IndyCar silly season in holding pattern as the big fish close on deals

We haven’t had much movement in the silly season during the month that followed Mid-Ohio where nothing but big news was made as Felix Rosenqvist and Scott Dixon confirmed their exits for Arrow McLaren and Arrow McLaren confirmed the upcoming departures of Christian Lundgaard and Nolan Siegel.

As we noted in our last silly season update, Marcus Ericsson was next on the list to have his immediate future confirmed by staying with Andretti Global, and that’s precisely what happened today as the team announced the signing of the 2022 Indianapolis 500 winner to a one-year extension. There’s more that could be announced before August is over, but the post-season that awaits in September is where most of the unresolved business in the paddock is expected to be completed or revealed.

The two hottest seats to fill are found at Chip Ganassi Racing, as the team prepares to name Dixon’s successor in the No. 9 Honda, and Meyer Shank Racing, which continues to wait and see who’ll identify themselves as the right driver to replace Rosenqvist. At least for one of those two teams, the answer has been found.

AJ Foyt Racing: Both seats remain available as Santino Ferrucci in the No. 14 Chevy and Caio Collet in the No. 4 Chevy are unsigned for 2027. I continue to hear both could return, one could return, and that it’s possible – but highly unlikely – for two new drivers to enter the fray.

Ferrucci, who’s been with the team since 2023, has led the program since his arrival and awaits a decision on whether he’ll be retained in that role. Depending on the timing of that call, Foyt’s options to upgrade the No. 14 could be limited since, as you’ll read below, most of the bigger names are already taken or simply waiting to be confirmed or inked to new deals that are being penned.

Collet continues to draw interest from Foyt’s rivals, but the market appears to be shrinking. Foyt has an option on the rookie, and holding onto him and the funding his sponsors bring, along with paying Ferrucci, are at the heart of the decision-making process for the team. Generating income, especially with new cars to purchase leading into 2028, is understood to be a top priority.

Since our last update, Siegel’s name has been mentioned on a regular basis as a potential candidate to join Foyt, and with his aptitude on ovals and ability to offer a significant budget, the Californian could be a perfect fit for the team if a vacancy in either car were to emerge.

Lesser drivers with greater budgets are also options for the team, but as it found earlier in the decade, assembling a crew to support a car that’s destined to run at the bottom of the field is both difficult and costly as crew members come at a premium price to endure a season of competitive misery.

Myles Rowe, who was earmarked for some kind of opportunity at Foyt – possibly the Indy 500 in a Penske-assisted entry – is no longer expected to factor in Penske’s future plans.

Andretti Global: Its roster is set for 2027 with Ericsson, Kyle Kirkwood and Will Power.

Arrow McLaren: Its roster is set for 2027 with Pato O’Ward, Dixon and Rosenqvist.

Chip Ganassi Racing: It isn’t ready for formal confirmation, but be prepared for Christian Lundgaard to join CGR as Dixon’s replacement.

The team explored going the next-generation route with signing a star-caliber F2 driver with the need to develop their talent over the next two to three years, or go with a proven IndyCar commodity like Lundgaard and develop any shortcomings they might have, and all indicators point to the second option being chosen.

I’ve been told by two sources that Lundgaard’s either met with or is set to meet with the executive leadership team at PNC Bank, the No. 9 Honda’s longstanding primary sponsor, which would suggest the intent for Lundgaard to join Alex Palou and Kyffin Simpson has reached the point of matrimony. In wedding terms, this is getting the parents’ blessing to wed, and from there, the only thing left is the ceremony.

Historically, Ganassi likes to wait until the season is over before driver announcements are made, and as long as the team, driver and sponsor are aligned on where they’re headed, it doesn’t really matter when they confirm it to the rest of the world.

Palou, Lundgaard and Simpson vs O’Ward, Dixon and Rosenqvist.

It will mark the first time Ganassi has two drivers signed by McLaren on his roster with Alex and Christian, and in kind, McLaren will have two ex-Ganassi drivers on its roster for the first time with Scott and Felix. These two teams are hilarious.

VeeKay has impressed with Juncos Hollinger this season, but it's not clear he has another option even if he wants one. Gavin Baker/Lumen via Getty Images

Dale Coyne Racing: If the current thinking carries forward for 2027, rookie Dennis Hauger will be moved into the lead driver slot next season in a car that carries full sponsorship. It would provide the Indy NXT champion with a lifeline to continue in IndyCar after Andretti Global opted to cancel its plans to place him in Ericsson’s car next year, and would relieve the new problem he faces without ongoing financial support from Andretti.

Provided this comes to pass for Hauger and the team moves on from Romain Grosjean, it would open the second car Hauger currently occupies for business, and that’s where Coyne is highly experienced at finding young drivers with backing and giving them their first shot in IndyCar.

Indy NXT title contender Enzo Fittipaldi is said to be among the talents on Coyne’s radar, and I’d expect the list to be at least 12 deep as the team works through its options during the offseason.

Dreyer & Reinbold Racing: Nothing has changed on this front as Conor Daly is said to be headed towards a full-time return, and I keep hearing an alignment with Honda, which would also align with Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing and open DRR and RLL to consummate a technical alliance, is something to track.

Ed Carpenter Racing: Its roster is set for 2027 with Alexander Rossi and Christian Rasmussen.

Juncos Hollinger Racing: Both seats remain available as Rinus VeeKay in the No. 76 Chevy and Sting Ray Robb in the No. 77 Chevy are unsigned for 2027.

VeeKay has carried plenty of interest from bigger teams like Ganassi and Meyer Shank, but with the offer-matching clause Juncos Hollinger is said to have in VeeKay’s contract, Ganassi has gone with Lundgaard and Meyer Shank isn’t expected to try and out-duel Hollinger in a bidding war for VeeKay’s services.

The same is true for Foyt, which points back to what I’ve heard throughout the paddock and that’s an expectation for VeeKay to stay with JHR for another season. Having risen to 10th in the championship entering Portland, there are no teams in play to consider that would be an upgrade to JHR, which is why a continuation makes the most sense for both parties.

Robb is not part of the team’s future plans and has been searching for new IndyCar homes with the rumored $15 million to offer for 2027. At present, I’m unaware of any takers, and if that remains to be the case, a shift to IMSA could be on the cards for Robb.

The forever-long divorce between Ricardo Juncos and Brad Hollinger remains unresolved. If and when that’s completed, Hollinger is expected to sign and welcome at least one new investor into the team. With that done, everything from aligning with Arrow McLaren to fielding Chevrolet’s manufacturer charter entry in 2028 is said to be possible, but only after the current partnership is dissolved.

With a number of high hurdles to clear, it’s hard to say who would replace Robb, but look to a young driver to develop alongside an established pro like VeeKay with a Collet, or Linus Lundqvist, or similar to receive serious consideration.

Meyer Shank Racing: MSR finds itself in a similar situation with Marcus Armstrong being signed to an extension that places him in a team-leading role and gives the double Indy 500 winners the latitude to search for a young or emerging driver to develop in its second car.

Coming off his first breakout race as a rookie, and with his seat set to disappear in a few weeks, I continue to look at Mick Schumacher as a strong candidate for MSR, which places a high value on oval results and just saw the RLL driver lead the team – and convincingly so – at Nashville on the way to placing eighth.

The lifelong road racer has yet to deliver a similar front-running finish on a road or street course, but if he can impress this weekend in Portland, or in the coming events at Markham or Washington, D.C., he might punch his ticket to landing with MSR.

Add in the significant sponsor Schumacher is understood to have found, and he could be everything the Ganassi-affiliated team needs, but not before he crosses the finish line with something far better than 17th, which stands as his top road/street result this season.

After Schumacher, and with the Lundgaards, Ericssons and VeeKays either unavailable or not on the shopping list, there’s a Collet or Hauger to consider, but there’s also some strong possibilities in Indy NXT who are attracting interest, and in some cases, those drivers also have budgets to wield.

MSR has time to wait and watch how the trio of IndyCar rookies and the handful of NXT options perform over the next month before deciding who to pick as Armstrong’s new teammate.

With the Ganassi link in mind, it’s the best seat left to claim, and if you’re a fan of stampedes, there’s a bunch of drivers who are angling to get the nod from Jim Meyer and Mike Shank to sit in future engineering debriefs with Palou, Lundgaard, Armstrong, Simpson and Helio Castroneves at the Indy 500.

Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing: With its downsizing to two cars, RLL has Graham Rahal and Louis Foster under contract for 2027. Foster, who was signed to a multi-year extension last season, is under scrutiny to deliver at a higher and more consistent level.

Team Penske: Its roster is set for 2027 with Josef Newgarden, Scott McLaughlin and David Malukas.