Twenty-seven car-and-driver combinations, including two representing the NTT INDYCAR SERIES’ newest team, PREMA Racing, are set for the largest preseason test of the year Feb. 17-18.
The field, led by two-time defending series champion Alex Palou of Chip Ganassi Racing, will be on track Monday and Tuesday at Sebring International Raceway in Florida. There will be seven drivers who won series races last year and three series rookies.
PREMA Racing headlines the list of newcomers, and FIA Formula 2 Championship race winner Robert Shwartzman will prepare for his first NTT INDYCAR SERIES season in the team’s No. 83 Chevrolet. He will be paired with Callum Ilott, who has competed in 38 races in this series. Ilott will drive the team’s new No. 90 Chevrolet.
The rookie class includes the top two finishers in last year’s INDY NXT by Firestone championship: Louis Foster and Jacob Abel. Foster will drive Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing’s No. 45 Honda while Abel pilots Dale Coyne Racing’s No. 51 Honda.
In all, 11 seats have changed hands since the last race of the 2024 season. Among those: Alexander Rossi moving to Ed Carpenter Racing’s No. 21 Chevrolet, Christian Lundgaard joining Arrow McLaren’s No. 7 Chevrolet, David Malukas now in AJ Foyt Racing’s No. 4 Chevrolet, Marcus Armstrong in Meyer Shank Racing’s No. 66 Honda, Devlin DeFrancesco in Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing’s No. 30 Honda and Rinus VeeKay in Dale Coyne Racing’s No. 18 Honda.
Returning race winners from a year ago include Palou and Chip Ganassi Racing teammate Scott Dixon, Team Penske’s Scott McLaughlin, Will Power and Josef Newgarden, Arrow McLaren’s Pato O’Ward and Colton Herta of Andretti Global. Palou won the series title by 31 points over Herta.
This year’s full-time group features 14 entries powered by Chevrolet, 13 partnered with Honda.
The test will be held on Sebring’s 11-turn, 1.67-mile road course. As the facility’s “short course” is being used, INDYCAR will split the field into two groups for the two-day event. Each group will receive more than seven hours of track time, alternating between morning and afternoon sessions.
Group 1 will test Monday from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. and Tuesday from 1:30-5:30 p.m. Group 2’s times are Monday from 1:30-5:30 p.m. and Tuesday from 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m. All times are Eastern.
INDYCAR.com/leaderboard will offer live timing and scoring for all sessions.
The season begins March 2 with the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg presented by RP Funding. All 17 races this season will air live on FOX and the INDYCAR Radio Network, with FOX Deportes also airing live from St. Petersburg.
The participants:
Chevrolet (14)
AJ Foyt Racing: Santino Ferrucci, David Malukas
Arrow McLaren: Christian Lundgaard, Pato O’Ward, Nolan Siegel
Ed Carpenter Racing: Christian Rasmussen, Alexander Rossi
Juncos Hollinger Racing: Conor Daly, Sting Ray Robb
PREMA Racing: Callum Ilott, Robert Shwartzman (R)
Team Penske: Scott McLaughlin, Josef Newgarden, Will Power
Honda (13)
Andretti Global: Marcus Ericsson, Colton Herta, Kyle Kirkwood
Chip Ganassi Racing: Scott Dixon, Alex Palou, Kyffin Simpson
Dale Coyne Racing: Jacob Abel (R), Rinus VeeKay
Meyer Shank Racing: Marcus Armstrong, Felix Rosenqvist
Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing: Devlin DeFrancesco, Louis Foster (R), Graham Rahal
(R) – Rookie