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IndyCar
INDYCAR: 2013 Season Preview PT 2
Dive into the second part of SPEED.com's three-part IndyCar Season preview, featuring Dragon Racing, ECR, Ganassi, KV, Panther and Panther DRR.
Part 2 of SPEED.com's IndyCar Season Preview features Dragon Racing to Panther DRR. (Photos: LAT)
Here's Part 2 of SPEED.com's comprehensive team-by-team preview of the 20123 IZOD IndyCar Season which kicks off this weekend at St. Petersburg. Read Part 1 of the season preview by clicking here.
Team: Dragon Racing
Driver: Sebastian Saavedra
Car No.: 6
Engine: Chevrolet
Chief Mechanic: Stephen Price
Engineer: Ed Nathman
2012 Driver’s Championship Finish: 27th
Pruett Says: Saavedra impressed me on a few occasions during his rookie season with Conquest Racing in 2011. He did it again last year in limited outings with Andretti Autosport, and after overcoming a few years where his career was on the brink, the Colombian has his best chance to show how much talent he has with Bourdais as a teammate.
The two have gotten along quite well so far, and Saavedra seems to understand that with the 4-time Champ Car champion as an ally and mentor, his fortunes rise. Playing the role of a young upstart trying to conquer the world is the wrong route to take, and I don’t think he’ll veer in that direction.
As Bourdais’ understudy, Saavedra could surprise at times this year. The only limitation I see is with his engineer, the veteran Ed Nathman, who will need some time to learn the ins and outs of the Dallara DW12 package.
If and when the driver and engineer are in synch, Dragon will have a solid two-car effort to rely on.
Miller Says: It seems like just the other day when people were touting Saavedra as a "can't miss" and he wound up as a "can't find." Only 19 IndyCar starts in three years and it got so bad he was back running Indy Lights in 2012. But he looked plenty racy at Sonoma and Fontana in one-off rides and now he's finally scored a full-time gig with Jay Penske. He's got another Sebastien as his teammate, an old school engineer in Nathman and the best chance to show he belongs.
Driver: Sebastien Bourdais
Car No.: 7
Engine: Chevrolet
Chief Mechanic: Didier Francesia
Engineer: Neil Fife
2012 Driver’s Championship Finish: 25th
Pruett Says: Hard to fathom 2013 will mark Bourdais’ first full season of Indy car racing since 2007. It’s also hard to fathom Bourdais and his trusted engineer Neil Fife going without earning at least one win this year.
Dragon quickly became Bourdais’ team, and his imprint can be found throughout the program. Few drivers demand more or offer more than Bourdais, which is exactly what a young team like Dragon needs to rise up the pecking order.
The team still has a lot of progress to make in order to harass the Penskes and Ganassis as every round, but with two cars, Chevy power all season and an in-his-prime Bourdais (34), I expect this team and the No. 7 car to make the biggest season-to-season leap in the standings.
Miller Says: The idle conversation last year among a couple of IndyCar's front runners went as follows: If he gets rid of Lotus, he'll be a factor. If he ever gets in one of those red cars he'll be a winner again." Bourdais' second season back in North America showed he still possessed the savvy and skill that took him to four consecutive Champ Car titles. And when he finally got a Chevy engine he was qualifying and running up front. That's likely where you'll find him this year on the streets and road courses. Maybe even in victory lane.
What Bourdais Says Needs Improving This Year: “For me, the biggest challenge is if we’re going to be good on the championship run I need to get myself back up in action straightaway pretty much on the ovals. I don't have a lot of experience on the ovals. I mean, I have some. I haven’t set foot in Iowa ever and I've never been to Texas ever in open wheel. I haven't been in Pocono ever, but that's the same for everyone. I haven't been to Milwaukee since 2006.
“It's going to take, for sure, some time to get back to it but I think it all depends how good the car is, and if it's a car that gives you confidence then the learning process is sped up by a big amount. So I’m not particularly concerned about it but, for sure, that's going to be the biggest challenge. For us I think after that very challenging season for the team than the biggest challenge is the structure and to be more organized and we try and get the energy to make it up and basically to be the sort of team that’s got expectation now. We didn't really have any expectations coming into last year’s season. Now it's different. We've seen some potential and it's time to show it now.”
Team: Ed Carpenter Racing
Driver: Ed Carpenter
Car No.: 20
Engine: Chevrolet
Chief Mechanic: Bret Schmitt
Engineer: Matt Barnes
2012 Driver’s Championship Finish: 18th, 1 win
Pruett Says: Count Ed in for 2 oval wins. His one-car team has become a serious threat on ovals—not a surprise for Carpenter and the talented Matt Barnes engineering the No. 20—but that’s about one can reasonably expect from the team. The caliber of road racing talent throughout the field will make it ever harder for Carpenter to have a repeat of the breakthrough that came on the streets of Baltimore.
He tries hard wherever he goes and continues to look for improvements in his driving outside of the ovals. He’s not an every-round competitor, but I respect the effort Carpenter puts into his profession.
Miller Says: If it was still the old IRL Eddie Boy would be in the hunt. As it stands, he's got six shots at winning out of 19 races. Carpenter would love to see more ovals but it says a lot that he's a threat to win any of them. Improved pit stops, good engineering and Carpenter's maturity all add up to a third straight year with at least one victory for the lone owner/driver in the series.
What Carpenter Says Needs Improving This Year: “Overall as a team, I think at least a little more consistency than what we had last year. We had some very good races but we didn't always – even when I look at Iowa and Milwaukee, we had really good races but we weren't great all weekend. So kind of getting better, more consistent over the whole weekend for the team, and for me, just continuing to improve and get stronger. And more than anything qualify better on the road and street courses.”
Team: Dragon Racing
Driver: Sebastian Saavedra
Car No.: 6
Engine: Chevrolet
Chief Mechanic: Stephen Price
Engineer: Ed Nathman
2012 Driver’s Championship Finish: 27th
Pruett Says: Saavedra impressed me on a few occasions during his rookie season with Conquest Racing in 2011. He did it again last year in limited outings with Andretti Autosport, and after overcoming a few years where his career was on the brink, the Colombian has his best chance to show how much talent he has with Bourdais as a teammate.
The two have gotten along quite well so far, and Saavedra seems to understand that with the 4-time Champ Car champion as an ally and mentor, his fortunes rise. Playing the role of a young upstart trying to conquer the world is the wrong route to take, and I don’t think he’ll veer in that direction.
As Bourdais’ understudy, Saavedra could surprise at times this year. The only limitation I see is with his engineer, the veteran Ed Nathman, who will need some time to learn the ins and outs of the Dallara DW12 package.
If and when the driver and engineer are in synch, Dragon will have a solid two-car effort to rely on.
Miller Says: It seems like just the other day when people were touting Saavedra as a "can't miss" and he wound up as a "can't find." Only 19 IndyCar starts in three years and it got so bad he was back running Indy Lights in 2012. But he looked plenty racy at Sonoma and Fontana in one-off rides and now he's finally scored a full-time gig with Jay Penske. He's got another Sebastien as his teammate, an old school engineer in Nathman and the best chance to show he belongs.
Driver: Sebastien Bourdais
Car No.: 7
Engine: Chevrolet
Chief Mechanic: Didier Francesia
Engineer: Neil Fife
2012 Driver’s Championship Finish: 25th
Pruett Says: Hard to fathom 2013 will mark Bourdais’ first full season of Indy car racing since 2007. It’s also hard to fathom Bourdais and his trusted engineer Neil Fife going without earning at least one win this year.
Dragon quickly became Bourdais’ team, and his imprint can be found throughout the program. Few drivers demand more or offer more than Bourdais, which is exactly what a young team like Dragon needs to rise up the pecking order.
The team still has a lot of progress to make in order to harass the Penskes and Ganassis as every round, but with two cars, Chevy power all season and an in-his-prime Bourdais (34), I expect this team and the No. 7 car to make the biggest season-to-season leap in the standings.
Miller Says: The idle conversation last year among a couple of IndyCar's front runners went as follows: If he gets rid of Lotus, he'll be a factor. If he ever gets in one of those red cars he'll be a winner again." Bourdais' second season back in North America showed he still possessed the savvy and skill that took him to four consecutive Champ Car titles. And when he finally got a Chevy engine he was qualifying and running up front. That's likely where you'll find him this year on the streets and road courses. Maybe even in victory lane.
What Bourdais Says Needs Improving This Year: “For me, the biggest challenge is if we’re going to be good on the championship run I need to get myself back up in action straightaway pretty much on the ovals. I don't have a lot of experience on the ovals. I mean, I have some. I haven’t set foot in Iowa ever and I've never been to Texas ever in open wheel. I haven't been in Pocono ever, but that's the same for everyone. I haven't been to Milwaukee since 2006.
“It's going to take, for sure, some time to get back to it but I think it all depends how good the car is, and if it's a car that gives you confidence then the learning process is sped up by a big amount. So I’m not particularly concerned about it but, for sure, that's going to be the biggest challenge. For us I think after that very challenging season for the team than the biggest challenge is the structure and to be more organized and we try and get the energy to make it up and basically to be the sort of team that’s got expectation now. We didn't really have any expectations coming into last year’s season. Now it's different. We've seen some potential and it's time to show it now.”
Team: Ed Carpenter Racing
Driver: Ed Carpenter
Car No.: 20
Engine: Chevrolet
Chief Mechanic: Bret Schmitt
Engineer: Matt Barnes
2012 Driver’s Championship Finish: 18th, 1 win
Pruett Says: Count Ed in for 2 oval wins. His one-car team has become a serious threat on ovals—not a surprise for Carpenter and the talented Matt Barnes engineering the No. 20—but that’s about one can reasonably expect from the team. The caliber of road racing talent throughout the field will make it ever harder for Carpenter to have a repeat of the breakthrough that came on the streets of Baltimore.
He tries hard wherever he goes and continues to look for improvements in his driving outside of the ovals. He’s not an every-round competitor, but I respect the effort Carpenter puts into his profession.
Miller Says: If it was still the old IRL Eddie Boy would be in the hunt. As it stands, he's got six shots at winning out of 19 races. Carpenter would love to see more ovals but it says a lot that he's a threat to win any of them. Improved pit stops, good engineering and Carpenter's maturity all add up to a third straight year with at least one victory for the lone owner/driver in the series.
What Carpenter Says Needs Improving This Year: “Overall as a team, I think at least a little more consistency than what we had last year. We had some very good races but we didn't always – even when I look at Iowa and Milwaukee, we had really good races but we weren't great all weekend. So kind of getting better, more consistent over the whole weekend for the team, and for me, just continuing to improve and get stronger. And more than anything qualify better on the road and street courses.”
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