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Last year, Ed Carpenter did it all as he drove all the races while running the race team. This year, however, Carpenter is taking a slightly different approach as he will be running the race team – while only racing the ovals this year.

“We started the team two years ago.  I want to be able to race as long as I can and do it well,” he said on media day. “At the same time the race team is something that I see as my future beyond driving, whenever that day comes.  It’s certainly a business that I want to be successful for long after I’m driving.

“That’s kind of where the decision came from, just to make sure that we’re doing everything we possibly could to position the team well and in a strong place to deliver for all our current partners, Fuzzy’s, Chevrolet, and hopefully to grow the team in the near future.”

Carpenter has hired Mike Conway to drive the car on the road and street courses, with the success that he had last year. Conway got the chance to test out the car at Sonoma, while Carpenter participated in the Team Chevy test at Fontana. Carpenter said it made for a busy month, but it was good to get back on track.

“It’s always fun to work with Chevrolet, developing some new things, it’s fun to be part of that process.  To go back to Fontana, run there, continue working on that track is fun,” Carpenter said. “A lot of what we’ve been doing is really getting Mike comfortable with our team and at the same time us getting comfortable with Mike.  It’s gone well.  He’s been in the car four days now since he joined us, which other than Juan is I think as much as anyone has tested.

“I feel like he’s made a lot of progress.  He came to Fontana with us when I was in the car.  I think that was a good exercise for him as well, just to see me not as a half driver/half owner standing on the timing stand, but to see me interact with the guys.  I think it made him feel more comfortable seeing me in that element rather than seeing me as kind of an owner and a driver.  I think it’s been different for both of us figuring out that role, but it’s been a fun process.”

With the new arrangement, Carpenter is looking for success this year. He feels that Conway can deliver on the road courses while he delivers on the ovals, possibly bringing home the entrant’s championship.

“I feel really strongly about the capabilities of our team. I feel like we should be in the mix everywhere we go,” Carpenter said. “With that being said, the strength of the series, teams and drivers right now, is at a really high level.  It’s no easy feat, but we’re definitely going to give it our best shot.”

Last year, he finished second in the season finale at Fontana while sitting on the pole for the Indianapolis 500. Carpenter says he enjoys the longer oval races because of the simple factor – there’s more that goes into winning.

“You have more opportunities to figure out how to win the race and you also have more opportunities to mess it up,” he commented. “It definitely has a higher degree of difficulty.  Really happy to see Pocono being a 500-miler.  I needed an extra 100 miles there last year.  Looking forward to having the extra mileage.  Hopefully we can reclaim that one for Chevy after Honda kind of put it to us with Ganassi last year.”

While teams prepare for the new year ahead, Panther Racing has a dispute to settle over a sponsorship deal. Panther Racing has filed a lawsuit against Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, IndyCar and other parties with regards to the National Guard sponsorship. Panther has stated that they lost the $17.2 million sponsorship with the Army National Guard because of bid-rigging and other improprieties.

The lawsuit was filed on February 19th in Marion County Court in Indianapolis following a ruling by the U.S. Government Accountability Office. Panther made an appeal to the GAO about the National Guard sponsorship, however it was denied.

Panther Racing has since released a statement since news of the lawsuit has broke.

“Panther Racing is a proud member of the IndyCar series and looks forward to a successful 2014 season,” Panther Racing released in a statement. “As a company policy, we do not comment on pending litigation. However, as we have for more than 15 years, Panther Racing is committed to always acting with integrity and conducting business in an ethical and legal manner. Our singular focus remains on fielding a strong IndyCar race team on the track and being a responsible corporate citizen off of it. We remain active members of the Indianapolis community and will continue to support U.S. servicemen and women through our work with the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, the White House’s Joining Forces initiative, Fisher House and the USO, among others.”

The National Guard has been with Panther Racing since 2008, seeing drivers like J.R. Hildebrand and Ryan Briscoe behind the wheel. For 2014, the plan is to go the full schedule with Graham Rahal and Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing.

The lawsuit, which seeks for an amount pertaining to economic and punitive damages, accuses IndyCar of breach of contract with regards to which team had exclusive rights to provide Fan Village access rights and benefits to the Army National Guard. Panther Racing was supposed to have this right, however IndyCar CEO Mark Miles wrote a letter last November saying Rahal had the right to provide that access. Panther Racing states that IndyCar is liable for all economic damages to Panther as a result of the breach. The lawsuit also states that RLL was aware of the contract and falsely claimed ownership of the contractual right.

Document Packaging Brokers, known as Docupak, is named in the lawsuit as well. Panther Racing says they performed services to administer the National Guard sponsorship agreements, and someone in the National Guard contracting office of conspiring with Rahal racing to influence the bid process.

RLL has released a statement since the release of this information, stating that Panther Racing is only suing due to being unhappy with losing the sponsorship. RLL also stated that the new agreement will save the government and tax payers almost $5 million dollars per year with the smaller budget.

“The facts and issues Panther raises in the lawsuit are many of the same it raised before the GAO, which issued a 9-page decision noting that RLL was rated higher than Panther in three out of four categories,” RLL states. “The GAO also noted that there was no evidence supporting many of Panther’s allegations, and that the National Guard’s decision probably was driven by the basic fact that Panther’s base per year price was approximately $5 million more than RLL’s base price. 

“RLL believes it is unfortunate and disappointing that Panther has filed a lawsuit making serious allegations against the National Guard’s decision process. RLL also believes that Panther’s lawsuit has no merit as a matter of fact and law. RLL’s lawyers will vigorously defend RLL so it can focus on what matters most — representing the courageous men and woman of the National Guard and winning races.”

IndyCar veteran Jacques Villeneuve announced earlier this week that he will be back behind the wheel in this year’s Indianapolis 500 as part of Schmidt Peterson Motorsports’ line-up. Villeneuve last raced in the event in 1995.

In getting ready for the even, Villenueve says that he’s looking forward to getting back behind the wheel with the speed that Indianapolis Motor Speedway offers and being on the edge in traffic.

“It’s something that hasn’t been reciprocated in any other form of racing. That was a level of excitement that was crazy. Also, it’s the biggest race event in the world,” he commented.

Villeneuve said the opportunity to do this came up a couple weeks ago in conversation with Sam Schmidt and it didn’t take too long from there.

“The discussions happened at the right time because I’d been watching the IndyCars last year, and it looked extremely exciting with the new cars, to the point where I was angry and jealous that I wasn’t racing. So that got me going again,” he commented. “I’ve been active ever since leaving IndyCar in ’95, anyway, with Formula One. I did some NASCAR racing, some other forms of racing, in Australia, different places. I just wasn’t considering going back to something I’d already done mostly because there’s been a few dark years for IndyCar.

“But the whole group behind the series have been working really hard and done a tremendous job because it’s getting back to the glory days with the races exciting and also the field of drivers is becoming more and more impressive every year again.”

Sam Schmidt has been building on success each year, including a third place finish in points last year with Simon Pagenaud after winning a pair of races.

“It’s really a representation of the guys and how hard they’ve been working, how the program has really come along quite nicely,” Schmidt commented. “I think having somebody of Jacques’ caliber  is an incredible statement and we’re really looking forward to it.”

Co-owner Ric Peterson added that it is special to have Villeneuve as part of the team due to being a fan of him.

“I watched Jacques’ career from Toyota Atlantics to Formula One, was always a fan myself,” he said. “We actually have a few other Canadian employees on our team, and they’re also very excited about having Jacques, as is the whole team. But the Canadians have a little extra excitement about it.”

Villeneuve and team haven’t decided how much testing they will do before the month, but Villeneuve said that they will try to find some time to test between now and May.

“The good thing is there’s still plenty of laps to get done during the month of May, which is good. I’ve been on that racetrack,” he added. “Even though it was a long time ago, it feels like it was yesterday. I hope I remember it well.”

The race will reunite Villeneuve with one of his rivals, Juan Pablo Montoya, as Montoya looks to tackle the full schedule. The pair put one of the biggest shows in 1995 when Villeneuve won after Montoya had led 167 laps in the race.

“I got to know him better actually the few races I did in NASCAR than F1,” Villeneuve commented. “We didn’t get along so much in F1. The few races I did in NASCAR, he became a different person. I guess North America and pure racing suits him. He’s very talented. He’s going back there to win. He’s not going there just to have fun.

“That’s what also makes it fun, is to be able to go in that race after so many years and racing against guys that deserve to win races, deserve to be at the highest level of motorsports.”

Beyond Indianapolis, there are Canadians that would love to have the Quebec native at the only Canadian stop of the IndyCar season – the Honda Indy Toronto. Villeneuve says he isn’t sure if that’s in the cards as it’s a very hard race track to run.

“You don’t get the mileage like you do at Indy. So to just arrive there on the weekend without having driven the car would not be very constructive. It would make the result quite negative,” he added. “It’s not something you just jump into unless you’re working on doing the full season the following year and building something up. Just as a one-off, the Indy 500 is the one race that stands out. It is the biggest race in the world. You can focus on that.

Honestly, I didn’t even look at the schedule. I think I have only four or five weekends free this year so I’m not sure it would fit in the schedule.”

After spending last season with Dragon Racing, Sebastien Bourdais makes the move to KVSH Racing in 2014, and so far, the move has been a great experience.

“Really feeling very fortunate because I got a great group of guys around me.  They’ve been working really hard all winter.  It’s really paying off,” Bourdais commented. “I think it’s needless to say that work is rewarded.  As far as we’re concerned, it’s been the hardest winter in terms of work that I’ve seen my team go through in a long time.  It makes you feel great because you know the level of preparation is quite high.  We’ve been able to test four times.  Another one at Barber before the season starts.”

Bourdais added that the progress has been great so far, but it may not be totally right off the bat. However, Bourdais is fine with that as he looks to build with the team over the next two years.

Though so far, Bourdais has impressed in testing as he has been in the top three in speed charts so far. The success has caught hte attention of many people in the paddock and questioning why he wasn’t picked up by a bigger team.

“The common thread in racing is short-term memory,” Bourdais commented. “I don’t look at what people say, write or think of me.  I try to be myself, do the best I can, and hopefully eventually it pays off and works out.

“For sure this year I do feel like there is a lot of potential, unexplored potential at KV.  Last year was an eye-opener when Tony (Kanaan) won the 500.  I think it’s pretty much to the credit at KVSH.  They worked very hard.  They have a great group of guys who really love racing, which is not so easy to find.  I could not put a strong enough point on saying that this group can win, that’s for sure.”

Bourdais is hopeful that he can win some races this year and hopes it happens with the hard work that the team has put in so far.

“Every time we’ve unloaded the car, it’s been a bit of a struggle at times, but we just kept digging in, kept digging in,” he commented. “As long as we know and understand what actually makes the car faster, I think we’ve done just that during all these tests this winter, we end up finishing the test in good shape.  That’s making me feel very hopeful.

“It’s not a moving target.  You might struggle a little bit to find the answers and solutions, but we do find them eventually.  They know what they’re shooting for and why they work so hard.  It’s great.  I haven’t felt that way in a long time.  I feel like there’s something pretty awesome to do and am really pumped about it.”

The french driver will start off his season off with the rest of the gang in the city that he resides in – St. Petersburg, Florida. Bourdais says he’s lived there since 2003.

“It was my very first race in open-wheel in the U.S., started out on the right foot.  Great memories from that.  It’s been really a great place for me to spend time, obviously bring the family over,” he commented. “When I arrived in the U.S., I was a kid kind of.  I evolved from being married, having a child, then another one.  We’re raising the family in St. Pete in a great neighborhood.  Starting the season at home is a great feeling.  Hopefully we can get things going right and have a great weekend in St. Pete, because it’s not been so great so far since I returned to IndyCar.

“Hopefully we can have a better showing this year.”

Last year, Charlie Kimball had his best year to date – finishing ninth in the point standings after scoring his first IndyCar career win at Mid-Ohio. Over the off-season, Kimball has spent time reflecting back on the season, letting the win soak in.

For Kimball, one of the moments that stood out about the win was the podium ceremony.

“I guess it was Wednesday or Thursday after Sonoma, the week after the next race, I got an envelope from the team with all of Floyd’s photos from Mid-Ohio.  It was his last race before he passed on.  For me it was very special,” Kimball comments. “For me having that vision of him pushing through the crowd to get to Victory Circle to congratulate me, it brought home how special that was, to share that win with Floyd, everything he’s done, not just for Chip, everything he’s done, all the drivers.  Every time at the track he would pull me aside asking me how I was, how my family was at home, knowing that racing is important, but it’s not everything.”

One of the things that has helped Kimball grow as a driver is his relationship with Scott Dixon.

“Having Scott to learn from, he’s so very good at so many things.  He’s been with Chip Ganassi Racing for so many years, he’s young as far as long-term career length.  He’s going to be a competitor for a long time,” Dixon commented. “Any day I feel I can get within a couple of 10ths of him on a test or race day, I know I’m doing a good job because that will be the benchmark.

“As much as he’s taught me how to do things in the racecar, drive style, technique, fuel saving, he’s a master at that, he’s taught me as much out of the car about how to handle myself, be a member of the team, develop and build the team, and also in the public eye, handle the media, handle the challenges and pressures of being a full-time IndyCar driver and a successful one.”

Now with that win behind him, Kimball is looking for more success this year.

“All the way along Chip’s advice has been to build the foundation for a long-term career, not one year flash in the pan.  Try to build a one-way street, so when I take that next step I stay there.  I think that’s helped,” he commented. “Going away at the end of the season, having a little downtime, doing a lot of work with the Novo Nordisk allowed me to reflect on that and know coming into this season we’ve prepared as a team and we know we can win because we’ve done it.  That lays the groundwork to have a great year. ”

He will kick off the year next month at St. Petersburg, which is an event that Kimball considers as one of the crown jewels in the IndyCar Series and compares to the first day of school.

“While you see some teams and drivers at different test days throughout the years, Media Days like that, the physicals in Indianapolis, it’s the first time you’re there all together with the team and crew members.  Inevitably you have friends on different teams, throughout the paddock,” he commented. “To be in an environment where the weather is good or great, compared to the weather in Indianapolis this year, to a city that really embraces the Grand Prix, that has such a level of enthusiasm and excitement, really enjoys having us in town, it’s awesome.  It’s really nice to start that way and keep that momentum building that whole year off that first springboard.”

Off the track, one of hte unique things is about Kimball is he does have diabetes. Teammate Scott Dixon says that when they’re working together, though, that is something that flies under the radar.

“It’s only at lunchtime that you see him break out a needle. He prepares himself so well with his dietary needs or training. He does a first class job on that sort of thing,” Dixon added. “He’s done a great job in the last year. Even the tests we’ve had in the pre-season so far, he’s definitely upping his game.

“When he first started, some people might have written him off. But he’s a smart guy. If he can’t do it, he’ll look and try to achieve it. For him to get a winat a tough road course like Mid-Ohio was huge for him and the team. He’s getting stronger and stronger each year.”

After running a part-time schedule last year in IndyCar, Ryan Briscoe is back behind the wheel full-time as he will battle for the championship in a ride prepared from Chip Ganassi Racing.

“It’s like everything I wanted after I didn’t get a full-time ride last year has sort of come true now,” Briscoe comments on returning full-time this year. “It’s really the perfect scenario.  Last year we sort of got to a point around this time where I was like, Full-time ride is not looking good, but that’s all right, we’ll focus on doing something for the Indy 500, I’ll keep my racing up by doing the sports cars.

“I didn’t think I would do as many IndyCar races as I ended up doing.  The end goal was I want to get back to IndyCar and have a full-time ride in 2014.  I thought my best way of doing that was to do the sports cars last year, then work hard from that point on on being here now.”

As we sit five weeks from the season, Briscoe is one of the many drivers that has been busy testing and for him with being on a new team, he says that anytime with the crew is important.

“We’ve put together a new team to run the fourth car at Ganassi.  Got a few familiar faces there, but a lot of new guys as well,” Briscoe comments. “For Eric Cowdin, who is my engineer this year, we worked together for a few years at Penske.  We’re both new, getting back integrated into Chip Ganassi Racing.  A bit to learn for both of us.  A few new mechanics and stuff.

“The testing has been great, getting everybody working together, trying to get into a bit of a flow as we get closer to the first race.  We’re testing one more time at Barber before the first race.  Really there’s not a whole lot of track time. ”

As he continues to prepare for the year, there’s also the added factor ofgetting to know his teammates – one of those being Tony Kanaan, who also joins CGR this year.

“He’s definitely a fun character to have around. He’s always a lot of fun.  He’s aggressive.  He’s definitely got a unique driving style that I’ve picked up on the last couple tests, which is interesting to look at and learn from as well,” Briscoe comments. “I’m looking forward to working with him.  How he’s going to fit in?  He has his own style, so I think he’ll fit in the way he always does.  I think he’ll be good.”

Briscoe will also be working closely with 2013 IndyCar Champion Scott Dixon as Chip Ganassi Racing looks for their second straight championship.

“I think he’s just solid, man, like a rock.  Even-keeled.  He just gets the job done,” Briscoe says. “Definitely having the continuity he’s had through highs and lows, he’s just been there the whole time.  When he’s had those bad days, he doesn’t say bad things about the team.  He just gets down to work and works really hard behind the scenes without publicizing it so much.  I think that’s what he’s good at.

“He’s a phenomenal driver.  He’s fast, he’s consistent.  He’s just the same every year.  You can always count on him going for a championship again.”

Right now the focus is being ready for the opening races for the season for Briscoe. However, the season will quickly approach May, which marks an important mark with the Indianapolis 500, and now the addition of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course event as well.

“I think it’s going to be good ’cause I like the fact that we’re extending the month of May,” Briscoe comments. “I think it’s going to be an exciting way to open up the month of May with a big event.  Something new for a lot of fans that will be there that maybe just go to the Indy 500 every year, haven’t seen what we actually do most of the time throughout the year, which is road course racing.

“I think being able to showcase our diversity as a series on one venue, in one place, I think that’s going to be great for the series and great for a lot of the fans as well.”

Briscoe helped with getting the date on the schedule as he did the testing for the series back in November, driving a couple variations of the circuit, including going both ways down the straight.

“I think it’s going to be great,” he adds. “It’s going to be a quick turnaround from race day to opening day for the oval the next day.  It will be a refocus like you’re going to a new place because your mindset changes completely.
I’m hoping it’s a success.  I think it’s a great idea.  I’m hoping the fans really take to it.”

While his focus is on IndyCar, there’s a question that always come up with Chip Ganassi having a NASCAR team – would Briscoe try out stock cars and possibly run the Daytona 500?

“I’ve never really put any effort into talking to anyone about doing that, so not really,” Briscoe says. “I don’t have any experience driving stock cars.  I think it’s a cool idea, but it takes a lot of effort from the team’s standpoint as well to make that happen.  They probably look more towards guys that have won those races to begin with if someone’s going to do it.”

Earlier this month at the 2014 Canadian Motorsports Expo, the Lucas Oil Can-Am Midgets released their 2014 schedule.

These three-quarter midgets only weighing 890 lbs with the driver are light-weight and fast, no matter the venue they attend, producing lots of side-by-side racing.

The Cam-Am Midgets will kick off their season with a trip to the tight confines of Flamboro Speedway on May 10th. Then the following weekend, they’ll head to Sunset Speedway for a Sunday event on the 3/8 high-banked oval.

On June 14th, they will head to Peterborough Speedway, before going back to Flamboro on the 21st.

They will start July off with a trip to Grand Bend Speedway, a 1/4 mile with only 12 degrees of banking in the corners, on the 5th. They’ll make a return visit to Sunset on the 12th, before heading to the tight Barrie Speedway on the 19th. They’ll finish off July with a trip back to Flamboro on the 26th.

The month of August will kick off with a double-header at Sauble Speedway on the 2nd and the 3rd, before once again hitting Flamboro on the 9th. On August 16th, they will join the ISMA Super Modifieds at Sunset Speedway for a special show. They’ll then finish August off with a trip to Grand Bend on the 23rd and Sauble on the 30th.

The championship will be awarded at the final event of the season, which takes place at Flamboro Speedway on September 20th.  Last year saw Mack DeMan pick up his first career championship.

DeMan started racing go-karts at the age of seven in the Waterloo Regional Kart Club, winning races and championships. From there, he graduated to the Can-Am Midget ranks and currently races the No. 40 Lucas Oil sponsored Can-Am Midget for car owner Andy Mackereth.

After finishing third in points in 2012, DeMan came out last year, strong all season and was able to take home the championship.

“Each year you learn more about set-up and how to run well on track,” he commented earlier this month. “Lots of talent is coming up ranks we’ll have our work cut out next year.”

Last year, Helio Castroneves came up short of winning the championship as he finished second to Scott Dixon.

“That’s gone.  Yesterday’s news.  Now we’re in 2014,” Castroneves said to open up media day earlier this week. “We have a lot of work ahead of us.  We’re ready.  We’re starting some few testings already.  We’re going to be testing Thursday in Barber, then Sebring before the spring training, then the race. 

I’m excited and ready, to be honest, to start the season because it’s been a long off-season in a good way.”

In his 13 year career, Castroneves has finished inside the top five in all but four seasons, including three runner-up finishes and a pair of thirds. As each year passes, a lot of people are left asking – what does Castroneves have to do to win the championship?

“I don’t know.  I have the right line with God, to be honest, and with the Pope, too, especially with John Paul.  He said, ‘When the time comes. I just got to push it’,” Castroneves said. “I just got to keep pushing.  You can’t waiting for something to happen.  You have to continue giving yourself an opportunity.  Well, it may be this year.

“Certainly we did our job last year.  Unfortunately circumstances outside of our control, didn’t happen.  But right now that’s the attitude I’m going with 2014, give ourselves an opportunity, that door will open one day.”

Even without the championship, Castroneves has etched his name into the history books as a three-time winner of the Indianapolis 500.

“For me, Indianapolis 500, if you got to win one race, that’s the race you got to win,” he said. “Especially the position that I’m at, it’s a great opportunity to join an incredible club.  Yes, that would probably be the biggest accomplishment I could do it.

“The championship certainly is personal.  It’s just something that I didn’t get yet.  It’s like one track I didn’t win.  That’s the way I see it.  There are several places that I finish, like Milwaukee is one of the place that I’m always fast and I always finish second or someplace else.  It’s a something that I want to accomplish and win the championship.  I’m going to do everything I can to make it happen.”

As Castroneves looks to make that happen, he will have Roger Penske calling the shots for him.

“I’m super happy.  First time I had him was last year and I’m happy to have him back,” Castroneves commented. “I’m just honored to have him on the radio and happy to have him as the strategist.”

Last year, Castroneves had one win (Texas) and five podium finishes while leading 239 laps. He will look to improve on those numbers this year, working with new Team Penske teammate Juan Pablo Montoya.

In the early days of IndyCar, Montoya and Castroneves were rivals, though Castroneves says that’s behind them as they’re both mature. He added that he’s looking forward to working with Montoya.

“Honestly, it’s amazing to have him in our side,” Castroneves said. “He’s been an incredible addition, and I mean that.  He’s definitely going to be a tough competitor.  Most of what I noticed, which I knew he would be quick adapting on the car, but most of it’s the information that he brought, that I was very surprised and happy about.  Certainly it’s going to make our cars better.”

Castroneves says that so far, him and Montoya, along with teammate Will Power, are getting along well and have taken many trips together. He says he has a good feel for him and feels that they’ll be able to accomplish the goal of bringing Roger Penske a championship.

As the season has the past 10 years, the IndyCar Series kicks off their season in St. Petersburg, an event that Castroneves has won three times in his career. Castroneves commented that he likes the event due to the atmosphere with all the fans that attend and the warm weather that Florida has to offer.

“Plus the track.  The technical side, it makes between the street course with an airport involvement,” Castroneves added. “It’s not always a 90-degree corner like a typical road course has.  You have high-speed corners, things like that.”

Though to continue to build on the success of events like St. Pete and the series as a whole, the series needs young drivers and Castroneves feels that there are several young stars that will come up through the ranks over the next couple of years. 

“I think Indy Lights could be better in 2015 with new cars.  That could become something more important for the new generation,” he commented. “On the other side is leadership now with Derrick Walker and Mark Miles, it shows at the least, the meetings we had before, it shows leadership.  Maybe that’s where we were at the weakest point, and now we see a lot of positiveness.

“I feel great about the series getting in their feet, getting back the way it used to be.  It’s been a long time I haven’t felt that positiveness in the series.  I’m exciting.  I’m honestly really exciting. Media say, They always say the same thing.  But this year with Derrick and Mark Miles, good things for the series and could create a new generation of drivers.”