Chip Ganassi Racing have confirmed their intentions to reduce their IndyCar operations from a five-car to three-car running from 2025.
The incoming charter system meant that their five entries were no longer guaranteed a spot on the starting grid every weekend, and would have to qualify for races.
Instead, they will be entering Indy NXT with a two-car team, which will see the personnel for their departing IndyCar entries deployed in the junior series.
It means that two of Marcus Armstrong, Kyffin Simpson and Linus Lundqvist will be dropped for Chip Ganassi‘s line-up for next season, and in need of finding a drive elsewhere to keep their IndyCar dreams alive.
Chip Ganassi Racing chief names the ‘biggest thing’ ahead of IndyCar reduction
Chip Ganassi now have a lot of talent to redistribute among their programmes, which makes a move to Indy NXT very welcome.
Not only will it be helpful for the championship to serve as a platform for their young talent, but they can also keep hold of some incredible engineers they may have lost.
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“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,” he continued.
“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.”
Who will drive for Chip Ganassi in 2025?
Presuming that Alex Palou (under contract) and Scott Dixon remain with the team for 2025, there’s one seat left for someone to take.
There’s no guarantee that it will be given to any of the remaining three drivers currently with the team, although Marcus Armstrong has put a pretty strong hand forwards with his recent performances.
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Alexander Rossi is a top free agent and would ensure that they maintain one of the fastest and experienced line-ups in the sport.
Louis Foster, a man who just dominated Indy NXT should also be on their radar too, although it might be a bit soon for him to waltz into a top team.
Chip Ganassi have plenty of decisions ahead of them, and the next few months will be fascinating as they begin to get ready for life in the junior formulae, and with a reduced IndyCar operation.