Tag: Christian Lundgaard

Ganassi Signs Christian Lundgaard To Drive No. 9 in Multiyear Deal

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Editor’s Note: This story broke yesterday, but I waited until today out of respect for Gordon Johncock. I felt he deserved an exclusive day in my posts.

From yesterday

Gordon Johncock-Champion of Life

Congratulations to Christian Lundagaard and CGR. This team will be exciting in 2027.- Ed.

From IndyCar:

Chip Ganassi Racing (CGR) has signed Danish driver Christian Lundgaard to a multiyear contract to drive the No. 9 PNC Bank Honda in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES starting in the 2027 season.

Three-time INDYCAR SERIES race winner Lundgaard (photo, above) has 16 podium finishes and 21 top-five finishes in 87 career starts. In 2026, he won races at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course and at Road America, and he secured a career-best third-place finish in the INDYCAR SERIES championship standings.

Lundgaard will join teammates Alex Palou and Kyffin Simpson as part of the CGR’s 2027 driver lineup. He is replacing Scott Dixon, who left CGR after 24 full-time seasons and six series championships to join Arrow McLaren in 2027.

“It is an honor and a privilege to join Chip Ganassi Racing beginning next season,” Lundgaard said. “The fact that it is in the iconic No. 9 PNC Bank Honda makes it even more special. CGR has set the standard in INDYCAR for decades, and the opportunity to be part of that legacy is something I’ve worked toward my entire career.

“I’m incredibly excited about what’s ahead. I can’t wait to get to work with everyone at Chip Ganassi Racing and compete for wins, championships and the Indianapolis 500.”

Lundgaard, 25, has quickly become a well-rounded INDYCAR SERIES talent, scoring victories on both road and street circuits and scoring his first oval podium result in 2026. He was a winning driver in Formula 2 – one step below Formula One – and served briefly a simulator driver for the Alpine F1 Team before coming to the INDYCAR SERIES in 2021 with Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing. He earned his first victory in 2023 at Toronto with RLL before joining Arrow McLaren in 2025.

“We are excited to welcome Christian to Chip Ganassi Racing,” team owner Chip Ganassi said. “We know he’s capable of accomplishing even more in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, and we’re looking forward to helping him reach that next level with the No. 9 team.

“He’s already proven he can win races, and it isn’t often a driver of his caliber becomes available. Throughout our history, one of the things we’ve done best is identify young talent, help them maximize their potential and develop them into championship contenders. We believe Christian has all the talent to be the next driver to do that.”

PNC Bank will continue its longstanding partnership with CGR on the No. 9 PNC Bank Honda next season. PNC Bank has been a partner of the team since 2013 and a primary partner on the No. 9 since 2018. With approximately 2,300 branches and 58,000 employees, PNC is one of the largest financial institutions in the U.S.

“We are excited to begin a new era with Chip Ganassi Racing and what’s ahead with Christian taking the wheel of the No. 9 PNC Bank Honda,” said Lou Cestello, PNC Bank head of regional presidents. “He’s already achieved some remarkable milestones early in his career, and we’re looking forward to watching him build on that success in 2027 and beyond.”

The 2027 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season starts Sunday, March 7 on the streets of St. Petersburg, Florida.

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Lundgaard Pole Ends Palou Streak

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Christian Lundgaaqrd won the pole for tomorrow’s Honda Indy200 at Mid-Ohio as he and teammate Pato O’Ward locked out the front row. The pole for the Danish driver ends a streak of five consecutive poles for Alex Palou, but another Palou streak also fell today.

Palou missed the Fast Six for the first time since Long Beach in 2024. He starts eighth tomorrow.

The Fast Six was a surprise not only for who advanced, but for who didn’t advance. In addition to Palou, Kyle Kirkwood had been fast both yesterday and today but will roll off 10th Sunday. Josef Newgarden was strong in rounds 1 but faded to ninth.

The final round saw Lundgaard, O’Ward, Will Power, David Malukas, Rinus VeeKay, and Christian Rasmussen competing for the pole.

Row 1- Lundgaard, O’Ward- teammates for now, with Lundgaard not returning in 2027

Row 2- Power, Malukas- Malukas replaced Power at Team Penske

Row 3- Rasmussen, VeeKay- Rasmussen replaced VeeKay at ECR

Notes

VeeKay continues to outperform his equipment. Imagine what he could do on a stronger team.

Malukas has an opportunity to gain some significant points on Palou tomorrow. Kirkwood will have to get past Palou to pick up some ground.

Lundgaard won the last race at Road America, and he starts on pole tomorrow. It is rare to see a driver other than Palou these days who backs up what they did in the previous race.

Even though Scott Dixon did not advance, and probably wouldn’t have, his blocking penalty on Romain Grosjean was justified. Dixon is having a difficult year. I hope the change of scenery next season will get him back up to speed.

That will do it for me for today. I’ll be back tomorrow with a pre-race post, then post tire selections and have a wrap up after the race. Thanks for following along today.

Results

Lundgaard Tops Practice 2; Qualifying Groups

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A few surprises in practice two this morning Sting Ray Robb in fourth despite a spin which brought out a red flag, and Will Power dropping to 13th while teammates Kyle Kirkwood and Marcus Ericsson stayed in the top 10.

Alex Palou was eighth fastest in the final practice before qualifying begins at 2:30 pm Eastern.

Results

Qualifying Groups

Road America Wrap Up- Resiliency, Heartbreak, Frustration

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Some thoughts on an amazing race yesterday at Road America:

We may never see a road course that good again, but I hope the XPEL Grand Prix 2026 edition becomes the gold standard for road racing in IndyCar. Typical races here are rather pedestrian with cars strung out over the four plus mile circuit. Sunday saw passes for the lead, a variety of pit strategies, game changing cautions, and frustrated drivers. A race fan can’t ask for more than they received this Father’s Day.

Yesterday’s event is a candidate for the best race of the year, along with the three oval races to date.

The breakdown-

A Resilient Drive from Lundgaard

I thought Christian Lundgaard’s day was over by turn three. Punted by Scott Dixon, the McLaren driver needed to pit to replace the front wing and take on a new set of tires. Lundgaard fortunately stayed on the lead lap, ahead of leader Alex Palou.

He said in the post-race press availability that his car seemed faster after the repairs. Lundgaard passed David Malukas for second place and went after leader Marcus Armstrong. He was catching Armstrong, but it appeared his chase would end just short. Armstrong’s engine let go with just two laps to go, and Lundgaard claimed his second win of the season.

Lundgaard has quietly become the team leader at McLaren. He is fourth in the standings, just 17 points out of second place.

Heartbreak for Armstrong

It’s late in the race. Marcus Armstrong leads David Malukas as both drivers seek their first career win in IndyCar. Armstrong’s margin over Malukas is healthy one, but then Malukas gets passed by Lundgaard, who is mounting a charge. Will he snatch victory from Armstrong?

We will never know if he would have, as Armstrong began slowing om lap 52. His Honda engine expired the next lap, leaving the Meyer Shank driver stopped on the side of the road, his first victory gone up in smoke.

It was clear all weeke3nd that Armstrong had the strongest car, and he backed it up for all but the final couple of laps, when it counted the most.

What we are seeing is the Meter Shank Racing team becoming a force to deal with in the series. While they are still not in the top tier conversation, the team has made significant headway this season. Felix Rosenqvist won the Indianapolis 500, while Armstrong led tthe penultimate lap.

Rosenqvist and Armstrong combined to lead 32 of the 55 laps on Sunday.

Is There a Caution Rule That Satisfies Everyone?

The short answer is no. Last year when cautions were held for pit stops or not thrown for cars or debris “off the racing line,” there wer some unhappy teams and drivers complaining about thye advantage the policy gave the leaders.

In 2026, cautions have abounded, for the most part, I think they were necessary. Participants are still confused, wondering if or when the yellow will wave. We have seen several teams caught out by yellows. Rosenqvist’s team owner Mike Shank was quite upset after the race by the yellow that may have cost the 500 winner a chance at the win.

No matter what the rule or enforcement policy is, as long as it is consistent, I’m fine with it. I’ was not a fan of the old rule, and I like what is going on this season with it.

No matter which way the series goes, people will be unhappy if a particular instance hurts them. Well, that’s racing. There is an element of luck involved. The same rule may be to your advantage in the next race. It will all balance out.

Notes

I saw Will Power’s onboard of the last lap incident with Graham Rahal. It appeared Rahal moved over in front of Power, and Will could not avoid contact. This one is on Graham.

A massive crowd saw a great race. We may see even more fans at road America in 2027.

How big was the crowd all weekend? This is the first year I had trouble finding a spot to park my golf cart anywhere (First World problems, i know).

Turn 5 lower grandstand prior to morning warmup Sunday.

Grandstands that are normally half empty, even on race day, were full for the morning warmup yesterday and for morning practice on Saturday.

Thanks for following along this past weekend. The Pit Window will be on hiatus until July2, as I take a little journey to Ireland. There will be some Mid-Ohio coverage remotely when u get back. I’ve not heard of any racing over there during my visit.

Lundgaard Rises Above the Chaos

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Just some very quick thoughts on the best race I have seen at Road America before I hit the road. A more detailed story will follow either tonight or tomorrow.

The XPEL Grand Prix at Road America signals a true changing of the guard. At one point the top three were Marcus Armstrong. David Malukas, and Christian Lundgaard

I’m not sure if I’m more heartbroken for Marcus Armstrong or Graham Rahal. Both deserved a better ending than they had.

Another small crack in the Palou armor showed today. i can see some more issues ahead. I think Palou wins two more races at most the rest of the season.

Malukas and Armstrong will win a race this year.

Lundgaard’s charge to the win overshadowed great drives by Alexandr vRossi and Kyffin Zsimpson. Rossi started 25th and finished sixth. Simpson went from 19th to fourth.

Thanks for following along this weekend. I will have more later, but I need to begin the trip home.

Final Thoughts- Sonsio Grand Prix

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Photo by Bradley Proctor

Few races have all of the elements that combine to create a good, entertaining race. Saturday’s race had all of them. The lead was in doubt until near the end, there was great passing, cautions came (or didn’t) at times that altered pit strategies, drivers were angry at Race Control, and some were mad at their fellow competitors. Contenders became pretenders. Pit issues once again cost a team a potential victory.

Christian Lundgaard won the Sonsio Grand Prix with a bold pass of David Malukas on lap 68. Malukas seemed to be in command of the event after Will Power’s penalty. What started as another Alex Palou beat down turned into a race of different pit strategies.

The first lap incident turned the race on its head. Will Power made an early stop during the first caution and found himself at the front of the field on lap 24 after starting last. Power looked on track to need one less pit stop than the rest of the field until misfortune struck when he exited the pits on lap 58. Power locked up the wheels and ran across the pit blend line. He corrected the car and crossed the blend line properly, but he had moved onto the track and received a drive through penalty. Power’s frustrating season continues.

Rahal Resurgence?

Graham Rahal earned his second podium in three races as Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing continues to show better than they have the last couple of years. The team has improved their qualifying- Rahal started seventh, and teammate Louis Foster made the Fast Six. The team has backed up their qualifying with better results. Foster ended the day in seventh.

Starting tomorrow we will see how much improvement their oval program has made, but they seem to have figured out the road courses./\

Lundgaard a Championship Contender?

Lundgaard’s victory puts him fourth in the point standings, just three points behind Malukas and 55 points behind leader Palou. Malukas earned three bonus points Saturday for leading the most laps, so they are in a virtual tie. Lundgaard’s win would give him the tie breaker if the two end up with the same number of points.

In his second year at McLaren Lundgaard is becoming the team leader.

Andretti Pit Woes Continue

If Kyle Kirkwood is to have any shot at catching Palou for the title, pit work has got to improve. Trouble changing the right front tire cost Kirkwood a chance at the win. Kirkwood had gotten ahead of Palou on track after the Ganassi driver went in the grass to avoid contact. Kirkwood only lost 10 points to Palou, and while the damage could have been worse, no driver can afford to lose points to Palou.

Pit issues in the Indianapolis 500 will be disastrous.

Race Control: Anybody Home?

So far in 2026 the new Independent Officiating Board has been no better than the old officiating system. I venture to say they have taken a step backward. Not throwing a caution so the leader’s race is not ruined can still ruin a driver’s race. And if it does come to that, it’s just the breaks of the game.

Two incidents Saturday drew the ire of fans and rivers toward Race Control. A large piece of carbon fiber lay on the track. It was deemed to be off the racing line, but the FOX broadcast showed that it was at first in the racing line and was blown off the line by passing cars. It could have just as easily been blown back into the action.

Nolan Siegel and Kyffin Simpson were battling for position, both went outside the racing line and they drove around the debris, one driver on each side of it .

A lap leader the most egregious non call of the year occurred. Alexander Rossi had a hybrid issue and came to a stop on the front straight near the pit wall. A local yellow waved. It took two laps to for Race Control to throw a Full Course Yellow. Meanwhile, Rossi is sitting in his disabled car on the fastest part of the circuit waving wildly to get a full yellow.

Rossi eventually exited his car and climbed over the pit wall- on a hot track.

Race Control’s efforts to protect the leaders of the race created a very dangerous situation. Inexcusable.

I hope the 500 is better officiated than Saturday’s race was.

Overall the 2026 Sonsio Grand Prix was by far the best and most entertaining of the road course at IMS run in dry conditions. The race produced the fourth different winner of the season from a fourth team to win a race.

Now we prepare for the 110th running of the Indianapolis 500.

Lundgaard Strategy Pays Off

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This will be a brief post. I will have a more detailed one tomorrow morning.

Christian Lundgaard pitted at the right time then passed David Malukas with 19 laps to go to win the Sonsio Grand Prix at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Andretti Pit Woes Strike Again

Pit troubles once again foiled Andretti Global’s efforts to cut into Alex Palou’s points lead. On Kyle Kirkwood’s second stop trouble replacing the right tire put Kirkwood behind Palou. Kirkwood gotten ahead of the points leader after Palou went into the grass to avoid a collision

Will Power looked to have the r4ace locked up, buy instead he locked up the tires exiting the pits on his final pit stop. He crossed the blend line too soon and received a drive through penalty.

Marcvus Ericsson stalled the car on his final stop and could not get it restarted.

Today’s race was arguably the best of the May Gps run in the dry. There were timely cautions, four leaders, a winning on track pass, and the outcome was in doubt until we were into the last quarter of the race.

This will do it for me for tonight, Looke for a more detailed report tomorrw. Thanks for following along this weekend.

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Lundgaard Pole Caps Wild Fast Six

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IndyCar photo

In one of the more entertaining Fast Six sessions of the season, Christian Lundgaard snatched the pole from Will Power late, but a penalty will drop him to seventh on the starting grid. Without the penalty the front row would have been a McLaren lockout as Lundgaard’s teammate, Pato O’Ward, finished second and will inherit the pole for tomorrow’s race. O’Ward missed out on a point that would have helped in his pursuit of Alex Palou for the series championship.

Christian Lundgaard and Pato O’Ward. This will not be the last time we see this front row.

Arrow McLaren has struggled in the past in qualifying, but 2025 has seen marked improvement.

Power led for most of the Fast Six as he and teammate Josef Newgarden both made the second round. Newgarden qualified ninth, but has a six place grid penalty.

Points leader Alex Palou was making a charge for the top spot when he spun and tapped tire barrier, relegating him to sixth place

Notes

The second row will feature Will Power and David Malukas. Irony?

After all penalties are served, Lundgaard will start seventh, Newgarden 15th, Kyffin Simpson will start 18th, and Santino Ferrucci will lineup 21st.

It was a disappointing day for the Andretti team, with only Marcus Ericsson reaching the second round. Colton Herta will move up to 12th in the official lineup.

Results

The final warmup session before Sunday’s race will be this afternoon at 4:30 Pacific on FS1.