Chip Ganassi Racing finalized its driver lineup for the 2024 NTT IndyCar Series season by announcing the signing of Marcus Amstrong to a multi-year contract extension and elevating him as a full-time competitor.
The announcement comes as the 23-year-old Armstrong from Christchurch, New Zealand, is currently embarking in his first IndyCar season with Chip Ganassi Racing on a part-time basis, where he has been piloting CGR’s No. 11 Dallara-Honda on the road courses and street circuits. With a current average-finishing result of 13.5 through 11 starts, Armstrong leads this year’s IndyCar rookie standings entering this weekend’s season finale at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca in Monterey, California.
“I am very proud and excited to continue with Chip Ganassi Racing for next year and beyond,” Armstrong said. “Together with this very talented and experienced team, I am confident we can compete at the highest level in this championship. I feel very grateful that Chip has given me the time to adapt to INDYCAR and has helped me every step of the way in what has been a good season.”
“I’ve spent the year learning from a great group of people, including my teammates and Dario [Franchitti],” Armstrong added. “I’m very grateful for how much help I’ve received from each team member. With a season under my belt, I now want to turn these lessons into results. I will be racing on the ovals for the first time next year and it’s an exciting challenge that I’m confident I can learn quickly. I spent the entire month of May either in the engineering office or in the pit stand this year, trying to familiarize myself with the details of oval racing. It’s a challenge that excites me a lot.”
Prior to IndyCar, Armstrong, who commenced his career in 2010 in karting, competed in the FIA Formula 2 Championship from 2020 to 2022, where he accumulated four victories and eight podiums in 75 starts. He also competed in the FIA Formula 3 Championship division in 2018 and 2019, where he recorded a total of four victories, four poles and 17 podiums in 46 starts, with his best points result being a runner-up result in 2019. His biggest accomplishment while competing up the motorsport ladder was winning the 2017 Italian F4 Championship in a season where he notched four victories, six poles and 13 podiums in 21 starts.
After testing an IndyCar for the first time with Dale Coyne Racing at Sebring International Raceway in October 2022, Chip Ganassi Racing signed Armstrong to its driver lineup as a part-time competitor for this season, where he drove the team’s No. 11 entry on the road courses and street circuits while two-time Indianapolis 500 champion Takuma Sato piloted the entry on the oval circuits. Finishing 11th in his IndyCar debut in the season opener at the Streets of St. Petersburg, Florida, Armstrong has recorded four top-nine results and eight top-13 results in 11 starts. His best on-track result is a seventh-place result at Exhibition Place in Toronto, Canada as he currently leads the rookie standings by 26 points over Agustin Canapino with one event remaining on this year’s schedule.
“Marcus Armstrong has proven in 2023 his quick adaptation to INDYCAR road and street tracks,” Mike Hull, Chip Ganassi Racing Managing Director, added. “He’s ready to be a full-time Chip Ganassi Racing INDYCAR driver. Winning is integrated into his racing resume. This includes his pursuit of the 2023 INDYCAR Rookie of the Year. He knows how to win as a teammate. Next comes ovals at the highest global level. We look forward to a long-term relationship driven by growth and opportunity in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES with Marcus.”
The announcement of Armstrong’s full-time campaign in the IndyCar circuit also completes Chip Ganassi Racing’s four-car lineup for the 2024 season as the Australian will compete alongside six-time IndyCar champion Scott Dixon, recently crowned two-time IndyCar champion Alex Palou and Linus Lundqvist, who was announced to be joining CGR as a rookie full-time competitor for the upcoming season a week ago.
With his future plans set, Armstrong aims to conclude the 2023 INDYCAR season on a strong note and with this year’s rookie title by competing in this weekend’s season finale Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca in Monterey, California. The event’s coverage is scheduled to occur on Sunday, September 10, at 2:30 p.m. ET on NBC.
