Author: thepitwindow

I'm a retired educator and lifelong racing fan. I hope to return to fostering greyhounds in the near future. Living mainly in Indy and wintering in Florida. I attend about 10 Indycar races a year as well as some sports car events

Jacob Abel Back with ABEL Motorsports for Shot at 2024 INDY NXT by Firestone Title

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From Abel Motorsports:

Speedway, Ind. – INDY NXT by Firestone veteran, Jacob Abel, will be back behind the wheel of an ABEL Motorsports Dallara IL-15 for another shot at the INDY NXT championship in 2024. Abel will once again be doing battle in the No. 51 ABEL Construction car for the duration of the 14-race schedule.

It was a breakout season in 2023 for the Louisville Kentucky native, highlighted by his first pole position at the Iowa Speedway along with 4 podium finishes and 8 top 5 finishes, on track to a 5th place finish in the season championship. To top the year off for Abel, the 22-year-old completed his first laps behind the wheel of an NTT INDYCAR SERIES car on November 6th at Sebring International Raceway.

“I’m really looking forward to returning for a 3rd season of INDY NXT in 2024.” Said Abel. “2023 was a big year of growth for our team and me personally, and I’m excited to carry that momentum into the 2024 season.”

2-years of progression has led to the 2024 INDY NXT season for Abel, whose goal is clear: to win races and contend for the season championship. After spending most of the season in the championship battle in 2023, Abel knows the key to success in 2024 and is ready to build on the pace and consistency that was found last season.

“We had lots of highs in the 2023 season.” said Abel. “We fought for wins at multiple different races throughout the season but were never able to end up on the top step for one reason or another,” exclaimed Abel. “2024 will be all about putting everything we’ve learned from the past couple of years together to hopefully contend for the championship.”

Abel becomes the 2nd driver announced for ABEL Motorsports for the 2024 INDY NXT season alongside series rookie Yuven Sundaramoorthy, as ABEL Motorsports looks to expand to a full season multi-car effort in INDY NXT.

Next up for Jacob Abel and the ABEL Motorsports outfit is the final INDY NXT test of 2023 on November 13th at the Barber Motorsports Park. “I’m excited to get to Barber and start working on 2024, that was one track we struggled a little bit on last year which will make maximizing this test very important,” said Abel. “We get more testing this offseason than we did last year, so it will be very important for everyone on our team to work diligently to maximize these days to fully prepare us for St. Pete and the rest of the season.”

Keep up with all things ABEL Motorsports, including off-season driver announcements, by following the team on social media @abelmotorsports or by visiting www.abelmotorsports.com for all of the latest news surrounding the team.

2024 INDY NXT SCHEDULE:
Round 1 – March 8 – Grand Prix of St. Petersburg – St. Petersburg, FL – Street Course
Round 2 – April 28 – Barber Motorsports Park – Birmingham, AL – Road Course
Rounds 3/4 – May 10-11 – Indianapolis Motor Speedway – Indianapolis, IN – Road Course
Round 5 – June 2 – Detroit Grand Prix – Detroit, MI – Street Course
Rounds 6/7 – June 22-23 – WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca – Monterey, CA – Road Course
Round 8 – July 7 – Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course – Lexington, OH – Road Course
Round 9 – July 13 – Iowa Speedway – Newton, IA – Oval
Round 10 – August 17 – World Wide Technology Raceway – St. Louis, MO – Oval
Round 11 – August 25 – Portland International Raceway – Portland, OR – Road Course
Round 12 – August 31 – Milwaukee Mile – Milwaukee, WI – Oval
Round13 – September 15 – Music City Grand Prix – Nashville, TN – Street Course

XXX

Abel Motorsports including team Principal, Bill Abel, has been competing since 1972. ABEL Motorsports is now on to the third generation with Jacob Abel being the flagship driver for the team. The team was able to capture the inaugural F3 Americas Championship in 2018, and currently competes in the freshly rebranded INDY NXT by Firestone, the official development series for the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, as well as the team’s first entry into the Indianapolis 500 with driver RC Enerson in 2023. For more information visit the official team website at: www.abelmotorsports.com

IMS, Purdue Partner for 2024 Total Solar Eclipse Viewing Experience

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From IMS:

  INDIANAPOLIS (Wednesday, Nov. 8, 2023) – Purdue University is joining the Indianapolis Motor Speedway as presenting sponsor for Total Solar Eclipse viewing event April 8, 2024, in front of a worldwide audience, further deepening the long-standing history between the two iconic organizations.
The Total Solar Eclipse Event at IMS presented by Purdue University will be one of the nation’s most prominent viewing events for the once-in-a-generation phenomenon. Chosen as one of only a few NASA broadcast sites that day, IMS will draw all eyes to Indianapolis, located in the heart of the path of totality. The exciting day of programming and festivities will feature Boilermaker experts, alumni, students and more during the in-person event and broadcasted across the world.
“Purdue’s support for this event is a perfect fit because of its storied, successful history in space exploration, motorsports and engineering education,” IMS President J. Douglas Boles said.
“‘Boiler Up’ will take on a whole new meaning through this partnership as thousands look upward to the sky April 8 for a once-in-a-lifetime event.”
The partnership is a natural extension of Purdue’s long history in motorsports and space. Home to the Cradle of Astronauts and the nation’s only accredited motorsports engineering program, Purdue puts more graduates in space and Gasoline Alley than any other university in Indiana.
“Purdue has a special place in space exploration and at IMS,” said Purdue University President Mung Chiang. “Whether the International Space Station or the Yard of Bricks, Boilermakers are there, persistently pursing their next giant leap. The total solar eclipse is the perfect event to showcase it all, especially in the quarter before the birth of Purdue University in Indianapolis: our capital city’s first top-50 university in America.”
Loral O’Hara became the 27th Purdue astronaut after launching from Baikonur Cosmodrome on Sept. 16 for a six-month stay on the International Space Station. More than 47 space shuttle flights have featured Purdue alumni onboard, and 11 missions have included multiple Boilermakers.
While Purdue’s astronauts may be popular, thousands of fellow alums enable the next giant leaps in space exploration working for NASA or within the private sector.
Between its campuses in Indianapolis and West Lafayette, Purdue has propelled students and graduates to exciting motorsports careers at the highest levels of racing, including NASCAR, INDYCAR and the International Motor Sports Association, as well as with manufacturers, most notably Dallara, a prominent race car builder, and Cummins, a global power technology leader.
Boilermakers are no stranger to victory lane at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, as Matt Kuebel and Mike Koenigs (Josef Newgarden, 2023) and Angela Ashmore (Marcus Ericsson, 2022) were key parts of Indianapolis 500-winning teams the last two years.
“Our partnership with IMS is a very natural extension for our brand and offers us the opportunity to share more incredible stories of Boilermakers taking their next giant leaps — in both space and motorsports — as we get closer to April 8, 2024,” said Katie Ellis, director of marketing strategy at Purdue University.
“Purdue’s legacy in space exploration started decades ago, but we have incredible students, faculty and alumni working every day to make world-changing discoveries, so we cannot wait to spotlight them through this partnership.”
This is the first time in 819 years a total solar eclipse has been visible in Indianapolis, and another 129 years will pass before it occurs again. For three minutes and 46 seconds, Indianapolis will experience darkness as the moon passes between the sun and Earth, completely blocking the sun.Visit IMS.com to purchase tickets for the Total Solar Eclipse Event at IMS presented by Purdue University and for more information on event details. 

Is Juncos a Better Fit for Grosjean?

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Romain Grosjean’s move to Juncos Hollinger Racing could turn out to be a good thing for his Indycar career. At the media availability last Thursday, Grosjean expressed tempered optimism with modest, reasonable goals while praising the achievements of the team and their rookie driver, Agustin Canapino.

He admits that there are challenges on the small two car team. Grosjean will drive a Chevrolet after three years of Honda power. He has to learn the dynamics of a new team and an owner with a different management style than former boss michael Andretti has.. Grosjean joins Juncos Hollinger as the most experienced driver and team leader by default.

Grosjean thins the introduction of hybrid system may help level the field a bit in 2024, since it is new to everyone. he thinks the team can be competitive as they were at the end of this past year.

There are some things we won’t know until the new season gets underway. How will he handle a disagreement with Ricardo Juncos? How will Canapino’s fans react should the teammates have an on track incident? Will the team show Grosjean support should a clash occur?

While we have to see how the year goes, and whether the team can regain some of the good will they had with many fans before the end of 2023, I still think overall, that this ride may be the best fit Grosjean has had in Indycar.

The size of the team should increase his comfort level. I got the feeling he didn’t like driving for a team the size of Andretti, who had four drivers plus an affiliation with the two drivers at Meyer Shank Racing. Grosjean was impressive as a rookie at Dale Coyne Racing at a team similar in size to Juncos Hollinger Racing. I think this is the size of team that suits him best.

Grosjean said his goals are to get the team closer to the top ten if not into the top ten. I believe that is a reasonable goal. If the team dynamic factors align, Grojean and JHR could have a decent 2024 season.

JHR Signs Grosjean

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To the surprise of no one, Juncos Hollinger Racing announced today that Romain Grosjean will drive the 77 car in the NTT Indycar Series in 2024. A sponsor was not named.

The announcement comes just a week after the team and driver Callum Ilott parted ways.

Grosjean and team principals will have a news conference at 2 pm Eastern time today. Look for more about this story later.

The brief announcement from the team:

Juncos Hollinger Racing announces new addition to 2024 NTT INDYCAR SERIES line-up
Indianapolis, November 2 2023: Juncos Hollinger Racing (JHR) is thrilled to announce the addition of Romain Grosjean to its 2024 NTT INDYCAR SERIES roster. He will drive the team’s #77 Dallara-Chevrolet – a proven machine on the racing circuit.

A seasoned competitor joins JHRRomain is no stranger to high-speed competition, having completed the 2023 season at 13th place in the INDYCAR points standings. His standout performances included consecutive second-place finishes at both the Long Beach and Alabama circuits.
A new challenge for an industry veteranWith nearly a decade of consecutive Formula One racing seasons under his belt, Romain took the INDYCAR scene by storm in 2021. At 37, he sees the transition to JHR as an exciting new chapter in his already illustrious career.
“I’ve been closely following JHR’s ascension in the past few seasons. The team has showcased significant growth and I am eager to contribute my experience as we aim for a strong 2024 season,” he said.
Leadership’s perspectiveRicardo Juncos, JHR co-owner and team principal, said: “Romain brings an unparalleled pedigree in motorsports. His leadership and experience are precisely what we need to propel JHR to new heights in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES.”
Brad Hollinger, JHR co-owner, added: “Romain has a history of competing at the pinnacle of motorsports. His expertise will be invaluable as we strive to redefine our performance metrics, both on and off the track.”
Looking ahead to 2024The team is set to kick off its 18-round NTT INDYCAR SERIES campaign on the Streets of St. Petersburg on March 10, 2024. With the addition of Romain, JHR solidifies its commitment to achieving new milestones in the upcoming season.

Sonsio Named Title Sponsor of May Grand Prix Race at IMS 

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 INDIANAPOLIS (Wednesday, Nov. 1, 2023) – Sonsio Vehicle Protection, an industry-leading provider of vehicle protection and warranty programs, announced Nov. 1 a partnership with Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) that includes title sponsorship of the May NTT INDYCAR SERIES road course race at the Racing Capital of the World.The Sonsio Grand Prix will take place Saturday, May 11, 2024, on the 14-turn, 2.439-mile road course at IMS.
“Ensuring our fans have a world-class experience each time they visit the Speedway is our top priority,” IMS President J. Douglas Boles said. “Sonsio shares that same commitment to customer service, making them an ideal partner and a welcome addition to the fan experience at IMS.”
Sonsio offers a comprehensive lineup of programs covering tire and wheel road hazard protection, appearance protection, parts and labor warranties, mechanical advisory and other critical consumer services. These benefits provide vehicle owners with affordable and valuable coverages to keep their vehicles on the road safely and maximize the resale value by keeping the appearance of their vehicles like new.
“Going into our 40th year serving the automotive industry, Sonsio Vehicle Protection is proud to be the primary entitlement sponsor of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES Sonsio Grand Prix at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on May 11, 2024,” Sonsio Chief Executive Officer David Jones said. “We look forward to building on our successful partnership with INDYCAR and being part of the Month of May at IMS.”
Sonsio Vehicle Protection serves more than 82,000 dealerships, F&I service providers, manufacturers, insurance companies, parts suppliers, retail chains and many independent retailers across all 50 states, Canada and Puerto Rico. Importantly, customers recognize Sonsio’s network as the standard for coast-to-coast protection and peace of mind for the services and products sold.
To learn more visit www.sonsio.com.Visit www.ims.com for information about tickets to the 2024 Sonsio Grand Prix.

Full Repave of Racing Surface Completed at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course

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Planning for comprehensive project began in 2022

Article and photos from Mid Ohio Sports car Course

Photos provided courtesy of Kokosing/Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course

LEXINGTON, Ohio (Oct. 31, 2023) – A full repave project of the entire racing surface at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course was completed last week, officials from Green Savoree Racing Promotions, which owns and operates the track, announced today. Ohio-based Kokosing Construction Company, Inc. began initial repair work the week of October 16th, followed by milling the existing track surface on Monday, October 23 and completing the paving of the final asphalt surface layer on Friday, October 27. 
The project was a collaborative effort using the expert services of Kokosing Construction Company, Inc., Kokosing Materials, Inc. and Advanced Materials Services, LLC. Planning and thorough research for the repaving began in 2022 with a test layer placed in Turn 1 for performance evaluation of a racetrack-specific asphalt mixture during the 2023 racing season. The Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course racing surface was last repaved starting fall 2005 and completed in spring 2006.
“We were blessed with outstanding weather last week for the crews to complete this major project in a relatively short amount of time,” said Kevin Savoree, co-owner, president and chief operating officer of Green Savoree Racing Promotions. “It was a tremendous accomplishment and collaboration between Kokosing Construction, Kokosing Materials, Advanced Materials Services and our own track operations team to make it happen. We look forward to getting race cars on it for the first time next spring!”
Last week’s work utilized approximately 100 people, 5,000 manpower hours, 15 trucks to remove approximately 6,000 tons (300 truckloads) of old track material and 30 trucks to haul in 6,000 tons of the new asphalt mixture onto the property. The project encompassed 11,550 feet of surface paving, 3,500 feet of various turn reinforcement, 500 feet of full depth repair in the Keyhole and Turn 12 areas and 300 feet of transverse joint repair. 
After milling the racing surface, the second step of the process for Kokosing featured asphalt repairs and reinforcement of high stress areas which required additional milling depth. For the final stage, two pavers placed the asphalt surface layer at 40-foot width around the entire circuit, working in echelon (side-by-side pattern) to avoid a centerline joint throughout the track’s 2.258-mile, 13-turn or 2.4-mile, 15-turn layout. The old, milled track material is being recycled and regraded to create additional paddock and parking surface areas on the Mid-Ohio property. 
“Plans for the 2023 project started in 2022, immediately after completing the resurfacing of Turn 1,” said Bart Moody, vice president of asphalt estimating and engineering at Kokosing Construction Company, Inc. “Logistical challenges had to be overcome to produce the mix and perform the work with limited time and access. A full-time truck coordinator was in constant communication with material trucks to ensure they entered and exited the track at the correct locations as work progressed. Crews worked extended hours in order to maintain the schedule that made use of unseasonably warm weather for October in Ohio.”
Aggregates were sourced locally in Ohio from Olen Corporation’s Upper Sandusky and Fredericktown plants. Durable aggregates were selected to withstand the loading applied to the track, and a highly polymerized asphalt binder was produced by Kokosing Materials, Inc. to withstand the high temperatures and stresses. The asphalt mixture used was tested at the Kokosing Materials Asphalt Plant and at the track for a variety of properties such as asphalt content, gradation and density. 
“The stresses on a racetrack, especially road courses with tight turns, are much higher than those typically seen on conventional asphalt pavements,” said Graham Hurley, project engineer at Advanced Materials Services, LLC. “The much stiffer PG 88-22 asphalt binder used counteracts the shear stresses imparted on the track surface by race cars, which prevents any ravelling that may occur. Additionally, the specifications used for this project were much tighter than a traditional highway specification. The target minimum softening temperature for asphalt binder and the target in-place density values were both set higher than conventional specifications for vehicular traffic. Kokosing successfully met these higher conditions with ease.”
The new track surface will be allowed to cure for over five months in advance of the 2024 season. The road course annually hosts a variety of locally, regionally and nationally sanctioned race events as well the driving and riding courses provided by The Mid-Ohio School. 
The full schedule and ticket information for the 2024 major spectator events featuring IMSA, SVRA’s SpeedTour, NTT INDYCAR SERIES, American Motorcyclist Association and MotoAmerica will be announced at a later date. Children 12 and under receive free general admission when accompanied by a ticketed adult at all Mid-Ohio events. Visit midohio.com for more information, and follow its Facebook page @MidOhioSportsCarCourse, Twitter at @Mid_Ohio or Instagram at @officialmidohio for the latest news.   
About Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course:A comprehensive motorsports facility in Lexington, Ohio, Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course sits on 380 acres and features a permanent road-racing circuit with two primary race track configurations: 2.4-mile, 15-turn or 2.258-mile, 13-turn layout. Located 60 miles north of Columbus and 75 miles south of Cleveland near Mansfield, the natural terrain road course is commonly referred to as the “Most Competitive in the U.S.” and annually hosts a diversity of locally, regionally and nationally-sanctioned race events for amateur, club and professional drivers and riders. It is also home to The Mid-Ohio School, featuring over 20 driving and riding courses, for teenagers to professional racers using Honda vehicles. Opened in 1962, Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course has been owned and operated by Green Savoree Mid-Ohio, LLC since 2011, just the raceway’s third private ownership group in its history.
For more information, visit midohio.com, ‘like’ its Facebook page @MidOhioSportsCarCourse or follow updates on Twitter @Mid_Ohio and Instagram @officialmidohio.
About Kokosing:Kokosing is one of the largest family-owned construction companies in the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic. Known for unwavering integrity and exceptional safety and quality, Kokosing companies provide extensive resources for their customers. Kokosing’s primary business lines include industrial, transportation, pipelines, water and wastewater, marine and renewable energy. Additionally, aggregates and asphalt material suppliers are part of the Kokosing family of companies.
About Advanced Materials Services LLC:Founded in 2007 and located in Auburn, Alabama, Advanced Materials Services, LLC provides pavement engineering, testing, and consulting services. AMS supports all aspects of flexible pavement design, testing, and construction inspection, particularly for specialty pavements, such as airfields, automotive proving grounds, intermodal facilities, and racetracks. AMS staff have over 60 years of cumulative experience in the development of asphalt specifications, asphalt mixture design, quality assurance support, materials research, and geotechnical engineering. To date, AMS has provided support to over 35 racetracks across the country.

Thoughts on Ilott and JHR; Notes

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While the news that Callum Ilott and Juncos Hollinger Racing agreed to “mutually part ways” came as a shock at first, after some reflection, it wasn’t really a surprise. The tension had been there all season.

At last spring’s open test at IMS Ilott expressed frustration about some issue with the car.

There was the incident at Long Beach where he exited the pits in front of teammate Agustin Canapino. Fans of the Argentinian were outraged and flooded Ilott’s Twitter account with death threats and tasteless comments. The team response to these comments were mild.

JKHR laid off some people midseason, and Ilott’s performance faltered.

At Weather Tech Raceway Laguna Seca, both drivers were contending for high top 10 spots when their cars came together. I thought it was more Canapino’s fault, but Ilott took the brunt f the blame. Again, the death threats and vile comments were hurled Ilott’s way. The series and some drivers issued strong statements of condemnation, but JHR released a rather tepid response, barely a reprimand.

I wondered at the time how Ilott could stay at a team that would not support him.

Iam sure money has something to do with his departure. Canapino had to scrape together a new deal for 2024 since the government of Argentina could not renew their sponsorship.

JHR did Ilott a disservice by releasing him so late. There may be just one quality ride available, which Ilott can’t afford.

Now Ilott joins a pool of five drivers who are vying for maybe four full time seats. There are also some European drivers like Enzo Fittipaldi and Theo Pourchaire who will be testing with Indycar teams soon.

Ilott is a driver with some talent, and I would love to see what he could do with none of top rides. We may not get that chance next year, which would be Indycar’s loss.

Notes

I confirmed Friday that the IMS Museum’s last day before closing for nearly 18 months for renovation is November 5th. The gift shop will move to the white building just south of the museum and will be open beginning November 6th.

Pietro Fittipaldi’s ride in the number 30 car for RLL continues Indycar’s string of Brazilian drivers which was nearing extinction. His brother Enzo will be testing with Dale Coyne Racing soon. I’m not sure Enzo is ready for Indycar, but we have seen drivers make this leap before.

Ilott, JHR Part Ways

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In a stunning development, Juncos Hollinger racing and driver Callum Ilott have “mutually agreed” to go their separate ways. The team and Ilott each published notices late this afternoon.

Ilott had assumed he would return to the team, which held an option on him until December 8. There just a few open seats left, and most of the better rides are spoken for. Ilott was vague about his future, saying only that his “…eyes are fully fixed on 2024 and the journey that follows.”

The statement from Juncos Hollinger Racing:

Indianapolis, October 26 2023: Juncos Hollinger Racing regrets to announce the departure of Callum Ilott from the team. After a period of collaboration and shared goals, both parties have mutually decided to part ways, effective immediately.
Callum Ilott, a talented and promising driver, joined Juncos Hollinger Racing with high aspirations for the 2022 season. Juncos Hollinger Racing would like to express its sincere appreciation for his contributions over the last two years.
“While it is with mixed emotions that we bid farewell to Callum Ilott,” said Ricardo Juncos, co-owner of Juncos Hollinger Racing, “I would like to express my gratitude to Callum for all of his efforts during his time with our team, and we deeply appreciate his contributions.
“We wish him the very best in his future endeavors. Callum has shown immense talent, and we have no doubt that he will continue to make his mark in the world of motorsport.”
Callum Ilott also shared his thoughts on the decision, stating: “I want to extend my gratitude to Juncos Hollinger Racing for the opportunity to be part of their team. I have immense respect for the organization, and our time together has been a valuable experience. I look forward to exploring new opportunities and challenges in my racing career.”
Brad Hollinger went on to express his best wishes for Callum’s future endeavors: “While we bid farewell to Callum as a driver for Juncos Hollinger Racing, we wish him every success in his next chapter. We have no doubt that his talent and determination will continue to shine.”
Juncos Hollinger Racing is committed to its ongoing pursuit of excellence in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES and remains focused on its goals for the 2024 season.
The team will provide updates regarding its driver lineup for the upcoming season in due course.

I will have more thoughts on Ilott’s departure tomorrow. It would be a shame for the Indycar series to lose this talented driver.

Rasmussen Joins ECR in Road /Street Role

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It’s great to have the 2023 Indy NXT champion in the Indycar field for 2024. The only negative I see is that he will sit out five of the final eight races, which are ovals This may cost him a chance at Rookie of the Year,

The team’s announcement:

Reigning INDY NXT Champion Joins ECR as Road and Street Course Driver of the No. 20 Chevrolet; Will Compete in Indianapolis 500 in ECR’s Third Entry

(INDIANAPOLIS) October 25, 2023  – Ed Carpenter Racing announced today that Christian Rasmussen will join the team as part of the team’s 2024 NTT INDYCAR SERIES campaign. The 23-year-old Danish driver will compete in all road and street course events in the No. 20 Chevrolet and transition to ECR’s third entry for the 108th Running of the Indianapolis 500. Rasmussen’s ascension to North America’s premier open-wheel series comes on the heels of his recent 2023 INDY NXT by Firestone title, his third championship in the past four years.

“I am very excited to join Ed Carpenter Racing for the 2024 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season!” stated Rasmussen. “It is a dream come true and something I’ve been working towards for a long time now. I want to thank Ed Carpenter and Tim Broyles for the opportunity and I’m ready to get to work and show everyone what we can do!”

Rasmussen was only nine years old when he claimed his first karting championship in Denmark. He arrived in the United States in 2018 and began his road to INDYCAR the following year. He is only the second driver in history earn a championship in each open-wheel junior category that currently feeds the NTT INDYCAR SERIES – USF2000 (2020), USF Pro 2000 (2021) and INDY NXT (2023). This year’s title was the culmination of a dominant season that included five wins, eight podiums, 10 Top 5 finishes and 13 Top 10s in 14 races. By the season finale, he merely had to start the race to clinch the championship; instead, he led every lap and earned his fifth victory of the year.

Team owner Ed Carpenter continues to be an advocate for young talent with Rasmussen becoming the sixth INDY NXT champion to race an ECR Chevrolet. Carpenter commented, “Christian is a driver that has really stood out during his climb through the Road to Indy program and he showed his ability to be a real closer in the second half of his INDY NXT championship run.”

“He did an excellent job when we tested him at Barber Motorsports Park last month and showed that he is fully ready to take the next step into the NTT INDYCAR SERIES. We are excited to add him to our lineup and we are anticipating a successful 2024 season!” Carpenter continued.

ECR is transitioning back to a model the team utilized for many years, splitting the No. 20 between the talents of two drivers. While rookie Rasmussen will compete in the 12 road and street course events, Carpenter will take over the No. 20 for the six oval races in his 22nd season. Both will be entered in the Indianapolis 500 alongside Rinus VeeKay, driver of the No. 21 Chevrolet. VeeKay, who is also 23, will be competing in his 5th NTT INDYCAR SERIES season and step into a veteran role as ECR’s senior full-time driver.

ECR President Tim Broyles stated, “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 NTT INDYCAR SERIES and we are pleased that Ed Carpenter Racing is able to provide him with this well-deserved opportunity.”

Since its inception in 2012, ECR has raced exclusively in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES. The team has shown its versatility by earning multiple wins across each style of track the series competes on – street and road courses, short ovals and super speedways. ECR boasts 40 Top 5 results to date, 24 of which have been podium finishes. For 11 of the team’s 12 Indianapolis 500s, ECR has had at least one car qualify in the first three rows. An ECR Chevrolet has sat on the front row nine of those years, including three pole positions by Carpenter (2013, 2014 and 2018) and VeeKay’s second starting position this year.

Rasmussen has already been behind the wheel of an ECR Chevrolet, completing a successful day of testing with the team at Barber Motorsports Park in late September. His debut NTT INDYCAR SERIES season will consist of five street circuits, six road courses, one non-points paying exhibition event and the 108th Running of the Indianapolis 500. Rasmussen’s 2024 campaign will begin with the season opener on March 10, 2024, in the streets of St. Petersburg, Fla.