Homestead Test Offers Insights into IndyCar 2024 Season
The test, held between January 22-24 at the road track at Homestead-Miami Speedway, provides valuable information about the NTT INDYCAR SERIES 2024 season. Teams had their first chance to go round in the technical configuration in which they will compete until hybrid technology is added to the 2.2-liter twin-turbo Chevrolet and Honda engines in the second half of the season.
Andretti Global was one of the teams that stood out in the three-day test, with Colton Herta being the fastest on Tuesday and Kyle Kirkwood leading the rankings on Wednesday. A new member of the team, Marcus Ericsson, also put in an impressive performance on the opening day on Monday, placing second. The consistency the Andretti team has found with the car they have brought in bodes well for their goal of winning the NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship for the first time since their last championship with Ryan Hunter-Reay.
Another notable team was Meyer Shank Racing (MSR). MSR, which failed to achieve any top 10 finishes on roads and city tracks last season with Helio Castroneves, Simon Pagenaud, Conor Daly, Tom Blomqvist and Linus Lundqvist, seems to have focused on the NTT INDYCAR SERIES program in the 2024 season and seems to have started to reap the fruits of this focus. Felix Rosenqvist, as the new leaders after transferring from Arrow McLaren, finished the first day of this test in second place behind Herta. Blomqvist, who had difficulties in his first season, showed a significant improvement in this test.
The current champion team, Chip Ganassi Racing (CGR), was another team that attracted attention with its success in testing this week. CGR placed a different driver in the top three every day for three days. Beyond this impressive performance, CGR pilots Alex Palou, Scott Dixon and Linus Lundqvist took part in the tests for the 2024 season and once again reminded that the championship fight will be through them.
Argentinian Agustin Canapino was one of the most striking stories of the 2023 season. The Argentinian by birth made the leap from a touring auto racing legend to full-season action in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, racing with a small team, Juncos Hollinger Racing. Canapino put in an astonishing performance, finishing second in the series’ Top Racer Award race and posting a best finish of 12th three times. But at this week’s Homestead test, Canapino turned heads with his JHR car finishing fifth on Monday and Tuesday.
Although Dale Coyne Racing is the only team that has not yet announced its driver lineup for the 2024 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season, some familiar names were present at this week’s test. While NTT INDYCAR SERIES veteran Jack Harvey took a test drive with the Dale Coyne team on Monday and Tuesday, Nolan Siegel, who stood out as a rookie in the 2023 INDY NXT by Firestone, took the wheel on Wednesday.
Of course, although lap times and speeds have not been announced, the testing at Homestead offers a valuable preview of what we can expect from the NTT INDYCAR SERIES 2024 season. Teams showing consistency, notable improvements and some surprises are a sign that the season will be exciting and unpredictable.
