Mikhail Aleshin’s IndyCar return unlikely due to Obama sanctions

Aleshin's IndyCar career is over because his check won't clear as the open wheel ride-buying cancer that is destroying the sport continues unabated

Continued U.S. sanctions against supporters of Russian president Vladimir Putin apparently will cost an impressive Verizon IndyCar Series driver a chance to race in this country another season.

Sam Schmidt, a co-owner of Indianapolis-based Schmidt Peterson Motorsports, told The Star this week that Mikhail Aleshin's financial contributions to the race team are not only behind, they're frozen.

"There's a clear road block in terms of the transfer of money," Schmidt said. "We can't seem to get any."

The U.S. government placed sanctions on SMP Bank, along with other Russian institutions connected to Putin, beginning last spring amid tensions in Ukraine.

The situation is unfortunate for all motor sports parties – Aleshin, the team owned by Schmidt and Ric Peterson, and IndyCar – given the competitiveness of the No. 7 entry and how popular Aleshin became.

Despite being a first-time U.S. visitor and new to racing on oval tracks, Aleshin finished 16th in the point standings, beating IndyCar veterans such as Takuma Sato and Graham Rahal.

Aleshin, 27, finished second in a street race in Houston, led a lap in the Indianapolis 500 and registered as many top-10 finishes (seven) as Formula One veterans Sebastien Bourdais and Justin Wilson.

Not even a horrific crash at the season-ending event slowed Aleshin down. Schmidt said Aleshin has sufficiently recovered from injuries suffered Aug. 29 at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif.

"He's been a joy to work with on and off the track," Schmidt said. "But the writing on the wall is ugly there (in Russia)." Indy Star