The 2015 IndyCar season opens this weekend with the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg (Sunday at 2:30 p.m. ET on Sportsnet ONE). With new body styles for each of the series manufacturers, all Chevrolet and Honda entries will look noticeably different. That’s just one of many storylines to watch this new season.
Aero Kits
Race fans will get their first look at the new aero kits for both manufacturers during the opening weekend of competition. The new bodywork makes the cars distinct and unique from each other and easier for fans to spot. It also allows another level of competition between the two companies as they look for every advantage on the track.
There was limited testing allowed by the series prior to the season but the Chevrolet entries showed the early advantage. That’s not to say it’ll be Chevy domination this year. Different circuits may favour Honda and both sides will be working non-stop all season to tweak their cars and find more speed.
Penske Powerhouse
There were two significant driver moves in the off-season, the first catching many off guard as Simon Pagenaud left Schmidt Peterson to become the fourth member of Team Penske.
Pagenaud told me it was a goal of his to drive for this team and the excitement of the opportunity was clearly visible. With Pagenaud joining Helio Castroneves, Juan Pablo Montoya and defending series champion Will Power, Penske now has four top drivers – all of which have a shot at the title.
It’s also possible — unlikely, but possible — that Penske drivers finish Top 4 at season’s end. Last season, Penske’s three drivers finished first, second and fourth. Scott Dixon finished third and Pagenaud was fifth overall, so a Penske sweep atop the standings is very possible.
IndyCar on Sportsnet: Full 2015 schedule
What about Hinch?
James Hinchcliffe of Oakville, Ont., departed Andretti Autosport after three seasons to take over Pagenaud’s seat at Schmidt Peterson. It was a smart move for the Canadian driver, who was not guaranteed a ride at Andretti due to a lack of sponsorship dollars.
Hinchcliffe will now be the No. 1 driver on a team and, as a result, will get more direct attention to his program. That will also come with higher expectations as the team hopes Hinchcliffe will be able to lift them to the next level, challenging for a championship.
After an inconsistent season with Andretti in 2014, it also seemed like a good time for change for Hinchcliffe. There may be some initial growing pains but this partnership could work well for both sides.
Other new faces in new places
There are other good young drivers to keep an eye on this season. Sophomore Jack Hawksworth has moved to AJ Foyt’s racing to team with Takuma Sato. Expanding to a two-car team will benefit all involved. Both drivers know how to go fast and it’s hoped the extra resources will help them both perform on a consistent basis.
Talented Indy Lights champion Gabby Chaves embarks on his rookie season in the big cars and Stefano Coletti tries to bring his European success to Dale Coyne Racing. Coletti turned plenty of heads with his quick times during pre-season testing.
The other young racer to watch is Sage Karam, who is confirmed for the first event and tells me they’re closing in on a full-season program with Chip Ganassi.
Karam has a development deal with Ganassi. He got everyone’s attention last year at the Indianapolis 500 when he drove from 31st on the grid to a ninth-place finish. I think he should have been Rookie of the Year for the race. He’s won at every level he’s raced at and has the potential to be a big star.
Microscope on officiating
At the end of last season, Beaux Barfield decided to leave his position as Race Director of IndyCar. Taking over for Barfield was the man he replaced in the position, Brian Barnhart, who was removed from the post after making more than a few questionable officiating calls.
Needless to say, this created quite the uproar in the social media world.
Something critics need to keep in mind is that a lot has changed about the IndyCar system of officiating over the last three years since Barnhart held the job. Handing out penalties is no longer just his call to make; there are three stewards observing and deciding on penalties at each race and the officials have far better video monitors and equipment to help make those calls.
If there’s a group of officials in any sports league that get every call right, please point them out to me. Officiating in IndyCar has improved the last few seasons and hopefully it continues to trend that way. I’m not expecting it to be an issue, however, I assure you that after the first questionable call is made, Barnhart’s critics will come out in full force.
Close racing continues
While Chevrolet may have the early advantage with the new aero kits, don’t expect them to mop up all season. The top 20 cars were within one second of each other during the final pre-season test at Barber Motorsport Park.
This kind of close racing is what we’ve come to expect from the IndyCar series and I’m looking for it to continue for 2015.