With the shocking news that Newman-Haas Racing was closing down its operations , let’s have a look at the status of the other teams according to what we know and what is rumoured.
Target Chip Ganassi Racing is looking for continuity as it will continue on not only with Honda but also with its current drivers.
Confirmed: Dario Franchitti and Scott Dixon without any doubt the best duo in the business
Ganassi Racing will also continue on:
Confirmed: Graham Rahal and Charlie Kimball are back after each securing deals with their respective primary sponsors. As for Rahal, he also signed a multi-year deal with the team.
Team Penske will keep its three-driver squad unchanged despite some of them not having been up to par despite the quality of their equipment.
Confirmed: Will Power who was the dominating force, Helio Castroneves, even though he did not finished in the top 10 in the standings and Ryan Briscoe who clearly saved his job by picking up the pieces in the latter part of the season.
KV Racing Technology won’t be back in his Lotus-green livery as it has signed a deal with Chevrolet but the team wants to pursue its three-car effort for 2012
Confirmed: Tony Kanaan will be back stronger than ever having been able to convince his friend and engineer Eric Cowdin to leave Penske and take charge of his car.
Unconfirmed: EJ Viso will probably be back if able to secure sponsorship and the squad has been talking to some Indy Lights graduates that could bring their own budget.
Andretti Autosport , seemed to have had tied up all the loose ends after the departure of Danica Patrick by offering long-time backer GoDaddy.com the talent, the clout and the sponsorship savvy of Dan Wheldon, but his untimely death created a lot of problems.
Confirmed: Marco Andretti will be back in 2012 with a brand new sponsor, soft drink giant Dr Pepper while the squad’s top gun Ryan Hunter-Reay has also been confirmed.
Unconfirmed: Mike Conway is a serious candidate to fill a third seat but the Englishman is looking at other options at the present time.
Unconfirmed: According to sources, Rookie of the year James Hinchcliffe, who lost his job at Newman-Haas, is reportedly the man GoDaddy.com wants in his car.
Panther Racing , the team that almost won the Indianapolis 500, is looking to get back into the race with its new partnership with Chevrolet.
Confirmed: JR Hildebrand recently signed a two-year extension and will drive for Panther through at least 2013.
Unconfirmed: We believe that among the favourite contender is Justin Wilson.
Keith Wiggin’s HVM Racing received a boost earlier by being put in the forefront of the Lotus factory program.
Confirmed: Of course, Simona de Silvestro will be back with the team and with the renewed backing of her sponsor.
Unconfirmed: The team is looking to put a second car on the grid with a veteran driver that could also act as a mentor to de Silvestro.
Sam Schmidt Motorsports posted several impressive results in 2011, and is expected to feature most of the key personnel who finished out the season.
Almost confirmed: Everybody knows that the team will announced (probably this week) that Frenchman Simon Pagenaud will drive for SSM in 2012
Unconfirmed: The team is planning a second entry with probably a combination of paying drivers.
Bryan Herta Autosport will try to make the most of its recent testing and development work on the new DW12.
Unconfirmed: Alex Tagliani, who drove for BHA at the Las Vegas round, is the most likely candidate to move over to the Indianapolis 500 winning squad.
Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing is planning a full-time return to the IndyCarSeries with no less than a two-car effort.
Almost confirmed: Takuma Sato, with the help of Honda, will join Bobby Rahal’s team after leaving KV Racing.
Unconfirmed: Vitor Meira is one of the favourite for the second seat although he will have to find some budget while the team has had talks also with veteran Paul Tracy.
A.J. Foyt Racing will once again have the support of ABC Supply, thus having the liberty to pay for a seasoned driver
Unconfirmed: One of the leading candidates is without a doubt Oriol Servia. The team has also met with some other drivers but the Spaniard could be the one.
Dreyer & Reinbold Racing is moving over to Lotus and it wants to retain the services of its principal driver.
Unconfirmed: Many believe that Justin Wilson will remain with the team, even though he’s one of the most sought after driver. We believe that Tomas Scheckter is still another candidate for the second seat.
Michael Shank Racing will start its first ever IndyCar campaign and will do so while the series adopts a new car and a new engine.
Unconfirmed: Speed.com’s Gordon Miller reports that Canadian Paul Tracy could be an option as the team is looking at an experienced driver. Michael Shank has also stated that an open-wheel driver coming from outside the series could also be a possibility.
Ed Carpenter Racing has now hired Derrick Walker to run the team and Michael Cannon to act as chief-engineer.
Confirmed: Of course... Ed Carpenter
Dale Coyne Racing has been known to make its announcements at the last moment and tradition should still prevail.
Unconfirmed: For sure Coyne will have two cars. Sebastian Bourdais was at the top of the list but it looks as though Peugeot wants him to sign a deal and there are willing to put the price on it.
Conquest Racing has still to find an engine for next year but Lotus should be the one that will powered Eric Bachelart’s 2012 season.
Unconfirmed: Sebastian Saavedra could return or any driver with a partial budget could suit the team.
Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing is sorting things out after having lost both its driver Ed Carpenter and principal sponsor Dollar General but is re-energised due to the arrival of a new partner, businessman Wink Hartman
Confirmed: 2011 Firestone Indy Lights champion Josef Newgarden has been officially announced to join the team in 2012.
Target Chip Ganassi Racing is looking for continuity as it will continue on not only with Honda but also with its current drivers.
Confirmed: Dario Franchitti and Scott Dixon without any doubt the best duo in the business
Ganassi Racing will also continue on:
Confirmed: Graham Rahal and Charlie Kimball are back after each securing deals with their respective primary sponsors. As for Rahal, he also signed a multi-year deal with the team.
Team Penske will keep its three-driver squad unchanged despite some of them not having been up to par despite the quality of their equipment.
Confirmed: Will Power who was the dominating force, Helio Castroneves, even though he did not finished in the top 10 in the standings and Ryan Briscoe who clearly saved his job by picking up the pieces in the latter part of the season.
KV Racing Technology won’t be back in his Lotus-green livery as it has signed a deal with Chevrolet but the team wants to pursue its three-car effort for 2012
Confirmed: Tony Kanaan will be back stronger than ever having been able to convince his friend and engineer Eric Cowdin to leave Penske and take charge of his car.
Unconfirmed: EJ Viso will probably be back if able to secure sponsorship and the squad has been talking to some Indy Lights graduates that could bring their own budget.
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| Photo: IndyCar |
Andretti Autosport , seemed to have had tied up all the loose ends after the departure of Danica Patrick by offering long-time backer GoDaddy.com the talent, the clout and the sponsorship savvy of Dan Wheldon, but his untimely death created a lot of problems.
Confirmed: Marco Andretti will be back in 2012 with a brand new sponsor, soft drink giant Dr Pepper while the squad’s top gun Ryan Hunter-Reay has also been confirmed.
Unconfirmed: Mike Conway is a serious candidate to fill a third seat but the Englishman is looking at other options at the present time.
Unconfirmed: According to sources, Rookie of the year James Hinchcliffe, who lost his job at Newman-Haas, is reportedly the man GoDaddy.com wants in his car.
Panther Racing , the team that almost won the Indianapolis 500, is looking to get back into the race with its new partnership with Chevrolet.
Confirmed: JR Hildebrand recently signed a two-year extension and will drive for Panther through at least 2013.
Unconfirmed: We believe that among the favourite contender is Justin Wilson.
Keith Wiggin’s HVM Racing received a boost earlier by being put in the forefront of the Lotus factory program.
Confirmed: Of course, Simona de Silvestro will be back with the team and with the renewed backing of her sponsor.
Unconfirmed: The team is looking to put a second car on the grid with a veteran driver that could also act as a mentor to de Silvestro.
Sam Schmidt Motorsports posted several impressive results in 2011, and is expected to feature most of the key personnel who finished out the season.
Almost confirmed: Everybody knows that the team will announced (probably this week) that Frenchman Simon Pagenaud will drive for SSM in 2012
Unconfirmed: The team is planning a second entry with probably a combination of paying drivers.
Bryan Herta Autosport will try to make the most of its recent testing and development work on the new DW12.
Unconfirmed: Alex Tagliani, who drove for BHA at the Las Vegas round, is the most likely candidate to move over to the Indianapolis 500 winning squad.
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| The Dallara DW12. (Photo: IndyCar) |
Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing is planning a full-time return to the IndyCarSeries with no less than a two-car effort.
Almost confirmed: Takuma Sato, with the help of Honda, will join Bobby Rahal’s team after leaving KV Racing.
Unconfirmed: Vitor Meira is one of the favourite for the second seat although he will have to find some budget while the team has had talks also with veteran Paul Tracy.
A.J. Foyt Racing will once again have the support of ABC Supply, thus having the liberty to pay for a seasoned driver
Unconfirmed: One of the leading candidates is without a doubt Oriol Servia. The team has also met with some other drivers but the Spaniard could be the one.
Dreyer & Reinbold Racing is moving over to Lotus and it wants to retain the services of its principal driver.
Unconfirmed: Many believe that Justin Wilson will remain with the team, even though he’s one of the most sought after driver. We believe that Tomas Scheckter is still another candidate for the second seat.
Michael Shank Racing will start its first ever IndyCar campaign and will do so while the series adopts a new car and a new engine.
Unconfirmed: Speed.com’s Gordon Miller reports that Canadian Paul Tracy could be an option as the team is looking at an experienced driver. Michael Shank has also stated that an open-wheel driver coming from outside the series could also be a possibility.
Ed Carpenter Racing has now hired Derrick Walker to run the team and Michael Cannon to act as chief-engineer.
Confirmed: Of course... Ed Carpenter
Dale Coyne Racing has been known to make its announcements at the last moment and tradition should still prevail.
Unconfirmed: For sure Coyne will have two cars. Sebastian Bourdais was at the top of the list but it looks as though Peugeot wants him to sign a deal and there are willing to put the price on it.
Conquest Racing has still to find an engine for next year but Lotus should be the one that will powered Eric Bachelart’s 2012 season.
Unconfirmed: Sebastian Saavedra could return or any driver with a partial budget could suit the team.
Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing is sorting things out after having lost both its driver Ed Carpenter and principal sponsor Dollar General but is re-energised due to the arrival of a new partner, businessman Wink Hartman
Confirmed: 2011 Firestone Indy Lights champion Josef Newgarden has been officially announced to join the team in 2012.