Is it May yet? Maybe not, but we will be getting some IndyCar action in the coming weeks, and I could not be more thrilled. The NTT Data IndyCar Series schedule is always a test of one’s patience, but this off-season felt particularly long for some reason. So let’s preview a few storylines to pay attention to as we head into spring training.
1. New Venue
I, for one, had not previously heard of the Thermal Club until IndyCar made its press release in early October. But once I looked into it, I realized IndyCar was picking a great venue to hold an open test. The Thermal Club is a private, world-class facility in Riverside County, California. Located just outside of Palm Springs, it’s known as “the ultimate destination for driving-minded motorsports enthusiasts.” IndyCar will run a 17-turn, 2.9-mile layout that utilizes parts of the North and South Palm circuits. As a new circuit to the IndyCar series, this could be an audition for the Thermal Club for a permanent spot on the schedule.
2. Fresh Faces
Last year’s IndyCar season saw five rookies battle for Rookie of the Year honors, with Christian Lundgaard ultimately locking it up at Laguna Seca. 2023 will see three full-time drivers duking it out for the only award in motor racing you get one shot at. Benjamin Pederson will be racing for A.J. Foyt Enterprises in the #55 Sexton Properties Chevrolet. Pedersen finished fifth in last year’s Indy Lights (now Indy NXT) Series. He achieved one win at Portland International and four additional podiums.
Agustín Canapino will be learning the ropes of open-wheel racing this year for Juncos Hollinger Racing. Canapino has found much success racing in several touring car series in Argentina and hopes to follow in Scott McLaughlin’s footsteps as he adjusts to IndyCar racing. He will compete in the #78 Chevrolet.
Sting Ray Robb is the last full-time rookie for 2023. He will be taking over the Dale Coyne Racing with Rick Ware Racing entry. Robb is a previous champion in the Indy Pro 2000 Championship back in 2020 and finished runner-up in the 2022 Indy Lights Championship. He will be in the #51 Honda.
Lastly, Chip Ganassi will have a rookie driver competing on all road and street courses this year. New Zealand’s Marcus Armstrong will be coming over to the states after competing in Formula 2 over the last couple of seasons. Armstrong will split the #11 Chip Ganassi Racing Honda with Takuma Sato, who will be shifting to an oval-only program in 2023.
3. Familiar Faces in New Places
The 2023 silly season started early and had its fair share of drama. But once the dust settled, we were left with 27 full-time entries for the 2023 IndyCar season. Santino Ferrucci takes over the #14 A.J. Foyt Racing entry after spending the last two seasons in a part-time capacity for several teams. The seat was vacated by Kyle Kirkwood who will be reuniting with his former Indy Lights team, Andretti Autosport, in the #27 Honda. Alexander Rossi set sail to the newly renamed Arrow McLaren SP in a new third entry for the team, taking over the #7 Chevrolet. But fear not, Felix Rosenqvist remains on the grid, this year driving the #6 NTT Data Chevrolet, as NTT returns to sponsor the Swede.
Álex Palou was the source of most of the drama, with legal issues and contract disputes, but will remain at Chip Ganassi Racing in 2023, with American Legion stepping up as the primary sponsor to replace the outgoing NTT Data. Lastly, Jack Harvey and Christian Lundgaard swapped rides for the 2023 season, with Lundgaard taking the Hy-Vee sponsorship and Harvey taking over the #30 Rahal Letterman Lannigan Racing Honda. Phew.
4. Championship Defense
Last season, Will Power won the championship based entirely on consistency and maximizing points days. But if he wants to defend his title, he may need to show some speed early on this year. Several hungry drivers will be chasing him down in 2023, not the least of which are his two Penske teammates. Josef Newgarden and Scott McLaughlin, or the Bus Bros, are looking to back up their many wins from last season and maximize the rest of their races to end up with the Astor Cup at season’s end.
Andretti Autosport’s Colton Herta has Formula 1 ambitions but is certainly eager to have more consistent races this season and make fewer mistakes on the street courses, where he has already proven to be blistering fast. Patricio O’Ward is locked in at McLaren and has his sites set on bettering his best championship finish of third. And of course, Chip Ganassi Racing is sure to have three metaphorical bullets in the chamber to chase after the NTT Data IndyCar Series Championship with Scott Dixon, Álex Palou, and defending Indy 500 Winner Marcus Ericsson.
5. The 2023 Pecking Order
For years now it has felt like a Penske and Ganassi monopoly over the Astor Cup. You have to go back to 2012 when Ryan Hunter-Reay won the championship for Andretti Autosport to find the last time Ganassi or Penske didn’t win the championship. This test at the Thermal Club could give us a small idea if a team like Andretti or McLaren may have something for the two big guys, or if the dominance might continue this year. Either way, I am pumped to see some IndyCar action. Spring training will occur on February 2-3. Unfortunately, it was recently announced there will be no live streaming available for this test.
