Photo: HMD Motorsports
Manuel Sulaiman will take over HMD Motorsports’ second Indy Lights car from Nikita Lastochkin for next weekend’s round at Portland International Raceway.
The Mexican started this year in Indy Pro 2000 with Juncos Hollinger Racing and had one win from his season before pulling out of the championship ahead of the most recent round.
As Formula Scout reported at the time, his IP2000 exit was to open up the possibility of stepping up to Indy Lights with HMD.
“I am very happy with this announcement and for me, this is a very important step in my life as a professional driver,” said Sulaiman of his upcoming Indy Lights debut.
“Road to Indy and IndyCar are my passion and my dream. I am very grateful for what I have achieved up to now and look forward for more success. The atmosphere and welcoming that HMD has given me in this important upward step I am taking has been exceptionally good, and I am very grateful for the opportunity.
“I, as a driver, will give everything I have and it is an honor to belong to HMD, a team with an impressive win record In Indy Lights, and my respects to them for their success. Nothing else to say, but I am excited to go racing!”
Sulaiman won two races in IP2000 in 2020 with DEForce Racing and before that he won the NACAM Formula 4 title. He will partner points leader David Malukas in HMD’s line-up.
“We are excited to have Manuel join the HMD Motorsports programme,” HMD’s general manager Mike Maurini said.
“He had a solid test, worked with three of our engineers and performed very well. The future is bright for him.”