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  • Grosjean to make 50th IndyCar career start at Barber Motorsports Park

    Grosjean to make 50th IndyCar career start at Barber Motorsports Park

    In his third full-time campaign in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, Romain Grosjean is within reach of achieving a milestone start. When he takes the green flag in this weekend’s Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Alabama, the driver of the No. 77 Juncos Hollinger Racing Dallara-Chevrolet will make his 50th career start in the IndyCar circuit.  

    Grosjean, who was born in Geneva, Switzerland, but competes under the French flag, made his inaugural presence in the IndyCar circuit at Barber Motorsports Park in April 2021. He was coming off a 10-year campaign in Formula One, where he had recorded 10 podium results and 391 points while competing for Lotus and Haas F1 teams, and had survived a harrowing opening lap accident at Bahrain International Circuit during the Bahrain Grand Prix. The incident ended his F1 career and led him to transition to IndyCar competition.

    Piloting the No. 51 Dallara-Honda for Dale Coyne Racing with Rick Ware Racing in a part-time campaign, Grosjean started seventh and finished 10th in his IndyCar debut. After finishing 13th during his second series start at the Streets of St. Petersburg, Grosjean earned the spotlight during his third series start at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course for the GMR Grand Prix in May, where he achieved his maiden pole position and proceeded to lead a race-high 44 laps before settling in a career-best runner-up spot behind Rinus VeeKay.

    Grosjean proceeded to finish in the top seven twice during his next five starts before he achieved both his second runner-up result and second podium of the season at Indianapolis during the Big Machine Spiked Coolers Grand Prix in August. Three races later, he achieved his third podium result of the season and the third of his career, at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca after carving his way from starting 13th. He would then make his 13th and final IndyCar start of the year in the season-finale Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach at the Streets of Long Beach, California, where he finished 24th after being involved in a late accident. Making 13 starts in total throughout the 2021 season, Grosjean settled in 15th place in the final driver’s standings with 272 points.

    Amid his strong performances throughout the 2021 season, Grosjean was recruited by Andretti Global to pilot the No. 28 Dallara-Honda on a full-time basis for the 2022 IndyCar season, replacing the 2014 Indianapolis 500 champion Ryan Hunter-Reay. He began the season by finishing fifth at the Streets of St. Petersburg in February before claiming his first podium result of the season in the form of a second-place finish at the Streets of Long Beach event two races later. Grosjean finished no higher than seventh during his next four starts before managing a top-five finish in the form of a fourth-place run at Road America in June.

    He ended up in 31st place during his first Indianapolis 500 start in May after being involved in an accident just past the halfway mark. He would then proceed to record two top-10 results during the following eight events on the schedule before finishing in seventh place in the finale at Laguna Seca. With an average-finishing result of 13.7, one spot lower than 12.7 during the 2021 season, Grosjean concluded his sophomore IndyCar season in 13th place in the final standings and with a career-high 328 points. 

    Returning for a second IndyCar season with Andretti Global in 2023, Grosjean captured the pole position for the season-opening event at the Streets of St. Petersburg. Despite leading 31 laps, however, he ended up in 18th place in the final running order after being involved in a late accident with Scott McLaughlin, whom he was battling for the victory. After being involved in a second consecutive accident during the following event at Texas Motor Speedway while battling for a top-five spot with two laps remaining, Grosjean rallied by notching back-to-back runner-up results and podiums at Long Beach and Barber Motorsport Park, respectively, the latter of which occurred after he started on the pole position for a third time and led a race-high 57 laps before being outdueled by McLaughlin in the closing laps.

    For the remaining 13 events on the schedule, Grosjean would manage to record a single top-10 result, which was a sixth-place run at Nashville Street Circuit in August, as he ended up in 13th place in the final driver’s standings for a second consecutive season, but with 296 points and an average-finishing result of 15.2. 

    After not being retained by Andretti following the 2023 season, Grosjean found a new team to call home for the 2024 season in the form of Juncos Hollinger Racing, where he replaced Callum Ilott to drive the No. 77 Dallara-Chevrolet on a full-time basis. Coming off a 24th-place result in the season-opening Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg followed by an eighth-place run at the Streets of Long Beach, he is currently ranked in 13th place in the driver’s standings and trails the points lead by 57 points. 

    Through 49 previous IndyCar starts, Grosjean has achieved three poles, six podiums, and 152 laps led with an average-finishing result of 14.0 as he continues his pursuit for both his first IndyCar race victory and championship. 

    Romain Grosjean is scheduled to make his 50th NTT INDYCAR Series career start at Barber Motorsports Park for the Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix on Sunday, April 28. The event’s broadcast time is scheduled to commence at 1 p.m. ET on NBC. 

  • 2024 NTT IndyCar Series Silly Season Update

    2024 NTT IndyCar Series Silly Season Update

    With less than three months remaining until the commencement of the 2024 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season, a majority of teams and competitors have new or familiar faces or homes set in place while select seats remain within a handle of organizations.

    The most recent name to be scratched off this year’s Silly Season topic is Sting Ray Robb, who will join A.J. Foyt Racing to pilot the No. 41 Dallara-Chevrolet. The news comes three months after the 26-year-old Robb from Boise, Idaho, completed his first campaign in the IndyCar circuit for Dale Coyne Racing with Rick Ware Racing, where he ended up in 23rd place and accumulated 147 points.

    Robb, a former champion of the Pro Mazda/Indy Pro 2000 Championship region and a runner-up finisher in the 2022 Indy Lights standings, is the only competitor currently confirmed to be competing for A.J. Foyt Racing for the upcoming season as the rest of the team’s driver lineup remains to be determined.

    Another organization that is left undetermined regarding its driver lineup is Robb’s former team, Dale Coyne Racing. The team fielded two full-time entries for Robb and David Malukas, and a third entry for the Indianapolis 500 piloted by two-time Indy 500 champion Ryan Hunter-Reay. With both Robb and Malukas venturing to new teams and Hunter-Reay not having any racing plans set for the near future, the team’s search to fill its vacant seats continues approaching the 2024 season.

    Despite having plans to field two cars for the 108th running of the Indianapolis 500 in May 2024, Dreyer & Reinbold Racing have also yet to determine its two competitors who will be assuming the reigns of both entries. This past season, the team fielded the Nos. 23 and 24 Chevrolets for Hunter-Reay and Graham Rahal, respectively, with the latter replacing the injured Stefan Wilson. Having fielded at least one entry in the Indy 500 for 24 consecutive seasons, the team approaches the 2024 season aiming to extend the streak to 25 years with select names still on the market.

    In the midst of a handful of teams who have vacant seats yet to be filled, a majority of organizations (Andretti Global, Arrow McLaren, Chip Ganassi Racing, Ed Carpenter Racing, Juncos Hollinger Racing, Meyer Shank Racing, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing and Team Penske) have driver lineups for the 2024 season set, with nearly all having new names joining their stable to compete alongside notable veterans, race winners and champions.

    After fielding four full-time entries and a fifth for the Indianapolis 500 this past season while recording a total of two season victories, Andretti Global, which has been rebranded from Andretti Autosport, will shrink to a three-car operation for the upcoming season and for its lineup consisting of Colton Herta, Kyle Kirkwood and Marcus Ericsson. Ericsson, the 2022 Indianapolis 500 champion from Kumla, Sweden, joins Andretti following a four-year campaign at Chip Ganassi Racing, where he had also recorded four career victories, as he will be piloting the No. 28 Dallara-Honda, thus replacing Romain Grosjean, while Herta and Kirkwood, the latter who earned his first two career victories at the Streets of Long Beach and Nashville Street Circuit in 2023, retain driving responsibilities of the Nos. 26 and 27 Hondas, respectively.

    The 2024 season will mark the second consecutive season where Arrow McLaren will field three full-time entries. On this occasion, a new face joins the organization. David Malukas, from Chicago, Illinois, will replace Felix Rosenqvist to pilot the No. 6 Dallara-Chevrolet, as he will compete alongside returning names Pato O’Ward and Alexander Rossi, both of whom endured winless seasons in 2023 and strive to return the McLaren name to Victory Lane in 2024. In addition, McLaren will field a fourth entry in conjunction with 14-time NASCAR championship-winning team Hendrick Motorsports for the upcoming 108th running of the Indianapolis 500 as the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Larson will attempt to qualify for the event while piloting the No. 17 Dallara-Chevrolet. For his bid, Larson, a native of Elk Grove, California, will also attempt to join the late John Andretti, Robby Gordon, Tony Stewart and Kurt Busch as competitors to perform “Double Duty” on Memorial Day weekend by competing in both the Indianapolis 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 on the same day, thus comprising a total of 1,100 miles of racing.

    Coming off championship No. 15 and winning half of the events in this past season’s IndyCar campaign, Chip Ganassi Racing returns with an expanded lineup that features two new names and a new promotion for one name alongside two championship-winning competitors in a bid to defend the title. Retaining their spots as full-time competitors of the Nos. 10 and 9 Hondas include the reigning two-time IndyCar champion Alex Palou and six-time IndyCar champion Scott Dixon, respectively, while Marcus Armstrong, the 2023 IndyCar Rookie of the Year from Christchurch, New Zealand, will campaign in his first full-time season with CGR in the No. 11 entry. New to the team are Linus Lundqvist, the 2022 Indy Lights champion from Tyresö, Sweden, who made select IndyCar starts for Meyer Shank Racing this past season and will pilot the No. 8 CGR Honda in 2024, and Kyffin Simpson, the 2023 European Le Mans Series champion in the LMP2 class division from Bridgetown, Barbados.

    Ed Carpenter Racing will feature a new name. Christian Rasmussen will campaign on a part-time basis alongside team owner Ed Carpenter after celebrating a championship in this past season’s Indy NXT season. The 23-year-old Rasmussen from Copenhagen, Denmark, will drive ECR’s No. 20 Dallara-Chevrolet in all 11 road course and street events on the schedule, starting with the season opener at the Streets of St. Petersburg, while Carpenter, an Indianapolis veteran, will campaign in the remaining six oval events that includes the 108th running of the Indianapolis 500. Rasmussen will also attempt to compete in the Indy 500 in a third ECR entry that remains to be determined. With two competitors, the No. 20 entry will compete alongside the No. 21 entry that returns for returning full-time competitor Rinus VeeKay from Hoofddorp, Netherlands.

    Coming off a strong season to date, Juncos Hollinger Racing, which has entered into a technical alliance with Arrow McLaren, will feature a new face piloting the team’s No. 77 Dallara-Chevrolet as Romain Grosjean replaces Callum Ilott in the entry while Agustin Canapino returns for a second stint with the team. Grosjean, a former Formula One competitor who competes under the French flag, transitions to JHR following a two-year campaign at Andretti Global, where he has registered six podiums and five runner-up results to date. Meanwhile, Canapino, a 33-year-old native from Arrecifes, Argentina, retains driving responsibilities of the No. 78 Chevrolet after ending up in 21st place with 180 points during last season’s championship standings.

    Meyer Shank Racing will feature a new overhaul to its driver lineup for the 2024 campaign with the additions of new full-time competitors Tom Blomqvist and Felix Rosenqvist. Blomqvist, the 2022 IMSA SportsCar champion from Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, England, who made select starts with MSR this past season, joins the team as a first-time IndyCar competitor on a full-time basis in the No. 66 Dallara-Honda while Rosenqvist, a one-time IndyCar race winner from Värnamo, Sweden, joins MSR to drive the No. 60 Honda, replacing veteran Simon Pagenaud, following a five-year campaign competing between Chip Ganassi Racing and Arrow McLaren, where he has registered a total of six podiums to his IndyCar resume. Returning to the team for the 108th running of the Indianapolis 500 is Hélio Castroneves, a four-time champion of the Indianapolis 500 who delivered the team’s first IndyCar victory during the 2021 Indy 500 and returns to compete for his record-setting fifth Indy 500 crown in the No. 06 Dallara-Honda.

    Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, which achieved a single victory in the Streets of Toronto, Canada, this past season, welcomes Pietro Fittipaldi to its driver lineup as he will be piloting the No. 30 Dallara-Honda on a full-time basis and compete alongside returning names Graham Rahal and Christian Lundgaard, the latter who achieved his first career victory at Toronto. The 2024 season is set to mark Fittipaldi’s first full-time campaign in the IndyCar circuit after he made a combined nine starts during the 2018 and 2021 seasons. He is a former champion of the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series and the World Series Formula V8 3.5 division.

    Lastly, Team Penske returns as a three-car stable with the same competitors for a third consecutive season, headlined by returning champions Josef Newgarden and Will Power along with Scott McLaughlin. Newgarden, the reigning Indianapolis 500 champion and a two-time IndyCar champion from Hendersonville, Tennessee, retains driving responsibilities of the No. 2 Dallara-Chevrolet, where he won four races in 2023, as he competes alongside Will Power, the 2018 Indy 500 champion and another two-time champion from Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia, who returns to pilot the No. 12 Chevrolet and strives to return to Victory Lane after going winless in 2023. After recording a single victory and finishing in third place during this past season’s IndyCar campaign, McLaughlin, a three-time Supercars champion from Christchurch, New Zealand, returns to pilot Penske’s No. 3 Chevrolet for a third full-time season. With familiar names retaining their places at Team Penske, the organization strives for both an 18th IndyCar championship and a 20th Indianapolis 500 title for the 2024 season.

    Photo by Simon Scoggins for SpeedwayMedia.com.

    With nearly the entire grid of the 2024 NTT INDYCAR Series field set, the season is scheduled to commence at the Streets of St. Petersburg for the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on March 10, 2024. The opener’s air broadcast coverage will be provided on NBC while the time start remains to be determined.

  • Conor Daly to make 100th IndyCar career start at Long Beach

    Conor Daly to make 100th IndyCar career start at Long Beach

    Nearly two months after competing in this year’s 65th running of the Daytona 500, Conor Daly is set to achieve a milestone start in his sixth full-time season in the NTT IndyCar Series. By taking the green flag in this weekend’s Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach at the Streets of Long Beach, California, the driver of the No. 20 Ed Carpenter Racing Dallara-Chevrolet will make his 100th career start in the IndyCar circuit.

    A second-generation racer from Noblesville, Indiana, Daly, whose racing career started with karts before proceeding to win the 2010 Indy Pro 2000 title, made his IndyCar debut in the 2013 Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, where he piloted the No. 41 A.J. Foyt Enterprises Dallara-Honda to a 22nd-place result. Two years later, he competed in a total of five IndyCar events between Dale Coyne Racing and Schmidt Peterson Motorsports. Daly’s deal with Schmidt Peterson Motorsports occurred as he replaced James Hinchcliffe for three events following Hinchcliffe’s harrowing accident during a practice session leading up to the 99th running of the Indianapolis 500. During the five-race span, his best on-track result was a sixth-place finish at Belle Isle during a Chevrolet Indy Dual in Detroit.

    In 2016, Daly joined Dale Coyne Racing on a full-time IndyCar basis. Commencing the season with a 13th-place run at the Streets of St. Petersburg, Florida, the Indiana native notched five top-10 results throughout the 16-race schedule. He also achieved his maiden podium at The Raceway at Belle Isle Park during a Chevrolet Dual in Detroit by finishing second behind Sebastien Bourdais. When the final checkered flag of the 2016 season flew, Daly settled in 18th place in the final driver’s standings with 313 points. Throughout the season, he led a career-high 56 laps and notched an average-finishing result of 14.4, which is his best as a full-time IndyCar competitor.

    The following season, Daly joined A.J. Foyt Enterprises as a full-time IndyCar competitor in the No. 4 Dallara-Chevrolet. He concluded the season in 18th place in the final standings for a second consecutive season on the strength of four top-10 results, a season-best fifth-place finish at Gateway Motorsports Park and 305 points.

    For the 2018 season, Daly, who lose his ride at A.J. Foyt Enterprises, made his first IndyCar start of the season during the 102nd running of the Indianapolis 500, where he drove the No. 17 Dallara-Honda for Dale Coyne Racing in conjunction with Thom Burns Racing to a 21st-place result. He would then compete in three of the final six scheduled events for Harding Racign, where he notched a season-best 15th at Pocono Raceway.

    The 2019 IndyCar season featured Daly competing for three different organizations, starting with Andretti Autosport for the 103rd running of the Indianapolis 500. Piloting the No. 25 Andretti Dallara-Honda, he notched his first top-10 career result at his home track by finishing 10th. Three races later, he replaced Max Chilton in the No. 59 Carlin Dallara-Chevrolet for Texas Motor Speedway as he finished 11th. He returned to Carlin for the following three oval events at Iowa Speedway, Pocono and Gateway, where he notched a season-best sixth-place finish at Gateway. Then for the penultimate event of the season at Portland International Raceway, Daly drove the No. 7 Dallara-Honda for Arrow Schmidt Peterson Motorsports in place of Marcus Ericsson, who was called up by Alfa Romeo to serve on a reserve driver duty for the upcoming Formula One event at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps. Finishing 21st for the Arrow Schmidt Peterson organization, Daly capped off the 2019 season by competing for Andretti Autosport at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, where he ended up 22nd.

    For the following two seasons, Daly competed between Ed Carpenter Racing and Carlin. In 2020, he recorded six top-10 results throughout the 14-race schedule and a season-best sixth-place result during the season opener at Texas and a 29th-place run during the 104th running of the Indianapolis 500 following a late wreck before finishing in a career-best 17th-place in the final standings with 237 points and an average-finishing result of 14.5. The following season, he led for the first time at his home track, Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the 105th running of the Indianapolis 500, as he led a total of 37 laps before finishing in 13th place while competing for Ed Carpenter Racing. The 13th-place run at Indy would also mark his highest-finishing result in 2021 as he averaged a 16.6 running spot throughout the 16-race schedule before settling in 18th place in the final standings with 235 points. Nonetheless, he accumulated 40 laps led, which marks his second-highest laps led in a season.

    This past season, Daly inked a full-time deal to pilot the No. 20 Dallara-Chevrolet for ECR. After finishing no higher than 12th during the first four scheduled events, he notched his first top-five result of the season in the GMR Grand Prix at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course. Two weeks later, he led seven laps during the 106th running of the Indianapolis 500 before settling in sixth place in the final running order, which marks his best result during the Indy 500. Daly, however, would proceed to finish no higher than 12th for the remaining 11 events on the schedule before tying his best result in the standings of 17th place and with 267 points.

    Through 99 previous IndyCar starts, Daly has achieved one pole, one podium result, 136 laps led and an average-finishing result of 15.5. He is currently ranked in 14th place in the championship standings after finishing no lower than 20th during the first two events on the schedule, with his best result being 14th during the 2023 season-opening Grand Prix of St. Petersburg.

    Daly is scheduled to make his 100th career start in the NTT IndyCar Series at the Streets of Long Beach for the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach on Sunday, April 16, at 3 p.m. ET on NBC.

  • Alex Palou to make 50th IndyCar career start at Long Beach

    Alex Palou to make 50th IndyCar career start at Long Beach

    Competing in his fourth full-time season in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, Alex Palou is set to achieve a milestone start. By competing in this weekend’s Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach at the Streets of Long Beach, California, the driver of the No. 10 Chip Ganassi Racing Dallara-Honda will achieve career start No. 50 in the IndyCar circuit.

    A native of Sant Antoni de Vilamjaor, Catalonia, Spain, Palou made his inaugural presence in the IndyCar circuit at the start of the 2020 season, where he was signed by Dale Coyne Racing in conjunction with Team Goh. By then, he entered the sport with an extensive racing background that included starts in the GP3 Series, All-Japan F3 Championship region, World Series Formula V8 3.5, FIA Formula 2, European F3, Super Formula and Super GT. He was also coming off an eventful season in 2019, where he competed for McLaren Customer Racing Japan in the Super GT GT300 class and TCS Nakajima Racing for Super Formula in Japan, where he achieved a single victory and a third-place result in the championship standings.

    Making his maiden IndyCar start at Texas Motor Speedway in June 2020 amid a shortened season due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Palou finished 23rd after being involved in an early incident. Two races later, he achieved his maiden podium result after finishing third during the first of a Road America doubleheader feature in July. The Spaniard would proceed to finish seventh in the second Road America doubleheader feature before recording his third top-10 result of the season in the second of an IndyCar Harvest Grand Prix doubleheader feature at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course in October. With an average-finishing result of 14.7 throughout the 14-race schedule, Palou ended up in 16th place in the final standings.

    In 2021, Palou was signed by Chip Ganassi Racing to pilot the No. 10 Dallara-Honda. His maiden start with Ganassi commenced on a high note by fending off former champion Will Power to score his maiden IndyCar victory at Barber Motorsports Park in April and claim an early lead in the championship standings. He then achieved his maiden pole position at Texas Motor Speedway during a doubleheader feature in May while also achieving three additional podiums and a total of five top-10 results during the following seven events. This included a strong runner-up finish behind Helio Castroneves in the 105th running of the Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Palou then claimed his second career victory in IndyCar competition at Road America in June following a late overtake on former champion Josef Newgarden as he also reassumed the points lead over title rival Pato O’Ward. Another four races later, where he earned two top-10 results before sustaining back-to-back DNFs at Indy and at the World Wide Technology Raceway in August that made him lose the lead in the standings, Palou responded back with vengeance after winning for the third time in his career at Portland International Raceway in September. After finishing second at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, Palou entered the season-finale event at the Streets of Long Beach with a 35-point advantage over Pato O’Ward and 48 over Newgarden. With a fourth-place result during the finale, Palou secured his maiden IndyCar Series championship by 38 points over Newgarden and 62 over O’Ward. By then, he became the third different competitor representing Chip Ganassi Racing and the first Spaniard to win an IndyCar title.

    Palou’s quest to defend his title in 2022 commenced on a strong note by finishing in the runner-up spot behind Scott McLaughlin at the Streets of St. Petersburg in February. He then finished seventh at Texas in March and third at the Streets of Long Beach in April before achieving another runner-up result at Barber Motorsports Park in May. After finishing no higher than ninth during the following four events, which included an 18th-place result during the 106th running of the Indianapolis 500, the reigning champion captured his third runner-up result of the season at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course behind McLaughlin.

    In mid-July, Palou was surrounded by controversy after he disputed a report he had been re-signed by Chip Ganassi Racing for the 2023 season by announcing through social media of his intentions to join McLaren Racing for the upcoming racing season. Chip Ganassi Racing would then respond to the report by reiterating their claim to Palou’s contract and their intention of filing a lawsuit against the Spaniard. By September, however, both parties reached a settlement that would result with Palou remaining at Chip Ganassi Racing for the 2023 season while also planning a McLaren Formula One test during the off-season period. From the Exhibition Place in Toronto in July through Portland in September, Palou recorded five top-10 results, including a podium result at Nashville Street Circuit in August. By then, however, his hopes to defend his series title were diminished. Nonetheless, he managed to secure his first elusive victory of the season during the finale at Laguna Seca as he capped off the season in fifth place in the final standings.

    Through 49 previous starts in the IndyCar Series, Palou has achieved one championship, four victories, one pole, 16 podiums, 333 laps led and an average-finishing result of 9.6. He is currently ranked in fifth place in the championship standings and is coming off his first podium result of this season after finishing third at Texas Motor Speedway.

    Palou is scheduled to make his 50th career start in the NTT INDYCAR Series at the Streets of Long Beach for the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach on Sunday, April 16, at 3 p.m. ET on NBC.

  • Takuma Sato scheduled for 200th IndyCar career start at Texas

    Takuma Sato scheduled for 200th IndyCar career start at Texas

    With a new season of NTT IndyCar Series competition underway, Takuma Sato is primed to reach a milestone start in his 12th full-time in America’s premier open-wheel series. By taking the green flag in this weekend’s XPEL 375 at Texas Motor Speedway, the newly named driver of the No. 51 Dale Coyne Racing with Rick Ware Racing Dallara-Honda will achieve career start No. 200 in the IndyCar circuit. 

    A native of Tokyo, Japan, Sato made his inaugural presence in IndyCar competition in 2010 when he signed with KV Racing Technology. By then, he had campaigned in seven full-time seasons in Formula One competition (2002-2008) between Jordan, BAR and Super Aguri. Driving the No. 5 Dallara-Honda for KV Racing Technology, Sato started 10th but finished 22nd in his IndyCar debut after being involved in an opening lap multi-car wreck. Sato competed the entire 17-race schedule, where he earned his first top-10 career result in ninth place at Edmonton City Centre Airport in July before settling in 21st place in the final standings,

    Remaining at KV Racing Technology for the 2011 IndyCar season, Sato earned three top-five results, a season-best fourth-place result at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in August and his maiden two poles (Iowa Speedway and Edmonton in July) before finishing in 13th place in the final standings.

    Following his first two years in IndyCar competition with KV Racing Technology, Sato joined Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing for the 2012 season. After finishing no higher than eighth during the first three scheduled events, Sato claimed his maiden podium after finishing third at the Streets of Sao Paulo, Brazil. During the following event, the 96th running of the Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, he was running within striking distance of Dario Franchitti for the victory. At the start of the final lap, Sato made his move beneath Franchitti, but both made contact and resulted with Sato spinning and crashing into the wall, which ended the event under caution. While Franchitti went on to win, Sato ended up in 17th place. For the remaining 10 events of the season, Sato claimed a career-best result of second place at Edmonton in July before finishing in 14th place in the final standings. 

    In 2013, Sato joined forces with A.J. Foyt Enterprises after departing Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing. After finishing no higher than eighth during the first two events, he claimed his maiden IndyCar victory at California’s Long Beach Street Circuit in April after leading 50 of 80 scheduled laps. The victory, which occurred in his 52nd career start, made Sato the first Japanese competitor to win in the IndyCar circuit. Sato then came close in capturing back-to-back victories of the season at Sao Paulo until he was overtaken by James Hinchcliffe on the final lap and final corner, which relegated him back to second place. Despite briefly taking over the points lead, a series of inconsistent results resulted with Sato finishing in 17th place in the final standings. 

    From 2014 to 2016, Sato earned a single podium result, which was a runner-up result in the second of a Belle Isle doubleheader weekend in May, a total of two poles and a best points result of 14th place in 2015. By then, he surpassed 100 career starts in the IndyCar Series.

    Following a four-year run with A.J. Foyt Enterprises, Sato joined Andretti Autosport to pilot the No. 26 Honda on a full-time basis in 2017. Through the first five events of the season, his best on-track result was fifth place during the season-opening Streets of St. Petersburg in March. Then during the 101st running of the Indianapolis 500, Sato overtook Max Chilton for the lead with nine laps remaining and fended off three-time Indy 500 champion Helio Castroneves to claim his second IndyCar career victory and become the first Japanese competitor to win the Indy 500. He then went on to claim two poles during the final 11 scheduled events before finishing in the top 10 in points for the first time in his career in eighth place.

    Despite the success at Andretti, Sato reunited with Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing to pilot the No. 30 Honda for the 2018 season. After enduring a season-long up-and-down run, where his lone highlight was claiming a podium result (third place) at Iowa Speedway in July, he claimed his third IndyCar career victory in the series’ decade-long return to Portland International Raceway in September. Ultimately, he concluded the season in 12th place in the final standings.

    The 2019 IndyCar season was where Sato earned multiple victories in an IndyCar season for the first time in his career. He claimed an early victory at Alabama’s Barber Motorsports Park in April and earned two additional podiums during the following 10 scheduled events before winning at Gateway’s World Wide Technology Raceway in August. With a career-high two victories and career-high four podiums to the 2019 season, Sato capped off the season in ninth place in the final standings.

    During the shortened 2020 season amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Sato claimed his second Indianapolis 500 victory in August following a late battle against five-time IndyCar champion Scott Dixon. To add a second-place result at Gateway during the following event, he concluded the season in a career-best seventh place in the final standings and with a career-best average-finishing result of 11.3. 

    The 2021 season marked the first time Sato went winless and failed to secure a podium result as the Japanese veteran picked up a season-best fourth place during the first of a Belle Isle doubleheader weekend in June before finishing in 11th place in the final standings and earning an average-finishing result of 12.2.

    The 2022 IndyCar season marked a new beginning for Sato, who joined Dale Coyne Racing with Rick Ware Racing following a four-year run with Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing. He is coming off a 10th-place run in his first event with Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing at the Streets of St. Petersburg.

    Through 199 previous IndyCar starts, Sato has achieved six victories, 10 poles, 14 podiums and an average-finishing result of 14.3.

    Sato is scheduled to make his 200th NTT IndyCar Series career start in the XPEL 375 at Texas Motor Speedway on Sunday, March 20, at 12:30 p.m. ET on NBC.

  • David Malukas joins Dale Coyne Racing for 2022 IndyCar season

    David Malukas joins Dale Coyne Racing for 2022 IndyCar season

    In a joint partnership with HMD Motorsports, Dale Coyne Racing announced that David Malukas will be joining the organization and drive the No. 18 Dallara-Honda on a full-time basis for the 2022 NTT IndyCar Series season.

    Malukas, a 20-year-old native from Chicago, Illinois, with dual nationality (American and Lithuanian), is coming off a full-time campaign in the Indy Lights with HMD Motorsports, where he notched seven victories, seven poles, 16 podiums and a runner-up result in the final standings.

    “I am very happy to join Dale Coyne Racing for my first season in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES,” Malukas said. “It has been my dream since a little kid to get to this point, and I am thrilled to get it started with this team. After my first test with DCR, I felt right at home. They are like family already, and I am excited to see what we can accomplish. Bring on 2022!”

    The 2021 Indy Lights season was Malukas’ second in the series after competing in the series in 2019 with BN Racing and HMD Motorsports, where he achieved two podiums and a sixth-place result in the final standings.

    In 2020, Malukas competed in the Formula Regional Americas Championship, where he claimed two victories, 15 podiums and a runner-up result in the final standings. He also spent 2016-18 competing in the Formula 4 UAE Championship, the ADAC F4 Championship, the USF2000 National Championship and the Pro Mazda Championship. During the 2018 Pro Mazda Championship season, he achieved three victories, three poles, six podiums and a fourth-place result in the final standings.

    The 2022 racing season will mark Malukas’ first campaign in the IndyCar circuit. He experienced his first drive in an IndyCar at Barber Motorsports Park with Dale Coyne Racing in October, where he was the fastest competitor during the testing session and was pleased with his run. He then participated in a second IndyCar testing session at Indianapolis Motor Speedway with Team Penske in November.

    “I’ve been following David in Indy Lights, and I was very pleased by what I saw,” Dale Coyne, team owner of Dale Coyne Racing, said. “He had a remarkable season, and then he impressed everyone when we tested him back in October. It was his first time in an Indy car, and he was the fastest one at the test, even ahead of a veteran driver. And, on top of it all, he comes from right down the road in Chicago, so it’s a perfect fit for us to run David next season. We’re also excited about our new partnership with HMD Motorsports. We can’t wait to start building on this relationship, and we’re looking forward to a successful season together.”

    “Having the HMD Motorsports name in INDYCAR was a goal that we had set several years ago and is the first step in the overall plan for the future,” HMD Motorsports General Manager Mike Maurini, general manager of HMD Motorsports, added. “INDYCAR is experiencing major growth, and HMD is able to be involved at the right time for our drivers and partners. Tying the successful Indy Lights program, and business, to an INDYCAR effort gives the HMD name a ladder to the upper echelon of open wheel racing in North America. The goal is to continue to win in Indy Lights, expand and grow a commercial side of the business and advance drivers up into the NTT INDYCAR SERIES.”

    Malukas’ entrance to IndyCar and to Dale Coyne Racing with HMD Motorsports comes less than a week after Dale Coyne Racing parted ways with Vasser Sullivan Racing following a four-year partnership. It also comes after Dale Coyne Racing signed two-time Indianapolis 500 champion Takuma Sato to pilot the No. 51 Honda in a partnership with Rick Ware Racing for the 2022 season.

    David Malukas’ first campaign in an NTT IndyCar Series season is set to commence at the Streets of St. Petersburg for the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on February 27, 2022.

  • Takuma Sato joins Dale Coyne Racing with Rick Ware Racing for 2022 IndyCar season

    Takuma Sato joins Dale Coyne Racing with Rick Ware Racing for 2022 IndyCar season

    Dale Coyne Racing with Rick Ware Racing announced that Takuma Sato will be joining the organization as a full-time driver of the team’s No. 51 Dallara-Honda for the 2022 NTT IndyCar Series season.

    Sato, a 44-year-old native from Tokyo, Japan, is a two-time winner of the Indianapolis 500 with six victories, 14 podiums, 10 poles and 902 laps led in 198 career starts (12 seasons) in the IndyCar circuit. He is coming off four full-time seasons with Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, where he achieved his second Indy 500 victory in 2020 along with four victories, one pole, eight podiums and a career-best seventh-place result in the final standings in 2020. His first Indy 500 victory occurred in 2017 when he competed for Andretti Autosport and became the first Japanese competitor to win the 500.

    “I am extremely excited that we were able to work out a deal with Dale, Rick and everyone at Dale Coyne Racing,” Sato said. “With Honda an integral part of Dale Coyne Racing, it seemed like a great fit. The team has proven year after year that they are very competitive on all types of circuits. Particularly the speed that team has shown in recent years at the Indy 500 were very impressive. I am really looking forward to working with my new environment and can’t wait to get started.”

    Sato replaces Romain Grosjean and Pietro Fittipaldi, both of whom shared the No. 51 Honda throughout the 16-race schedule in 2021. Grosjean is set to compete as a full-time IndyCar competitor for Andretti Autosport while Fittipaldi will remain as a test and reserve competitor for Uralkali Haas F1 Team for the upcoming season.

    Prior to making his inaugural presence in IndyCar competition in 2010 with KV Racing Technology, Sato, whose racing career started with karting, campaigned in seven seasons in Formula One (2002-2008). Making 90 career starts, he notched his first and only podium in F1 competition in the 2004 United States Grand Prix at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, where he finished in third place while driving for Lucky Strike BAR Honda team. He went on to conclude the 2004 F1 season in a career-best eighth place in the final driver’s standings.

    Following his debut season in IndyCar in 2010, Sato spent another season with KV Racing before joining Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing in 2012, where he earned two podium results. He then swapped to A.J. Foyt Enterprises in 2013, where he earned his first career victory in IndyCar competition at the Streets of Long Beach, California, in April. He would continue to compete with A.J. Foyt Enterprises through 2016 before campaigning in his first and only full-time season with Andretti Autosport in 2017. Sato’s transition to Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing in 2018 marked a reunion for the driver and the team, which spanned through this season until it was announced in early October that the Japanese competitor will not be remaining with the team for the 2022 season.

    “Takuma has shown that he is one of the best drivers to ever race in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES,” Dale Coyne, team co-owner, said. “Winning the famed Indianapolis 500 twice, we look forward to competing with our package of a good car with a great driver in the ‘500’ next year. All of us on our team welcome the very talented Mr. Sato into our fold for 2022.”

    “I am excited to have Takuma join the Dale Coyne Racing with RWR family for 2022,” Rick Ware, team co-owner, added. “Takuma’s experience within motorsports is extensive, not just in the United States, but around the world. With Takuma’s experience, and vast knowledge of the cars, we are really looking forward to stepping up the program and having a successful season, and maybe even add another Indianapolis 500 win to his list of achievements.”

    With a new team to call home for the upcoming IndyCar season, Sato is also primed to achieve a milestone start in what will be his 13th season in IndyCar competition. By competing in the Genesys 300 at Texas Motor Speedway on March 20, he will make his 200th career start in the IndyCar circuit.

    Sato is set to make his debut with Dale Coyne Racing with Rick Ware Racing at the Streets of St. Petersburg in St. Petersburg, Florida, for the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg and to commence the 2022 NTT IndyCar Series season on February 27.