Andretti Bounce Back On The Mean Streets Of Detroit

A New Penalty Paradigm

Welcome to the zero chill era of IndyCar. Technical Director Kevin Blanch and the rest of his team seemed to take it personally when questions were raised about the efficacy of tech inspection and their ability to carry it out.

The Monday after the Indy 500 saw 3 entries penalized for failing post-race inspection. Andretti’s 2nd and 6th place finishes became 31st and 32nd because they made modifications to the "Dallara-supplied Energy Management System (EMS) covers and cover-to-A-arm mounting points with unapproved spacers and parts.”  and unlike the Penske infractions from qualifying, IndyCar was clear that "these modifications provided the capability of enhanced aerodynamic efficiency to both cars.”

The Prema car of Callum Ilott was also dropkicked from 13th to 33rd because their left front wing endplate was too low. The same issue was found on Conor Daly’s car on the first day of qualifying and resulted in his first qualifying time being deleted.

For fans that only follow IndyCar, this is a shocking revelation and a distressing new problem. For anyone who follows NASCAR or F1 this is a weekly occurrence. We’ve been conditioned in other series to wait for reports following every race to see who would be penalized and why.

It was naive of so many to think that the lack of penalties in IndyCar meant that everyone in the IndyCar paddock were perfect angels who never deviated from the rules. I don't love saying 'I told you so' but I’ll repeat what I said in my previous article on the Penske rules infraction. Racing is a dirty business and no one’s hands are clean.

To think that the combined engineering brain power of these teams could leave this chassis alone for 13 years is comical. Every square inch of this Dallara chassis has been pored over by hundreds of people much smarter than you or I to find any tiny advantage. Whether through premeditation or ignorance of the rulebook, some of these hacks have broken the rules. Why is anyone surprised?

I imagine there are many in the IndyCar paddock this week who wish they weren’t so vocal about punishing Penske after qualifying. Penalties in any sport should not be meted out according to the level of outrage from the other participants. Team managers are sweating this week for the first time in a long time with the revelation the sword swings both ways. The draconian punishments they demanded for Penske two weeks ago are now the status quo. It's time for teams to get their house in order.

Race Predictions

Andretti Global wasted no time changing the narrative, Colton Herta and Kyle Kirkwood in particular rolled off the truck fast, each one topping their practice session charts. Thats no big surprise as street courses are Andretti’s bread and butter. With Colton on pole and Kyle starting 3rd they should both be safe from the typical Detroit chaos unfolding behind them. This race is Andretti’s to lose and with Colton and Kyle available at $20.1M and $20.8M theres no excuse not to have one (or both) of them in your lineup.

Graham Rahal’s newfound success at road and street courses is a little too fresh for me to trust. On top of this he will be serving a 6 spot grid penalty for an unapproved engine change at Indy. This puts him in the danger zone surrounded by drivers with more creative lines through turn 3.

Scott Dixon is also serving the same engine change penalty and should probably be avoided altogether.

Rinus VeeKay fell just outside the Firestone Fast 6 qualifying 7th but starting 6th thanks to Graham Rahal’s grid penalty. This week Dale Coyne Racing heralds the return of their prodigal son Michael Cannon who will engineer the 18 car for the rest of the season. While VeeKay’s driving talent is unquestioned, some have doubted his ability to develop the car and communicate the changes needed to make a slow car faster. ECR’s improvement since replacing VeeKay with Alexander Rossi speaks to that. The VeeKay and Cannon combo look great on paper and I expect Rinus’s flashes of brilliance to eventually become the norm. At $12.5M he’s my bargain pick for talent driver.

David Malukas is another strong contender for talent driver rolling off 2nd, the best qualifying result of his career. David is an obvious talent and has even been rumored to take over Will Power’s seat at Penske though Will has done plenty to make sure that doesn’t happen. Outside of last week’s Indy 500 the results just haven’t been there for Malukas but, even though not much transfers from superspeedway success to street courses, there is something to be said for momentum.

Team Penske’s cars are fast too, especially Will Power. Perhaps preparing for a career change with his seat at Penske not guaranteed for next year, Will earned his forklift certification in practice, pushing a slow Kyle Kirkwood through two corners and around David Malukas. Truly bizarre behavior but both drivers laughed it off later, as did Race Control. After the dust settles Power and Scott McLaughlin will wind up starting 8th and 7th respectively. Their salaries make them a little pricey but they should still be clear of most of the trouble behind them and will be eager to move up the grid at Chevrolet’s home race.

Christian Lundgaard continues to make the case that he is the true number 1 at Arrow McLaren. This week he is on an island, the only papaya machine to transfer out of the first round of qualifying. Ultimately he landed 4th while Pato could only muster 18th and Nolan Siegel dead last with an engine issue. Lundgaard has 3 podiums this year, the most by anyone not named Alex Palou. Pato also has 3 podiums but only after Marcus Ericsson’s disqualification from 2nd last week. Christian splits the Andretti duo at $20.6M and he’s worth every penny.

The Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix airs Sunday at 12:30PM on FOX

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