Helio Castroneves will drive car 66 for Meyer Shank Racing at Detroit and Road America, replacing Tom Blomqvist. Castroneves,49, is part owner of the team and drove a third entry for MSR in the Indianapolis 500 last Sunday, finishing 20th.
Tom Blomqvist
Blomqvist drove the car in the first five races of the season, with a best finish of 15th at St. Petersburg. He drove for Meyer Shank in IMSA previously but has had a difficult time in Indycar. Blomqvist spun in the first turn of the Indianapolis 500 triggering a three-car accident.
The team emphasized that Blomqvist is still part of the team. MSR is expected to return to IMSA in 2025, and he will likely be one of their drivers.
After Road America, the team will evaluate the situation. Could this be the opening David Malukas needs to return to the series?
Vautier to Drive Car 51
In a day of driver announcements, Tristan Vautier will drive car 51 for Dale Coyne Racing at Detroit. DCR has used a revolving number of rivers in their cars in 2024. Vautier was 2013 Indycar Rookie of the Year. He last drove for DCR in 2017. Vautier spent 2023 in the LeMans series.
Vautier will be the fourth driver of the 51 this season.
It was only a matter of time before Felix Rosenqvist would win a pole this season. That time was 39 ten thousandths of a second. Rosenqvist nipped Will Power by that much and will start the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach at the front of the field.
In the three Indycar events in 2024, Rosenqvist started second at St. Pete, Was on the pole for his heat race and the front row of the feature at Thermal, and now has his third front row start of the season. Rosenqvist now has six career poles. Today’s pole is the first for Meyer Shank Racing
It has been quite a resurgence for Rosenqvist this year. He has been in contention in every event. His switch to Meyer Shank Racing after some frustrating years at Arrow McLaren has rejuvenated the Swedish driver.
Will Power came back after a disastrous morning practice session. He brushed the wall and damaged the left rear tire and underwing. Power returned only to make nose first contact with the wall and cause a red flag with a bit less than nine minutes left.
Notes
The anticipated three Penskes versus three Andrettis didn’t materialize. Team Penske had just Will Power and Josef Newgarden in the final round. Colton Herta and Marcus Ericsson made the fast Six for Andretti.
Rosenqvist and Alex Palou were the only preliminary round leaders to make the final session.
Team Penske did not lead any sessions this weekend, but they could lead the one that counts the most tomorrow.
Pato O’Ward’s fade from leading Friday’s practice is puzzling. Are we looking at another year of unfilled promise from Arrow McLaren? Alexander Rossi is the team’s highest starter tomorrow in 13th.
The Long Beach Grand Prix released a notice announcing that all reserved seats for tomorrow’s race have been sold. Only general admission is available.
Race-winning veteran joins expanded INDYCAR effort in multi-year program
Pataskala, Ohio (5 September 2023) – Meyer Shank Racing (MSR) will expand its NTT INDYCAR SERIES program in 2024, and has signed Felix Rosenqvist to a multi-year agreement with the team. Rosenqvist will bring his pace and experience as he teams up with Tom Blomqvist for MSR’s full-season two-car campaign. MSR is also growing its program to support a third entry for the 2024 Indianapolis 500 for Helio Castroneves.
In addition to Castroneves’ Indianapolis 500-only effort, the team recently announced that the four-time Indianapolis 500 winner has joined the MSR ownership group as a minority partner, serving as driver coach and team ambassador.
Since joining the INDYCAR SERIES in 2019, Rosenqvist has established himself as a proven race winner who will look to continue to build his racing resume with MSR starting in 2024.
“I’m super excited to start the next chapter of my INDYCAR career together with MSR,” said Rosenqvist. “This will be a great opportunity for myself and MSR to elevate and get to the next level together. I’m also pretty excited to get to work with my old friend Tom (Blomqvist) again. I’m ready to start working together and getting the next season started.”
Next year’s INDYCAR season will see MSR have a complete reset with an all-new driver lineup as the Ohio-based team sets its sights on a successful 2024 season and beyond.
“We’re very excited to have our 2024 INDYCAR plans finalized and to welcome Felix (Rosenqvist) to the team,” said Mike Shank. “Felix has been someone that has been on our radar for quite some time now and everything lined up this year to work something out with him. It’s no secret that we’ve had a difficult season, with some things out of our control and some things in our control. I think we are all looking forward to resetting completely, starting over and getting to work. I think Tom and Felix will work great together and really feed off of each other. We will also have Helio with us at every race to provide his feedback and advice which will be an added bonus, so I think we’re in for a solid year ahead.”
Meyer Shank Racing will close out its NTT INDYCAR SERIES campaign this coming weekend with the series finale at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. Blomqvist will make his third INDYCAR start this weekend on board the No. 60 AutoNation / SiriusXM Honda in place of Simon Pagenaud at Laguna with Castroneves finishing out his final full-season INDYCAR race in the No. 06 AutoNation / SiriusXM Honda.
Simon Pagenaud released this message on Twitter 9(now known as X)
As Simon continues his recovery, it appears his best chance for 2024 in Indycar may be a 500 one off.
Pagenaud won the Indianapolis 500 in 2019. He also won the Indy Grand Prix that year in a great drive to overtake Scott Dixon on a wet track.
The 2016 series champion ran 207 races combined with Champ cCar and Indycar. He won 15 times in Indycar, with his first win coming at Belle Isle in 2013.
Pagenaud had success while driving for Schmidt Peterson Racing, winning the inaugural May Grand Prix on the IMS road course in 2014.
I hope we haven’t seen the last of Pagenaud in Indycar, and I wish him a full recovery.
It has been difficult seeing Simon on the sidelines the last half of the year. I hope he has a full recovery. Pagenaud’s prospects for a ride in Indycar for 2024 are slim. I hope Meyer Shank can find a spot in their IMSA program for him.
It is strange to envision Indycar next season without either Helio Castroneves or Simon Pagenaud.
Tom Blomqvist
Tom Blomqvist is currently a driver in Meyer Shank’s IMSA Acura. he drove the Honda Indy Toronto in Pagenaud’s place and has signed to drive the 06 full time in Indycar in 2024.
Meyer Shank Racing announced today that Linus Lundqvist wiil return to car 60 at World Wide Technology Raceway in the Bommarito 500 next Sunday. The race will be the third for the 2022 Indy NXT champion this season.
Simon Pagenaud continues to recovery from his accident at Mid Ohio. he has not raced since. Lundqvist subbed for Pagenaud at Nashville. where he qualified for part of the race. At the Gallagher Grand Prix at IMS Lundqvist qualified and finished 12th.
Conor Daly filled in for Pagenaud at the Iowa double header.
Lundqvist is rumored to have signed with Chip Ganassi Racing for 2024
Indianapolis, Ind. (8 August 2023) – After making an impressive NTT INDYCAR SERIES debut with Meyer Shank Racing (MSR) last weekend at the Big Machine Music City Grand Prix in Nashville, Linus Lundqvist will return behind the wheel of the No. 60 AutoNation / SiriusXM Honda for Saturday’s Gallagher Grand Prix (2:00pm ET, USA Network, SiriusXM Ch. 160).
While Simon Pagenaud continues to make gains in his recovery following an accident at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course last month, which saw the Frenchman have a manufacturer brake failure, he has not been cleared by the INDYCAR Medical Team to participate in this weekend’s race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Lunqvist will make his second INDYCAR race start and once again be joined by full-season MSR driver Helio Castroneves in the Brickyard weekend which will see the NTT INDYCAR SERIES run in conjunction with NASCAR. The quick two day weekend, will feature an 85-lap race on Saturday, the second time that the INDYCAR SERIES has run on the IMS road course this year.
Lunqvist is coming off a big INDYCAR debut weekend in Nashville, which saw the 2022 INDY NXT by Firestone Champion advance into the Firestone Fast 12 in Qualifying and go on to post the fastest lap of the race on Sunday. Unfortunately, contact with the wall ended his race early, but Lundqvist will be looking for redemption this weekend.
The Swedish racer has four starts on the IMS road course in INDY NXT competition, starting on the pole in three out of the four races. He has two wins on his resume, both of which he started on the pole.
Castroneves returns to the site of his 2021 Indianapolis 500 victory, but this time on the road course layout. Castroneves will be making his 13th race start on the IMS road course this weekend. The INDYCAR favorite has collected two podium finishes on the road course, finishing third in 2014 and 2nd in 2017.
The Gallagher Grand Prix at IMS will be a quick two-day weekend with practice and qualifying on Friday, August 11th and the 85-lap main event set for a 2:30pm ET green flag start time on Saturday August 12th. USA Network will begin coverage at 2:00pm ET and SiriusXM will host live IndyCar Radio coverage on XM Ch. 160.
Meyer Shank Racing Driver Quotes:
Helio Castroneves:
“The IMS road course is a place that has been very good for MSR, so I am looking forward to getting back to one of my favorite places. I think we learned a lot from the last race there in May, so that should help us this weekend. I’m ready to go!”
Linus Lundqvist:
“First I want to say a massive thank you to Mike and Jim for their trust to put me back in the car again. The Nashville weekend was great in so many ways. Obviously, a lot of impressions and a lot of new stuff for me going on that weekend and I was pretty disappointed with the way that it ended. It was my mistake and I enjoyed it up until that point. I think it also left me and the team wanting more, which I am grateful for another opportunity at Indy. I know it is going to be tough again, but now I have a whole race weekend under my belt. Hopefully we can string some good results together and find some good speed, but I feel like it is going to be a super weekend.”
Finally, Linus Lundqvist gets his shot. Lundqvist, the 2022 Indy NXT (Indy Lights) champion, will substitue for Simon Pagenaud in the 60 car for Meyer Shank Racing this weekendat Nashville.
Simon Pagenaud issues this statement this morning:
The news release from Meyer Shank Racing:
Lundqvist to Drive for Meyer Shank Racing in Nashville INDYCAR Weekend
Lundqvist will substitute for Simon Pagenaud in the No. 60 AutoNation / SiriusXM Honda
Pataskala, Ohio (31 July 2023) – As Meyer Shank Racing (MSR) heads to the fourth street circuit on the 2023 NTT INDYCAR SERIES calendar, the Ohio-based team will welcome Linus Lundqvist to its lineup alongside Helio Castroneves for the Big Machine Music City Grand Prix on Sunday (12:00pm ET, NBC, SiriusXM Ch. 160).
Lundqvist is stepping in for Simon Pagenaud, who continues to recover from a practice accident at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course earlier this month. While he continues to improve, he has been advised by the INDYCAR Medical Team to not participate in this weekend’s event in Nashville.
Following the Mid-Ohio accident, MSR has continued to campaign the No. 60 Honda-powered entry, with the team’s IMSA Championship winning driver Tom Blomqvist making his INDYCAR debut on the streets of Toronto while Conor Daly stepped in on short notice to compete in both the Mid-Ohio race and the Iowa Doubleheader.
Now, the 2022 INDY NXT by Firestone Champion will make his NTT INDYCAR SERIES race debut with MSR as he heads back to a track that he has seen much success at. Lundqvist excelled in INDY NXT competition, scoring third in the championship in his rookie campaign in 2021 and backing that up with a run to the title in 2022 on the strength of five wins and nine podium finishes.
In addition to his success in INDYCAR’s feeder series, Lundqvist has had two INDYCAR tests this year at Texas Motor Speedway and Sebring International Raceway.
Lundqvist heads into the Nashville event with some recent familiarity of the track, having swept the 2022 event with a pole and victory.
In honor of heading to the ‘Music City,’ the No. 60 machine will once again carry the all-new SiriusXM Channel, CARRIE’S COUNTRY – XM Ch. 60 – which is a specialty channel with music curated by the eight-time GRAMMY winner, Carrie Underwood.
Lundqvist will join INDYCAR SERIES veteran Castroneves who will drive the No. 06 AutoNation / SiriusXM Honda around the 2.17-mile street course. Castroneves has shown well in his two outings in Nashville, finishing ninth in 2021. Last year’s event saw Castroneves start from the back of the field following an engine change, but the Brazilian driver worked his way up to a 13th place finish.
The sister MSR car driven by Pagenaud, finished inside the top ten in 2022, finishing ninth after starting 13th.
The Big Machine Music City Grand Prix will air live on, Sunday, July 30th on NBC starting at 12:00pm ET. All Practice sessions and Qualifying can be viewed on Peacock. SiriusXM will also host live IndyCar Radio coverage on SXM Ch. 160.
Meyer Shank Racing Team Quotes:
Linus Lundqvist:
“This is a moment I’ve been dreaming of literally since the start of my career. I could not be more excited about the prospect of finally making my NTT INDYCAR SERIES debut; I am extremely grateful to Meyer Shank Racing for this opportunity. This will be an incredible experience, but also the toughest challenge of my life. Sitting on the sidelines all year, it would be a massive task to join any championship towards the end of the season – let alone the NTT INDYCAR SERIES on the streets of Nashville. There’s been very little time to prepare, but I feel like the sheer excitement of this moment will make up for some of that. Of course, working alongside Helio – one of the true legends of this sport – will also be a huge asset. Last but not least, I would like to wish Simon Pagenaud a continued speedy recovery. While fully aware of everything I have to learn this weekend, I will do my very best to make him and everyone else on the team proud in Music City.”
Helio Castroneves:
“I’m super excited to head back to Nashville, it’s such a fun city and it has such great energy. The race has always been interesting and it’s very important to stay clean and consistent. We’ve had a pretty good car there the last two years, so I’m hoping that when we go back we’ll be even better. It will be an interesting weekend to have Linus with us as well, he is new to all of this, just like Tom (Blomqvist) was in Toronto. There will be a lot to learn for him, so we’ll see how he adapts.”
The Pit Window by Mike Silver 