By alley - Sep 5, 2017, 12:26 PM ET

Leist considering move up to IndyCar

Add Carlin Racing's Matheus Leist to the list of Indy Lights front-runners looking to step up to IndyCar in 2018.

A newcomer to America, the speedy Brazilian brought his experience from winning the 2016 British Formula 3 championship to Carlin's expanded four-car stable and made waves as its most successful driver. Three wins, including two ovals – the Freedom 100 at Indianapolis and on the Iowa bullring – showed the 19-year-old was a quick study in the unique discipline.

His third win, taken on the Road America road course, and nine total finishes inside the top five helped the rookie to take fourth in the Indy Lights standings.

"It is my goal to make it to IndyCar next year," Leist told RACER. "We have been talking to teams and working on this a lot. There's a lot of time before next season, but we want to see what we can do [sooner than later]."

Along with his natural pace and aptitude for ovals, Leist is said to bring solid financial backing, which could attract a number of IndyCar teams.

"I want to stay here and continue with my career," said Leist, whose

Carlin team is also evaluating a move to IndyCar

in 2018. "I like the circuits very much and going to IndyCar was the reason we came to Indy Lights. If I can't make IndyCar [next year], another season in Indy Lights is where we would focus again."

Take Leist, teammate and race winner

Zachary Claman DeMelo

, two-time Lights championship runner-up

Santi Urrutia

, new champion

Kyle Kaiser

and a few others like Shelby Blackstock, Neil Alberico, and Juan Piedrahita with between two and four years of experience at the top step of the Mazda Road To Indy, and IndyCar teams should be fielding plenty of inquiries from young drivers on the move.

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