Today’s question: In a hectic October of INDYCAR news, what news nugget from this month will we still talk about next summer?
Curt Cavin: I’ll remember thinking back to Oct. 21 when Colton Herta was announced as a Hitech driver for his foray into Formula 2. At the time, Hitech was F2’s second-place team (behind Invicta) and had won two of the three recent races. But on further review, the team has never finished higher than fourth in the standings since joining the series in 2020, and this year its drivers have won only two of the 23 races. I’m certainly not qualified to critique the decision to place Herta there, but it’s something that might be scrutinized if he doesn’t show as well as expected. As an aside, Hitech’s 2022 F2 lineup was Juri Vips and Marcus Armstrong, and they combined to win four races (Armstrong won three of them) while finishing 11th and 13th, respectively, in the standings.
Eric Smith: Mine is the growing influx of NTT INDYCAR SERIES teams into INDY NXT by Firestone. Just this month, AJ Foyt Racing and Ed Carpenter Racing announced partnerships with INDY NXT organizations — Foyt with HMD Motorsports and ECR with Cape Motorsports (photo, above). Six of the 10 full-time INDY NXT teams are affiliated with INDYCAR SERIES programs. This becomes more significant next summer as rumors swirl about multiple 2027 NTT INDYCAR SERIES seats opening up. With so many “feeder” teams now in play, how often will we see driver movement between the two series? Adding to that intrigue, any organization fielding both a full-time INDYCAR SERIES entry and a full-season INDY NXT entry earns an additional team test day. That test day becomes available once the INDY NXT team completes its fifth race. It’s a valuable asset, especially in the latter half of the season, and could give teams a crucial edge in the push for a championship.
Arni Sribhen: I can’t help but think Rinus VeeKay’s decision to join Juncos Hollinger Racing will still be something we’re talking about next summer. Why? Because VeeKay’s appointment as the team’s lead driver is for 2026 and 2026 only. There is no mention of the “multi-year deal” that other announcements often reference. VeeKay (photo, top) has shown he has the ability to punch above his weight and mix it up with the heavyweights of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES. Suppose he’s able to repeat his 2025 success in 2026? He’s apt to find himself in the midst of what could be the wildest Silly Season in years, as big-name drivers hit the open market for the first time in years, all vying for highly coveted seats at several of the top teams.
Paul Kelly: May isn’t quite summer, but Marco Andretti’s retirement announcement Oct. 29 will be discussed next May for historical reasons. Marco’s absence from the Indianapolis 500 next May will mark the first time since 2005 that a driver with the last name of Andretti won’t be in the field for “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.” The family has combined to make 80 Indianapolis 500 starts among Jeff, John, Marco, Michael and Mario. That’s more than any other family in Indy 500 history, including the Unsers, who made 73 combined starts among Al, Al Jr., Bobby, Jerry, Johnny and Robby. That’s a family history at the Speedway that can’t be replaced and almost certainly won’t be replicated. Marco’s deserved retirement from driving not only ends an era of competition for his family, but it also marks an end of an era for the Indianapolis 500. Next May will be the first “500” since 1957 without a driver with the last name Foyt, Unser or Andretti in the starting lineup.
