The NTT IndyCar Series kicks off its 2022 season Sunday with the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg.
A total of 17 races comprise the campaign combining oval, road and street courses, making it one of the most challenging racing series in the world.
Although IndyCar lacks Drive to Survive levels of drama, there are plenty of on-track storylines to keep fans tuned in throughout the season and a tight, competitive field makes every race unpredictable.
Here are a few of the intriguing headlines to follow in 2022.
Can Herta or O'Ward end Ganassi, Penske title reign?
The IndyCar championship has been dominated by Chip Ganassi Racing and Team Penske with drivers from either team winning the title each of the past nine seasons and 13 of the last 14 years.
Sure, drivers from other teams have won races here and there and Ryan Hunter-Reay took the title for Andretti Autosport in 2012, but week in and week out it’s still either a Ganassi or Penske driver at the top of the standings.
That could change this season should young phenoms Colton Herta of Andretti Autosport or Pato O'Ward of Arrow McLaren SP make the next leap in their progression. Both drivers are in their earlier 20s, finished within the top five in points last season and have ambitions of entering Formula One. First, they have to prove they can rule IndyCar.
There’s been a lot of chatter lately with team owner Michael Andretti applying for a Formula One team starting in 2024. Herta would be the obvious centrepiece as Andretti’s star in the making. The 21-year-old scored three wins last season, including back-to-back victories to wrap up 2021 at Laguna Seca and Long Beach. Considering he was also victorious from pole position in St. Pete's last year, Herta has a good chance to pick up where he left off. The wins in California though salvaged a fifth-place finish in the standings for Herta as he was also plagued with mechanical issues and unforced errors like when he locked up the brakes and crashed into the barriers in Nashville while running second. Consistency is key to keeping up with Penske and Ganassi.
O'Ward appears to be biding his time while waiting for a spot to open up on the big McLaren team, having tested in an F1 car in December, and will have to follow up on his third-place finish in last year’s standings with two wins and three additional podium results.
Penske/Ganassi rivalry remains strong
Although Herta and O'Ward have almost all of the attention, don't forget about Alex Palou, who stole headlines last year winning the IndyCar championship during his first season with Chip Ganassi Racing and second in the series.
Palou, 24, set the tone winning his first race with Ganassi in Alabama, finished second in the Indy 500, picked up two more victories and fended off Josef Newgarden down the stretch to finish 38 points ahead of Penske's star driver.
The Ganassi juggernaut has gotten bigger this year as not only are Scott Dixon and Marcus Ericsson back for another round but seven-time NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson now has a full-time entry after only racing street and road courses last season.
Penske has taken the other route dropping from four full-time entries to three with Newgarden, Will Power and Scott McLaughlin. After winning his second career IndyCar championship in 2019, Newgarden has finished runner-up during the past two years. An Indy 500 race victory remains elusive and something the 31-year-old from Hendersonville, Tenn., needs to check on his list.
Dixon continues to climb all-time wins list
Dixon shows no signs of slowing down at age 41 and the six-time series champion is still rising on the all-time wins list. “The Iceman” has taken the checkered flag 51 times in his illustrious career with only A.J. Foyt (67) and Mario Andretti (52) ahead of the Kiwi driver.
Dixon won in Texas last year and finished on the podium four other times, so it’s not out of the question he could tie or even surpass Andretti this season.
More in store for Grosjean?
Speaking of F1, both of Herta’s teammates on Andretti Autosport have experience in the world-class series and have something to prove. Alexander Rossi will look to reverse course after finishing 10th in the standings last year. Rossi was second in 2018 and third in 2019 but has taken a backseat on the depth charts since Herta arrived and hasn’t won a race in two-and-a-half years.
Romain Grosjean has joined Andretti for his sophomore season. The 35-year-old F1 veteran finished 15th in his “rookie” year with Dale Coyne Racing and scored three podium results. Bold prediction: Grosjean will challenge for the championship in a more competitive car while Rossi will be on the hot seat.
Canadian content
Fan favourite James Hinchcliffe of Oakville, Ont., has switched seats to the broadcast booth. Hinchcliffe’s on-track career took a detour when he was dropped from Arrow McLaren SP in 2019, and he had a mediocre season last year finishing 20th with Andretti Steinbrenner Autosport. Andretti replaced Hinchcliffe with another Canuck, promoting Toronto’s Devlin DeFrancesco from Indy Lights. The 22-year-old probably could have used a bit more seasoning before making the jump to the majors as he finished sixth in the feeder series last season with zero race wins and just two podium finishes through 20 races, but DeFrancesco isn't one to back down from the odds.
Dalton Kellett of Stouffville, Ont., returns for a third season with A.J. Foyt Enterprises. Kellett is now the veteran of the squad with reigning Indy Lights champion Kyle Kirkwood replacing Sebastien Bourdais. Rookie Tatiana Calderon will also race for the team on road and street courses as the only female driver in the series.
Fans may need to find DeFrancesco and Kellett’s spotters’ frequencies for updates as it’s unlikely either of them will be chasing the leaders. Kellett finished 23rd in the standings last year with his top result being a career-best 12th at Gateway while DeFrancesco inherits Hinchcliffe’s ride that didn’t fare all that much better.
Canadian fans can also look forward to the series (hopefully) returning north of the border this year for the Honda Indy Toronto. Travel restrictions related to COVID-19 prevented the "Roar by the Shore" from being held during the past two seasons, but it’s one of the staples of the series and a true test of the best skills for drivers through the bumpy, unforgiving street course around Exhibition Place. It's also just past the midway mark of the season, making it a pivotal race separating the contenders and the pretenders. The Honda Indy Toronto is scheduled for July 17.
It’s gonna be May
The Indianapolis 500 is the pinnacle race on the calendar and no other event comes anywhere close to touching the “Greatest Spectacle in Racing” with pretty much the entire month of May dedicated to the famous track. The 106th running of the Indy 500 is slated for its traditional Memorial Day weekend on May 29.
Helio Castroneves won last year’s Indy 500 for a record-tying fourth time and now looks to take sole possession in his “drive for five.” The 46-year-old will race full-time in the series for the first time since 2017, and Meyer Shank Racing has added a second entry bringing in former Penske teammate Simon Pagenaud, whose experience as a former series champion should give the team a boost.
