IndyCar: 3 drivers who switched cars, but not teams

Several changes were made to the IndyCar driver lineup between the 2022 and 2023 seasons, but some didn’t affect much more than car number.

As is the case each silly season, several changes were made to the IndyCar driver lineup ahead of the 2023 season.

Some drivers who competed full-time in 2022 are no longer doing so, while some drivers who did not compete in 2022 are set to do so, including a number of rookie drivers.

In total, there are set to be 27 entries that run the full 17-race schedule, including 26 for full-time drivers. One full-time entry is set to be shared by two drivers, one in the road and street course races and another in the oval races.

But three drivers have changed cars without actually changing teams for the 2023 IndyCar season.

Those three drivers are Arrow McLaren’s Felix Rosenqvist and Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing teammates Christian Lundgaard and Jack Harvey.

Rosenqvist is set for a third season with Arrow McLaren in 2023, but he is set to drive the No. 6 Chevrolet, which the team haven’t run full-time since 2018, instead of the No. 7 Chevrolet he drove in 2021 and 2022.

This move came amid the team’s expansion from two to three cars. Instead of adding incoming ex-Andretti Autosport driver Alexander Rossi to the third car, they moved him to the No. 7 Chevrolet. Replacing Rossi behind the wheel of the No. 27 Honda is ex-A.J. Foyt Enterprises driver Kyle Kirkwood.

As for Lundgaard and Harvey, both are set for their second seasons with Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing. Lundgaard drove the No. 30 Honda last year while Harvey drove the No. 45 Honda. But in 2023, Lundgaard is set to drive the No. 45 Honda, and Harvey is set to drive the No. 30 Honda.

This move came primarily due to HyVee. HyVee is the primary sponsor of the No. 45 Honda, and Lundgaard had a much better 2022 season than Harvey.

The rookie Lundgaard finished in 14th place in the championship standings and won Rookie of the Year honors with two top five finishes, including a runner-up finish at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course. The veteran Harvey, meanwhile, finished no higher than 10th place and ended up 22nd in the standings.

Given HyVee’s increased role in promoting the sport, including but not limited to their sponsorship of Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing and their sponsorship of the Iowa Speedway doubleheader, Lundgaard’s upside and potential meant that it made more sense to put him in the HyVee car moving forward.

The 2023 IndyCar season is scheduled to get underway on the streets of St. Petersburg, Florida on Sunday, March 5. The Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg presented by RP Funding is set to be broadcast live on NBC beginning at 12:00 p.m. ET. Begin a free trial of FuboTV today and don’t miss it!