IndyCar silly season upended as Dixon prepares to leave Ganassi

In our last IndyCar Silly Season update just prior to the Road America race, where we revealed Felix Rosenqvist will leave Meyer Shank Racing, I wrote that I’d yet to find credible sources to support the rumor that Scott Dixon was leaving Chip Ganassi Racing for Arrow McLaren.

Over the Road America weekend, and in the week-plus that’s followed, those sources have been found. The six-time champion and greatest IndyCar driver of his generation is set to complete his 25th and last season with Ganassi in 2026, and move to Arrow McLaren as the biggest signing in the team’s history.

It’s also important to clarify that while we’ve been hearing the rumors for a good while, nothing official has been offered by the teams. Dixon, as well, has not publicly stated his intentions. I called, and didn’t get a response.

Despite the absence of outward confirmation, Arrow McLaren hasn’t hidden its giddiness within the paddock as numerous members of the organization have quietly stated that Dixon is signed and headed their way.

On the Ganassi side, a meeting between Dixon and Ganassi is known to have taken place, during which the all-timer informed Ganassi of his desire to leave. He’s also said to have wound down communications with the team –outside of racing-specific matters with the No. 9 Honda – on anything related to the future.

In kind, the team has accepted the pressing need to identify and sign his replacement in Ganassi’s most successful entry.

This is IndyCar’s version of NFL great Tom Brady, at the age of 42, leaving the New England Patriots after 20 years and six Super Bowls to seek one more crown with the less heralded Tamba Bay Buccaneers, which he achieved in 2020.

Racing-related moves in the modern era that fit the Dixon-to-McLaren model are equally rare, and include Lewis Hamilton departing Mercedes for Ferrari after 12 seasons and six world titles, and the late Kyle Busch, who captured two NASCAR Cup championships in 15 season at Joe Gibbs Racing before joining Richard Childress Racing.

And in all three instances, the 46-year-old Dixon has the record on tenure – a full quarter century with Ganassi – which makes the decision to race with another team in the twilight of his career such a mind-blowing concept to process.

Barring an unforeseen plot twist, and there have been many between these two organizations, one program has eight races left to run with its team-defining driver, and the other has to wait eight more races before it welcomes the New Zealander into the papaya-colored world founded by his countryman and hero Bruce McLaren.

FELIX ROSENQVIST

The move will also reunite Dixon with one of his favorite partners in Felix Rosenqvist, at the team led by Tony Kanaan – who was one of Dixon’s other favorite Ganassi teammates – and Scott Harner, Arrow McLaren’s director of race operations, who was a team manager on Dixon’s No. 9 Ganassi car for many of its championships.

Rosenqvist made his IndyCar debut in 2019 as Dixon’s Ganassi understudy in the No. 10 Honda and spent two seasons alongside him, during which time Dixon won the 2020 championship in emphatic style before McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown signed Rosenqvist to join Arrow McLaren from 2021-2023.

Rosenqvist appears destined to be reunited with former Ganassi teammate Dixon at Arrow McLaren. James Black/Penske Entertainment

Ganassi, in turn, replaced Rosenqvist with Alex Palou, who’s gone on to win four championships in the same car and is striving to win his fifth – and fourth in a row – with the No. 10 entry.

Rosenqvist and sole returning Arrow McLaren driver Pato O’Ward formed a strong interpersonal bond during their three seasons that went far beyond the race track. With the 34-year-old Rosenqvist as the central figure, the preexisting chemistry with O’Ward, and with Dixon, is an immensely powerful asset for Arrow McLaren. This might be a new roster, but it’s a union of close friends with years of experience working closely, and the Swede serving as the established bridge.

The reputational gains by adding two Indianapolis 500 winners, and the sponsorship capabilities offered by onboarding the newest Indy 500 winner, is another key element for the promotions-savvy team.

CHRISTIAN LUNDGAARD

Welcome to the part of the silly season that defines why it’s referred to as the silly season.

Yes, the 24-year-old Dane, the only driver to stand on the podium for Arrow McLaren this season (four times from 10 races), and the only driver to win so far for Arrow McLaren (twice), and the highest-placed Arrow McLaren driver in the championship (fourth), is headed to the free agent market. But why?

Ovals. It’s believed Lundgaard’s limited results and modest growth on ovals while at Arrow McLaren led to a search for drivers who can complement O’Ward as perennial threats to win the Indy 500.

Lundgaard is already a two-time winner for Arrow McLaren this year, but his limited results on ovals is leading him into free agency. Joe Skibinski/Penske Entertainment

With Dixon and Rosenqvist, Arrow McLaren becomes one of the deepest teams at the Speedway, and on ovals in general, along with Team Penske and Andretti Global. Before the upcoming moves, it was one of the weakest, with O’Ward as its only proven oval contender.

Brown and Kanaan are known to have a goal to win another Triple Crown for McLaren, which likely motivated the changes in play.

As the timelines have been described, Dixon has been eyeing Arrow McLaren for a while. I can’t say when the decision was made to join, but he’s been tipped to land at McLaren for years, and the interest on both sides is nothing new. Contact with Rosenqvist, however, didn’t happen until after the Indy 500.

As Rosenqvist went unsigned by MSR coming out of Indy and continued to remain available into June, he was courted by multiple teams and settled on Arrow McLaren before Lundgaard’s amazing last-to-first performance at Road America.

Rosenqvist informed MSR of his decision to decline the counteroffer it made just prior to the start of activities at Road America, which might help to reframe the decision to move on from Lundgaard as being something other than sudden. Assuming Dixon’s deal was done first, his long-term manager Stefan Johansson had another client to offer McLaren in Rosenqvist, which brings us back to Lundgaard’s situation.

Teams with potential landing places to pay Lundgaard include AJ Foyt Racing if Santino Ferrucci isn’t retained, Andretti Global if it elects to split with Marcus Ericsson, Ganassi with Dixon’s No. 9 car, Juncos Hollinger Racing, MSR with Rosenqvist’s No. 60, and his former team Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing if Mick Schumacher chooses to depart.

I’m told Schumacher intends to return next season, so if that happens, there would be no space for Lundgaard. If Schumacher opts to leave RLL and sign elsewhere – assuming there’s a market for his services –a reunion could be possible, provided Lundgaard would want to return.

DALE COYNE RACING

The Dixon and Rosenqvist Arrow McLaren news is the major item to process, but it’s not the only significant development to emerge since Road America.

Multiple sources indicate that Andretti Global has given 2025 Indy NXT champion Dennis Hauger permission to seek a new deal with other teams after the season is over in the No. 19 DCR Honda.

Hauger was retained by Andretti after winning the NXT title and placed with DCR, where Andretti is said to be covering most of the budget. In that plan, the expectation was to bring the Norwegian back in 2027 to replace the underperforming Marcus Ericsson.

And then Ericsson turned up for the 2026 season in a highly competitive state – the ‘Drive Angry’ version of the Swede – and rendered the Hauger-to-Andretti move unnecessary.

Marcus Ericsson's return to form at Andretti has made life complicated for Dennis Hauger, who was in line to replace the Swede. Travis Hinkle/Penske Entertainment

Hauger is understood to have started exploring his options, and while DCR wants him back, its second car requires full funding. The absence of Andretti’s backing will make holding onto the No. 19 a serious challenge.

It likely means that Hauger will need to find a new IndyCar home on pure talent – hired for his capabilities more than anything his loyal but modest sponsors can afford – so the next eight races will be crucial to showcase his skills to those who are looking to acquire a rising prospect.

ANDRETTI GLOBAL

There’s no guarantee, but the call by Andretti to let Hauger move on could be an indicator of its intent to extend Ericsson in the No. 28 Honda.

Ericsson, a formidable presence on ovals, has proven to be its No. 2 driver through 10 races, and that might be what’s behind the surprising shift with Hauger. I continue to hear interest expressed from other teams in hiring Ericsson, so he should have options outside of Andretti. The unanticipated availability of Lundgaard is a new wrinkle for Andretti to contemplate.

MEYER SHANK RACING

MSR has one priority right now, and it’s keeping Marcus Armstrong. The Kiwi also wants to stay with MSR, which should lead to a continuation of their relationship for at least another year.

Resolving the Rosenqvist situation is said to be the next item on MSR’s to-do list, and it has received an overwhelming array of outreaches from drivers in F1, F2, and IndyCar.

Pick from the known candidates – Rinus VeeKay, Hauger, Lundgaard, and so on – and then pile a dozen others who want to place their names on the Indy 500-winning car. This should be a fascinating process to follow, since MSR appears to have no shortage of impressive options to ponder.

CHIP GANASSI RACING

There has been an assumption that Dixon and Lundgaard will simply switch places next season. It is a possibility, but it’s also far from guaranteed.

Losing Dixon due to retirement would be one thing. It would come with an extended offramp for Ganassi to use by placing a young prospect at MSR to develop before pulling them upwards into the No. 9 in 2028. But with the shorter replacement timeframe at hand, Ganassi finds itself with no runway to develop and ready a successor for its longstanding leader.

The chance to join Palou and step into an entry that’s won six IndyCar championships and propelled Dixon to second on the list of all-time wins can be expected to command more interest than any other seat in the series. Take all of the drivers who’ve contacted MSR, triple the figure, and that’s what Ganassi can look forward to for options.

How do you replace one of the greatest to ever do it? That's the question being weighed up at Chip Ganassi Racing. Brandon Badraoui/Getty Images

The once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to replace Dixon in the vaunted No. 9 car is why Ganassi won’t charge into signing a Lundgaard, or any other driver, with haste. The person chosen will say a lot about the team’s vision for its immediate future.

Should Ganassi go after a young IndyCar veteran who could be a quality performer next to Palou, but might be a work in progress on ovals or some other aspect of their game? Or should the team look to a big prospect from Formula 2 like Luke Browning, start with a clean slate, and build a new driver to its unique standards like it has done in the past with Dixon and Palou?

Both involve adaptation, but come with different starting points. Go with the young vet, and there might be more to extract from what they’ve shown, but maybe not. Or, go with the brand-new solution where there’s no guarantee they’ll excel, but there’s also no evidence of a ceiling or limitations to overcome. It’s Dixon they’ll be replacing, after all. There are plenty of good options to place next to Palou, but this is a newfound need to discover greatness that’s capable of filling Dixon’s giant void.

Buy or build? That’s the first question for Ganassi to answer.

JOSH PIERSON

Josh Pierson, who is in his fourth Indy NXT season and first with Andretti Global, has four podiums, placed sixth in last year’s championship with HMD Motorsports, and is said to be shopping a mighty two-year deal to teams.

At 20 years old, the Oregonian has a remarkable amount of experience across junior open-wheel racing and sports cars, where he spent two full seasons in the FIA World Endurance Championship’s LMP2 category in his teens. He sits 10th in the current NXT standings and finds himself at the point in his career where there’s nothing left to learn in NXT and needs to land one of the limited seats for hire in IndyCar or pivot to sports cars.

With Hauger’s tenuous situation at Coyne in its for-hire car, Pierson, who’s rumored to have more than $10 million per year to offer, would be a natural candidate for the drive. Depending on where AJ Foyt Racing and Juncos Hollinger Racing end up with their second for-hire cars, Pierson could also be a prime candidate to replace a Caio Collet or Sting Ray Robb if they do not continue with their respective teams.