Lundgaard tuning out noise as he awaits final word on future with Arrow McLaren

Christian Lundgaard is well paid to be a professional racecar driver, and part of the job involves ignoring distractions that rise up while on track and in the paddock as his departure from Arrow McLaren awaits formal confirmation from the team.

The rapid Dane knows that’s expected to happen at season’s end when Chip Ganassi Racing’s Scott Dixon is meant to take control of Lundgaard’s No. 7 Chevy, but the steely performer didn’t let increasing volume of that chatter get in the way of taking pole position for Sunday’s Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio.

“Well, for me, it's just noise,” Lundgaard said. “Once you're in the car, I don't really think anything matters. The talk is for next year, not this year. I still have a job to do and a job to finish. What next year brings, I still don't know. My guess is as good as yours is from that regard. But as long as I keep doing the best that I can and keep winning races, I feel like those results speak for themselves.”

Lundgaard and his race engineer Chris Lawrence have hit their stride in 2026, with two wins and a pole over the last six events.

“I feel like we were gaining so much momentum throughout last year,” he added. “We had two great races in Portland and Laguna last year, two road courses, and again, they're still yet to come. What can we do there at the end of this year?

“But I feel like our road course package has been really good on Sunday, and we've definitely struggled in qualifying. I don't think that's a secret. I think that's why today feels better as a team to be one-two because I feel like we definitely have struggled in qualifying.”