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IndyCar
INDYCAR: F1’s Karthikeyan Pondering IndyCar Switch
Marshall Pruett speaks with Indian F1 driver Narain Karthikeyan, who reveals he's contemplating staying in F1 or making a move to IndyCar.
Will "The Fastest Indian In The World" choose another season of being a small fish in F1's big pond, or seek a far more competitive situation in the IZOD IndyCar Series in 2013? (Photo: LAT)
If India’s most popular racing driver grows tired of racing for the tail-end HRT Formula One team, he could be up for a move to the IZOD IndyCar Series in 2013.
35-year-old Narain Karthikeyan, who became the first Indian to compete in F1 in 2005, has represented his nation of a billion-plus countrymen through taking part in 40 Grand Prixs, the A1GP series, at the 24 Hours of Le Mans and even in NASCAR’s Camping World Truck Series, but has struggled to find a permanent home in any single championship.
Now in his second season with HRT—one that lasted only eight of 19 rounds in 2011—Karthikeyan has had predictable outcomes at every race, suffering early retirements or finishes well outside of the points.
But as he told SPEED.com in an exclusive on Thursday, a return to America to try his hand at racing in the IndyCar Series is one of his options.
“We still haven’t decided yet, but I have several friends who are racing in IndyCar,” he said while preparing for this weekend’s Japanese Grand Prix. “We have to see when the [F1] season is over.”
The specter of oval racing, which has dampened the enthusiasm of many F1 drivers pondering a shift to racing in America, wouldn’t be a challenge for Karthikeyan.
Prior to his move to F1, the talented Karthikeyan completed a 60-lap test at the 1-mile Phoenix oval for the Red Bull Cheever Racing IndyCar team, impressing on his maiden oval outing before rain intervened.
He’d later use the findings from that test to run nine NASCAR Truck races, averaging a respectable 19th starting position and an average finishing position of 18th as a rookie in 2010.
Karthikeyan, who was curious to learn about prize money, driver salaries and IndyCar’s 2013 TV package, said there's a strong chance he'll stay with HRT next year, but with his management team also reaching out to a few different IndyCar principals, the open-wheel veteran has plenty to consider in the coming months.
35-year-old Narain Karthikeyan, who became the first Indian to compete in F1 in 2005, has represented his nation of a billion-plus countrymen through taking part in 40 Grand Prixs, the A1GP series, at the 24 Hours of Le Mans and even in NASCAR’s Camping World Truck Series, but has struggled to find a permanent home in any single championship.
Now in his second season with HRT—one that lasted only eight of 19 rounds in 2011—Karthikeyan has had predictable outcomes at every race, suffering early retirements or finishes well outside of the points.
But as he told SPEED.com in an exclusive on Thursday, a return to America to try his hand at racing in the IndyCar Series is one of his options.
“We still haven’t decided yet, but I have several friends who are racing in IndyCar,” he said while preparing for this weekend’s Japanese Grand Prix. “We have to see when the [F1] season is over.”
The specter of oval racing, which has dampened the enthusiasm of many F1 drivers pondering a shift to racing in America, wouldn’t be a challenge for Karthikeyan.
Prior to his move to F1, the talented Karthikeyan completed a 60-lap test at the 1-mile Phoenix oval for the Red Bull Cheever Racing IndyCar team, impressing on his maiden oval outing before rain intervened.
He’d later use the findings from that test to run nine NASCAR Truck races, averaging a respectable 19th starting position and an average finishing position of 18th as a rookie in 2010.
Karthikeyan, who was curious to learn about prize money, driver salaries and IndyCar’s 2013 TV package, said there's a strong chance he'll stay with HRT next year, but with his management team also reaching out to a few different IndyCar principals, the open-wheel veteran has plenty to consider in the coming months.
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