First off, this season is going to kick so much ass! It's going to be like Brock Lesnar stepping into the ring vs The Rock. Pure electricity and entertainment all the way through. In the word's of the legendary Paul Heyman, that is not a prediction, but a spoiler alert. Coming off the strange Covid Season of 2020 and the almost normal 2021 season, this will be the first IndyCar Season since 2019 that is going to feel normal again. So without further adieu, I'm going to dive into what is new for 2022, what to be excited about, and some season predictions.
What's New
A whole bunch of stuff. That's what.
Starting off with the schedule, where unfortunately not a whole lot has changed. The schedule is almost the same as last year with the exception of the returns to Toronto on July 17th and to Iowa for a double header weekend on July 23rd and 24th. Long Beach returns to its normal spot on the calendar on April 10th and the Detroit double header weekend is now just 1 race. In total, there will be 17 races this year. This is always a bummer for me, as I would love for the schedule to reach the 20-24 race mark. Of the 17 races, there are only 15 tracks that will host a race. That flat out sucks and feels like something that has to improve to continue to grow the IndyCar Series.
The who are you people portion of the Preview
DANICA Freaking PATRICK is back baby!!! The GoDaddy girl herself will be giving it one last go in IndyCar. The move doesn't make much sense but I am super excited to see what she can do....but as I write this, my sources are now informing me this is sadly not true. Well this feels like a letdown, but I'm being told there is a new Danica on the scene. Tatiana Caldederon will be driving the #11 ROKiT Chevrolet for AJ Foyt Enterprises on road and street circuits. She'll be the first regular female competitor in the IndyCar Series since Simona De Silvestro in 2013. This is awesome news and I personally hope she is successful. The more diversity in motorsports the better.
James Hichcliffe is gone from the series and replacing him at Andretti Autosport will be Devlin DeFrncesco in the #29 Honda that has too many sponsors to list. He comes in with a ton of funding, but will probably not do well in his first season.
Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing adds Christian Lundgaard to pilot their #30 Honda, previously driven by Takuma Sato. Lundgaard competed in the second Indy Road Course race last season and fared okay. He qualified very well but didn't have much race pace. If he can stay out of trouble, he should have a good season, along with some strong finishes for a team that is looking to up its performance and compete more consistently with Penske, Ganassi, McLaren, and Andretti.
As seems to be the case almost every single year, Dale Coyne Racing adds a new driver. This year it will be David Malukas, who won 7 Indy Lights races in 2021. He'll be looking to parlay a great Rookie season into a ride with a better team in 2023, much like the past two rookies in his position at Coyne. Defending IndyCar Champion Alex Palou was a rookie with Coyne in 2020, and Romain Grosjean drove for the team last season before getting picked up by Andretti Autosport for 2022.
Same Faces, New Places
The second new driver at Andretti Autsport in 2022 will be Romain Grosjean. The former Formula 1 veteran comes to Andretti with big expectations heading into his second IndyCar season. He will be taking over the #28 DHL Honda from Ryan Hunter-Reay. Grosjean outperformed expectations a season ago as a rookie with Dale Coyne Racing, and now gets a chance to really show what he's capable of in a better ride. Unlike last year, Romain will be running the full schedule and competing for the Championship this year. A season ago, he ran only road and street courses, while also completing his first oval race at Gateway. A lot of people see him as a dark horse title contender and a guy who will get his first victory this season. My somewhat bold prediction is that Grosjean will go winless and struggle with Andretti more than expected.
Dale Coyne Racing's second new driver this season is none other than 2 time Indy 500 Winner Takuma Sato. Sato leaves Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing to drive the #51 Honda, formerly driven by Romain Grosjean. Expect the same old same old from Sato. No attack. No chance. He'll have some big moments this season, and make some head scratching decisions.
Helio Castroneves is back full time in the IndyCar Series for the first time since 2017. The 4 time Indy 500 Winner will be running for Meyer Shank Racing in the #06 Autonation Honda. Castoneves' pursuit for a 5th Indy 500 is no doubt the biggest story coming into the IndyCar season. In my opinion, it's the biggest story in all of motorsports for 2022. As for the whole season, Spider Man will more than likely struggle in a major way. This will be his first full season for a team other than Team Penske, which will be a big challenge by itself. Add in the fact that he will be turning 47 in May, and the odds simply aren't in his favor. I won't be counting him out, though I believe any top tier success outside of the 500 will be very difficult to come by.
Meyer Shank Racing will also be running a second full time car in 2022 for the first time. The #60 Autonation Honda will be driven by 2016 IndyCar Champion Simon Pagenaud, who seems to be a great fit for the ride. Unlike Castroneves, Pagenaud has proven himself to still be competitive in the series, and in my opinion gives the team the better shot at their first race win outside of the Indy 500. I believe Pagenaud will have a surprisingly strong season, as he has something to prove after being let go from Team Penske.
Teams and Drivers
Honda Teams
Andretti Autosport
- #26 Colton Herta
- #27 Alexander Rossi
- #28 Romain Grosjean
- #29 Devlin DeFransesco
Chip Ganassi Racing
- #8 Marcus Ericsson
- #9 Scott Dixon
- #10 Alex Palou
- #48 Jimmie Johnson
Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing
- #15 Graham Rahal
- #30 Christian Lundgaard
- #45 Jack Harvey
Meyer Shank Racing
- #06 Helio Castroneves
- #60 Simon Pagenaud
Dale Coyne Racing
- #18 David Malukas
- #51 Takuma Sato
Chevrolet Teams
Team Penske
- #2 Josef Newgarden
- #3 Scott McLaughlin
- #12 Will Power
Arrow McLaren SP
- #5 Pato O'Ward
- #7 Felix Rosenqvist
Ed Carpenter Racing
- #20 Conor Daly
- #21 Rinus Veekay
AJ Foyt Enterprises
- #4 Dalton Kellett
- #11 Tatiana Calderon
- #14 Kyle Kirkwood
Juncos Hollinger Racing
- #77 Callum Ilott
Season Predictions
2022 Champion: Colton Herta
Colton Herta is somehow already entering his fourth season of IndyCar racing at the very old age of 21. I thought he was the fastest driver in the series last year, and I see no reason to believe that will not continue into 2022. He had weekends last year where he was head and shoulders ahead of everyone else, something we didn't really see from any other driver at any point last year. Like a lot of young drivers, his biggest issue in competing for the Championship has been immaturity and consistency. He's got a little bit of Ricky Bobby "if ya ain't first your last" in him. Racing fans love that, myself included, and that driving style is one of the big reasons Herta is a fan favorite. He will be coming into 2022 with the most motivation he has ever had in his career, as this off season it looked like Herta would be driving a Formula 1 car in 2022. Although his talent had nothing to do with him not getting the ride, I believe he will use this as a chip on his shoulder to show the world how great he truly is. The other biggest factor in Herta being my pick for the Championship is that he is now the clear cut number one driver at Andretti Autosport. The best resources Andretti has will undoubtedly be focused on him this season after two disappointing seasons from Alexander Rossi. This mixture of experience, motivation, and resources are the perfect formula for the California kid to bring home his first IndyCar Series Championship.
2022 Indy 500 Winner: Pato O'Ward
What's an IndyCar season preview without an Indy 500 prediction?! I'm always excited for May and just typing this portion of this preview has me fired up. I love Pato's chances to put his face on the Borg Warner trophy this season. The guy has been absolutely phenomenal at ovals in his first two seasons in IndyCar, picking up his first win at Texas last year, along with a 4th place finish in the 500. O'Wards oval finishes in 2021 were 3rd at Texas, 1st at Texas, 4th at Indy, and 2nd at Gateway. I also anticipate McLaren improving their performance in their 3rd IndyCar Season, giving him a great chance to improve on those unreal oval results. Much like Colton Herta, the motivation of Formula 1 is massive for Pato. Kissing the bricks at Indianapolis would be a huge step towards a ride in Formula 1 due to the prestige and notoriety that would come with the victory. I see him putting it all together this year at Indy with this being an epic win for IndyCar as a whole. This is not only my pick for the race, but the more I think about it, Pato is who I want to win the race. The win would put McLaren back in victory circle at Indy for the first time since 1976, and O'Ward would become the first Mexican driver to win the race. The combination of those two factors would make for an incredible story that I believe would be very positive for the growth of IndyCar.
Biggest Surprise: Scott McLaughlin
It's hard to comprehend that we are currently living in a world where a Penske driver doing well would come as a surprise. I think this qualifies though. McLaughlin was a rookie last year in IndyCar, after becoming one of the greatest Australian Supercars drivers of all time. Despite his Supercars success, expectations were low for McLaughlin due to how much he was going to have to learn in his first season. In 2021 he was alright, but it felt like he was just kind of there in most races. Not doing too bad, not doing too well. Something you pretty much have never seen from a Team Penske driver. He was surprisingly good on ovals however, the highlight of his season being a 2nd place finish at Texas in only his third career start. Going into 2022 I feel like people are kind of forgetting about McLaughlin. This is a guy who Roger Penske hand picked to drive this car and has a strong belief in. If the Captain believes in you that much, then so do I. I'm never doubting that man. Scott McLaughlin finishes top 10 in points and earns his first race win, along with a couple more podiums throughout the year. Book it.
Biggest Story Line: If you've read this far, you already know
For the first time since 1993, a 4 time winner of the world's greatest race will be competing for a 5th victory. Helio Castroneves' drive for five will be the talk of the month of May, and for that matter, most of the season leading up to the 106th running. The thought alone of Helio getting another one is a little surreal. For 110 years and 105 races, no one has won the Indy 500 more than 4 times. And now, that all could change on May 29th of this year. In my opinion, this would be the greatest win in motorsports history. That is certainly hyperbole in most people's minds but I genuinely believe that. The 500 may not be the most difficult of all races to win, but it is the most special, and the celebration that a 5th Castroneves win would bring to the speedway would be unlike anything the motorsports world has ever seen.
Desserts
Alex Palou - In only his third IndyCar season, Palou is entering as the defending IndyCar Champion. He won the first race of the season last year and never looked back. While everyone doubted him and waited for other contenders to overtake him and take the Championship, it never happened. Palou was the most consistent driver all season and was sneaky fast on a lot of weekends where he didn't have one of the best cars. It's always easier to be the hunter rather than the hunted, and that will be the test for Palou in 2022. He is now the top dog, and the guy everyone else is looking to beat week in and week out. I personally think he will handle being the hunted very well, it just won't be quite enough to repeat as Champion.
Jimmie Johnson - A 7 time NASCAR Champion competing in the IndyCar Series is a huge story on its own. The fact that this has happened at all is a story straight out of a creative writing class, and I feel like the fact that Jimmie is in the series at all doesn't get talked about enough. Johnson is now running a full season in 2022, as opposed to last season when he ran the road and street courses exclusively. He struggled big time last season, and will struggle again this year. His success in NASCAR on ovals gives reason to believe that Johnson will do better on ovals to compliment a better overall second season. No matter what happens this season, I hope everyone can appreciate getting to see the end of one of the most legendary motorsports careers of all time.
The Veterans - The ultimate cherry on top of the Sundae to this upcoming IndyCar season is the 3 best IndyCar drivers of the last decade. Scott Dixon, Will Power, and Joseph Newgarden have been the heart and soul of the series for the better part of the last 10 years. They're three of the most successful American Open Wheel drivers of all time, yet somehow each one of them kind of feels like an afterthought coming into 2022.
Dixon - Starting out with the GOAT of this generation, Scott Dixon is coming off a disappointing season for his standards. He finished 4th in the Championship with only one win, while his teammate Alex Palou went on to win the Championship. Marcus Ericsson also won 2 races for Ganassi, making the case for the legitimate argument that Dixon was the third best driver at his own team in 2021. I honestly think it will be much of the same for the Ice Man in 2022. He will still be great, but father time eventually catches up with everyone. No one stays on top forever.
Power - I never thought I would miss Will Power in the IndyCar Series. Whenever the day comes that Power hangs it up will be a very sad day for the series. The guy has grown on me a lot over the last 5 years or so, and my appreciation for him as a driver and a personality has done a full 180. Power has a contract with Team Penske through the 2023 season, but I think that will be all. In regards to the aforementioned Scott Dixon, we are wondering if father time has caught up with him. When it comes to Power, I think we know. He's still great, one of the greatest of all time at that, he just hasn't been what he once was over the past couple of seasons. I am going into the season wondering if Power will get a win this season. That would have been an unheard of take five to ten years ago. That speaks volumes to how great he has been for so long, while also highlighting that there has been a drop off in performance. I see this season and next season as somewhat of a farewell tour for Power. I think his performance will be good, but we will only catch glimpses of the Power of old throughout the next two years. In sports, it's easy to not appreciate the greats until they're gone. I hope all IndyCar fans have been able to appreciate this guy's greatness over the years and will continue to for the rest of his career.
Signed,
Former Will Power #1 Hater
Newgarden - The absolute cream of the crop in the IndyCar Series. The former 2 time IndyCar Series Champion is coming off a down year and looking to bounce back in 2022. That's what it feels like at least. In reality, Newgarden finished second in points, won two races, and captured four poles in 2021. Yet, it feels like last year was a down year for him. That's how insanely good Josef has been since becoming a Team Penske driver in 2017. Anything short of a Championship will feel like a disappointment for him, so by that definition I think this will be a somewhat disappointing season for him. That's really the best compliment you can give an individual or a team in sports, similar to how New England Patriots seasons were judged for the better part of the last 20 years. Despite being just 31 years old, the only thing missing from his resume is an Indy 500 win. I think that will come down the road, much like Will Power's win in 2018. As for his 2022, I will continue my theme of appreciation. This guy is this generations Scott Dixon/Will Power. Right now is the time to sit back, enjoy each IndyCar season, and watch the milestones pile up for Newgarden. I can't wait to see what this season and the next 10 plus years have in store for Newgarden.
The Leftovers
As I conclude my 2022 IndyCar Preview, I have not wrote a single sentence about several of the drivers. This was not by design whatsoever. I made this because I wanted to write about what I'm excited about for the season, give some of my predictions, and to hopefully catch some people up on what has changed in the off season in a very quick to read manner. With that being said, some drivers didn't fall into any of those categories. Those drivers are Alexander Rossi, Graham Rahal, Conor Daly, Marcus Ericsson, Rinus Veekay, and Felix Rosenqvist. Anyone reading this that follows IndyCar is probably looking at that list of names thinking "yeah, that seems about right." They are all at different stages in their careers, though they kind of all feel like the same driver. None of them are bad by any means, but this list of names does not get you excited.
For Rahal, Daly, and Rosenqvist, I believe we really know what we're getting from these three. We have a big enough sample size to know that they are what they are.
For Ericsson, Veekay, and Rossi, things feel different, even if that difference feels minuscule.
Marcus Ericsson won two races last year and seemed to really find his grove as an IndyCar driver. Both of his wins came with a lot of luck however, which makes it feel like less likely that he will be able to break into that upper echelon of the series. Of these six, he has the most upside and potential for 2022 in my opinion.
When it comes to Alexander Rossi, the phrase that comes to mind is "unexpected disappointment." After winning the Indy 500 as a Rookie in 2016, Rossi looked destined to become one of the next big stars of IndyCar. He won 7 races in his first four seasons, and when the Indy 500 came around, this guy was THE Show. He thrilled us at the 500 with daring, exciting moves that put him in contention for the win each of the next three years. For the past two seasons there have been no thrills at Indianapolis. There have been zero wins overall. There has been a lot of torn up race cars and frustration however. Rossi has gone from the next big thing to an afterthought, in one of the most surprising drop offs I've witnessed as a motorsports fan. 2022 feels like the year that will determine where we will see Rossi race for the rest of his career. Alexander Rossi, IndyCar driver, or, Alexander Rossi, Sportscar driver.
Sometimes you just don't know what to think about someone or something. This is how I feel about Rinus Veekay. Over his first two seasons, he has had moments and races that make you think he is on a path to being a top five driver in the series. The month of May last year comes to mind, when he won his first race at the Indy GP, then followed that performance up with a strong Indy 500. On the other hand, he has looked nothing but average on many race weekends. Similar to a lot of other drivers, the 2022 season feels like the year that determines the direction in which the rest of Veekay's career goes.
That's all folks! Let's have an exciting season, spectacular month of May, and most importantly a safe year for all involved in the IndyCar Series.
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