Photo: Travis Hinkle
Reigning Indy Nxt champion Christian Rasmussen has been signed by IndyCar team Ed Carpenter Racing for 2024, and will contest 12 of the season’s 17 points-scoring races.
His deal with ECR includes the 11 road and street course races, but his $850,000 prize package for winning the Indy Nxt title also includes the Indianapolis 500 oval race.
ECR has two full-time entries for 2024, with Rinus VeeKay driving one and team boss Ed Carpenter sharing the other with Rasmussen as he contests all the oval races. To honour Rasmussen’s Indy Nxt prize, the team will run a third car for him at the Indy 500.
“It is a dream come true and something I’ve been working toward for a long time now,” said Rasmussen. “I want to thank Ed Carpenter and [ECR president] Tim Broyles for the opportunity and I’m ready to get to work and show everyone what we can do.”
Rasmussen has been racing on the IndyCar support bill since 2019. He won the USF2000 title in his second season, claimed the USF Pro 2000 crown as a rookie in 2021 and then took two years to become champion in Indy Nxt.
In his rookie season he won two races and came sixth in the standings, then this year the 23-year-old Dane claimed five victories and five pole positions en route to the title. Rasmussen did an IndyCar test with ECR at Barber Motorsports Park last month.
“Christian is a driver that has really stood out during his climb through the Road to Indy programme, and he showed his ability to be a real closer in the second half of his Indy Nxt championship run,” said Carpenter.
Broyles added: “Christian is someone we have had our eye on for quite a while. He has proven that he is qualified to be a part of the IndyCar series, and we are pleased that ECR is able to provide him with this well-deserved opportunity.”