTD Pro class effort in post # 1562, with Ben Barnicoat and IndyCar driver Jack Hawksworth driving the # 14 Lexus RCF GT3, and IndyCar driver Kyle Kirkwood as the endurance race “add”.

Yesterday, the team announced the squad for the GTD class effort. In the # 12 Lexus RCF GT3 will be Frankie Montecalvo and IndyCar driver Aaron Telitz with Richard Heistand in as the team’s endurance add.

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Individually Aaron, Frankie and Richard each have WINS and podiums with Vasser Sullivan, so it made sense to bring them together as co-drivers. Telitz is the team’s most consistent pole-winner, so the GTD squad may surpass the GTD Pro squad on pole positions in 2022.

Said Aaron, “I’m thrilled to be taking the reins of the No. 12 Lexus RCF GT3 for Vasser Sullivan. I started my IMSA career in the 12 car before moving to the 14 and it’s been an amazing two years of full-time running with Jack (Hawksworth) in GTD. Now, Frankie and I are reuniting to lead the 12 side in GTD for Vasser Sullivan and Lexus. We’ve got Richard on board as the endurance driver, which is big too, as we have three guys who all have experience in the RC F and know what it takes to win in it.”

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Noah Ping on his way to USF Juniors with Velocity Racing Development in 2022…

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Duluth, Georgia’s 19-year-old Noah Ping is the sort of driver that the new USF Juniors series was meant to attract. The young multi-dimensional athlete (he’s also a semi-pro hockey player), has comparatively very little racing experience but shows promise in a race car. He will team with young, fellow rookie Nikita Johnson - already CONFIRMED - at VRD for the debut season of USF Juniors in 2022.

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Noah Ping in the Velocity Racing Development # 29 Ligier Honda

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Noah’s previous racing experience is in the Blue Marble Radical Cup North America series where he collected 2 WINS and a third podium in 2021 and was named Rookie of the Year.

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Noah in his # 55 SR3 Radical for Primal Racing at Road America.

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Said Noah, “I’m extremely excited to be racing and training with Dan Mitchell and Velocity Racing Development in the new USF Juniors series. I’m looking forward to competing in this championship and showcasing my skills with Velocity Racing Development’s proven success. It’s going to be a fun year.”

Noah Ping

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Like most USF Juniors drivers, Ping will contest the YACademy Winter Series for USF Juniors in February in preparation for his professional open-wheel racing debut in April at Ozarks International Raceway.

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FF1600 ace Jonathan Browne is going racing in Indy Pro 2000 in 2022…

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…with old friends at Turn 3 Motorsports. The now-21-year-old Irishman was driving for Cliff Dempsey Racing when he WON the Formula Ford Festival in the team’s Ray GR19 FF1600. He then went on to WIN 5 times at the Champion of Brands event for successor team Low Dempsey Racing.

As he comes to the United States to do a rookie season of Indy Pro 2000 he naturally chose Turn 3 Motorsports, headed by former Indy Lights Freedom 100 WINNER Peter Dempsey of the great Dempsey racing family.

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Jonathan Browne to drive for Peter Dempsey

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While FF1600 is a wingless category, Browne does have experience on slicks and with wings having contested the final three rounds of the 2021 GB3 season with Hillspeed and claiming a podium on his debut. GB3 was known as the BRDC British Formula 3 Championship prior to August of 2021.

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Said Jonathan, I’m really looking forward to getting this season underway in the next couple of months. Having personally known Peter for a long time now, I know that I will be getting a top car with top personnel and should settle in quickly. This season will have a steep learning curve with a new car and also new tracks to learn, but I’m ready to get going and look forward to see what we can achieve together.

“A huge thanks to Turn 3 Motorsport for giving me the opportunity to compete in the USA as I’ve only competed in Europe and England before, but I’m excited to experience what it has to offer.”

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Jonathan will team with already-CONFIRMED Josh Green, who WON his first Road to Indy race for Turn 3 in the USF2000 category in 2021, and is moving up to IP2K for the team in 2022.
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The Off-Season thread wishes you and yours a happy holiday season!

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See you in the new year!

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Great video!..The best in-car radio moments of 2021…

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Here’s your chance to re-live the 2021 season with great moments of radio chatter between the drivers and their teams as they ply their trade. Lots of moments of joy, rage and drama, here.

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BEST IN-CAR RADIO MOMENTS OF THE 2021 SEASON

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Thanks for that, IndyCar.

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It’s a NEW YEAR!

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IndyCar racing was one of the few sports and series that got successfully through 2021 with itself largely intact and with a championship well earned and awarded. We expect 2022 to be even closer to back to normal in all respects…

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…and our 2022 grid girl signifies that, so beautifully. Bring it on!!!

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IndyCar drivers at the Rolex 24 at Daytona…

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The first big race of the 2022 season is the Rolex 24 at Daytona - IMSA’s longest Michelin Endurance Cup race within the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season. In late January the usual team squads will be enhanced by extra drivers - “adds” to get the cars through 24 hours of near full-on racing. MANY of them are IndyCar and Road to Indy drivers who would otherwise be watching the racing from the comfort of their couches. They always contribute greatly to the excitement and it’s one of the principal reason we follow the IMSA gang through their tasks.

We have learned of four more IndyCar adds for the 2022 iteration of the great race:

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First, Meyer Shank Racing’s newest IndyCar driver, Simon Pagenaud, will be the 4th add for the Rolex 24 in MSR’s DPi class # 60 Acura ARX-05 Dpi, joining full-timers Oliver Jarvis and Tom Blomqvist and fellow endurance IndyCar add Helio Castroneves who WON this race in 2021, driving then for Wayne Taylor Racing in their own Acura. Pagenaud is a superb SportsCar veteran who will make this team a WIN contender from the drop of the green.

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Simon Pagenaud

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Second, IndyCar veteran and broadcaster Townsend Bell has announced that he will be the 4th driver in the # 12 Vasser Sullivan Lexus RCF GT3 in the GTD class, joining regulars Aaron Telitz (another IndyCar driver) Frankie Montecalvo and endurance driver Richard Heistand.

This will be Bell’s eighth Rolex 24. He is the 2015 IMSA GTD class Champion, the 2014 Rolex 24 at Daytona GTD class WINNER and the 2016 24 Hours of Le Mans WINNER in the GTE-AM class. In 2019, Bell co-drove the Vasser Sullivan Lexus RC F GT3 to a P2 finish in the team’s Rolex 24 debut. It’s hard to think of a better candidate for the car.

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Townsend Bell

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Alegra Motorsports will contest the 4-race IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Endurance Cup Championship in the GTD class, beginning with the Rolex 24, driving a Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo. The drivers for the event will be Daniel Morad, Michael de Quesada, Maximilian Goetz and Indy Lights driver Linus Lundqvist. This will be Linus’ 2nd Rolex 24, having debuted in 2019 in a GTD class Lamborghini Huracan for Precision Performance Motorsports.

Said Linus, “I’m highly excited to be going back to Daytona for a second time, and I really want to thank Alegra Motorsports for giving me the opportunity to race with them. We have a strong line-up and, even though I’m yet to drive it, I’ve heard many good things about the Mercedes-AMG GT3. I can’t wait to hit the track; there’s no better way to start the year than this!”

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Linus Lundqvist

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Finally, two Road to Indy aces will drive for Muehlner Motorsports in the LMP3 class. The team’s usual series mount is the # 6 Duqueine D08, pole WINNER and podium finisher at last year’s Rolex 24. It returns for 2022, featuring Moritz Kranz and newcomers Efrin Castro, Ayrton Ori and Joel Miller. Added for the Rolex 24 will be a 2nd Duqueine, the # 26 to be piloted by Charles Crews and Ugo De Wilde and two Indy Pro 2000 drivers, Cameron Shields and Nolan Siegel. 21-year-old Cameron will be making his SportsCar debut for the race but 17-year-old Nolan Siegel is an old hand at SportsCars, having made his 3-race debut in a GS class Audi in 2020. He then went on to WIN the WRL series 8-Hour Enduro at Circuit of the Americas in an Aston Martin. Nolan knows endurance racing.

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Cameron Shields…

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…and Nolan Siegel

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Said Nolan, "I am very excited to be joining Muehlner Motorsports for the Rolex 24. It will be my first time running the race and I am glad that it will be with such an experienced group of people and great co-drivers. It will be a challenge, but we are in it to win it and I can’t wait to get on track!”

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There will be MORE IndyCar drivers announced this month - to be sure.

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Indy Light news for 2022…

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First and foremost, Andretti Autosport has finally CONFIRMED Matthew Brabham as one of their Indy Lights pilots for 2022. Matty tested with the team in October at the Chris Griffis Memorial, and did very well, considering his last outing in a Lights car was in 2015.

Brabham is one of the Road to Indy’s greatest aces, with titles in USF2000 in 2012, and Indy Pro 2000 in 2013. He ran the full Lights season for Andretti in 2014 and finished 4th in the title hunt. He ran a few races in 2015 in the then brand new Dallara chassis but ran out of budget and had to quit. He tried a run at the Indy 500 for Pirtek in 2016 but the car was plagued with problems. Since then, the 27-year-old has WON three championships in the Stadium Super Trucks series and has been a one-off hired gun in several other series. Most recently he filled in at a Trans Am race at Austin - his first-ever drive in a TA2 car - and WON! Brabham is a multi-talented hot shoe.

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"Matty Brabs" - ready to drive for Andretti again

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Said Matty, “I’m extremely grateful to Michael, JF (Thorman), and everyone who is a part of Andretti Autosport. They have given me many great opportunities over the years, including this one. We have accomplished amazing results together. We have won a total of 14 races and a championship in the past. I’m absolutely ecstatic to be back racing full time in a proper open-wheel car again with a top team. I feel it’s where I’ve always belonged. I’m willing to give everything I have at this and more to follow my dream of getting back into the IndyCar Series.”

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Matty joins a squad with rookies Hunter McElrea and Christian Rasmussen and sophomore Sting Ray Robb. That’s a lot of talent from one team.

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Next, TJ Speed Motorsports has announced that Ireland’s James Roe will be an Indy Lights driver for them in 2022 alongside their already-CONFIRMED Formula Regional Americas Champion Kyffin Simpson.

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James Roe

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The Irishman WON the last race of the 2021 Indy Pro 2000 season, is also a race-WINNER in Formula Regional Americas and has been racing in America since 2018 when he was F2000 Championship Series Vice-Champion and appeared in the last Road to Indy Shootout, followed by a season of USF2000.

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Said the 23-year-old, “I am extremely happy to be joining TJ Speed this coming season. The goal has been to be a driver in the IndyCar series, and this is another step in my climb to achieve that goal.

“This program is all down to the fantastic partners involved. I’m extremely grateful for the opportunity and look forward to getting to work right away with the team. We are under no illusion of what it takes to perform in Indy Lights, and I’m confident in the team around me.”

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continued…

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Indy Light news for 2022…(part 2)…

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After a bit of a delay the Indy Lights series has finally released their 2022 schedule, and we have it here:

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The schedule is 14 races on 11 venues. Included are:

• 8 races on natural road courses
• 4 races on street course
• 2 races on ovals.
• 3 double header weekends

NOT included is the Freedom 100, which until the Penske era was the most important race of the season and always one of the finest races in motorsports, but Roger Penske hates anything but IndyCars racing around the Speedway, so that race will never return as long as he is in charge of the venue. A GREAT SHAME.

All the races will be in conjunction with an IndyCar race at the same place on the same weekend and that allows the talented Lights drivers to display those talents in front of prospective team owners.

A series of test days also will be included in the overall calendar for the 2022 season, at the IMS road course (Tuesday, April 5), World Wide Technology Raceway (Wednesday, June 15) and Iowa Speedway (Wednesday, June 22).

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The Indy Lights released this nice little video to go with the schedule:

INDY NXT

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All the races will be available on Peacock, which is NBC’s streaming service.

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Indy Lights took over the Sebring short course on Tuesday…

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There was a big test on Tuesday and no less than 12 drivers showed up to race around Sebring International Raceway’s short course, which simulates IndyCar street courses very well. It is both bumpy and fast in spots - perfect for courses like Belle Isle and Toronto. The short course - also known as the club course - looks like a shoe and has its own pit lane, apart from the big pits on the full course.

The times below are not official but pretty close to perfectly taken.

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Sebring’s short course - Turns 3 to 13B and back again

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Here was the order of speed for the Indy Lights test at Sebring, with times for all: [R] denotes rookie

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1 - Benjamin Pedersen [R], GRG w/HMD Motorsports - time of 55.773s

2 - Sting Ray Robb, Andretti Autosport - time of 55.834s

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3 - Matthew Brabham, Andretti Autosport - time of 55.863s

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4 - Danial Frost, HMD Motorsports - time of 55.902s

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5 - Christian Rasmussen [R], Andretti Autosport - time of 55.926s

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6 - Linus Lundqvist [R], GRG w/HMD Motorsports - time of 55.942s

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7 - Manuel Sulaiman [R], HMD MNotorsports - time of 56.011s

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8 - Kyffin Simpson [R], TJ Speed Motorsports - time of 56.109s

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9 - Jacob Abel [R], Abel Motorsports - time of 56.123s

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10 - Hunter McElrea [R], Andretti Autosport - time of 56.182s

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11 - Christian Bogle, HMD Motorsports - time of 56.574s

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12 - James Roe [R], TJ Speed Motorsports - time of 56.581s

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Notable:

• If you look at the numbers there is only 0 .8 seconds difference between Benjamin and James and Roe has only been in the car for about a month. We are in for a very competitive season, as this is a great group of junior formula drivers.

• Sometime during the 2021 season Benjamin simply got tired of being regarded as the 2nd best driver on the Global Racing Group w/ HMD Motorsports squad, behind Linus Lundqvist. He knuckled down and committed to becoming the best driver in Indy Lights for 2022 and by the end of the season he probably became that guy. This is the second test in a row where he has collected a TOP SPOT and he was stellar at the Chris Griffis Memorial Test in October.

• But the rest of the guys are SOOOOOOO close. Sting Ray also collected a TOP SPOT in the last test, and we said it then and say it now - When Robb is ready to WIN he is formidable. It appears he is ready to WIN.

• Matty Brabham has been taking a lot of ribbing for returning to the Lights at 27 years of age. (He was only 20 when he last drove in them). He reckons the only way to shut up the scoffers is to perform. He is already faster than he was in December’s test and higher up in the rankings, too. Brabham will be a contender.

• NOT at this test were Antonio Serravalle, Artem Petrov, or Rasmus Lindh. We still don’t know if Petrov has a ride, but we expect that if Lindh was at this test for Juncos Hollinger he would be TOP THREE easily.

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On Friday, all 12 of the above drivers will be at Homestead-Miami for another test.

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Juan Pablo Montoya is returning to Indy for the 2022 Indy 500…

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JPM has been tapped by Arrow McLaren SP to drive their 3rd entry in the 2022 Indy 500, just as he did for them in 2021, teaming with full-timers Pato O’Ward and Felix Rosenqvist.

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The 1999 IndyCar Champion has 2 WINS at Indianapolis in 6 outings - that’s a hell of a great rate for WINNING that race and a primary reason for McLaren’s boss Zak Brown to be after him:

"We’re delighted to have both Juan Pablo and Mission Foods back for another Indianapolis 500. Juan Pablo is an institution in motorsport, with two Indianapolis 500 victories and an impressive Formula 1 career with multiple wins for McLaren. He adds experience that really benefits our team, giving us another driver with the potential to win anytime he steps into the car.”

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Last year, Juan Pablo ended the race in 9th and wants to build on that:

“I’m excited to return to Indianapolis with Arrow McLaren SP and Mission, to once again compete in a race that holds a special place in my heart – the Indianapolis 500. I had a great experience with the team last year and look forward to building on the progress we made in 2021. I think we have a real shot at competing at the front of the field and challenging for the win.”

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The 2022 Indy 500 just got much, much better.

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Indy Lights invade Homestead-Miami Speedway…

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Just as on Tuesday’s Sebring test, 12 Indy Lights drivers from the 2022 season drove in test on Friday, but this time on the road course at the Homestead facility in South Florida. Along for the ride was a 13th driver, Charles Finelli, in a car he owns and which was prepped by Abel Motorsports.

As on Tuesday, the HOT SHOE for the session was Benjamin Pedersen for Global Racing Group w/ HMD Motorsports. But his pursuers were so close to him as to make the TOP SIX hardly distinguishable from each other.

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Here was the order of speed for the Indy Lights test at Homestead-Miami, with times for all: [R] denotes rookie

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1 - Benjamin Pedersen [R], GRG w/HMD Motorsports - time of 74.509s

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2 - Linus Lundqvist [R], GRG w/HMD Motorsports - time of 74.510s

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3 - Sting Ray Robb, Andretti Autosport - time of 74.563s

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4 - Hunter McElrea [R], Andretti Autosport - time of 74.611s

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5 - Christian Rasmussen [R], Andretti Autosport - time of 74.633s

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6 - Matthew Brabham, Andretti Autosport - time of 74.637s

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7 - Danial Frost, HMD Motorsports - time of 74.674s

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8 - Kyffin Simpson [R], TJ Speed Motorsports - time of 74.690s

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9 - Jacob Abel [R], Abel Motorsports - time of 74.790s

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10 - Manuel Sulaiman [R], HMD MNotorsports - time of 74.913s

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11 - James Roe [R], TJ Speed Motorsports - time of 74.977s

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12 - Christian Bogle, HMD Motorsports - time of 75.646s

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13 - Charles Finelli [R], Abel Motorsports - time of 78.149s
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Notable:

• The TOP ELEVEN drivers here are separated by only 0.47 second - less than half a second! The two GRG guys are separated by only 0.001 seconds and the four Andretti drivers are separated from each other by 0.075 seconds. It is clear that it will be HARD for anyone to dominate on either team or on the grid, as a whole.

• These do NOT constitute all the drivers who will race this season, as some teams expected to field cars are having issues getting parts, in order to test. It is the same supply chain problem that everyone else in the country is dealing with.

• Unfortunately, that is NOT the case with Juncos Hollinger, which announced this week that they are concentrating all their team efforts on Callum Ilott’s IndyCar effort and will NOT be fielding a Lights team this season. That means that Rasmus Lindh, slated to drive their Lights car, is out of a ride for 2022. A GREAT SHAME, Lindh was a sure title contender. He has already given up all his SportsCar rides, so this news leaves him scrambling to find any kind of racing job for 2022.

• Charles Finelli is a gentleman racer who simply loves to drive fast race cars and can afford to do it, just for fun. He was the driver for FatBoy Racing! for several seasons of Indy Pro 2000, always last place but always with a big grin on his face. As we stated, he owns the car he was driving on Friday and it was Antonio Serravalle’s car in 2021, which has us wondering if Antonio will be returning to the grid in 2022, as was planned.

Antonio Serravalle

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Rasmus Lindh

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If and when things are firmed up with more confirmations - (Linus Lundqvist has yet to be confirmed, for instance), we will bring it to you.

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He’s IN!!!..Conor Daly picked up the full season driving the # 20 for Ed Carpenter Racing…

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Conor Daly was iffy at best to return to drive for Ed Carpenter Racing in 2022 and was making no secret of the fact that he was looking for work in any kind of racing he could find, but as it turned out, he not only is returning to ECR for 2022, but he will NOT have to share the # 20 Chevrolet with Ed Carpenter, as he did in 2021. Instead, he gets the full season, including the ovals that Ed liked to do.

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Conor Daly

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Daly’s Racing will be paid for through a new crypto-based partnership with BitNile Holdings which will serve as the primary sponsor of his # 20 Chevy and as an associate on Rinus VeeKay’s # 21 entry for the year.

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Said Conor, “Being chosen to represent BitNile is without a doubt one of the most important opportunities of my career. This is an incredible partnership that we look forward to being able to strengthen and grow as we go after race wins together! To be able to come back to Ed Carpenter Racing for the full season is incredible. I haven’t had the chance to be with one team for the entire year since 2017, so this is something I am very, very thankful for. I have a lot of faith in ECR and each year we continue to get better together. I couldn’t be more excited to get on track in the BitNile Chevrolet!”

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Ryan Hunter-Reay and English wunderkind Jack Aitken both tested for the car but were unable to secure a budget. Conor, because of his high profile among IndyCar fans, was able to interest BitNile, which already had experience as an ECR sponsor from Indy in 2021.

Ed Carpenter already has secured the funding for his own Indy 500 3rd car and believes he will be able to secure enough for him to do some or all of the other ovals in 2022 in the same 3rd car.
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It was only a matter of time - Robert Wickens rejoins the ranks of professional drivers in 2022…

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Announced yesterday, the IndyCar driver has been tapped for the full season of IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge racing in the TCR class, driving one of 6 Hyundai Elantra N TCRs that Bryan Herta Autosport will field in 2022. This is the first full-time racing job that Wickens has secured since becoming a paraplegic following a horrendous crash in his 2018 Schmidt Petersen IndyCar at Pocono.

Robert Wickens

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Said Robert, “I’ve spent a lot of nights thinking and dreaming of this moment, and with the support from Bryan Herta and Hyundai it is all becoming a reality. I am hungrier now than I was before my accident to compete for wins again. I’m really looking forward to incorporating myself with the entire Bryan Herta Autosport team and finally get my first taste of the Hyundai Elantra N TCR.”

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What makes all this possible is the technology that Michael Johnson - another IndyCar paraplegic - uses to not only race in the TCR class but to WIN races and podiums, driving another BHA Hyundai Elantra fitted with hand controls for braking and acceleration. Johnson’s co-driver Stephan Simpson flips a switch in the car which allows him to use the standard pedals whenever he is driving, and that will also be true for Wicken’s scheduled co-driver, fellow Canadian Mark Wilkins.

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Last May, Wickens was coached by Johnson and Simpson in a Veloster N TCR in how to use the equipment in a test at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, on a wet afternoon. We have about 15 minutes of video from that successful outing here. It was this test that convinced Bryan Herta Wickens was going to be ready to return to competition. One can get a glimpse of the complicated steering wheel that makes the whole process do-able.:

Brick x Brick: Mid-Ohio Track Day

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Wickens’ coach and fellow competitor Michael Johnson

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With the addition of Wickens, BHA is now putting two different paraplegic drivers back in the action in 2022. Johnson and Simpson return in their familiar # 54 Hyundai while Robert and Mark will drive the # 33. They will be on the same squad as defending TCR class Champs Taylor Hagler and Michael Lewis. This should be great fun to watch and further the inspiration that Johnson has engendered for years, now.

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Monday - AJ Foyt will put Tatiana Calderon in an IndyCar for most of the 2022 season…

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The 28-year-old Colombian is slated to drive the # 11 Chevrolet on all the road and street course races for AJ Foyt Enterprises, making her the first female with a regular series ride since Simona de Silvestro drove for KVSH in 2013. This is all due to sponsor ROKiT which will also sponsor fellow rookie Kyle Kirkwood.

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Tatiana Calderon

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Said Tatiana, “I’m thrilled and very thankful to ROKiT and A.J. Foyt Racing for the opportunity to race in the NTT IndyCar Series. Ever since I started my single-seater career in the United States 11 years ago, IndyCar has been a reference for me and it’s a dream come true to be on the grid this year. I can’t wait to get to St. Petersburg for the first race of the season. I’m well aware of the challenge ahead, but this is the chance of a lifetime and I’m keen on making the most of it.”

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Calderon spent two years in her teens on the Road To Indy with Juncos Racing in Indy Pro 2000 before turning her attention to Europe in Formula 3, GP2, F2 and a number of forays into SportsCar driving along with being signed as a test and reserve driver for the Alfa Romeo Formula 1 team. In 2020 and 2021 she raced in the Japanese Super Formula series, from whence came IndyCar Champ Alex Palou. She made her IndyCar testing debut with the Foyt team last July in a car with ROKiT colors at Mid-Ohio.

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Tati’s car makes 26 full-time entries on the grid for 2022. No word yet from Foyt on who will drive the # 11 on the ovals, if anyone at all.

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