IndyCar: 3 possible replacements for Jack Harvey in 2024

Possible RLL drivers for 2024 IndyCar season: No. 3 – Juri Vips

Juri Vips has been in a Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing car before. The 23-year-old from Estonia has tested for the team twice in the past year, first during the offseason at Sebring International Raceway and more recently at Barber Motorsports Park earlier this season.

He drove the No. 30 Honda for the team at Barber while Jack Harvey wasn’t cleared after a crash on the streets of St. Petersburg to open up the season, and now he is set to drive it at Portland International Raceway and WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca to close out the season.

Vips was previously a part of the Red Bull Junior Team and served as Red Bull’s reserve driver during the 2022 Formula 1 season. He is currently looking for a second chance in racing after Red Bull cut ties with him due to a Twitch controversy in which he used a racial slur during a livestream.

Like Christian Lundgaard, Vips is a multiple race winner in Formula 2. Given his experience on permanent road courses, it was widely expected that the team may give him a chance during one of the last two races of 2023 season, and that is exactly what they have done.

While scoring points is no doubt a priority for the team, this could serve as an opportunity to see what he is made of and evaluate him for next year.

Having Vips run the street and road course races next year while Conor Daly drives the No. 30 Honda on ovals is also not out of the question. This would give Vips a chance to be with the team and begin learning how IndyCar works without thrusting him straight into oval racing.

Regardless of who takes over the No. 30 Honda from Jack Harvey, they will have their work cut out for them, with veteran Graham Rahal and budding star Christian Lundgaard shooting for a big 2024.