In one other addition to the unending developments within the NTT IndyCar Collection’ foolish season, Juri Vips is predicted to make a return within the coming months with the Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing workforce.
Bobby Rahal wasn’t capable of supply Vips a race seat this 12 months in one of many three RLL Hondas, however the veteran NTT IndyCar Collection entrant hasn’t given up on the Estonian. In reality, he desires to present him one other likelihood to point out his abilities and be thought-about for a drive in 2025.
The 23-year-old contested two races for RLL to shut the 2023 season within the No. 30 Honda previously pushed by Jack Harvey and made his presence felt at Portland the place he certified 18th — immediately behind RLL’s Christian Lundgaard in seventeenth — and thirteenth at Laguna Seca earlier than being shunted on the opening lap.
Regardless of his dropping out to Pietro Fittipaldi with the No. 30 this season, RLL has saved Vips on the payroll and introduced him to the races to be taught from the sidelines. In some unspecified time in the future over the past eight races, Rahal intends to drop him again right into a automotive — a fourth RLL entry — and see how he performs in a hybrid IndyCar.
“He’s an amazing younger man and doing numerous work for us on the simulator work. I do know he’d quite be in an actual automotive, and I really feel very strongly about giving him an opportunity, so I anticipate to see that,” Rahal instructed RACER.
“A few of this depends upon Honda in once they can assist us with one other engine, however I might assume it might be a hybrid automotive, so later in the summertime after Mid-Ohio. We don’t wish to do too many races and lose his rookie standing.”
With groups slicing or signing quite a few drivers throughout the 2024 season, the pool of free agent expertise to contemplate for brand new alternatives continues to evolve. Requested if he’d make Vips accessible to a different workforce in the event that they needed to check or signal him, the 1986 Indianapolis 500 winner and three-time CART IndyCar Collection champion is feeling considerably protecting of his worker.
“The explanation we’ve executed what we’ve executed is I wish to see him in our workforce on a full-time foundation,” he mentioned. “In order that’s our objective for subsequent 12 months, for certain. We’re not there but, however we wish to maintain him in our workforce. And I believe that’s of curiosity to him, too.”
RLL is letting Vips log extra miles in System 2, the place he was a powerful contender from 2020-22 and gained three races, after which it’s a matter of locking within the IndyCar race he’ll do between July and September and determining the place — if the funds is raised — he may match within the workforce subsequent 12 months.
“Having mentioned that, he’s doing a tire check for System 2 right here within the subsequent couple days,” Rahal added. “And so, you already know, I’m not in opposition to him doing a little issues for different folks so he will get extra seat time. However no, our objective is for him to affix us full-time and run for us.”
“Proper now, it’s all about discovering the monetary backing to do no matter we wish to do, whether or not it’s two automobiles, three automobiles, 4 automobiles, or no matter.”
