Ganassi downsizes IndyCar program to two entries - MotorSportsTalk

Chip Ganassi Racing has officially confirmed a rumored reduction to two entries for the Verizon IndyCar Series in 2018. The team increased its fleet to four full-time entries in 2011 and, save for one year (2013), in which the fourth entry was a one-off Indianapolis 500 effort with driver Ryan Briscoe, the team has fielded four full-time entries ever since.

In a statement released earlier today, team owner Chip Ganassi confirmed the long-rumored news. He also added that while Scott Dixon will remain in the No. 9 entry, a driver for the No. 10, piloted by Tony Kanaan since 2014, has not yet been determined.

“We will be returning to a two car team beginning in 2018 with Scott Dixon in the No. 9 and a yet to be determined second driver in the No. 10,” said Ganassi. “This decision was based on the fact that we felt we needed to get back to our core business of running TWO championship caliber teams.”

Ganassi added, “It was a tough decision to make as it affects a lot of people. With news like this comes contraction and as such we had to let a number of good people go. The decision was not taken lightly but we felt it was best for our business. It is one of the toughest things you experience as a business owner – especially because I am all too aware that it is the people that make any company tick. We will be back in 2018 and ready to compete for our 12^th INDYCAR championship.”

As previously described, the downsizing of the team has been rumored for several weeks, with drivers Charlie Kimball and Max Chilton linked to other teams for next year.

The team’s original expansion to four cars included both Kimball and Graham Rahal in 2011, with Kimball piloting the No. 83 machine while Rahal was at the helm of the No. 38. The latter effort was reduced to an Indy 500 entry and renumbered as No. 8 in 2013 after Rahal left for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing.

The aforementioned Ryan Briscoe served as its driver for that one-off effort in 2013 before once again becoming a full-season entry for 2014, still with Briscoe at the helm. Sage Karam and Sebastian Saavedra shared the car in 2015, with Max Chilton taking over in 2016.

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The NBC Sports IndyCar power rankings naturally were as jumbled as the action on the streets of St. Petersburg after a chaotic opener to the 2023 season.

Pato O’Ward, who finished second because of an engine blip that cost him the lead with a few laps remaining, moves into the top spot ahead of St. Pete winner Marcus Ericsson and Alexander Rossi, who finished fourth in his Arrow McLaren debut. Scott Dixon and St. Pete pole-sitter Romain Grosjean (who led 31 laps) rounded out the top five.

St. Pete pole-sitter Romain Grosjean (who started first at St. Pete after capturing his second career pole position) Callum Ilott (a career-best fifth) and Graham Rahal entered the power rankings entering the season’s second race.

Three drivers fell out of the preseason top 10 after the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg – including previously top-ranked Josef Newgarden, who finished 17^th after qualifying 14^th.

Heading into Sunday’s race at Texas Motor Speedway, here’s NBC Sports’ assessment of the current top 10 drivers through the first of 17 races this year (with previous preseason rankings in parenthesis):

NBC Sports’ IndyCar Power Rankings

1. Pato O’Ward (5) – If not for the dreaded “plenum event” in the No. 5 Chevrolet, the Arrow McLaren driver is opening the season with a victory capping a strong race weekend.

2. Marcus Ericsson (7) – He might be the most opportunistic driver in IndyCar, but that’s because the 2022 Indy 500 winner has become one of the series’ fastest and most consistent stars.

3. Alexander Rossi (10) – He overcame a frustrating Friday and mediocre qualifying to open his Arrow McLaren career with the sort of hard-earned top five missing in his last years at Andretti.

4. Scott Dixon (3) – Put aside his opening-lap skirmish with former teammate Felix Rosenqvist, and it was a typically stealthily good result for the six-time champion.

5. Romain Grosjean (NR) – The St. Petersburg pole-sitter consistently was fastest on the streets of St. Petersburg over the course of the race weekend, which he couldn’t say once last year.

6. Scott McLaughlin (6) – Easily the best of the Team Penske drivers before his crash with Grosjean, McLaughlin drove like a legitimate 2023 championship contender.

7. Callum Ilott (NR) – A quietly impressive top five for the confident Brit in Juncos Hollinger Racing’s first race as a two-car team. Texas will be a big oval litmus test.

8. Graham Rahal (NR) – Sixth at St. Pete, Rahal still has the goods on street courses, and Rahal Letterman Lanigan remains headed in the right direction.

9. Alex Palou (4) – He seemed a step behind Ericsson and Dixon in the race after just missing the Fast Six in qualifying, but this was a solid start for Palou.

10. Will Power (2) – An uncharacteristic mistake that crashed Colton Herta put a blemish on the type of steady weekend that helped him win the 2022 title.

Falling out (last week): Josef Newgarden (1), Colton Herta (8), Christian Lundgaard (9)