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It has long been rumoured that the team would condense in 2025 owing to the advent of a new charter system that limits teams to three full-time entries.
As it stands, the team has five full-time drivers in its line-up led by six-time champion Scott Dixon and two-time winner Alex Palou. The aforementioned pair are safe.
Although Kyffin Simpson ranks the lowest of the five drivers – 21st in the standings – it’s expected he will move into the #8 car currently occupied by Linus Lundqvist.
It means Lundqvist and teammate Marcus Armstrong are likely to be out of the Chip Ganassi Racing stable by the end of the year.
Lundqvist won the Rookie of the Year crown with a race to spare and is 16th in the standings, one place behind Armstrong. Both have been podium finishers this year.
The downscaling of the team’s IndyCar program means Chip Ganassi Racing will look to find a home for its staff, who look set to move across to a new Indy NXT set-up.
“The biggest thing for us is we have a lot of really good people, and we’re in the midst of a downsize,” Chip Ganassi Racing team manager Taylor Kiel told Racer.
“We’re losing the sports car program with Cadillac, and this charter system is forcing us into three cars, so first and foremost, we’re trying to figure out what to do with our good people.
“When you couple that with what we’re seeing in the IndyCar Series and what we’re seeing in Indy NXT, we’ve got a lot of confidence in joining the series.
“The NXT car counts are up. The quality of teams is up. There’s a lot of bonuses to being a part of that series as an IndyCar team, beyond just finding a place for our people.
“It’s a natural fit for us and it’s been discussed in the past here for quite a while.”
Rumours have been floated that Armstrong could land at Meyer Shank Racing who will lose David Malukas to AJ Foyt Racing in 2025.
Felix Rosenqvist, who sits on the fringe of the top 10 in 12th, is locked in at MSR for 2025.
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Team co-owner Mike Shank said he has had discussions with multiple drivers to fil the vacant seat, including Armstrong, Lundqvist, and outgoing McLaren driver Alexander Rossi.
“We haven’t chosen anyone,” Shank told Racer.
“But all those people you’re hearing about like Marcus Armstrong, Linus Lundqvist, Louis Foster, they’re all in play.
“We talked to Alex Rossi. We’re still working on it. And some of the reason it isn’t done yet is budget-driven.
“We’re trying to figure that side out right now, so nothing’s decided until we have the budget sorted.
“We need to have it done no later than October 1, but in one respect, I’m not in a gigantic hurry.
“We’re just kind of chilling for a minute. But yes, there will be a time somewhere around the beginning of October that we make the call.”
The IndyCar Series is set to conclude at Nashville Superspeedway on September 16.
