IndyCar 2015: News, Notes, the Teams, the Races, and More

When our calendars turn to March, the 2015 Verizon IndyCar Series will be set to kick off.  The 2015 season will be the 104th season of American open-wheel racing. When the month of May finally draws near, we will get set to enjoy the 99th running of the Greatest Spectacle in Racing when Ryan Hunter-Reay will defend his 2014 win. This edition of the Indianapolis 500 will occur after the second annual race on the road course at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Last year, we called this new race the Grand Prix of Indianapolis. This year, though, Angie’s List will sponsor the race - the Angie’s List Grand Prix of Indianapolis.

The season was set to officially get underway with the first Grand Prix of the year on March 8, 2015, in Brazil, before the race was suddenly cancelled.

IndyCar has raced in Brazil before, but the racing has always taken to the treets of Sau Paulo. This time, the racing in Brazil was to be at a permanent road course near the country’s capital. The Brazil round, the opening round of the year, would have beem the second new event for the Verizon IndyCar Series next year; IndyCar will also take to the track for another round down south in Louisiana at the NOLA Motorsports Park for the third race of the year in mid-April.

Immediately after the race was cancelled, INDYCAR began excercising ideas of where to have a replacement race take place, to be added to the beginning of the series as the new season opener. Just days after the cancellation, it was announced that no replacement would be put in place, and St. Petersburg was to be the season opener. 

With the cancellation of the Brasilia Indy 300, 16 races now remain on the calendar; six ovals, five road course, and 5 city/street circuits. 

The rest of this article will be a major resource to both catch up on the offseason and to be prepared for the green flag in St. Petersburg to kick off the season. Two sections will complete the rest of this article: first, The Teams is a section below that will have a short paragraph for each team that fields a car in the series; this section will be a great resource to see what drivers went where during the offseason, and it will be updated constantly when news rolls in. The second and final section of this article will be The Races, zeroing-in on each of the 16 races that remain on the calendar, with interesting news and notes about each, as well as the tracks they'll be raced at, the TV coverage, and more. 

Beginning with rundowns of each individual team. 

The Teams

Keep in mind that at least four cars are yet to have drivers named to them. This section of the article will be updated as the final few driver announcements are made. Now, each team, in alphabetical order:

A.J. Foyt Racing

Engine: Honda

Confirmed drivers: Takuma Sato, Jack Hawksworth

To be confirmed: None

Both of the drivers that have been confirmed for A.J. Foyt's team will run all 16 races. Although the team has fielded an extra car for the Indianapolis 500 in years past, it does not sound like that will happen this year; they will probably just stick with Sato and newcomer Hawksworth for May. Jack Hawksworth moved from Bryan Herta Autosport to A.J. Foyt Racing early this offseason, joining Sato. 

Andretti Autosport

Engine: Honda

Confirmed drivers: Ryan Hunter-Reay, Marco Andretti, Carlos Munoz

To be confirmed: fourth entry, and maybe even a fifth

Justin Wilson has been on Michael Andretti's mind to pilot an Andretti car for a few years, but issues with sponsors have led, obviously, to issues with funding. Money is needed before Wilson drives an Andretti car. In regards to the even less likely fifth car the team would field, Simona de Silvestro, Zach Veach, and even Formula 1 driver Kevin Magnussen are possible - the first two are more likely. If it were to be Simona, it would be an important return to the series for her; she wants to return to IndyCar in a competitive car, and a seat with Andretti would fit that description. 

Bryan Herta Autosport

Engine: Honda

Confirmed drivers: Gabby Chaves, Jay Howard (for the 500)

To be confirmed: maybe a third car for the 500

Last year's Indy Lights champion Gabby Chaves was recently named to the second seat at BHA, taking the wheel at the car Jack Hawksworth drove all last year during his rookie season. Jay Howard's Indy 500-only program is still in place, and that deal could actually expand into another one or two races. Reportedly, the team may be looking to field a third car at the 500. Possible drivers for that third car may be Ryan Briscoe or Oriol Servia. 

CFH Racing

Engine: Chevy

Confirmed drivers: Ed Carpenter (ovals), Luca Filippi (road/street courses), Josef Newgarden

To be confirmed: maybe Hildebrand or Townsend Bell for the 500

Two cars and three drivers make up Carpenter-Fisher-Hartman Racing heading into their first season in IndyCar competition as a combined team. Luca Filippi will take Mike Conway's job from last year, driving the No. 20 car at the road/street races only, while Josef Newgarden will drive all 16 races. JR Hildebrand or Townsend Bell could join the team for the 500, creating an all-American trio for the 99th Running. 

Chip Ganassi Racing

Engine: Chevy

Confirmed drivers: Scott Dixon, Tony Kanaan, Charlie Kimball

To be confirmed: fourth entry

At INDYCAR Media Day, Sage Karam was announced as the driver of the fourth Ganassi car for the St. Pete opener ONLY. He was expected to be confirmed for the full season around the New Year, but the team now has one Target-sponsored entry rather than two, and funding is the issue there. It will be interesting to see how Karam performs on the streets of St. Petersburg. Dixon, Kanaan, and Kimball are all returning for 2015 and beyond. 

Dale Coyne Racing

Engine: Honda

Confirmed drivers: Carlos Huertas (full season), Francesco Dracone (first four races)

To be confirmed: All

Dale Coyne Racing has confirmed their 2015 driver lineup at last. After the first four races, though, it will be a one car team. Disappointing that Justin Wilson cannot take the wheel of that second car. Perhaps we'll see him in the 500. 

Dreyer & Reinbold Racing

Engine: Chevy

Confirmed drivers: None

To be confirmed: All

Dennis Reinbold, team owner, would like to run more than the Indianapolis 500, but, due to the ongoing search for funding, the 500 may be their only run in 2015. Ryan Briscoe, Oriol Servia, or Townsend Bell could get the job. 

KV Racing

Engine: Chevy

Confirmed drivers: Sebastien Bourdais (KVSH Racing), Stefano Coletti, Bryan Clauson (KVSH Racing, Indy 500 only)

To be confirmed: second entry

James Jakes, Stefano Coletti, Ryan Phinny, and 2014 KV AFS driver Sebastian Saavedra were interested in taking the second seat. Jakes, though, recently joined Schmidt Peterson Motorsports, becoming a teammate to James Hinchcliffe. The second seat went to Stefano Coletti, former GP2 driver, whose goal was to end up in the Verizon IndyCar Series. For may, Bryan Clauson will drive a KV car, and other drivers, notably James Davison, are interested in a shortened rookie program during the month of May. 

Rahal Letterman Lanifan Racing

Engine: Honda

Confirmed drivers: Graham Rahal

To be confirmed: None

Looks like RLLR will enter the 2015 season with their only full-time car being driven by Graham Rahal, but a simplified plan may help get the team back on track - literally and figuratively. A second car for the Indy 500 may be added, with Oriol Servia being a highly possible driver. 

Schmidt Peterson Motorsports

Engine: Honda

Confirmed drivers: James Hinchcliffe, James Jakes

To be confirmed: None

With Simon Pagenaud headed to Team Penske and Mikhail Aleshin heading away from IndyCar and into sports cars, the lineup at SPM will be totally fresh for 2015. Hinchcliffe was named to Pagenaud's 2014 car, the No. 77 car, earlier this offseason, but the second car was just filled recently. Conor Daly, Simona de Silvestro, Carlos Huertas, and James Jakes were all looking to fill the second car, but it went to Jakes - even though the other drivers had things going for them, like a great test for Daly, who is also great friends with James Hinchcliffe, who would've been his new teammate. This second SPM car was, arguably, the most sought-after empty ride that remained, with Andretti's fourth car being a possible exception. After losing Aleshin's quality budget, a new primary sponsor has reportedly been added to the No. 77 car now driven by James Hinchcliffe, but an abundance of talent and funding was important to the team. James Jakes should be a great fit. 

Team Penske

Engine: Chevy

Confirmed drivers: Will Power, Helio Castroneves, Juan Pablo Montoya, Simon Pagenaud

To be confirmed: None

The Penske lineup is absolutely stacked. Hot off a dominant 2014, Team Penske is heading into 2015 with incredible momentum - and an incredible four cars filled by four of the sport's most incredible drivers. Pagenaud joined the already beastly Penske lineup early in the offseason, and will spend 2015 and beyond in the No. 22 car. Each of the team's four drivers finished within the top five in points in 2014 - it doesn't get much better than that. 

Now, onto each of the 16 races of the 2015 Verizon IndyCar Series. 

The Races

• Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg
• Date: March 29
• Track: Streets of St. Petersburg
• City: St. Petersburg, Florida
• Television: ABC
• Notes:
•  
• - Helio Castroneves has won most since it became an IndyCar event
• - Has only been completed in under 2 hours twice (both Helio wins)
• - 180 miles has been the length of the race since IndyCar began officially racing at the Streets of St. Petersburg. 

• Indy Grand Prix of Louisiana
• Date: April 12
• Track: NOLA Motorsports Park
• City: Avondale, Louisiana
• Television: NBCSN
• Notes:
• - New event for the Verizon IndyCar Series in 2015
• - Was to be the second new race of 2015, after Brazil; will be the only new race on the calendar this year.

• Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach
• Date: April 19
• Track: Streets of Long Beach
• City: Long Beach, California
• Television: NBCSN
• Notes:
• - First open-wheel racing event was held in 1975
• - First IndyCar event at Long Beach was in 2009

• Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama
• Date: April 26
• Track: Barber Motorsports Park
• City: Birmingham, Alabama
• Television: NBCSN
• Notes:
• - Estimated economic impact on the area: $30 million
• - Became an IndyCar event after the disappearance of the Detroit GP in 2009.
• - Of the 5 IndyCar races at Barber Motorsports Park, Will Power and RHR are two-time winners; Helio won the first ever, then Power the next two, RHR the most recent two.

• Angie’s List Grand Prix of Indianapolis
• Date: May 9
• Track: Indianapolis Motor Speedway (road course)
• City: Speedway, Indiana (Indianapolis)
• Television: ABC
• Notes:
• - Runs a modified version of the MotoGP variation of the road course; counter-clockwise and backward on the front stretch and over the yard of bricks.
• 82 laps, 200 miles.
• - Last year’s race time: 2:04:24.0621 (2 hours 4 minutes 24 seconds)
• Simon Pagenaud became the first ever winner of the event at its first race last season.

• 99th Indianapolis 500
• Date: May 24
• Track: Indianapolis Motor Speedway
• City: Speedway, Indiana (Indianapolis)
• Television: ABC
• Notes:
• - Ryan Hunter-Reay will defend his 2014 win.
• - 1996 winner Buddy Lazier will return with his family-owned Lazier Partners Racing for the 2015 race.
• - Jonathan Bird II will start a new team, Jonathan Byrd’s Racing, paying homage to his father who was an Indy 500 enthusiast and owned a local cafeteria (which is still open).
• - The 99th running of the Greatest Spectacle in Racing. Not much more can be said.

• Chevrolet Indy Dual in Detroit
• Date: May 30 & 31 (doubleheader)
• Track: Belle Isle
• City: Detroit, Michigan
• Television: ABC
• Notes:
• - CART stopped racing at The Raceway on Belle Isle due to poor track conditions (and a narrow one at that) as well as paddock areas that were not ideal.
• - Roger Penske got the idea for a 2007 come-back of the race in Detroit, hoping for the race to be part of the American Le Mans Series and IndyCar Series schedules.
• - It was announced September 29, 2006, that the Detroit Indy Grand Prix would return as the penultimate race of the 2007 IndyCar season.
• - Helio Castroneves won his first IndyCar race on Belle Isle - and began the fence climbing tradition.
• - Detroit will be the only doubleheader event for the Verizon IndyCar Series in 2015.

• Firestone 600
• Date: June 6
• Track: Texas Motor Speedway
• City: Fort Worth, Texas
• Television: NBCSN
• Notes:
• - When the race made its 1997 debut, it was the first IndyCar race in Texas since 1979.
• - Second largest oval track on the schedule (Indianapolis is largest)
• - Will be the only IndyCar race in Texas in 2015 as Houston doubleheader will not be held.
• - Helio has won 4 of the last 10 races at Texas Motor Speedway, including in 2013.

• Honda Indy Toronto
• Date: June 14
• Track: Exhibition Place
• City: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
• Television: NBCSN
• Notes:
• - First race: 1986
• - First IndyCar Series race: 2009
• - Winningest driver: Michael Andretti (7 wins)
• - In 2013 and 2014, the event included 2 IndyCar races as a doubleheader event. In 2014, both races were run on Sunday after Saturday was rained out.

• MAVTV500
• Date: June 27
• Track: Auto Club Speedway
• City: Fontana, California
• Television: NBCSN
• Notes:
• - Formerly the finale race of the Verizon IndyCar Series but no longer the final race in 2015.
• - Average race time (2012-2014): 175 minutes, 45 seconds (nearly 3 hours)

• Milwaukee IndyFest
• Date: July 12
• Track: The Milwaukee Mile
• City: West Allis, Wisconsin
• Television: NBCSN
• Notes:
• - Open-wheel racing at The Milwaukee Mile dates all the way back to 1937. Some incredible racing history there. 
• First IndyCar race: 2004
• The race was put on hiatus for the 2010 season due to management difficulties regarding payment of sanctioning fees. Revived in 2011 and continues to be held.
• Formerly sponsored by ABC Supply.

• Iowa Corn Indy 300
• Date: July 18
• Track: Iowa Speedwayy
• City: Newton, Iowa
• Television: NBCSN
• Notes:
• - The first Championship Car race in Iowa was in 1915; a 100-mile race was held in Burlington, Iowa.
• - First IndyCar Series race: 2007
• - Winningest driver(s): Dario Franchitti & Ryan Hunter-Reay (2 wins each)
• - Winningest team: Andretti Autosport (6 wins)

• Honda Indy 200
• Date: August 2
• Track: Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course
• City: Lexington, Ohio
• Television: NBCSN
• Notes:
• - In last year’s Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio, Scott Dixon won - after starting last on the grid.
• - A crash in the first section of the race last year ended the race of a few drivers, including Tony Kanaan and Ryan Briscoe.
• - Young American driver Josef Newgarden nearly won the race last August, but a penalty in the pits cost him the win.

• Pocono IndyCar 500 fueled by Sunoco
• Date: August 23
• Track: Pocono Raceway
• City: Long Pond, Pennsylvania
• Television: NBCSN
• Notes:
• - Became the first 500-mile race to be completed in under 2.5 hours in 2014
• - Revived in 2013 after a 23 year hiatus
• - Scott Dixon (2013) and Juan Pablo Montoya (2014) are the most recent winners

• Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma
• Date: August 30
• Track: Sonoma Raceway
• City: Sonoma, California
• Television: NBCSN
• Notes:
• - 2.2 mile version of the road course is utilized for the Verizon IndyCar Series.
• - A strong earthquake shook California right nearby Sonoma Raceway on the morning of last year’s race. The race went on, though.
• - Helio Castroneves saw his 2014 championship hopes slip away after the Sonoma race at the end of last year.

Here is the schedule and times of broadcast for the 11 races in 2015 that will be on NBCSN only (ignore the first listing, as Brazil was cancelled):

The 2015 Verizon IndyCar Series season opener, now in St. Petersburg, is inching closer and closer. For full coverage of all the action this year, look no further than this Racing section of VAVEL USA. Follow the three Twitter accounts below... each is a must follow!

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