There are much needed changes in the NTT Data Indycar Series and they can’t come soon enough. Indycar is less than a week out from the beginning of the 2024 season, and everything is pretty much status quo from last year. The exception being a lighter car. Will this be enough of a difference to topple Penske and Ganassi at seasons end?
The hybrid motors can’t come soon enough really. The delay is somewhat understandable. Indycar doesn’t want an unfinished product to make a disastrous debut. As of yet it’s unknown when and where the hybrids will make their long awaited debut. Fans have waited far too long for a new chassis. It was reported recently that new chassis could “possibly” come around for the 2027 season. A full 15 years after the last full chassis update.
Will Penske and Ganassi dominate this season like they have been doing for the past 11 years? One wonders if the hybrids will help shake things up. Indycar has long been touted as the most competitive racing series around. A series where “anyone” can win on any given weekend. Sadly that hasn’t really been the case lately.
Let’s look at facts. Team Penske and Chip Ganassi Racing has won the Indycar Championship since 2013. In fact, that dates all the way back to 2008. The only exception was in 2012 when Ryan Hunter-Reay took the championship driving for then Andretti Autosport. In fact, only three teams have won the Indycar championship since 2003, Penske, Ganassi & Andretti. There hasn’t been another team win the Indycar title since 2002 when Sam Hornish won for Panther Racing. With only two different types of chassis present it’s easy to see the dominance.
Since the debut of the DW-12 Penske owns six titles. Ganassi follows with five and Andretti has one. Going into the race in St. Pete this weekend Penske cars have won 77 (39%) races. Ganassi has won 46 ( 23%)and Andretti has won 33 (17%). That is a total 156 races out of 198 races completed.
New equipment would breed different winners. Five different teams found victory lane in 2012. That number went up to seven from 2013-2015. Still from 2016-2019 that number was at six different teams. Yes, the same two teams ended up winning the championship, but you still have a variety of drivers that could win or would win from time to time.
Since the era of the aeroscreen, the winning amongst various teams has dropped. There have been 63 races run since the aeroscreen era begin in 2020. Penske and Ganassi drivers have won 48 of those races which is 38% each. Rounding out the list Andretti has won eight or 13% of the races. Arrow McLaren three, Rahal two. Meyer Shank and Ed Carpenter Racing each have one victory or 11% of victories. Six teams won races in 2021, five in 2020 and only four different teams have found victory lane in the past two seasons. In 2022 and 2023 Penske has taken 14 wins. Ganassi owns 13 of those. Andretti has four wins, Arrow McLaren two, and Rahal has one win.
Penske and Ganassi set the bar. That isn’t the argument. It’s a spec motor and a spec chassis though. Compare with the last pre-spec era when Indycar was one organization. Going from 1980 to 1995 there were eight different racing teams that took the Indycar Championship. That with multiple motor and chassis manufacturers. Eight winners in 16 years. Compare that with only three in the last 16 and two in the last 11. Much needed changes can’t come soon enough. The big question is are they enough to make a difference in the final point standings?