All posts by Aaron Bearden

By Aaron Bearden, Contributing Writer Motorsports Tribune reviews the season of the top 10 drivers from the 2017 Verizon IndyCar Series championship. Our list continues with the second-place championship finisher, Simon Pagenaud. Simon Pagenaud, No. 1 Team Penske Chevrolet 2017: 2nd in the championship  Wins: 2, Top 5: 13, Top 10: 15, Poles: 1, Laps Led: 187 Best Finish: 1st (Phoenix, Sonoma) For the second-consecutive year, 2016 Verizon IndyCar Series champion Simon Pagenaud put together an impressive season-long campaign to position himself to contend for the title. But unlike last season’sRead More

By Aaron Bearden, Contributing Writer After bookending the 2017 Indy Lights season with victories at St. Petersburg and Watkins Glen International, Aaron Telitz and Belardi Auto Racing are set to give the tour another go. Belardi announced on Thursday that Telitz, 26, will return to the organization for his second Indy Lights season in 2018. The team intends to complete the full 17-race schedule, though they currently have only a partial budget prepared for the coming year. “I’m incredibly excited about how our team is developing for 2018, and beingRead More

By Aaron Bearden, Contributing Writer Motorsports Tribune reviews the season of the top 10 drivers from the 2017 Verizon IndyCar Series championship. Our list continues with the third-place championship finisher, Scott Dixon. Scott Dixon, No. 9 Chip Ganassi Racing Honda 2017: 3rd in the championship  Wins: 1, Top 5: 10, Top 10: 16, Poles: 1, Laps Led: 131 Best Finish: 1st (Road America) It was a quiet 2017 season for Scott Dixon – his first without multiple victories since 2005. But considering the many variables associated with it, Dixon and Chip GanassiRead More

By Aaron Bearden, Contributing Writer Motorsports Tribune reviews the season of the top 10 drivers from the 2017 Verizon IndyCar Series championship. Our list continues with the fourth-place championship finisher, Helio Castroneves. Helio Castroneves, No. 3 Team Penske Chevrolet 2017: 4th in the championship  Wins: 1, Top 5: 9, Top 10: 16, Poles: 3, Laps Led: 442 Best Finish: 1st (Iowa Speedway) With Team Penske’s Helio Castroneves set to move over to sports car racing outside of the Indianapolis 500 in 2018, his 2017 served as both an impressive final Verizon IndyCarRead More

By Aaron Bearden, Contributing Writer Motorsports Tribune reviews the season of the top 10 drivers from the 2017 Verizon IndyCar Series championship. Our list continues with the seventh-place championship finisher, Alexander Rossi. Alexander Rossi, No. 98 Andretti Herta Autosport Honda 2017: 7th in the championship Wins: 1, Top 5: 5, Top 10: 10, Poles: 2, Laps Led: 99 Best Finish: 1st (Watkins Glen International)  If winning the 100th Running of the Indianapolis 500 thrust Rossi into the Verizon IndyCar Series spotlight in 2016, then the former Formula One prospect’s 2017 seasonRead More

By Aaron Bearden, Contributing Writer Motorsports Tribune reviews the season of the top 10 drivers from the 2017 Verizon IndyCar Series championship. Our list continues with the eighth-place championship finisher, Takuma Sato. Takuma Sato, No. 26 Andretti Autosport Honda 2017: 8th in the championship  Wins: 1, Top 5: 4, Top 10: 7, Poles: 1, Laps Led: 41 Best Finish: 1st (Indianapolis 500) His championship hopes may have sputtered over the summer months, but Sato’s 2017 will be forever be remembered as a tale of redemption after his fateful drive toRead More

By Aaron Bearden, Contributing Writer Carlos Munoz’s planned return to Andretti Autosport didn’t start with a trip to the race shop or a discussion at the track. Instead it began with a wedding. “Funny story because Marco (Andretti) invited me to his wedding,” Munoz said in a Tuesday INDYCAR teleconference. “I went to the wedding. I start talking to J-F (Thormann) and Michael (Andretti) about what they’re going to do next year. They said they’re going to do six cars in the Indy 500, all in-house. I say, ‘Whoa, thatRead More

By Aaron Bearden, Contributing Writer After being replaced by Tony Kanaan at AJ Foyt Racing, Carlos Munoz is returning to his old Verizon IndyCar Series home at Andretti Autosport – at least for one race. Andretti announced on Monday that Munoz will compete for the team in the 102nd Running of the Indianapolis 500. The Columbian will pilot the team’s No. 29 Honda entry in the legendary 500-mile event, joining former Indy 500 winners Alexander Rossi and Ryan Hunter-Reay, along with Marco Andretti, Zach Veach and fellow temporary addition StefanRead More

By Aaron Bearden, Contributing Writer Marco Andretti and Alexander Rossi are set to switch numbers and operations ahead of the 2018 Verizon IndyCar Series season. Andretti Autosport announced on Thursday that Andretti, 30, will move over to the Bryan Herta Autosport-affiliated No. 98 Andretti Herta Autosport Honda in 2018, continuing the a partnership between the two organizations that dates back to 2016 and includes a victory in the 100th Running of the Indianapolis 500. “I’m very much looking forward to being in the Andretti-Herta entry,” Andretti said in a release. “My goalRead More

By Aaron Bearden, Contributing Writer Fresh off of a 2017 Indy Lights championship run, Kyle Kaiser and Juncos Racing are taking their partnership to the Verizon IndyCar Series (VICS). Juncos announced Thursday that Kaiser, 21, will compete in four VICS races for the organization in 2018, including the Grand Prix of Indianapolis. the 102nd Running of the Indianapolis 500 and two additional events to be determined at a later date. “I’m very excited to be moving up to the Verizon IndyCar Series with Juncos Racing,” Kaiser said in a release.Read More