CHIP GANASSI RACING
As mentioned, the Ganassi team does not expect to hold onto Palou and they’ve been quietly exploring options within the IndyCar Series and internationally. I keep hearing the team will stay at four cars, and I also continue to hear that in the search for the next Palou, there’s been little that excites the team among IndyCar’s free agents.
If a Drugovich-type is interested in leaving their F1 reserve driver role behind, or a F2 front-runner is keen to go for an IndyCar championship, Ganassi appears to be the perfect destination.
Circling back to Ericsson, he’s on every team’s wish list and could choose between offers from Andretti, Meyer Shank, Rahal, and more. But the latest rumor to make the rounds suggests the Ganassi team has made an offer for its Indy 500 winner to stay.
If true, and if Ericsson accepts, it would turn the silly season upside down and take one of the two most coveted seats off the market. And if it’s not true, or if Ericsson is dead-set on leaving, a lineup of Herta, Kirkwood, and the Swede would take Andretti to another level, etc.
Key unanswered items exist with the Nos. 8 and 10 entries and whether Ganassi would move Ericsson — if they were to come to terms — to the 10 or keep him in the 8. And if Ericsson joins the ranks of paid drivers, does that mean Ganassi has two cars waiting for paying drivers, or one? The team is infamous for keeping a tight lid on such things, so your guess is as good as mine as to how it will play out.
The for-hire No. 11 Honda with Marcus Armstrong and Takuma Sato is the last entry to ponder, and Armstrong would like to hold onto the seat and go full-time. Malukas is another driver who is believed to be in the running for a Ganassi opportunity, and with his family’s HMD Motorsports Indy NXT team looking to step up to IndyCar in 2025 or so, forging a link with a team like Ganassi, or one of the others where Malukas is being considered, would have added value if the team is open to a co-entry and maybe even a technical alliance if HMD steps out on its own.
Ganassi development driver Kyffin Simpson, who the team placed with HMD in NXT, is headed to IndyCar with Ganassi when he’s ready. Currently ninth in the standings, Simpson has a pole and a few podiums, but has yet to reach victory lane. With no rush to make the leap, he needs another year of seasoning in NXT before taking on IndyCar’s best.
With Ericsson, stay tuned because the thing that seemed impossible might now be possible. And with Scott Dixon entering the last few years of his IndyCar career, the prospect of having to play teacher and babysitter to IndyCar and oval racing newcomers might have limited appeal. Maintaining consistency by having Ericsson as a trusted teammate and fellow title contender — and not having to go through a total rebuilding process — would make the 43-year-old’s life much easier.
If the Ganassi-Ericsson relationship continues, it’s one Palou-esque driver away from maintaining its current championship-leading form.
DALE COYNE RACING
Dale Coyne Racing is headed for a 100-percent changeover with its drivers. Within the paddock, Andretti’s DeFrancesco is routinely mentioned as a perfect candidate for the “senior” car to lead the team and help one of the many Indy NXT drivers who will have serious budgets to offer for the “junior” car.
HMD Motorsports with Dale Coyne Racing Indy NXT race winner Danial Frost was said to be among those in contention to drive the No. 51 cars this year, and impressed DCR when he tested for them last year while he was part of Andretti Autosport’s Indy NXT program. He’s said to be a front-runner to join the series next year with Coyne.
I’ve heard the No. 51’s current driver, Sting Ray Robb, is also an option to stay in the No. 51 if he can raise the budget.
ED CARPENTER RACING
Rinus VeeKay has one more year on his deal with ECR, so it’s the No. 20 formerly driven by Conor Daly and currently driven by Ryan Hunter-Reay that awaits a resolution. Malukas in an ECR-HMD co-entry is one scenario that’s been mentioned, and I’ve also heard the struggling team could hold onto Hunter-Reay to continue the quest to address its operational and competitive shortcomings.
It’s too early to say if RHR would want to return for another season of rebuilding, but if changes are made to improve ECR’s on-track product, there’s a lot of upside to having a champion and veteran in the team who can help VeeKay with all facets of his growth as a young professional.
And in the same vein as Simpson with Ganassi, ECR has young Josh Pierson as its development driver in NXT with HMD. If the chatter is accurate, he’ll do another season of NXT and then step up to IndyCar with ECR in 2025.
JUNCOS HOLLINGER RACING
Ricardo Juncos recently told me that he wants to continue with Agustin Canapino, and while they need to get the budget figured out for the Argentinian’s No. 78 Chevy, Juncos is an ace when it comes to turning his wishes into reality. It would be a surprise if Canapino isn’t back in 2024.
Callum Ilott continues to draw interest from most of the teams with jobs to offer, but again, it’s unclear whether he’s free to sign elsewhere or if he’s tied to JHR for another season. I’ve heard both versions, and wouldn’t pretend to know which one is correct.
But I do know the Englishman is someone who’s been spoken of in high regard by some of IndyCar’s best teams, so if he can be had, there are a few new homes to consider. And if he is bound to JHR for another year, he’ll likely be one of the bigger free agent targets 12 months from now.