2024 LIS Predictions

It’s almost time for the 2024 STARS Lowe’s International Series season, as the grid has been confirmed ahead of the drop of the green flag at New York! In todays show, we’re looking at how we think the season will shake up by the time the checkered flag flies in Las Vegas.

KEY –
An asterisk (*) means a car is NOT locked in on points for the first 5 races.
An (R) means that the driver will be partaking in Rookie of the Year honours.

ATK Motorsports – Chevrolet

#1 Evie Vance

#2 Madison Baszler

#21 Amy Prowell (R)

#27 Aya Maruyama (R)

#28 Lillie Corden

ATK Motorsports have been the team, alongside Macintosh Motorsports, Inc and µ’s Autosport that have set the bar for the series over the last few years. Last year, ATK Motorsports took 7 out of the 32 race wins available, with Atkins winning three and Corden and Vance winning two apiece.

Evie Vance finds herself in the veteran driver spot on the team with Ben Atkins’ retirement at the end of the season, but coming off a very solid season where she was the runner-up in points, Vance should be able to rise to the pressure of the challenge. With the chase system being ditched for 2024, the aspect of consistency being key for a championship could bode very well for Vance; especially if she can have a better start to the season than she did in 2023.

Madison Baszler is another driver that may fare well from the chase system disappearing. While wins may not be where Baszler shines, her consistency saw her continually in the top 10 in points, where we was awarded with a 9th place finish in the championship last year. I think Baszler will be due for more wins this season, especially with her status in the team potentially skyrocketing after her fantastic season.

Amy Prowell is arguably the most exciting young driver we’ve seen since Ruby Mayberry’s entrance to the series in 2017, as Prowell set the Trucks series alight last year with her blistering speed and consistency. The Welshwoman was voted Driver of the Year, was Rookie of the Year and won a joint Owners Title in Trucks last year, and while it took her a little while to get going, her performances in the LIS races at Orlando, Chicago and Las Vegas looked very promising. Jenkins-Young will regret telling the youngster she wasn’t ready for LIS, as I expect Prowell to be a force to be reckoned with next season.

Aya Maruyama’s turbulent silly season might be a factor next season. She looked like she was going to be at Kingslayer this season, but a last minute swap saw her take over Ben Atkins in the #27. She has massive shoes to fill, but Maruyama is ultimately a reliable choice. Her speed is apparent, as she arguably should have won the LIS season finale last year at Las Vegas, and we should see Maruyama in victory lane at some point, but I don’t think we can expect anything close to a title out of her in her first full LIS season.

It’s easy to forget that Lillie Corden is still one of the youngest drivers in the series as she enters her third full-time season. Corden was well inside the top 5 in points at points last season, but a disappointing playoffs meant that she had to settle for 13th in the final standings. Corden also suddenly finds herself as the second most winningest driver at the team with her duo of victories last season. The pressure will be on for Corden, and while she may initially struggle, she should have another good season coming up.

µ’s Autosport - Chevrolet

#3 Joe Branch

#18 Umi Sonoda (R)

#54 You Watanabe

#55 Honoka Kousaka

#88 Misaki Andou

Another one of the big three teams, µ’s Autosport have won the last two LIS Drivers Championships with Maki Nishikino in 2022 and with Honoka Kousaka in 2023. Arguably the most impressive team, µ’s took 9 wins out of 32 available last year, with champion Kousaka taking 4, Branch taking 2, and Andou, Watanabe and Dillinger taking 1 each.

Joe Branch’s excellent last two season should come as a surprise to no-one. Branch shown incredible potential at ATK Motorsports in his injury-shortened 2021 season, but he has become a complete driver at µ’s, and he looks like a certain future champion, however, while he may keep taking race wins, he needs to just slightly improve his consistency. While he may not be a fan of the playoff system, it did benefit him last season. This should still be a solid season for Branch, and I expect him to be comfortably inside the top 10 in points for the third year in a row.

Umi Sonoda is an unsurprising call up to the team as she has been a reliable driver in KTTS for the last few years, and she has infinitely less attitude problems than Matilda Dillinger. Sonoda had a stint in LIS previously in 2022 when she replaced Makina Irisu in the 29, where she did not have great results, but she is in significantly better ride this time around. While she may not be a title contender, it would not be a surprise to see Sonoda take her first win next season.

You Watanabe finally broke her winless streak at Charlotte last year, and while she started her season off slowly last year, Watanabe was nothing short of excellent last season. However, we know that Watanabe could potentially be inconsistent, such as her season in 2022, and it’s hard to predict how she will drive next year. I think Watanabe might find victory lane again, but may not have the best points finish.

Honoka Kousaka was electric during the playoffs last season as her incredible performance saw her win the title with a race to spare at ISM. It is easy to forget Kousaka’s early season performance, as she only entered the playoffs tenth in points, but she was so good in the playoffs it’s hard to make a case to say she didn’t deserve the title. Kousaka will be a title contender again in 2024, as her ability to adapt and her outright speed has made her a constant threat.

Misaki Andou’s flat 2023 season was a shock to everyone, considering she carried a collapsing McBrien Racing in 2022, but the matter of fact was that Andou simply never got going, despite her win at Atlanta and close call at Iowa. Andou will want to recover from her poor points finish in 2023 and will be one to watch in 2024.


Ichigaya-Satou Medical - Toyota

#4 Amane Suou

#5 Lucia Ohara

#6 Makina Irisu

#8 Ruby Kurosawa

#9 Barney Ward


Satou Medical have been knocking on the door of competitiveness for the last few years, but their tendencies to make brash decisions have stopped them from entering the fray as a truly competitive team. The team took a solitary win in 2023, with Arisa Ichigaya taking a second career victory at Orange Show. A new partnership with Ichigaya Corp has potential to see improvements in the team.

Amane Suou was a sensible signing to the team, as she was a reliable driver in 2023. While she may not have been the outright quickest driver out there, she didn’t ever have the best equipment either, and in her limited starts in KTTS with ATK Motorsports, Suou has garnered 2 wins at Kansas and Las Vegas. I think Suou will be reliable for the team, and while she may not find victory lane, she should keep that car solidly in the top 30 in points.

Lucia Ohara will be her own biggest critic if you ask her how her 2023 season went. The loss of her father and the ensuing controversy which saw her lamp Joey McBrien at New Hampshire got to her and she never really recovered all season, despite looking really good in the opening few races of the season. Ohara has vowed to be at her best in 2024, and if this is true, then we should see her return to her winning ways in her retirement season.

Makina Irisu has been the most up-and-down driver I’ve seen in the last few years. Her first year at McBrien was brilliant, but her second was awful, before she looked back to her top form last year in trucks, taking two wins and finishing third in the points. If Irisu can keep her form up, she could possibly be a dark horse for the championship. I think Irisu is incredibly talented, but has a tendency to lose her head. If she can keep cool, this should be a good season for her.

Ruby Kurosawa’s consistency saw her at the lone representative for Satou Medical in the 2023 playoffs where she finished 12th in points, which is about where she deserved to finish. Kurosawa is very fast, and was Satou Medical’s only shining hope in a difficult season last year. If she can keep up her good performances, Kurosawa should expect a better season than the last.

The surprise signing to this team was Barney Ward, who has been struggling in the #56 RA Racing entry for the past few seasons. While Ward has shown incredible potential at times, it can’t be helped but be labelled as an oddball signing for Satou Medical, and there could be a case made to say that his KX Energy partnership may have something to do with it. It would be great to see Ward competitive, but this may be the experimental car on the team.


The Motorsports Team - Toyota

#7 - Ryan Jeffries (R)*

#17 - Alex Phillips


The Motorsports Team have been ever present in the STARS Lowe’s International Series for the last few years now, but they have only come into their best years in the last couple of seasons. While they didn’t win last season, Alex Phillips’ efforts for the team saw the #17 car finish comfortably inside the top 30 in points with a best finish of third at Las Vegas and Orange Show.

Ryan Jeffries has snagged himself a spot in LIS, replacing the outgoing AJ Murphy as he goes to RA Racing. While Jeffries is a one-time winner in KTTS, he has never made the playoffs in the series in his extended time in the series, making it a somewhat questionable signing for the team. I don’t expect Jeffries to perform as well as his teammate this season, and unfortunately, some DNQs may be on the table for this team.

Alex Phillips is most certainly a small team driver. In his stint with Team Kwik Fit, he seemed out of his depth and struggled with the car. However, back with The Motorsports Team, Phillips looks to be back at his best. It should be another comfortable year for the team with the occasional top 5 finish, and semi-regular top 10 finishes, with Phillips again placing that car soundly inside the top 30 in points.


Ohara Enterprises - Toyota

#00 Mikazuki Augus (R)*

#03 Yoshiko Tsushima*

#06 Ako Udagawa

#09 Kanan Matsuura (R)*

#90 Sayori Tanahashi*

Ohara Enterprises had an undeniably tough year in 2023, with the exception of Ako Udagawa, who has quickly become the teams standout driver in the last few years. The team failed to see victory lane in 2023, and Udagawa was the only car that saw the top 30 in points, but with a solid driver lineup, improvements could be on the way for the team.

Mikazuki Augus FINALLY gets the full-time call-up to LIS that he has deserved for a couple of years now, as a great season in KTTS last year saw him take 3 wins and finish 7th in points. Augus won the pole for the Empire State 300 last season, and if he can repeat that magic to lock himself in for the big race again, this might give him momentum to have a good season.

Yoshiko Tsushima is a former winner in LIS, but after an electric season which saw her tie in points with Amy Prowell in the KTTS Owners Championship race, she gets a well earned move back to LIS. She should outperform what Mari Ohara did in this car last year, and I think we could see a surprise win or two out of the Japanese driver.

If you were to tell anyone that Ako Udagawa would have been the lead driver in two years when she signed for Ohara Enterprises in 2022, they would have laughed at you… but here we are. Udagawa has been nothing short of brilliant over the past two seasons, and her tendencies to find herself running inside the top 5 during various races hasn’t gone unnoticed. If the team throw what they have at Udagawa, she could be on for her best ever season. I wouldn’t be surprised to see her sneak into the top 10 in points this season.

Kanan Matsuura has been a reliable driver in KTTS over the past few seasons, and she will finally experience her first taste of LIS racing in 2024. Unlike most of the rookies in this field, Matsuura has never started an LIS race which may detriment her slightly entering the season, but if Ohara Enterprises can improve this season, Matsuura should perform just fine.

Sayori Tanahashi is doing great. Despite her difficult start to the season thanks to McBrien Racing being complete morons, she recovered well and spent a considerable amount of time well inside the top 30 in points in 2023. She may have faded towards the end of the season, but she’s doing great.


MAC-ATK Motorsports - Chevrolet

#01 - Emily Labeau (R)/Rayan Labeau (R)/Chizuru Takano(R)*

#24 - Ben Atkins/Kanon Matsubara/Ellie Thuram/Tohka Shishigaya*

#75 - Grant Macintosh/Tanner Clason/Kokoro Tsurumaki/Corbin Rhodes/Lochlan Scott*

MAC-ATK Motorsports is a joint effort from Riko Vance, Dia Macintosh and Nico Yazawa (allegedly) that will see a revolving door of drivers have limited seat-time over the course of the 2024 season. The team will have the efforts of Macintosh Motorsports, Inc and ATK Motorsports to aid them, but ultimately will act as a guinea pig team for the big three Chevrolet teams.

The rookies have all been put in the #01 car as the Canadian Labeau siblings will be joined by SuperGT protege Chizuru Takano in the car. Meanwhile, the experienced drivers will be in the #24 car, although most of the seat time will go to Tohka Shishigaya and Ellie Thuram as Shishigaya recuperates from injuries sustained last season and Thuram returns to the series.

The #75 car consist of the Macintosh Motorsports, Inc gang as five drivers will split the car. It’s hard to tell how this team will do. Some experiences are sure to flop spectacularly, while others could end up with a huge result for an unexpecting driver. Everyone on this team knows their role, and they’ve ultimately picked out a good bunch of drivers.


Jenkins-Young Motorsports - Ford

#02 - Lilly Samson

#12 - Harper Bradshaw (R)

#16 - Caitlin Conway*

#20 - Emi Satou (R)

#22 - Dean Donohue*

Jenkins-Young Motorsports began last year by winning just about everything that was on offer at Speedweeks except the Empire State 300. Since then, the team faded, with only Lilly Samson making the playoffs, and with the team firing poor Scarlett Sanders after just 10 races, despite them rushing up the youngster before she was ready. The team only saw victory lane twice last year, both with Lilly Samson.

Lilly Samson is the standout driver at this team, and while she dodged a bullet when JYM let Amy Prowell go, she may face a challenge for that title; not only from KTTS champion Harper Bradshaw, but also Emi Satou. With Samson potentially not the favoured driver on the team anymore, she may come up to some struggles, but with how good the English driver is, we should still see her win a race or two in 2024.

Harper Bradshaw was not the JYM driver we expected to see lift the KTTS championship last year, but regardless, the American put together a sensational year, and she sticks with JYM, despite her friends and sponsor-mates Autumn Collins and Aurora Sullivan both moving on from the team. JYM seem to really like the American, and it’s not hard to see why. I expect to see Bradshaw sneak in a few wins in 2024.

Caitlin Conway’s season looked so good after 20 races in 2023. She’d guided Kingslayer Racing to their first ever chase, both of her teammates had found victory lane over the course of the season… but Conway only went on to score 175 points in the next 10 races, and a disappointing playoffs saw her swap rides with Autumn Collins. Conway may have stepped out of a team that's on the rise, and are now considered in higher regard than JYM… and ultimately I think Conway has shot herself in the foot, and may be in for a difficult year.

Emi Satou was the driver that split the room in 2023. A lot of people thought that she was underperforming compared to her teammates, but very few people saw just how good Satou actually was in 2023. Satou finally broke through and won her first truck race at Homestead, and went on to finish in the top 5 in points. I think Satou will live up to the challenge at JYM, and if the team can give her good cars, she could be consistent enough to get them a solid points finish.

Dean Donohue is finally back in LIS after a devastating crash at Daytona in 2019 saw him out for an extended period of time. Donohue was decent in his limited LIS starts in 2024, and was good in AAS last year. It could be argued that Donohue should have gone to KTTS before a return to LIS, and with the #22’s owner points being moved to support Harper Bradshaw, Donohue might be in for a long season in 2024.


Macintosh Motorsports, Inc. - Chevrolet

#10 - Daniel Leckliter

#14 - Kay Douglas

#15 - Aurora Sullivan

#41 - Rosemary Black

#51 - Ruby Mayberry

Just one look at that driver lineup shows that this team means business in 2024. The team, with Ruby Mayberry earned their second consecutive Owners Championship last year, as well as taking 9 out of 32 race wins; 5 with Mayberry, 3 with Macintosh and 1 with Douglas.

It was a surprise to see Leckliter go winless in 2023. Saying that, Leckliter was still exceptional, finishing 5th in points, just 208 points behind champion Honoka Kousaka. Leckliter breaking his winless streak should be an obvious prediction to go with, but I think Leckliter could be a threat to the title. Leckliter will be 35 years old entering this season, just a year shy of the age Atkins and Macintosh retired at. It’s not known if retirement is on his mind, but if it is, he will be hungrier for his first LIS title.

Kay Douglas’ breakout season was a pleasant surprise to see, as not many people expected to see her do as well as she did. I think the only way is up for Douglas, as we should not only expect a multiple-win season out of her, but maybe even a Quadruple Crown race win. I think Douglas will build on what she had last season and establish herself as a frontrunner.

Aurora Sullivan has arguably been let down by JYM over the last few years. While they were able to provide Autumn Collins with race wins, Sullivan always seemed to fall short when she didn’t deserve to. Arguably, Sullivan has been the better driver of the two over the last few years. Macintosh noticed her efforts at JYM, however, and she’s been rewarded with an elite level car. I think we’re going to see Aurora Sullivan’s breakout year, and she will finally get her first career win, and more, after 125 unsuccessful attempts.

Rosemary Black in a MMI car should be a scary thought for anyone. Satou Medical have underperformed with her incredibly over the last few years, but even then, Black has carried that team to the “best of the rest” in the Drivers Championship in 2023. This might be a bold prediction, but I seriously think Rosemary Black can go all the way in 2024. I think she’s good enough, and she will be inspired enough by finally landing at a top team.

Ruby Mayberry is the best driver in the garage right now, and this has been boosted with Ben Atkins and Grant Macintosh’s retirements last year. However, we have seen that Mayberry has been inconsistent in the past. While she has been in top form over the last couple of years, I think with two new exciting additions to the team, Mayberry may temporarily not be a top priority at the team, but we should still expect good results from the incredibly talented Mayberry next year.


Leckliter Racing - Chevrolet

#11 - Rin Hoshizora (R)*

Leckliter Racing will foray into LIS competition for the first time since 2017 this season as the team come back to give Rin Hoshizora, the former KTTS race winner a run at the championship. With Chevrolet backing, this team has the potential to run well.

Rin Hoshizora has won races here or there in KTTS, but she never struck me a driver that would make it to LIS competition. However, it is perhaps time she has a go in the top series, and while she may initially struggle with the competition the series provides, just like in KTTS, we may be surprised with what Hoshizora can do.


Richler Racing - Chevrolet

#19 - Chiyo Minami/Neveah Laughlin/Connor Gallagher (R)*


A completely new team comes to LIS this season as Richler Racing open up under the ownership of businesswoman Charlotte Richler. The team knows their limitations, as they will run only half of the schedule with AAS driver Chiyo Minami, who will drive for the team in that series as well, as well at KTTS drivers Neveah Laughlin and Connor Gallagher. The drivers seem to be interested, so maybe this team could go somewhere in the future.


Satou Evolution Motorsports - Toyota

#30 - Frankie Kowalski (R)*

#31 - Murasaki Ikoma*

Satou Evolution Motorsports scale back to two part-time cars for their KTTS drivers Murasaki Ikoma and Frankie Kowalski. This team will continue to run to earn their drivers some experience, particularly Kowalski, who will be the youngest driver in the field in both series. The team may find themselves putting Rin Natsume and Rena Fukami in the cars at some point, but they are not currently listed as entrants. This team will fail to qualify for some races, but ultimately, will be a useful building experience for their drivers.


Hadaway Racing - Ford

#32 - Wyatt Knox*

#38 - Lacey Starling

Hadaway Racing won their first ever LIS race last year with Corbin Rhodes at Daytona. Also with Rhodes, the team qualified for the LIS Chase for the first time, but a poor showing saw the team finish 15th in points, and Rhodes was snapped up by Macintosh Motorsports, Inc to have another attempt at the KTTS championship. The team retained Knox and signed Lacey Starling for 2024.

Wyatt Knox staying at Hadaway after the team took a chance on him after the McBrien saga was the saving grace for his career. At times, Knox looked incredibly impressive and has certainly earned his return to the car. I think Knox will build on what he had last year, and while he may struggle to make some races, Knox should be able to earn some top 10s over the year.

Lacey Starling’s season at RA Racing is one that will no doubt be overlooked. She blew her teammates Barney Ward and Connor Swift out of the water, and essentially gave that team financial stability into 2024 as they were able to sell her top 30 owners points to Satou Medical (ironically, to help Barney Ward). Starling will be in a locked-in car for the first five races, and I think she will be able to run just as well as Rhodes did in that car, with a surprise win perhaps on the cards.


RoadRunner Racing - Ford

#40 - Cam Bennett*

#42 - Antoine Young*

Keep calm.

Have a dorite.


RA Racing - Chevrolet

#56 - AJ Murphy*

#66 - Sylvia Renou*

RA Racing lost their best driver in Lacey Starling last year and will be downsizing to two cars after running a car for Connor Swift last year proved to be useless as he ended up missing the majority of the races. There weren’t many positives for the former powerhouses in 2023, and unfortunately, it might not get much better for them in 2024.

AJ Murphy has had a couple of decent runs in his less-than-stellar LIS career, but his signing, to be blunt, simply shows how far RA Racing have fallen; not only since their championship winning days, but since Corbin Rhodes took the Empire State 300 just a few years ago. Murphy won’t do much better than what Connor Swift did last year, but I could see him making a handful more races than the disgraced Swift did.

Sylvia Renou’s return to the team has already been a tough one as her owner points from a sketchy season at Satou Medical followed her, and the #66’s points went the other way with Barney Ward. Renou may not be able to find the magic she did in her rookie season in 2022, but a return to form is something many fans will be eager to see: if she can pull it off.


Carter-Miller Racing - Dodge

#60 - Bailey Bliss*

#80 - Christian Hagerty*

Carter-Miller Racing are one of the two remaining Dodge teams left in the series, and it’s somewhat of a miracle that they haven’t ditched the manufacturer as it is clear that Dodge are more interested in the blooming NRG Racing. They have been one of the most inconsistent teams in the garage, as Bailey Bliss has looked really good at times, while Corey Jennings are very much forgettable throughout 2023.

Bailey Bliss continues to stick with CMR despite some of the obvious struggles at the team, but I think her patience could come up good soon, and I think Bliss could perhaps steal a victory if the circumstances fall right during a race. Bliss has been incredibly fast often, but has been often let down by her team. If she can catch a break, I think Bliss will comfortably place inside the top 30 in points.

Christian Hagerty’s move to LIS is a mind-boggling one. He looked good in KTTS at one point, but has quite clearly lost his touch, and when he was arguably at his worst, that’s when he gets the call-up to CMR. I don’t think Hagerty will be ready for the challenge that LIS will provide, and I think he will be blown out of the water by Bailey Bliss at this team.


Kingslayer Racing - Chevrolet

#61 - Piper Wolfe (R)

#62 - Sadie McDowell

#63 - Elias Sutton

#64 - Autumn Collins

Kingslayer Racing’s growth in STARS has been incredible to watch. This time two years ago, the team was only just founded from the burning wreckage that was Mach 5 Motorsports. A year later, they team up with ATK Motorsports to form an alliance, and now they are one of only four teams to have all of their cars inside the top 30 in points, and they were one of the only teams that took it to the big three teams, with two races, one with McDowell, and one with Sutton. While their playoffs with Caitlin Conway was one to forget, it was a step in the right direction for the team as they continue to grow stronger.

Piper Wolfe finally gets the call-up that she has deserved ever since she took the checkered flag at Oulton Park in 2019. Her loyalty to Macintosh Motorsports, Inc and owner Grant Macintosh may have delayed this move, but I am certain that Piper Wolfe is ready for the challenge that LIS will provide. I could see Wolfe earning more wins for this team, and herself, in 2024.

Sadie McDowell, despite her win, was arguably the weak link at Kingslayer last year, but she is one of the only remaining drivers in the field to have double-digit wins in the series, thus making her one of the most experienced, despite being only 25. McDowell should be able to find her form back in 2024, and I could see her winning races with her blistering speed being more consistent.

Elias Sutton’s win at New Jersey was his first career top 5, but ever since he took over Max Winfield’s #95 car in 2021, I would argue that Sutton has looked incredibly impressive, and that Jamie King has a hell of a driver on his hands. I can’t help but continue to be positive about this team, as I think Sutton will also find victory lane in 2024.

Spoiler alert, I also think Autumn Collins is in for a hell of a year in 2024. Arguably, Collins should have been a part of the 2023 Chase, but an incident at Iowa, as well as others over the year cost her a spot. I think Collins will be reflective of the past year, and that she will race with her head screwed on a bit more. I think we will see all four Kingslayer cars winning this year; but I wouldn’t be surprised if Collins has the best year of the entire team.


NRG Motorsports - Dodge

#93 - William Carmichael*

#94 - Arisa Ichigaya*

#95 - Yuuji Kazami*

#96 - Michael Hanna (R)*

NRG Motorsports took over the assets of MDM Motorsports last year, and they have been infinitely better than the former McBrien feeder team could have ever wished. While Jeffery Tyler and Brittany Chapman struggled at the team, Yuuji Kazami and Michael Hanna looked incredible at the team, and I think their momentum could be positive for the entire team.

Well, expect for William Carmichael perhaps, who has most definitely only been brought in to make sure the IndyCar giants won’t run into any unexpected financial issues over the course of the season. I don’t see Carmichael having the pace of his teammates, and he may be in for a difficult year.

Arisa Ichigaya is really good for popping up and taking a win out of nowhere from time to time, and if NRG Motorsports are to find their first win, then signing Ichigaya is a smart choice. For consistency, however, it is not. I could see Ichigaya making improvements to her racecraft in 2024, but she may have a bit of a patchy season which could see her struggle at times.

Yuuji Kazami’s season was vastly underrated last year. He was well inside the top 10 in points at points in the season, and while he slipped out of the top 30 in owners points in the last week of the season in 2023, that was to be expected from the startup team. I think Kazami will build on this, and could sneak into the top 20 in points in 2024.

Michael Hanna’s speed in LIS cars was unexpected. In a wide range of tracks, Hanna looked in his comfort zone. He ran well at tracks as diverse as Martinsville and Talladega, and came tantalizingly close to victory at Indianapolis; a track he has won at 3 times in IndyCar. While Hanna may not be here for a long time, as he approaches 37 years old, he could be very fast while he is here.


Sawatari Racing - Chevrolet

#97 - Cro Sawatari*

#98 - Rei Sawatari (R)*

#99 - Emerson Lee*

Sawatari Racing lose their Ichigaya backing as they jump ship to Satou Medical in 2024, and this may hinder the team. They have been semi-regular winners in the series, with the returning Emerson Lee seeing the checkered flag at Orange Show last year. However, the team had to sell owners points to Kingslayer Racing to help fund the season, so it may be a building season for them.

Cro Sawatari comes fresh off an AAS title in 2023, as her consistency proved key en route to her triumph. Sawatari has won races in LIS before, and is a proven driver, constantly stepping in to act as relief for suspended or injured drivers for various teams. I think if anyone is going to perform at this team, it will be Cro Sawatari.

Rei Sawatari’s promotion to AAS for his rookie season in LIS doesn’t come as a surprise… mostly because he is the owner of the team. While I think Rei Sawatari will struggle in 2024, he can build on what he achieves this season, and may prove a valuable driver in the future.

Emerson Lee’s first win in LIS at Orange Show last year was quite honestly again the run of his season. He had shown promise during certain races, but it was unexpected… and yet deserved at the same time. I unfortunately think that it could be more of the same for Emerson Lee in 2024, with some DNQs but also some good runs.

Official Predictions

First-time winners: Amy Prowell, Aya Maruyama, Umi Sonoda, Ellie Thuram, Harper Bradshaw, Emi Satou, Aurora Sullivan, Michael Hanna, Bailey Bliss
Most wins in a season: Madison Baszler and Daniel Leckliter (4)
Upset of the year: Bailey Bliss steals a win at an Intermediate track
Disappointments: Jenkins-Young Motorsports struggle throughout the season.
Best race of 2024: Indianapolis
Worst race of 2024: Gateway
Retirees at season end: Lucia Ohara (already announced)
Driver of the year: Rosemary Black
Reject of the year: William Carmichael
Most likely to lose ride in the middle of the season: Christian Hagerty
New York Winner: Kay Douglas
Atlanta Winner: Honoka Kousaka
Chicagoland Winner: Amy Prowell
Indianapolis Winner: Ruby Mayberry
Las Vegas Winner: Aya Maruyama
Champion: Rosemary Black
Runner-up: Misaki Andou