By INDYCAR
INDIANAPOLIS — This is the third of a 12-part series of comprehensive team previews as the NTT INDYCAR SERIES prepares for the season-opening Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg set for March 13-15 on the streets of St. Petersburg, Fla.
The preview series features each of the full-time teams as well as teams running a partial schedule that includes the season-opening race. Today’s featured organization: AJ Foyt Racing.
Coming Thursday: Chip Ganassi Racing.
The season-opening Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg will be broadcast live on the NBC Sports Network on Sunday, March 15. The pre-race show begins at 2:30 p.m. ET with the green flag scheduled for 3:30 p.m.
Starting Lineup: Charlie Kimball (No. 4 Tresiba Chevrolet), Tony Kanaan (No. 14 Chevrolet on the oval tracks), Sebastien Bourdais (No. 14 Chevrolet on selected road courses), Dalton Kellett (No. 14 Chevrolet on selected road courses).
2019 Recap: The team fielded full-season cars for Kanaan and Matheus Leist. Kanaan finished ninth in the Indianapolis 500, eighth at Pocono Raceway and third at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway. Leist’s best finish was fourth in the INDYCAR Grand Prix on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course. Bourdais finished 11th in the standings driving for Dale Coyne Racing with Vasser-Sullivan, delivering a third-place finish at Barber Motorsports Park. Kimball competed in seven races with Carlin, finishing 10th at Pocono and Portland International Raceway. Kellett finished seventh in the Indy Lights standings.
What’s New for 2020: Kimball joins for the full season in the No. 4 entry while Kanaan, Bourdais and the 26-year-old Canadian rookie Kellett will share driving duties in the No. 14. Kanaan will race on the five oval tracks in what he is calling his “TK Last Lap” season, and the combination of Bourdais and Kellett will share the car on the road courses and street circuits. Kellett also will be driving another team car in the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge. Bourdais is scheduled to drive in four races, including the season’s first three.
Keep An Eye On: Bourdais, who has won 37 races in the sport. He is motivated to prove he deserves another full-time ride in the series, and the team was encouraged by his performance in preseason testing.
Season Outlook: Bourdais, Kanaan and Kimball bring considerable experience to the organization. If that meshes with a reorganization of the engineering staff, this will be a strong season.
“A Different Breed” Notable: Kanaan is truly an Ironman. He is a dedicated runner and cyclist who holds the record for consecutive NTT INDYCAR SERIES starts (317). He also has competed in TV’s “American Ninja Warrior” and the Ironman World Championship in Hawaii.
Owner’s Take: “Many changes and a multiple driver situation will create some challenges for us. The key is to show improvement and affirm that the engineering reset is a good new baseline. The NTT INDYCAR SERIES is as deep and competitive as I have ever seen it, but with the group we have together there are some races where I feel we can be fast and deliver some great results.” – Larry Foyt
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