-With Mike Conway, Foyt Racing grabbed a driver who has the potential to win on a majority of the schedule, considering his road and street course prowess. However, the big question for Conway is going to be whether his season mirrors the type of season had had in 2011 pre-Indy or post-Indy. We talk about drivers showing "flashes" of promise; for Conway, as part of a (anticipated) single-car effort, the emphasis on consistent, measured performance is at a premium.
-I'm really interested to see how Conway's personality plays into the dynamic over at Foyt. Conway is about as cool as they come, seemingly always in control of his emotions, be it a great moment or a poor one. You have to think the team admired his courage and resolve in returning from his terrible 2010 accident, as well as his composure in the face of adversity last year.
-With Oriol Servia having been so linked to the Foyt seat, we're inevitably going to see comparisons between what might have been with the Spanish veteran on the team versus what Conway might accomplish. It's easy to make a case for Servia, but Foyt apparently wanted to go another direction. Perhaps unspoken is some thought of what Conway could bring to the team financial-wise in addition to Foyt's ABC Supply money, and how that might help with some of the upgrades they're working to make.
-Speaking of those upgrades, the biggest factor at Foyt this offseason could be not in the driver department, but in engineering. With Foyt looking to really push improvements in this area, their ability to maximize the DW-12 will likely determine whether or not this team moves forward or stays mid-pack.
-Conway was also a possibility to go to Andretti Autosport as the 4th car there (in fact, that's where I thought him most likely to go). You have to wonder if this changes their plans, and if they find someone for that seat. I'd like to think this was not a blindside for them.
-Is Conway the driver to get Foyt Racing back in the victory circle? Well, as we all too often tend to overlook, that's truly a team effort. Yes, Conway needs to show that Long Beach-winning form, but the engineering and support on this team need to be right there with it. Any part of the team fails, and the team can fail.
Welcome to Foyt Racing, Mike Conway. Let's see what that partnership brings.
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