Why Hunter-Reay’s Indy 500 ride with Arrow McLaren is a win-win

On the surface, it’s a great chance for Ryan Hunter-Reay to win the Indianapolis 500 for a second time with one of IndyCar’s best organizations.

“What Ryan is going to bring to this team is a shot to win the 500 with another car,” Arrow McLaren team principal Tony Kanaan told RACER. Hunter-Reay concurs.

“They're not fielding that fourth car unless it's one that can absolutely win,” he said. “That's the only reason why I'm going to Indy. I'm not going to Indy to be an IndyCar driver. I'm not going to Indy to be a participant. I'm going there to win.”

Below the surface, it’s an expansive opportunity for one of the century’s best IndyCar drivers in the twilight of an extraordinary career.

“Look, Ryan is a team member now, and we signed a multi-year deal,” Kanaan said. “He can come to every race.”

Dig deeper into Hunter-Reay’s new relationship with the team that placed second in the Indy 500 and the championship, and it’s clear Kanaan and McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown see value in the 44-year-old that extends beyond spending May in the No. 31 Chevy.

“We're doing some development testing next week, and I'll be in the car for that for three days,” said Hunter-Reay, who turns 45 next month. “And it really it's more of an opportunity just to get that working relationship flowing with the majority of the team.”

Drawing from his decades as a title-contending IndyCar driver, Kanaan has acted with great intent while reshaping Arrow McLaren. As many of the players who shaped his greatest successes have become available like Kyle Moyer, Scott Harner and Eric Cowdin, Kanaan’s recruited them to take the program forward.

The same approach applies to the acquisition of his former Andretti Global teammate from 2010, who intersected with the same group of championship-winning personnel on his journey in the sport.

“In my first 15 minutes as I walked in here, it was just familiar face after familiar face after familiar face,” Hunter-Reay said. “And I already sat down with Kyle Moyer, Eric Cowden; Tony and I are very good friends.

"When I came in at the end of 2009 to drive for the team in 2010, Andretti was upside down. They were out of form. And Tony and I, right away from our first Sebring test together, we knew we had the same driving style, and working together, him and I, in conjunction with the other teammates as well, but really, because we had exactly the same driving style, we completely came up with different setups for the 2010 season and got back on form.

"And we had a great working relationship, always did, and we also had a great relationship outside of the racetrack.

“But just that environment here and knowing so many folks already, it's not like I'm just walking into a team in a completely different category that I have no idea who anybody's name is. It's quite the opposite. And, yeah, I have a lot of experiences driving for many different teams. This will be my 10th IndyCar team, if you can believe that.”

Hunter-Reay’s primary assignment is to get the team across the Indy 500’s finish line in first place, be it with his car or in support of teammates Pato O’Ward, Christian Lundgaard, or Nolan Siegel. He and Kanaan will figure out the cadence of how it takes place, but with the testing duties and a new multi-year contract in hand, look for Hunter-Reay to infuse Arrow McLaren with insights on how to raise its game across each season.

“Some of this knowledge and experience that he has as a veteran, because now I'm in a different role and I don't have all the time to spend on it, or I need to focus on more of a global picture, and he can do a little bit more of that for me,” Kanaan said.“It's a lot bigger than just a fourth car on this one. Ryan comes with a full package of knowledge, opinions, questions and the experience that I need to push some of my people.”