Team: Ganassi Racing
Driver: Charlie Kimball
Car No.: 83
Engine: Honda
Chief Mechanic: Mark Sampson
Engineer: Brad Goldberg
2012 Driver’s Championship Finish: 19th

Pruett Says: “Charlie Murphy,” as his teammates call him, is a bit of an enigma wrapped in a magical marketing cloak. Put Kimball in front of a camera, crowd or sponsor, and he’s pure energy. Strap Chuck into an Indy car and on some days, you might not know he’s there.

I don’t expect miracles from Kimball, but did expect something better than 19th in the championship—the same position he earned as a rookie—in 2012. His testing injury at Mid-Ohio meant he had to sit out that round, and those points could have moved him up in the standings, but for a road racer with a European open-wheel pedigree, there’s no reason for Kimball to have finished behind Ed Carpenter with a schedule so heavily tilted towards his road/street expertise.

He had one glowing result in Canada, but I’d like to believe he’s capable of something more than a rare highlight among handfuls of finishes in the bottom half of the field.

I like Chuck, and think he can become a more competitive and consistent driver. He expects those very things from himself. Kimball and James Hinchcliffe come from similar background and are both headed into their third seasons as IndyCar drivers.
We’ll know by the time we get to Fontana in October whether Chuck’s simply a late bloomer, or if he’s been giving all he has to offer all along.

Miller Says: His impressive run to second last year at Toronto was Charlie's gold star but he spent much of 2012 proving that he was getting the hang of an Indy car. Sure, his qualifying needs to improve dramatically of if he's ever going to pose a constant threat and that may be asking too much. But a trio of eighth places and that podium showed marked progress in his sophomore season.

What Kimball Says Needs Improving This Year: “I think the first one, for myself, is we've got to qualify better. I've got to step up and not start in such a hole so that we’re making such dramatic drives for the top 10 and the top five. We need to start inside the top 10 so as the race develops we’re naturally progressing toward the top five and the top three. That's the first step. And once we get there, I think it will all fall into place. A couple of the short ovals were challenges for me but I learned a huge amount in the last 200 miles at Fontana and also in a couple of the test days we’ve had in the off-season. So I'm looking forward to putting that knowledge to good use when we get back to the short ovals next year.”

Team: KV Racing
Driver: Tony Kanaan
Car No.: 11
Engine: Chevrolet
Chief Mechanic: Jeff Simons
Engineer: Eric Cowdin
2012 Driver’s Championship Finish: 9th

Pruett Says: IndyCar’s most dynamic Race Day performer weathered a tough 2012 at KV Racing. The team strayed into some odd R&D directions that made their cars a pain to drive, Kanaan’s dear friend Rubens Barrichello never quite found a happy medium with the car and it felt like everything that took place in practice and qualifying was a struggle.

Kanaan started 16th or worse on seven occasions last year—almost half the races—and had to drive like he was possessed by demons to get the No. 11 into contention for a decent result. Knowing TK’s as close to automatic as they come in the race, the team and driver need to spend their time and energy on everything leading up to the race.

How many races could Kanaan win if he started inside the top 8 on a regular basis? Three a year, at least? He’s also been complicit in that slow start routine, which he has to recognize. Newly married, Kanaan will hopefully bring a sunnier disposition to the KV tent, and with a new, smiley and motivated teammate in Simona de Silvestro, everything is pointing in the right direction for TK.

De Silvestro could add a few years to TK’s career; I expect she’ll pose the strongest internecine challenge he’s faced since his days at Andretti Autosport, and that kind of motivation for a 38-year-old driver never hurts.

KV has been a lightning rod for dysfunction in recent years, and word of warring engineers has made the rounds since pre-season testing began. If that nonsense can be quashed, Kanaan can get off to a good start, TK could be a regular visitor to the top 5.

He hasn’t won since Iowa in 2010, which he’ll also look to rectify ASAP.

Miller Says: Still as formidable on ovals as anyone on the grid but his poor road/street pace in qualifying made getting to the front damn near impossible. Simona will light a fire under his Brazilian butt in that category and hopefully they can work together. TK finished third at Indy in 2012 and drinking that milk still drives him. If not IMS, he'll be back in the winner's circle at either Iowa or Milwaukee.

Driver: Simona De Silvestro
Car No.: 78
Engine: Chevrolet
Chief Mechanic: Kelly Potter
Engineer: Gerald Tyler
2012 Driver’s Championship Finish: 24th

Pruett Says: There’s a big part of me that wants to call this Year Zero for de Silvestro.

She impressed everyone as a rookie in 2010, followed it up with gritty performances in 2011 and showed incredible class as her 2012 season was torpedoed by Lotus’ engines. But with no teammate to learn from and a small team with few resources, she had to rely on raw talent the entire time. Her growth as a professional was stunted, at best, and at worst, we rarely got to see her full potential shine through.

With KV, a championship-winning teammate and strong engineering resources to draw from, de Silvestro is almost starting from scratch. She knows the tracks, the car and the rest of the routine, but her development as an IndyCar driver is only just beginning.

She’s been a revelation so far in testing, topping Kanaan on a number of occasions, so it’s clear that with a proper team and no distractions, the badass de Silvestro that wowed people in Atlantics is back. How far she can go and how high she can reach, at least for me, will be one of the most interesting themes to follow in 2013.

I don’t expect her to be far from wherever Kanaan is on the track—and that could be in front of him or behind—but I’m more interested in what she has to offer in 2014.

Miller Says: If anybody deserves a break in the IndyCar paddock it's de Silvestro. The plucky Swiss Miss didn't let flipping and being burned at Indianapolis ruin her resolve but she was powerless (literally and figuratively) to combat the Lotus boat anchor in 2012. Now she's got a Chevy, a teammate for the first time ever, veteran engineer Gerald Tyler and a fresh start with KV Racing. Can she revert to the form she showed in 2011? Damn right.