Position Filled: Mike Conway to Be Fourth Driver at Andretti Autosport

At the Indianapolis Motor Speedway last May, Mike Conway had the scariest moment of his career in the closing laps of the Greatest Spectacle in Racing.

This coming May, he will look to contend for the win.

It has just been announced the Conway has signed on as the fourth driver for Andretti Autosport for the upcoming 2011 IZOD INDYCAR Series season.

While he has spent his career entirely with Dreyer & Reinbold Racing, Conway will now move on to a team that will contend for wins all season long. That is not a knock on D & R, but more a compliment to the history and expectations of Andretti Autosport.

Conway will be the fourth driver, along with Marco Andretti, Danica Patrick and Ryan Hunter-Reay. It looks like an exciting young group of drivers that could be the future of this sport.

Although Penske has the strongest three-car team and Chip Ganassi just added two more to his stable to bring his count to four, the debate can begin for who has the best four-car team in the Series.

It's tough to ignore the Series Champions, Franchitti and Dixon, but Graham Rahal has a ways to go before he reaches their level. Also, Charlie Kimball is a fresh face in the Series. The talent at the top may not be as high as what Ganassi has, but they have a lot of depth on their team.

All four of these drivers for Andretti have the potential to be really good drivers for a long time, but they will have to prove themselves this year. If any team has a chance to end the reign of Ganassi and Penske, it will likely be a driver from this team.

There are other guys out there that can win some races, but when it comes to the Championship, it will be a tough challenge.

With the addition of Conway comes the realization that Dan Wheldon will not be going back to Andretti's team. Many people thought that after J.R. Hildebrand was named the driver for Panther Racing's National Guard machine that Wheldon would be headed back to Andretti.

As more drivers seats are filled, it seems we are left with more questions surrounding Wheldon and where he will end up. He has refuted reports that he will share a part-time ride with anyone.

A title sponsor has yet to be announced for Conway, but it appears they will have plenty of financial backing to bring him in.