Taking part in Part Two of this blog are Adrian Rickard (AR), Dave Render (DR), Jason McVeigh (JM), Matthew Spencer (MS), and Robin Panton (RP)
In Part two we look at returning drivers, female drivers, double points and a certain Nascar driver...
RP - JPM has a solid US and international fan base, will be very good for the series and hopefully TV ratings. I would expect him to be relatively quick early on, he has put in a power of gym work to lose weight and is looking lean and mean. His fiery temperament should be interesting too. JV is a wait and see, he looks fit, but it’s been so long since he was in an open wheel car. He doesn’t mince his words either!
JM - Say what you will but Juan Montoya is a star and right now Indycar needs all the stars it can get. The same applies for JV. Yes, Jacques hasn't competed full time in a top flight series in many years but for any of us who watched him in his 90s heyday, there is still some excitement in seeing him return to an open wheel car for the month of May. Whilst JV's return ticks more of a nostalgia box than anything, the same cannot be said for JPM. As was clear at the Barber test, Juan is fast already and if you ask me, is capable of giving anyone a run for their money for the 2014 Championship.
DR - I for one am very happy he is back in Indycar. I've always liked him (apart from 1999 when he was in a fight for the title with Dario) he is a very talented racing driver and having him in the series full time can only be good for Indycar. It's a shame it didn't work out for him in F1/NASCAR his talent is much greater than the results would suggest! Let's not forget he is an F1 race winner, Indycar (CART) champion and former Indy 500 winner! I think he will be very competitive and I predict he will be Penske's top driver come the end of the season. I am all so pleased to see JV back at Indy for the first time since 1995. I was a bit of a fan during his time in F1 and always wanted him to come back to Indycar. I could never understand why he didn't come back sooner. He wasted several years racing in random racing categories around the world instead of competing back where he could have showed off the talent that people sometimes forget he has. Wouldn't be surprised if this is the first of many races.
MS - As a huge JPM fan, his return is my main focus of the 2014 season. With Penske there should be no issues with car performance so it should be down to his ability to get back into the swing of things in a single seater after years of NASCAR. JV should be interesting but I can see him struggling more as he is unlikely to get much preparation and has many other projects going on in 2014 to give it his sole focus.
AR - I saw Montoya as a potential race winner this season when his return was announced, after testing, I think he will be one. He will have a great team around him, surrounded by winners and with Roger Penske's desire to get back to the top of the table he could be there or there-abouts. He is also a big name after his time and success in F1 (as is Villeneuve) so the names will naturally attract attention to the series / Indy 500. As for Jacques Villeneuve, how will he do? Tough to say, been out of open wheel / continuous competitive driving for a few years and will take time to get up to speed, mid pack I think...
RP – I can see it having a potentially negative effect early on in the season, but I would hope that the strong field of drivers will hopefully outweigh the lack of a (full time) female driver in the series. Overall, we all want to see woman and men treated equally on their ability and talent.
MS – Simona is a loss as she is more talented than Danica. No driver should get a drive based on gender - we don't want a field of Duno's. A female racing driver would be good for the series but only if quick enough. Strangely the corporate dollar has not always followed the female driver which Sarah Fisher will remember despite being a fan favourite for years.
JM – My eldest daughter is 6 and is at the stage where she now asks me every time I watch a race "are there any girls in this race" sadly this year, I will most likely have to say no when she asks me this during an Indycar race. No matter what you think of the skill levels of certain women who have competed in Indycar, they are good for the series in terms of appealing to a wide spectrum of demographics and in Indycars constant pursuit of new fans, that's what is needed. I wish Simona had stayed, she had the talent and the fan appeal to be a bit of a star if she'd had a good car.
DR – I don't think not having a female driver will affect the series at all. Fans follow the sport for its exciting racing and its unique tracks not because it has women racing in it!
AR – It is sad to see Simona depart for the Sauber F1 team, wish her all the best, from the view point of the series yes it is a shame to see a series that has embraced females not have a full time entry, but the attitude now is one of talent over image, (sadly money too but that is not exclusive to females!). There are a number of females in the Road to Indy programme so the opportunity is still there. I imagine / hope to see a couple at the 500, and some part time entries throughout the season.
RP – Well we come up with all the good ideas and double points was one of them ha ha (Indycar UK Fantasy League), I like it. I think somebody on twitter worked out that this all but balances up the points on offer for Road/Street versus Ovals, despite the disparity in the schedule, so it should even up the season in many respects. On the other hand, fail to finish in 1 or 2 of the 3 TC races and your title chances are shot. These place even more of an emphasis on a strong oval season for the title contenders.
MS – I am not a fan of the double points concept in any series. It is only pipped for the worst points idea by the dropped scores concept. In this case it tips the scales towards the oval driver/team as well and winning these more gruelling races (particularly the Indy 500) is reward in itself. It won't stop me watching but not keen.
JM – I said on twitter recently that we Indycar fans can be the most staunchly traditional of any race fans and it's true but we shouldn't be afraid to try new things. Was the old point system broken? No, it wasn't but I really think Verizon and Indycar are determined to make a fresh start this year so why not try shaking things up a little and 500 races stand out a little.
DR – This whole "double points" thing is odd! I hate the idea in F1, and in a way I can see why they have chosen the three big oval races, but because the 500 is massive should they have just done it for that? In a way that would make sense.
AR – I am a little split over the double points, not a fan of it in F1 but more accepting in Indycar, at least they are being awarded at three prestigious races / venues. And for those complaining about 'tradition' more points used to be awarded to the longer distance races.The series is clearly looking at ways to spice up the series and this is one way, and to quote William Fichtner, "Not just built on tradition, it invents traditions"
RP – Kurt, Montoya and Villeneuve all potentially in one 500 field? Could be plenty fireworks! He's had his problems not too long ago but appears to have turned a corner, he drove a Champcar previously, so he has open wheel experience. Could be a very good yardstick to compare both series; Nascar and Indycar. It'll be a big news story come May, he's doing THE DOUBLE!!
MS – I loved it when Robby Gordon used to do the Indy/Charlotte double so, as a NASCAR fan as well, this is great news. I like Kurt and he has great passion for racing. It should create more PR for the series and open it up to more fans though the challenge, as always, is to keep the eyes on the series after the Indy 500. I for one hope he does well.
JM – While I've never been much of a fan of Kurt, I am a huge fan of his guts and his desire to compete and having a former Nascar Champion speak with reverence for Indy and be excited to compete there is no bad thing.
DR – Kurt Busch running the 500 is great news because it will attract fans who wouldn't normally watch Indycar to see how he is getting on. I hope when they see just how good it is they will think 'I might watch the next race' and then they're hooked. Also other drivers may want to run the 500 in future years, I know it's been rumoured Jimmy Johnson and Kyle Busch have expressed an interest. All good publicity for Indycar!
AR – As a non Nascar fan can't comment on him that much, but he is a previous champion, with a reputation (both on and off track!) and having him compete at Indy can only be good news for the series, again attracting more eyes to the race, the car and other drivers. As long as her gets a good amount of track time in preparation, I think he could do very well, maybe top ten? As an aside, interesting to see the number of Nascar drivers showing an interest in driving the DW12, mostly test runs at the moment, see Rahal / Earnhardt Jr, for me this shows positive growth for the series in that racers are interested in Indycar again.
Part three, the final part of our preview blogs out tomorrow will be looking at a bit of fantasy for this season and beyond, taking a look at drivers, tracks, and increasing the fan base.