Marcus Armstrong turned inIndyCar IndyCar IndyCar to a Scott Dixon fan his entire lifestyles. When he was 8, the aspiring young racer requested his fellow New Zealander to autograph a helmet visor that he hung on his bed room wall.
Next 12 months, Armstrong could be Dixon’s teammate.
Armstrong on Friday was named the fourth IndyCar driving force within the Chip Ganassi IndyCar Racing lineup and could pilot the No. eleven subsequent season on avenue and road publications. A driving force for the 5 IndyCar oval races on the 17-race schedule will be named later.
The No. eleven is IndyCar basically the No. 48 that seven-time NASCAR IndyCar champion Jimmie Johnson drove the past two seasons, with Chip Ganassi making the trade to run 4 motors numbered in sequential order. Indianapolis 500 winner Marcus Ericsson drives the No. 8, six-time champion Dixon drives the No. 9, and 2020 IndyCar champion Alex Palou drives the No. 10.
Armstrong, 22, spent the past 3 seasons in Formula One feeder series F2 and became a Ferrari improvement driver in 2021. He is the former roommate of Callum Ilott and former teammate of Christian Lundgaard — both of whom just finished their rookie IndyCar seasons.
“I’ve continually been drawn to the IndyCar championship because it’s one of those championships that’s been actually well televised in New Zealand on account that I became young, specifically because of Scott and his achievement,” Armstrong instructed The Associated Press. “As time progressed, as I were given closer to F1 and single-seaters, the appeal to IndyCar grew simply because of how competitive the championship is. I like to project IndyCar IndyCar myself, and the extent of opposition in IndyCar is remarkably high.”
Armstrong, from Christchurch, New IndyCar Zealand, was set to journey from his modern domestic in London to Indianapolis this weekend to satisfy his new crew. He might not want an introduction to Dixon, the forty two-year-old taken into consideration the fine IndyCar driver of his era and Armstrong’s unequivocal adolescence hero.
Dixon closing season received his 53rd profession race to pass Mario Andretti for second on the all-time IndyCar listing. Dixon has driven for Ganassi in all IndyCar however 23 of his 345 profession starts.
“For a long term I’ve been a Scott Dixon fan. I don’t want to make him recoil with our age distinction,” Armstrong instructed the IndyCar AP.
Despite the IndyCar 2-decade age difference, Armstrong never considered at some point racing with Dixon a myth.
He satisfied his father after triumphing five country wide karting championships to allow him to depart New Zealand for Italy at age 14, where he moved through himself to purse a racing career. Armstrong said as quickly as he acquired parental permission, he never seemed again.
Armstrong turned into in Formula four two years after his circulate to Italy and received that title in his first season. He gained four races and four poles in F3 inside the 2018 and 2019 seasons then collected four wins and 8 podiums in three seasons of F2.
“Maybe it is a energy, or perhaps it is a weak spot, however I usually concept I changed into capable of doing notable in the game,” Armstrong told the AP. “I think you possibly have to succeed in the game, you need to accept as true with in yourself. I usually pictured myself being in IndyCar.
“As Scott’s teammate? I cannot in particular say I noticed that. It’s an outstanding chain of activities.”
Armstrong turns into the latest driving force to go away Europe, in which F1 is the pinnacle but has handiest 20 seats every yr. Alexander Rossi began the trend in 2016 whilst the American left F1 and gained the Indianapolis 500 as a rookie. He has been accompanied through Ericsson, closing season’s Indy 500 winner, Romain Grosjean, Ilott and Lundgaard. On Thursday, three-time W Series champion and Williams F1 reserve driving force Jamie Chadwick became announced as a motive force for Andretti Autosport in IndyCar’s 2nd-tier improvement collection.
Armstrong stated he may want to have remained in F2 for a fourth season, but he had been looking IndyCar for goodbye, and after conversations with Ilott and Lundgaard, he determined to make the pass to what he believes is the most balanced racing series inside the global. He tested for Dale Coyne Racing at Sebring in October.
He would not recognise if European racing is carried out for accurate, simply that he wants to be in IndyCar proper now.
“I don’t want to suppose too a ways into the future. I’m just thankful for this possibility this is standing proper in the front of me,” Armstrong said. “I want to perform in addition to I can in the close to destiny and simply consolidate myself within the awesome danger that is IndyCar and just do my first-rate.
“I’m no longer searching at F1 as a touchdown spot. I am looking at IndyCar, and that’s exactly why I am here.”