New NTT INDYCAR SERIES driver Linus Lundqvist says that he has been grateful for the seat time that he had this season with Meyer Shank Racing in 2023 as he prepares to race for Chip Ganassi Racing full-time in 2024. Speaking to Paddock Eye following the news on Thursday, Lundqvist said:
Yeah, absolutely. Having done these three races this year has helped me tremendously, and in almost an ironic way, this year seems to have prepared me the best possible way for next year, so I’m extremely thankful for the opportunity that I have with Meyer Shank Racing.
I was happy as well that we were able to do Nashville, a street course, Indy, a road course, and then Gateway, a short oval, and then having tested at Texas earlier this year, a superspeedway. So we’ve ticked a lot of boxes this year.
I would have liked to have ticked all of them and been racing full-time, but if not, this turned out to be the second best way, and hopefully, like I say, next year I’ve already done a few races and have that under my belt.
I have the relationship with Honda, know how they work. I’m looking forward to getting stuck into it now with Chip Ganassi Racing and all these new people I’m going to be working with.
The Swede will race alongside Scott Dixon, a six-time series champion, and Alex Palou, who is on the verge of winning his second title and speaking about working with the drivers and the team as a whole, beginning with the BitNile.com Portland Grand Prix and speaking to Paddock Eye about this, Lundqvist commented saying:
I’m extremely excited to be working not only with the drivers, but you look at the mechanic and engineering side, it’s some of the best names in the sport, and you just look at the team’s history, you know that you’re going to be able to fight for wins and podiums at almost every race.
That’s everything and more as a driver you could ask for.
I’m excited. Like I said, learning from especially the all-time great Scott Dixon, and especially maybe these last two races I’m going to try to see and work out the mystery that he is and see what I can pick up.
Speaking about what it is going to be like competing in the Indianapolis 500, The Greatest Spectacle In Racing next May, Lundqvist commented:
I have been, and I cannot begin to describe how excited I am to be racing in that one. I’ve been there for the last three years, and the first two years I was more than excited to be in the grandstand just watching and taking it in.
This year was the first time I went there and I felt like the only thing that I wanted to do was race in it myself. I was just like, okay, I’m done being on the sideline. I want to do this race so badly. Yeah, that will be one of if not the highlight of the year going into next year.