With the start of the NTT IndyCar Series season fast approaching, the entire cast of full-time drivers descended on Indianapolis for a pre-season availability. Inside Track columnist Mary Bignotti Mendez continues her takeaways from the annual event; in case you missed it, part one can be read here.
The Greatest of All Time
AJ Foyt, who celebrated his 90th birthday mid-January, may be the GOAT of Indy car racing, with a record seven titles and 67 wins. The Texan was the first driver to achieve four Indy 500 victories: 1961, 1964, 1967, and 1977. He’s also the only driver to win the Daytona 500 (1972), the 24 Hours of Le Mans (1967), and Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona (1985 & 1987).
“I always drove hard, even at the local tracks, because I liked to win,” said Foyt. “When I got to Indy, the fans made me want to win even more.”
Two of the drivers with the longest run in INDYCAR are Scott Dixon, starting his 25th season, and Will Power, embarking on his 21st season, both age 44.
“The fire burns strong, man,” exclaimed Dixon, with six championships and nicknamed the ‘ice man.’ “It’s just the competition – it’s brutal! You’ve got to finish all the races. You’ve got to be quick on all disciplines. You miss a little bit or give up a couple of races and you’re really not going to be in the championship. It sucks to get beat and I hate it. That’s what drives you.
“It’s weird how you don’t really think too much about the championships that you won,” continued Dixon. “It’s the races you lost over certain things or just not getting it right. It’s all about execution and preparation. Last year we prepared quite well. Execution was maybe not so great on many levels. It’s all about winning. That’s definitely what makes me wake up in the morning and want to go train, train harder, and be better for the season.”
Power, who is in a contract renewal year with Team Penske, signed on with A 14 Management, co-founded by Fernando Alonso, with Oriol Servia as its U.S. representative. Should he not be offered a future ride in INDYCAR, the Australian could compete in other series.
Power has the distinction of holding the longest running title sponsor, with Verizon support since 2010. He has 44 career wins (ranked fourth), a record 70 poles, two INDYCAR championships (2014 and 2022), and a victory in the 2018 Indy 500.
“I could be absolutely competitive for another five years,” explained Power. “I was very competitive last year, winning three races and seven podiums. No one else in the field but (Penske teammate) McLaughlin did that. The champion (Alex Palou) only won two. My performance is still really high. It’s crazy but I’m still learning. I’m determined to come back and have a strong 2025. We’ll have the car and engine package to do it. It will be a tough year and that’s why I love and enjoy it.
“I’ve usually done it (contract negotiations) myself,” revealed Power, who has heard the rumours that David Malukas is being groomed to take his place at Team Penske. “But at the end of the day, it’s all about performance, enjoying driving, and not thinking about the other stuff.”
Drivers Looking to INDYCAR
With very few seats available for drivers to move up to F1, INDYCAR is becoming a great alternative. While its Dallara chassis is essentially spec, and with the engines fairly equal between Chevy and Honda power, the driver input is much more significant than the higher-tech F1 series.
“INDYCAR is a phenomenal series where the car is an animal to drive,” described Marcus Armstrong, in his third season, now driving for Meyer Shank Racing (which has a technical alliance with Chip Ganassi Racing). “It’s clearly down to the driver. It moves around, and you really have to grab it by the scruff of the neck. The racing product speaks for itself. There’s a lot of interest coming from Europe, not only from F2 and F3 but also F1. All the drivers in Europe watch it on TV and wish they were doing it. It’s a moving target for sure, trying to optimize this car. There’s an attraction to this championship because of how brutally difficult it is from a driving standpoint.”
Greatest Number of Passes
Driving for AJ Foyt Racing, Santino Ferrucci made 335 passes, the most of any driver during last season (total passes for all drivers was 5,842 over 17 races).
“Our next step is just going to be finding that rhythm like we did last year,” remarked Ferrucci, who finished 9th in the 2024 title fight. “We have our setups in our books. Our challenge will be breaking into that top-five rhythm. We’ve got the top-ten rhythm down pretty good. To do that, everything has to go right. Last year we weren’t exactly the cleanest in the pits and in the garage, with trying to get changes done. Every weekend you can’t be missing practice time or track time at tests. Every second out there counts, especially when you want to make a championship run. Racing is 99 percent disappointment. Just the nature of the game, unfortunately.”
Charter System Attracts New Ownership and Sponsors
Acceptance by the ten team owners of INDYCAR’s new Charter System guarantees each team up to three entries locked into the field, with a total of 25 charters handed out. That leaves only two non-guaranteed spots for a full field, with the new Prema Racing and any additional entries, from existing teams, vying for those positions. It’s unlikely that a team will add another car and risk being sent home.
The Charter System has helped team owners find investment from new partners as it’s expected to create value through ownership that can be sold in the future. Ed Carpenter Racing added Ted Gelov as co-owner; his Indiana-based Heartland Foods company makes Splenda and Java House brands.
“Any time you’re out signing drivers or re-signing drivers, we have to sell ourselves and what our vision is for the future,” explained Carpenter, the only owner/driver who will contest his 22nd Indy 500 this May. “All of us in this sport have been feeling the momentum in the paddock build over the past couple of years. The Charter System plays a role in that, as does the FOX announcement. It just feels like the series is picking up steam. It’s a really fun and exciting time to be a part of this sport.
“Ted and his entire organization have expanded our operation and that’s creating new opportunities and resources that we haven’t had,” continued Carpenter. “It’s just allowing us to move a little quicker in our on-track product, make decisions earlier, and be slightly more aggressive in what we’re trying to do to accomplish our goals of winning races, winning the 500, and being a contender in the championship. Because it’s limited now (the grid), that creates value and demand. As the series continues to grow and becomes more valuable as a whole, it’s just going to expand on how charters are viewed.”
INDYCAR Races Live on FOX Network
All 17 INDYCAR races will be broadcast live on network channel FOX as part of a new deal; Canadian fans will also be able to watch races on TSN.
Offering every race on the same network could attract more sponsors and FOX is working to help promote the series through TV commercials, such as airing them during their NFL broadcasts. Unlike NBC’s relationship with Peacock, streaming the FOX race broadcasts still needs to be worked out.
FOX’s initial promotional commercial focused on Josef Newgarden, who this year will attempt to be the first driver to win three consecutive Indy 500s. The commercial is done with tongue-in-cheek humour and even included a spot for Tom Brady.
Will Buxton will serve as play-by-play announcer for the FOX broadcasts, while Townsend Bell and Canadian James Hinchcliffe will return as analysts, a role they held with NBC.
