Meyer Shank Racing will return next season with an all-new driver lineup led by Felix Rosenqvist, who steps into the No. 60 Honda as teammate to IndyCar rookie Tom Blomqvist, who will pilot the No. 06 Honda.
The Swede, who got his IndyCar start with Chip Ganassi Racing where he won his first race at Road America in 2020, brings four poles, five podiums, and more than 75 races of experience to MSR across five seasons of IndyCar competition. To date, his best championship finish is sixth with CGR, and he backed it up with a run to eighth for Arrow McLaren in 2022.
“I’m super excited to start the next chapter of my IndyCar career together with MSR,” Rosenqvist said. “This will be a great opportunity for myself and MSR to elevate and get to the next level together. I’m also pretty excited to get to work with my old friend Tom again. I’m ready to start working together and getting the next season started.”
Next year’s IndyCar season will see MSR complete a total reset with an all-new driver lineup as the Ohio-based team sets its sights on a successful 2024 season and beyond.
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“We’re very excited to have our 2024 IndyCar plans finalized and to welcome Felix to the team,” said co-owner Mike Shank. “Felix has been someone that has been on our radar for quite some time now and everything lined up this year to work something out with him. It’s no secret that we’ve had a difficult season, with some things out of our control and some things in our control.
“I think we are all looking forward to resetting completely, starting over and getting to work. I think Tom and Felix will work great together and really feed off of each other. We will also have Helio with us at every race to provide his feedback and advice which will be an added bonus, so I think we’re in for a solid year ahead.”
Rosenqvist replaces Simon Pagenaud, who continues to recover from a bad crash in June that has left him with lingering concussion symptoms. Blomqvist replaces Helio Castroneves in a full-time role; the four-time Indianapolis 500 winner has taken an ownership stake in the team and will compete in a third MSR Honda at the next two Indy 500s.
Although Pagenaud’s time with MSR in IndyCar is done, Shank told RACER he remains committed to assisting the former IndyCar champion and Indy 500 winner when he’s ready to resume his driving duties.
“If I can help him going forward, I will for sure, whether that’s here, sports car, or any other thing we end up getting into,” he said. “[But] I don’t think by any means he’s done with racing.”
Pagenaud thanked the team for the opportunity that began in 2022.
“I would like to wish MSR all the best, and thank Mike Shank, Jim Meyer and the whole team for the valuable experiences I’ve gathered through the last two years,” he wrote. “I wish we could have achieved more together over the last two seasons and win races, but we could not make it happen.
“For now, my goal is to fully focus on myself and recuperating. It is a slow process, and I will continue to work with the doctors and do what is necessary to get my health back to 100%.”