Folks, very soon, Kyle Larson is going to attempt the ‘Double’. He might be the generational talent of NASCAR, but what does it take to succeed in Open-wheel? Well, in the words of a prominent Indy team owner, “There’s not one path that does it.” While NASCAR has the CARS Tour, ARCA Menards Series, as well as the Truck and Xfinity Series competitions to prepare aspiring stock car racers, the same can’t be said about IndyCar. Making it big in open-wheel racing has somewhat been an enigma in the country, with the lack of a clear ladder or a progression system. But an IndyCar owner and insider has just made some revelations.

Chip Ganassi and his team of Honda have been a force to reckon with in Indy since 1990. It has been a successful endeavor with 23 championship wins and over 250 race wins. The 66-year-old owner of the team has some valuable insights that could give youngsters a leg up over the competition. He also shared some key factors in breaking into the IndyCar world. And these tips are for an upcoming driving sensation.

When Keelan Harvick wanted to follow in his father’s footsteps, Kevin Harvick knew that going to Europe would be key for the young driver’s development. After all, when it comes to karting and open-wheel racing, Europe is the place to be, with Formula 4, Formula 3, and Formula 2 serving as grassroots programs to filter out the most promising talent in the world. Perhaps that’s why the level of Formula 1 is so high, simply because drivers have to ‘earn’ their way to the top level, proving time and again why they belong amongst the sport’s heavyweights.

In comparison, there isn’t a clear path to making it in IndyCar. However, team owner Chip Ganassi has shared his insights on Kevin Harvick’s Happy Hour podcast, revealing what it takes to make it in the world of open-wheel racing. He said, “You want the max grip, the max down force, to be at the highest level. That’s one ladder you want to be on. The other ladder you want to be on is who you’re racing against, okay? Look, you can be in the best championship in the world, but if you’re not racing against anyone any good, it doesn’t matter.”

Ganassi also revealed that understanding how the cars work is key to improving in open-wheel racing. He said, “You need to understand mechanically what makes these cars work, okay?” For any young driver, developing their race craft on a vehicle with lower down force and lesser grip at the grassroots stages is beneficial, as it helps them in the development stages. That’s what makes adapting to the highest level easier, as vehicles in IndyCar typically have more grip and down force.

His reasoning may go on to explain why a stock car racing driver like Kyle Larson can consider competing at the Indy 500 while open-wheel talents like Josef Newgarden might find it difficult to compete in the Cup Series. It’s a factor Chip Ganassi touched upon as well, going on to say, “That’s why when a Cup driver gets into IndyCar, he adapts very quickly. But when an IndyCar driver gets in a Cup car, it takes a long time to adapt to the grip level.” It is true, but not limited to this assumption. Some drivers are just exceptional behind the wheel, no matter what the shape of the car is! Remember the racing sensation who won his NASCAR debut?

Yes, we are talking about the Kiwi, Shane van Gisbergen! If ‘fast-learner’ is a racing term, SVG is the definition. He started his journey in the little open-wheel Formula Vee series, winning the ‘Rookie of the Year’ award in 2005. Three years later, at just 18, he started driving V8 Supercars. There, he went on to win 80 races and three championships. He created shockwaves across NASCAR in 2023 after he won the inaugural Cup Series race at the Chicago Street Course. And later on, in an interview, he revealed why he left New Zealand and travelled to Australia. But why did he not come to the USA to start training?

SVG addressed this question, saying, “Starting out, it seemed more achievable for me to become a pro racer by going to Australia than if I had gone to America or Europe. That was the thing, to copy the Scott Dixon model. A lot of people go straight to Europe. Marcus Armstrong, who’s in IndyCar right now, started out in Europe and was even in the Ferrari academy for a few years.” Maybe he is trying to point out the unidirectionality of continents when it comes to racing.

While open-wheel racing in the United States might not have a traditional ‘ladder’ or a clear-cut progression system to break into IndyCar, there are some set rules that drivers can follow to improve their chances of making it to the highest level. Whether it’s understanding the mechanics of a vehicle, driving a car with less down force, or competing against quality opposition, each factor contributes to the development of a youngster’s race craft, helping them make it to the highest level of the sport. Chip Ganassi has called for a higher standard from one of the NASCAR teams dominating the Indy circuits.

Chip Ganassi’s request for Team Penske

It was a scandal that sent shockwaves throughout the motorsports world. On the second day of qualifying ahead of the 109th Indianapolis 500, Team Penske‘s Josef Newgarden and Will Power were found guilty of running vehicles with an illegally modified part. Not only were they disqualified from making the four-lap run, but Newgarden was relegated to 32nd place, and Power dropped down to last for ‘The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.’

Understandably, there was an uproar from rival team owners, many of whom wanted to see Roger Penske’s side held accountable. Chip Ganassi was one of them, and he told Kevin Harvick, “I think all teams have a certain responsibility to uphold the integrity of the sport, in any series, and no team more than team Penske. They’ve had so much success over the years, and it’s a team that everybody has heard of, and they have success around the world in a lot of different series, so they need to be held to a higher standard to protect the sport.”

Since then, Roger Penske has parted ways with team president Tim Cindric, managing director Ron Ruzewski, and general manager Kyle Moyer after the team was found guilty of tech inspection violations. But the damage was already done. Reputations take years to build and seconds to crash down, and being caught in a ‘cheating scandal’ will lead to what can only be described as irreparable harm. Will Team Penske manage to claw their way out of the hole it currently finds itself in? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!