IndyCar: Could Dale Coyne Racing have multiple drivers in the #19 Honda in 2018?

By Asher Fair | Jan 21, 2018

AVONDALE, AZ - APRIL 29: Ed Jones of United Arab Emirates, driver of the Dale Coyne Racing Honda drives in the Desert Diamond West Valley Phoenix Grand Prix at Phoenix International Raceway on April 29, 2017 in Avondale, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /

The lone full-time ride available for the 2018 IndyCar season is with Dale Coyne Racing. Could multiple drivers end up sharing the seat?

There are less than two months to go before the 2018 IndyCar season opens up with the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on Sunday, March 11th. That race was won by 38-year-old Sebastien Bourdais, who drives for Dale Coyne Racing, last year. Meanwhile, Dale Coyne Racing are the lone team in the sport without a completed driver lineup for the 2018 season.

Bourdais, who drives the #18 Honda for the team, is set to return for another season. Ed Jones, 22, was expected to do the same after driving the #19 Honda for the team in his rookie season. But that is not going to happen.

Chip Ganassi Racing parted ways with Tony Kanaan, the driver of the #10 Honda, following the conclusion of the 2017 season. Brendon Hartley was widely tipped to land the ride with the team and become a teammate to four-time champion Scott Dixon. However, Hartley ended up securing a ride in Formula One driving for Scuderia Toro Rosso.

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Chip Ganassi Racing proceeded to sign Jones to a full-time ride for the 2018 season.

But that happened nearly three months ago, and Dale Coyne Racing are still without a second confirmed full-time driver. While Zachary Claman DeMelo, Conor Daly and other drivers such as Jack Hawksworth have been considered, no one has been confirmed yet. Is there a chance we could see multiple part-time drivers driving the #19 Honda in the 2018 IndyCar season?

There is definitely a chance. The 2017 season was the first season since the 2014 season during which two full-time drivers drove for Dale Coyne Racing with Bourdais and Jones. In the 2015 season, Carlos Huertas, Conor Daly, Rodolfo Gonzalez, Tristan Vautier and Pippa Mann all shared time in the #18 Honda while Francesco Dracone, James Davison and Vautier shared time in the #19 Honda.

In the 2016 season, Conor Daly was the full-time driver of the #18 Honda, giving the team a full-time driver for the first time since the 2014 season. However, Luca Filippi, Gabby Chaves, R.C. Enerson and Pippa Mann all shared time in the #19 Honda.

As stated, prior to the 2017 season, the most recent season during which Dale Coyne Racing had two full-time drivers was the 2014 season. For that entire season, Carlos Huertas drove the #18 Honda and the late Justin Wilson drove the #19 Honda.

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With several drivers still in the mix to drive the second car for Dale Coyne Racing in the 2018 IndyCar season, is there a shot that more than multiple drivers will end up driving the #19 Honda this season as part-time drivers? With just under two months until the season is set to begin, we should find out very soon.