The RACER Mailbag, October 23

Welcome to the RACER Mailbag. Queries for any of RACER’s writers can be sent to mailbag@racer.com. We enjoy receiving your comments and thoughts, but letters with questions are more likely to be featured. Questions submitted after 3pm ET each Monday will be held for the following week.

Q: What’s the latest with Jamie Chadwick in 2025? The Andretti Global website lists drivers for their NXT program, but Jamie is not included. She recently tested at Barber. Is she moving up next year? Will Andretti have four full-time cars?

Michael Andretti seemed to have a significant mentoring role for her. Does his recent departure from day-to-day activities affect her status?

Terry J., Maryland

MARSHALL PRUETT: Jamie is forging her own path, and the lack of opportunities to race in IndyCar with Andretti has been known for some time. Her focus has been on creating her own path with her own sponsors, so Michael’s departure is not related to Jamie’s career direction.

Her goal is IndyCar, and as our F1 reporter Chris Medland mentioned, she is facing challenges such as securing a significant budget to attract one of the few teams with available seats. She was strong in Indy NXT, but not dominant as other drivers consistently outperformed her. It might be beneficial for her to spend another year in NXT to enhance her chances of attracting interest from IndyCar teams.

Q: Have you heard any updates on the 2024 Rookie of the Year? Kyffin Simpson is rumored to be in the No.8 car with Ganassi. Is there a chance Linus Lundqvist retains the No.8 or is he looking at other opportunities?

MP: Kyffin is currently testing in Europe with his race engineer, suggesting he is returning to IndyCar with Ganassi. Linus is a strong contender for remaining seats in the series but not with Ganassi in IndyCar.

Q: With the new Charter system in place in IndyCar, how will this impact one-off teams for the Indy 500, like Dreyer & Reinbold? Will Cusick Motorsports continue to partner with them next year?

Ted Yezman, Sonoma, CA

MP: Dennis Reinbold hinted at a possible departure from the series due to exclusion from the charter system. Don Cusick will be returning with Dreyer & Reinbold for the upcoming season with official announcements to come.

Q: Looking forward to this weekend’s Mazda MX-5 Cup race. How many guest drivers are expected? Any chance of seeing Parker or the Mayor? Who would you like to see as a guest next year?

MP: If Dale Jr isn’t racing, what’s the point of life? I would love to see Newgarden and Pato recreate the Indy 500 finish for the entire race.

Q: After reading about Hailie Deegan in last week’s Mailbag, I believe she has the potential to excel in other racing series. Do you think she would do well in sprint cars or midgets on dirt?

Pete Pfankuch, Wisconsin

MP: Hailie Deegan showed improvement in her first laps in the Dallara IL15-AER Indy NXT car and has the potential to progress further with time and experience. She has the opportunity to follow a similar path to Ernie Francis Jr at HMD Motorsports.