The start of the 2024 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season, the Firestone Grand Prix of St Petersburg presented by RP Funding is just 98 days away.
The Sunshine state will host the season opener to what is sure to be another incredible year of racing action.
There has been a lot happening of the off-season and we are only in December.
Here at Paddock Eye we thought we would take a look at what has been going on. The Milwaukee Mile returns to the schedule for a double-header in August.
The season finale has moved to Nashville with a new layout for the Big Machine Music City Grand Prix.
We also have the $1 million Challenge at The Thermal Club a non points event on March 24.
So what about the driver market. Well, Paddock Eye understands that AJ Foyt Racing will field an unchanged driver line-up of Santino Ferrucci and Benjamin Pedersen despite suggestions that Pedersen would not be in No.55 the likelihood is he will return for 2024.
Andretti Global have scaled back their NTT INDYCAR SERIES programme to three cars and have added Marcus Ericsson to their stable alongside Kyle Kirkwood and Colton Herta.
Marco Andretti is expected to return for the Indianapolis 500 on May 26.
Arrow McLaren have brought in David Malukas alongside Alexander Rossi and Pato O’Ward while Kyle Larson will compete in the Indianapolis 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 on the sane day.
Chip Ganassi Racing have expanded to five full-time cars with Linus Lundqvist taking over the No.8 The American Legion Honda who move over from champion Alex Palou’s car for 2024.
Paddock Eye understands that DHL who recently left Andretti Global could join Ganassi as primary sponsor to either Alex Palou or new signing Kyffin Simpson.
Six-time NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion Scott Dixon continues in the No.9 PNC Bank Honda.
Marcus Armstrong mives to a full-time seat in the No.11 Ridgeline Lubricants Honda.
Dale Coyne Racing have a multitude of drivers on their radar such as Jack Harvey, Devlin DeFrancesco, Callum Ilott and Enzo Fittipaldi who recently tested for the team.
Ed Carpenter Racing have reverted back to two cars with three drivers, Rinus VeeKay returns to the No.21 Chevrolet while Christian Rasmussen will make his race debut at the Firestone Grand Prix of St Petersburg presented by RP Funding on March 10.
Rasmussen will share the No.20 with team owner Ed Carpenter, he will compete on road and street courses while also running the Indianapolis 500 in a third Chevrolet.
Juncos Hollinger Racing have signed Romain Grosjean to drive the No.77 Chevrolet vacated by Callum Ilott while Agustín Canapino continues on the No.78 Chevrolet.
Meyer Shank Racing have an all-new line-up with Felix Rosenqvist joining the team from Arrow McLaren to drive the No.06 AutoNation Sirius XM Honda while Tom Blomqvist makes his full-time NTT INDYCAR SERIES debut in the No.60 AutoNation Sirius XM Honda.
Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing renewed Graham Rahal’s contract on a multi-year partnership with Rahal returning to the No.15 United Rentals Honda.
Pietro Fittipaldi joins the team full-time in the No.30 Honda while Christian Lundgaard returns to the No.45 Hy-Vee Honda.
Rahal have not ruled out running a fourth car on a partial schedule for Juri Vips under what Bobby Rahal says would be the right circumstances, the team could run him at the Indianapolis 500 in May so watch this space.
It is as you were at Team Penske who have defending Indianapolis 500 winner Josef Newgarden returning to the No.2 Chevrolet, Scott McLaughlin in the No.3 Chevrolet while Will Power continues in the No.12 Verizon 5G Team Penske Chevrolet.
The other major unknown for 2024 is the introduction of the new Hybrid technology which both Honda Performance Development and Chevrolet have been working extremely hard on behind the scenes raking up the testing miles with Scott Dixon for Honda and Will Power for Chevrolet.
We also have the very realistic possibility that the NTT INDYCAR SERIES will travel to Argentina at the end of the season of an exhibition race with Argentina expected to to join the schedule in 2025.