Chip Ganassi Racing is set to expand to five cars for the 2024 IndyCar season, with 18-year-old Kyffin Simpson joining the team as a development driver. This expansion will give Ganassi three rookies in next year’s Indianapolis 500, as Simpson will be joined by Marcus Armstrong and Linus Lundqvist. Armstrong, who won the IndyCar rookie of the year this season, will be making his debut on ovals next year, while Lundqvist, a replacement driver this season, will also be a rookie at the Indy 500.
The announcement about the expansion of the team came during a press conference with Chip Ganassi, who was evasive when asked about Simpson’s future. Ganassi joked, We just throw darts. We don’t really play much. I don’t know what it is yet. I would like to share it with somebody, but I don’t know what the hell it is. However, it is now clear that Simpson will be the youngest driver on the IndyCar grid next season.
Simpson, who hails from the Cayman Islands, has been able to reach the IndyCar level through the financial backing of his father, David Simpson, whose company Ridgeline Lubricants has sponsored many Ganassi cars since mid-2022. Simpson has gained valuable racing experience in different series and was part of the winning LMP2 sports car team at the Twelve Hours of Sebring earlier this year.
In 2021, Simpson won the Formula Regional Americas title with seven wins in 18 races. He then competed in the Indy NXT series as a rookie and finished ninth in the points. This season, he finished 10th in the standings with two podium finishes. Currently, Simpson races in the European Le Mans Series, where his team, Algarve Pro Racing, is leading the LMP2 standings.
With his impressive track record and the support of Chip Ganassi Racing, Simpson is excited about his next step to IndyCar. He stated, It’s been incredible working with Chip Ganassi Racing as their development driver over the last couple of years, and I’ve been able to learn so much. I am very excited to be making the next step to IndyCar with this team.
The 2024 season will mark the first time since 2020 that Chip Ganassi Racing will field five cars, following in the footsteps of Michael Andretti. With a strong lineup and talented rookies like Simpson, Ganassi is positioning his team for success in the upcoming season.
