2017 IndyCar Driver Reviews: Part 3

Hey hey hey everyone!

Welcome back to my blog and week 3 of my IndyCar driver reviews.

Let’s just get right down to it shall we?

Ryan Hunter-Reay

Ryan Hunter Reay Is a legend in IndyCar. There is no doubt about it.

However, his IndyCar performance over the past couple years has been less than stellar.

This year was no different. He finished 9th in the championship standings which isn’t terrible, with eight top ten and four top five finishes.

Not too bad, but not what we expect out of Ryan Hunter-Reay.

I think we all have higher expectations from him.

Honestly, nothing really stands out to me from his season.

Get back on your game for next year okay, RHR?

Mid term grade: B

Final Grade: C (honestly, I’m just very underwhelmed)

Ed Jones

I think at the beginning of the season we were all hoping we’d see some real rookie talent out of Ed Jones, and we were not disappointed.

Even though he was the only rookie in the field there was no doubt the he is a star and has great IndyCar potential for the future.

For me, the moment that really caught my attention was his 3rd place finish at Indy.

I think that caught everyone by surprise.

Way to go Ed Jones.

From that moment on everyone was watching him at every race he went to.

And for the most part, he didn’t disappoint.

I for one have been thoroughly impressed by Ed Jones all season.

Let’s just hope he gets to continue with Coyne next year and continue to show us what a great racer he is.

Midterm grade: A

Final grade: B+

Tony Kannan

I’ll start of by saying that I always have been and always will be a tony Kannan fan.

The mans a legend.

And I was just as happy as everyone else in the crowd screaming my head off when he finally won the Indy 500 in 2011.

But let’s be honest, its time for TK to retire.

He’s started to step of his game.

He hasn’t won in forever and he freaking spun on a parade lap.

He’s inconsistent and I think he needs to get out while he’s on top before I start hating tony Kannan and the legendary career he’s built himself is overshadowed by the fact that he spun on a freaking parade lap.

Maybe things will change now that he’s at Foyt, but let’s be real: if he couldn’t get results while at Ganassi how’s he going to do it at Foyt?

Tony Kannan has done nothing but disappoint me this season and I hate that.

Common Tony.

You’re better than this.

Mid term grade: C

Final grade: D

Charlie Kimball

Okay, im going to try and be nice.

But I think everone knows that im not a big Charlie Kimball.

I think he races stupid.

I don’t trust him.

He’s always a solid bet for first out in my opinion.

He really proved my opinions in the first half of the season, but I do have to admit, he’s raced smarter the second half of the season.

And he did manage to get his first career pole, but it ended in a DNF in the race so.. yeah.

He only managed 5 top ten finishes.

I am not surprised to no see him back at Ganassi next year.

I think he should have been gone sooner.

Try better next time okay, Charlie Kimball.

Mid term grade: C

Final grade: C

Carlos Munoz

I’ve never been a Carlos Munoz fan per say.

But I’ve never wished bad things upon him or picked him as a first out (that I can remember anyways).

But I’ve always been impressed by his Indy 500 performances.

I thought switching to Foyt he’d be the start of the team.

But he really disappointed me this season.

He really didn’t give any memorable drivers.

Even his Indy 500 performance was lack luster.

I don’t know what the future holds for Carlos Munoz in IndyCar, but I hope to see him back next year because I really think he has a lot of potential.

Mid term grade: C

Final grade: C

Josef Newgarden

What can I say.

My favorite driver won the 2017 IndyCar championship.

He drove a stellar season all the way into victory lane.

A season best of 4 wins.

10 top 5 finishes and 13 top ten finishes.

And his second career pole at the most important time to win a pole.

The way I see it, he made two mistakes this season: Texas and Watkins Glen.

But he took full responsibility.

That move at Pocono?

And at Mid-Ohio?

Legendary.

And all of this in his first season with team Penske?

We all knew he was a star, but he just really showed us how big of a star he was this season and I have nothing to complain about.

He was level headed, smart, riven, competitive: everything a good driver, and an IndyCar champion need to be.

And everything I love in a favorite driver.

Midterm grade: B++ (extra plus because he's my favorite driver)

Final grade: A (how can I give the champion anything other than an A?)

Well that’s it for today everyone.

Thanks for reading!

Come back next week for the 4th and final installment!

xxkaitlyn

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