IndyCar: Zachary Claman DeMelo’s move could pay huge dividends

Zachary Claman DeMelo is set to go from IndyCar back to Indy Lights in 2019, but this move could end up paying huge dividends for him.

After competing full-time in Indy Lights in the 2016 and 2017 seasons for Juncos Racing and Carlin, respectively, Zachary Claman DeMelo made his IndyCar debut in the 2017 season finale at Sonoma Raceway behind the wheel of the #13 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda.

The 20-year-old Canadian ended up landing a part-time ride in IndyCar in the 2018 season behind the wheel of the #19 Dale Coyne Racing Honda. He competed in nine of the 17 races on the schedule, as he shared seat time with fellow rookies Pietro Fittipaldi and Santino Ferrucci.

But in the 2019 season, Claman DeMelo will not be returning to IndyCar, as he is set to return to Indy Lights. He is set to do so driving for Belardi Auto Racing.

But while this move may seem like a step backwards for the driver who finished in ninth and fifth place in the 2016 and 2017 Indy Lights championship standings, respectively, it could end up paying huge dividends.

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With all things considered, it was not likely that Claman DeMelo would end up landing a ride, even a part-time ride, in IndyCar in the 2019 season. Ferrucci signed with Dale Coyne Racing as the full-time driver of the #19 Honda, and many of the other previously open seats have filled up.

As opposed to spending time trying to put together a part-time deal at best or competing in a series completely unrelated to IndyCar, Claman DeMelo made the extremely rare decision to take a step back by staying in the Road to Indy ladder in the series that is just one step below IndyCar, the series in which he is set to compete to a win a $1.1 million scholarship prize.

Claman DeMelo, who has earned one victory, four podium finishes, 10 top five finishes and 23 top 10 finishes in 34 career Indy Lights starts, clearly has the talent to compete in IndyCar, and he showed it on multiple occasions in his limited time behind the wheel of the #19 Honda in the 2018 season.

While his best finish was only a 12th place finish in the race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course, Claman DeMelo put together several other noteworthy performances throughout the season.

First of all, in just his fourth career IndyCar race, which took place at Barber Motorsports Park, Claman DeMelo recorded the fastest lap of the race. Unfortunately, he did it on the second day of the race, which was suspended by rain, and he was already multiple laps down from a debatable penalty that he was given the previous day during the race’s first red flag period. He finished this race in 19th place after starting it in 16th.

Secondly, by leading seven laps of the Indianapolis 500 after starting in 13th place, Claman DeMelo was one of only six drivers to lead more than four of the race’s 200 laps in a race that featured very few on-track lead changes. He was running in the top three with only a handful of laps remaining before he had to make his final pit stop for fuel and ended up finishing back in 19th.

Finally, Claman DeMelo was in line for a top five finish in the race at the high-banked Texas Motor Speedway before he was ultimately taken out by Indy 500 champion Will Power, who admitted immediately after the wreck that the incident was 100% his fault. Claman DeMelo was officially scored in 17th place after starting the race in 21st.

By accepting the fact that he would likely not end up landing a ride in IndyCar in the 2019 season, Claman DeMelo made the decision to drive in the series that will get him the second most attention among IndyCar team owners (behind IndyCar).

If he performs like he has shown he can perform in Indy Lights, Claman DeMelo will surely turn some heads among IndyCar team owners. The fact that he has 10 career IndyCar starts under his belt should also bode well for him.

Zach Veach is the most recent good example of a driver who has returned to Indy Lights and had it pay off. While it was an injury that sidelined him for the 2015 season as opposed to a part-time IndyCar ride, he returned to the series for the 2016 season.

After spending five seasons driving for Andretti Autosport across the U.S. F2000 National Championship (2010 and 2011), the Star Mazda Championship (2012) and Indy Lights (2013 and 2014), he returned to Indy Lights for the 2016 season, and he did so as a driver for Belardi Auto Racing.

About a year and a half later, he was confirmed as an Andretti Autosport driver for the 2018 IndyCar season on a three-year contract, and his growth throughout his rookie season was substantial.

Will Zachary Claman DeMelo’s decision to return to Indy Lights for the 2019 season end up paying huge dividends as far as a potential future in IndyCar is concerned? The 18-race 2019 Indy Lights season is scheduled to begin on Saturday, March 9, 2019 with the first race of the St. Petersburg 100 on the streets of St. Petersburg, Florida, so be sure not to miss it.