Despite only having three IndyCar Series starts under his belt, with a best finish of 12th, the 24-year-old Swede will effectively replace fellow countryman Marcus Ericsson in Ganassi’s elite driver line-up, who signed for Andretti Autosport last week.
“Joining Chip Ganassi Racing is an absolute dream come true for me,” said Lundqvist. “Stepping up to race full-time in the IndyCar Series, and to do so with one of the most successful teams in the history of the championship, is the moment I’ve been working for throughout my career.
“It is hard to explain how much this means to me. I am incredibly grateful to Chip, Mike [Hull, CGR’s managing director] and to everyone who has backed me on this journey, including of course my family.”
Lundqvist won the 2022 Indy Lights (now NXT) championship but was unable to find a drive for the 2023 season. He has sat out much of the year, contesting only one race weekend in the Scandinavian Porsche Cup at Skelleftea in his homeland, before being called up three times to sub for the sidelined Simon Pagenaud at Meyer Shank Racing.
He immediately excelled, qualifying 11th on his debut in Nashville before crashing out near the end of the race after an impressive run. He then finished 12th on the Indianapolis Road Course and 18th at St Louis last weekend on his oval debut in the series.
Lundqvist also set the fastest lap at both Nashville and St Louis, demonstrating his speed and versatility.
Source: Autosport