IndyCar licensing agreement with iRacing to expire at end of year

From the iRacing forums via @GPLaps on Twitter:

Our current license agreement with IndyCar is set to expire on December 31, 2022. IndyCar has signed an exclusive license with another developer that goes into effect on January 1, 2023. While we are still working on finalizing a new license with IndyCar, it is clear there will be some notable changes to the way we are able to present IndyCar racing on iRacing. Most significantly, we will no longer be able to run an official IndyCar branded series and there will not be an iRacing Indy 500. You will also see the removal of the IndyCar Series logo from our sites.

I’m not a sim racer, but the feels like yet another example of short-term, petty thinking by Penske Entertainment’s IndyCar leadership. As a result of this agreement ending, IndyCar iRacing series’ can no longer feature current IndyCar tracks, and streaming of races using any IndyCar-related cars from past or present is now banned.

After short-changing the Indy Lights champion of his scholarship, cancelling the plan of 2.4 liter engines, shouting down journalists who dare be critical of the series’ direction, and several more shortcomings, it’s becoming hard to square Roger Penske, the owner of IndyCar, versus Roger Penske, successful businessman and owner of team that was won eighteen Indianapolis 500s. It seems impossible that somone whose leadership group has made so many questionable decisions with regard to the stewardship of the series can be so successful in other forms of business, including other facets of motorsports.

IndyCar docuseries “100 Days to Indy” to air on The CW

From IndyCar:

Penske Entertainment and The CW Network announced Dec. 8 they are joining forces with VICE Media Group for “100 Days to Indy,” a first-of-its-kind broadcast series about the road to the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge, the world’s premier motorsports competition.

Produced by Penske Entertainment and VICE Media Group, the six-part series will take fans behind the scenes to chronicle the bold and brash personalities of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES as they begin the 2023 season and start their epic quest for racing’s greatest prize. “100 Days to Indy” will air on The CW Network in spring 2023.

After the admittedly crummy past few months Penske Entertainment and the IndyCar Series has had, it’s easy to be negative about this announcement. My first reaction was, “Great, I wonder if it’ll air between Arrow-verse show number 72 and Supernatural: Preschool Days,” but as I think more about it, the partnership with The CW is a shrewd move for a series desperately in need of momentum.

After various programming changes and branding overhauls, The CW made a name for itself as the go-to place for shows with younger followings, especially young women. Supernatural, Riverdale, and others I’m now too old to have heard of became darlings of Tumblr and TikTok fandoms. Instead of the “folks watch Monk reruns” that NASCAR’s Race for the Championship series seems to target on USA, IndyCar may be able to capture a younger demographics, perhaps similar—if several orders of magnitude smaller—that Netflix and Formula 1 have with Drive to Survive.

My one concern is the accessibility of The CW in the Indianapolis metro. For several years, Indianapolis-area customers with AT&T services have not been able to watch The CW on their cable or satellite packages after a contract dispute between AT&T and the owners of The CW’s local affiliate wish. This leaves antenna TV as the prime option for a lot of people in the area, and is especially not good for me an hour south of Indianapolis in Bloomington, where I get four channels over antenna on a clear day. Adding to the fact that most people watch TV asynchronously these days, I hope The CW and Penske Entertainment have an idea on how to make the show’s reach as wide as possible. While this series needs this to be an invitation to new fans rather than a love letter to old ones, it’s still a good idea to make it easy for the series’ core audience to consume.

Kurt Busch announces retirement

From Kurt Busch on Twitter:

The doctors have come to the conclusion that it is best for me to “shut it down” for this season. Even though have made solid gains since I have been working with top specialists, and the team at Toyota Performance Center, I’m still not 100% and I’m still not cleared to compete.

As I continue to focus on my health and work towards being cleared, I will be stepping away from full-time NASCAR Cup Series competition in 2023.

Not a surprise, but it feels like the end of an era for many NASCAR fans. Kurt was the last remaining Cup series driver to race against Dale Earnhardt Sr., and on a personal note, Kurt was one of the two drivers who participated in my first NASCAR race—the 2001 Brickyard 400—still competing in the Cup series.

His career had its highs and lows, going from his championship in 2004 to his dismissal from Team Penske in 2011, but it’s been a privilege to race fans to see him regain his composure and show during the twilight of his career that he is both a good man and a good race car driver.

Kurt mentioned in his press availability that he hopes to make some one-off appearances in NASCAR if his health permits, and as someone who became a diehard NASCAR fan in the early 2000s, I hope we get to see that for his sake and ours.

Apple announces September 7 Far Out event

Via John Voorhees from MacStories:

Apple has confirmed that its first fall event will be held on September 7th at 10:00 am Pacific US time. For the first time since the beginning of the pandemic, this fall’s event will include an in-person component.

It’s already that time of year again. After being on the iOS 16 beta for about a month, it’s clear to see how widgets on the lock screen are tailor-made for a phone with an always-on screen. I’m also interested to see if or how Apple acknowledges the demise of the iPhone Mini as it is replaced in the lineup with a non-Pro iPhone Max.

Bobby East passes away at age 37

From USAC:

Bobby East, one of the most prolific drivers of his era and a three-time USAC National Champion driver in USAC Silver Crown and Midgets, passed away on the night of July 13, 2022, in southern California. He was just 37 years old.

Awful, awful news. Bobby was a hometown boy who happened to be a heck of a race car driver in his day.

I met Bobby several times over the years at Indianapolis Raceway Park, but one memory sticks out to me the most. My mom and I were at a local racing-themed barbecue place where a picture of Bobby leading the field to green at IRP after winning the pole for a NASCAR Truck Series race. A few tables over, the man himself was having lunch.

Rest in peace, Bobby. You will be missed.

Palou announces move to McLaren hours after Ganassi announces his return for 2023

From McLaren on Twitter

¡Hola Alex! 🇪🇸

McLaren Racing welcomes #INDYCAR champion @AlexPalou to its driver roster from 2023, as the team continues to build talent across all of its racing series. 👊

Our full driver line-up across all racing series will be confirmed in due course.

This would easily have been the biggest story of the IndyCar silly season even if it hadn’t been preceded by Chip Ganassi Racing announcing the Palou would be returning to the team with which he won the 2021 IndyCar championship just a few hours earlier.

I’ve got a feeling that we’ve seen nothing yet.

Tyler Reddick announces move to 23XI Racing for 2024

From 23XI Racing:

23XI Racing announced today that Tyler Reddick will join the team in 2024. Reddick, a two-time NASCAR Xfinity Series champion, is currently in his third full-time season in the NASCAR Cup Series.

Well, that came out of left field. Just two weeks removed from his maiden win at Road America, Tyler Reddick is making a leap to the team co-owned by Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin. And the way they shared the news with the media? Perfect.

On the other hand, we have the reaction of Reddick’s current team, Richard Childress Racing:

We’re proud of the success Tyler Reddick has found at Richard Childress Racing. We’re focused on winning a championship in 2022 and 2023, although timing of this announcement could not be any worse.

That is rough. I can’t recall a situation where the language in a NASCAR team’s press release as been so blunt. While this will impact RCR’s future, I agree with Reddick when he said that RCR should have been prepared for this. Much like Kyle Larson’s time at Chip Ganassi Racing, mid-level teams need to realize that they need to make hay while the sun is shining with their blue chip prospects because sooner or later, a Death Star-level team or manufacturer will make an offer a young driver can’t refuse.

MAVTV and FloRacing announce partnership

From FloRacing:

The partnership between the two companies will deliver new MAVTV Plus live content to fans through the FloRacing platform. Live programming previously delivered through MAVTV Plus, including the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series, Chili Bowl Nationals finals and Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship, will be streamed on FloRacing through the “MAVTV on FloRacing” banner.

FloRacing is a subscription that I happily pay, as the ability to watch USAC, NASCAR regional series’, and countless other forms of motorsports is worth the cost. Now with access to more live programming, specifically the final night of the Chili Bowl, that deal is even sweeter.

FIA announces changes to reduce porpoising

From the FIA:

Following the eighth round of this year’s FIA Formula One World Championship, during which the phenomenon of aerodynamic oscillations (“porpoising”) of the new generation of Formula 1 cars, and the effect of this during and after the race on the physical condition of the drivers was once again visible, the FIA, as the governing body of the sport, has decided that, in the interests of the safety, it is necessary to intervene to require that the teams make the necessary adjustments to reduce or to eliminate this phenomenon.

After last week’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix, it was clear that something needed to be done to reduce the amount of porpoising seen in the new regulation Formula 1 cars. I’d previously been in the camp that it is up to the teams to make sacrifices in performance to increase driver comfort, but after watching the onboard shots from Baku and seeing Lewis Hamilton struggle to climb from his car after the race, my mind quickly changed.

I hope that this new regulation isn’t met with whinging from teams who were less affected by porpoising, but I suppose people in hell hope for ice water.

Thirty-third Indianapolis 500 entry confirmed

From Cusick Motorsports

Cusick Motorsports is proud to announce their return to the NTT INDYCAR SERIES grid for the 106th Running of the Indianapolis 500 in partnership with DragonSpeed. The partnership combines two entities that have independently made strides in the Indianapolis 500 in recent years, creating synergy between Cusick Motorsports’ business-to-business acumen and DragonSpeed’s multi-disciplinary racing prowess. Stefan Wilson will be at the wheel of the No. 25 DragonSpeed/Cusick Motorsports Chevrolet entry, marking the driver’s fourth career Indy 500 start and second consecutive entry in partnership with Cusick Motorsports.

I’m happy that Stefan Wilson, Cusick Motorsports, and DragonSpeed will be competing in the Indianapolis 500 in 2022, but I can’t say the same for the circumstances that brought us here. We are two years past the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and ten years from the 2012 debut of IndyCar’s latest full car redesign, and despite this, the greatest race in the world can hardly muster thirty-three cars. I’m thankful that Roger Penske bought the series and the Speedway when he did, as I’m not sure if the Hulman-George family would have been able to weather the financial storm COVID brought, but I feel disappointed that the series is less than a month away from the Indianapolis 500 and the traditional field of thirty-three is just now coming together.

On the bright side, I’m glad to see that this may be the start of DragonSpeed’s return to IndyCar. I’ve always enjoyed the presence of Elton Julian’s plucky team in IndyCar, and their return will be welcome.