Photo: Penske Entertainment / Chris Jones
Reigning Indy Nxt champion Linus Lundqvist has been signed by Chip Ganassi Racing on a multi-year IndyCar deal.
Lundqvist received a scholarship to step up to IndyCar after taking the 2022 Indy Nxt title with five wins and six poles from 14 races, but he failed to find a seat at the top level of American single-seater racing for 2023.
However earlier this month he finally got a chance to debut in the series when Meyer Shank Racing needed a substitute for the injured Simon Pagenaud. He qualified 11th and took the fastest lap in his first race in Nashville, although did retire, and the team called him up again for the next race on Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s road course.
This time Lundqvist started and finished 12th, and earned himself yet another outing for last weekend’s race on the Gateway oval. He started 12th again, and finished 18th with the fastest lap.
During the event it was rumoured that Lundqvist was in contention to land a seat at the dominant Ganassi team for 2024, and it has now been confirmed that he will be joining them next year as a full-time driver.
“Joining Chip Ganassi Racing is an absolute dream come true for me,” said Lundqvist. “Stepping up to race full-time in the IndyCar series, and to do so with one of the most successful teams in the history of the championship, is the moment I’ve been working for throughout my career. It is hard to explain how much this means to me. I am incredibly grateful to Chip [Ganassi], Mike [Hull] and to everyone who has backed me on this journey, including of course my family.”
He added: “I have dipped my toes into IndyCar racing in recent weeks, which will give me a little bit of a head start going into 2024. Coming up through Indy Nxt has provided me with some important experience that will help me get up to speed.
“Having said that, this is an entirely new challenge as I prepare to join an established top team at the highest level of the sport. I know there is a lot of hard work ahead, but having a team like Ganassi put their trust in me is the greatest motivator I could ever have. I intend to do everything in my power to grab this opportunity and I look forward to all the moments ahead, next year and beyond.”
The team’s managing director Mike Hull commented: “It’s terrific that the opportunity to hire Linus, a proven winner, plus the reigning Indy Nxt champion is now a reality at Chip Ganassi Racing. He has shown that his on-track performance creates the racecraft separation that’s required in IndyCar today. Growing together with Linus is what comes next.”