Tag: indy500

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The F2 to IndyCar Pipeline: Junior Stars Shine in the States

Every year 22 drivers take the stage as members of the F2 championship with a similar set of ambitions: to win and get the attention of the powers that be in F1.

The growing issue with these ambitions is that they are becoming less likely to pan out. With driver careers lasting longer than ever, the amount of open seats remains lower than the amount of talent available to fill them. Of the last 4 F2 champions, only 2 are currently active drivers in F1 and neither one made it immediately after winning their respective championship, and while 50% isn’t staggering, that is only a fraction of the drivers that graduated F2 without reaching the next level.

Source: The Straits Times

This inability to find a seat in F1 has caused the young talents of junior formulas to branch out to other series around the world, some find themselves behind the wheel of prototypes in WEC or in FE, but today we focus on one pipeline that is growing in popularity, the IndyCar pipeline.

IndyCar is quickly growing into a premier open-wheel series, the close quarters racing and diverse track layouts make it appealing to drivers from all around the world wanting to try something new, and recently more junior Formula and F1 alumni have migrated to the IndyCar scene.

Source: Autosport.com

Drivers like Grosjean and Ericsson were both full timers in F1 that have seen success in IndyCar with Ericsson winning the Indy 500 in 2022 and Grosjean achieving multiple road course podiums. Young F1 prospects like Callum Ilott and Christian Lundgaard have also made the move to IndyCar and have found solid results despite being in less accomplished teams.

With most F1 drivers transitioning to IndyCar seeing success, more prospects or even veterans on the way out may look to the series as a way to revitalize their careers, making IndyCar a series to watch even more now than ever.

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IndyCar: America’s Take on Open Wheel Racing

Photo by Collin Hanson on Pexels.com

Formula One is widely regarded as the pinnacle of motorsports for it technical open wheel approach to racing, but it is far from the only open wheel racing series.

The NTT IndyCar Series or if you aren’t a fan of long windedness, IndyCar is the United States’ take on open wheel racing. Founded in 1905, IndyCar is one of the oldest racing series still active today and despite being a grandfather in the racing world, it is still proving to be among the most exciting.

Source: Autosport.com

IndyCar despite being open wheeled, is a staunch contrast from F1. For one, it is not a constructor series. Unlike F1 where 10 teams build cars that are all vastly different, IndyCar uses a Dallara based chassis similar to F2 giving teams with more funding less freedom to build unbeatable cars (Looking at you Red Bull). This ability to give everyone the same starting point allows for more competition in the field while also not being completely random because teams are allowed to make modifications on certain parts of the cars and engines giving limited benefits to teams with more money.

Another way IndyCar is different to F1 is the style of tracks they run. F1 currently runs mainly on mainstay racing circuits like Monza, and Silverstone with only a handful of street circuits like Monaco and Azerbaijan, but IndyCar is more diverse in its track choices doing far more street circuits and a few mainstay tracks but they also go to an F1 stans worst nightmare… ovals. IndyCar break the golden rule of purists rulebooks and race on tracks without right tuns. Most people only know IndyCar for an oval race as well, with the Indy 500 being the most attended single day sporting venue in the world, millions around the world watch these open wheeled death traps go around the 2.5 mile squared oval at speeds exceeding 230mph for 250 laps in what I can safely say is the most exciting race in the world.

Source: PlanetF1.com

The Indy 500 has it all, from close battles to drama and all the way to showmanship. If you aren’t an IndyCar fan, you still know about the Indy 500 you have seen a clip of a car going around the biggest turn you’ve ever seen going speeds you can’t fathom and for 250 laps you are glued to your screen because at any moment some drama can take place whether its a huge crash in the middle of the field or if its a car running out of fuel in the lead forcing them to make a decision that could decide if they finish 1st or finish 40th, that is what makes IndyCar special, its that uncertainty that makes it impossible to look away, its the insane speeds while they go 3 wide into a corner allowing absolutely no room for error, that is why I watch and that’s why I think you should watch too.

Written by Andrew Monson

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F1 2022 Season

European vs American Motorsport: The Same but Different.

Written by Andrew Monson

Motorsport as a topic is the same broad concept around the world, vehicles with complex motors going around tracks and drag-strips with the intention of being faster than your peers.

However, the culture behind motorsport is vastly different around the world with the two biggest markets currently being the American motorsport scene and the European scene, but how do they compare and are they more similar than most would like to admit?

As the resident American here at TFS, I feel it is only right that I dive deeper into this topic (Yes, an American feeling entitled… shocking).

When you think of motorsport in Europe, the usual titans come to mind: F1, MotoGP, ELMS, and FE. Each organization brings its own offerings to the overall value of motorsport.

F1 is by far the pinnacle of motorsport, from the history of the sport to the technological advancements that benefit everyday transport as well as the sport itself. For over 70 years F1 has been where the greatest drivers in the world go to compete for the most prestigious honour in the sport.

Source: XPB Images via motorsportweek.com

On the opposite end of the pond, we have the United States. When you think of motorsport in America, you might think of left turns and car wrecks, but that is only the surface of American motorsport culture.

Like Europe, there is a fair share of well-known series held in the US, some that come to mind are NASCAR, IndyCar, NHRA, and IMSA. Each series is vastly unique in its own way.

It is understandable why NASCAR can seem boring or “simple” from the outside looking in but once you dive into it, you can see it is much more. The playing field in NASCAR is far more even than F1 with far more drivers and teams capable of competing for wins and points in any given race.

The same could be said for IndyCar as it is a spec series which makes for less innovation in exchange for much closer and even racing throughout the entire grid.

While on the topic of IndyCar, it plays host to the “Greatest Spectacle in Motorsport” the Indy500. The Indy500’s history is so deeply rooted in not just motorsport history, but in American history as well. The first Indy500 happened closer to the fall of the Holy Roman Empire than the most recent running of the Indy500 last Sunday.

Source: USAtoday.com

I believe that the differences between European and American motorsport culture shouldn’t divide fans, but instead should bring together the masses to share a love for fast cars since at the end of the day every track is just a funny looking circle.

Edit: My motorsport Mount Rushmore is Lewis Hamilton, Dale Earnhardt Sr., Ayrton Senna, and Michael Schumacher (in no order).

Question: Who is your motorsport Mount Rushmore, and why? (Let us know in the comments)