IndyCar announcement leaves one team with an empty seat for 2025

Dale Coyne Racing entered 2025 as the only IndyCar team still needing to complete their driver lineup, as they had not announced any drivers for either of their two Honda-powered entries.

The 2024 season was the team's first without a full-time driver since 2015, and not surprisingly, it was their first season without a podium finish since 2015 as well. They failed to finish a single race inside the top 12, something that hadn't happened since Dale Coyne himself was the team's driver in 1987.

But in 2025, Dale Coyne Racing are indeed set to have at least one full-time driver. 2024 Indy NXT championship runner-up Jacob Abel has signed with the team to pilot the No. 51 Honda throughout the upcoming 17-race season. The 23-year-old Louisville, Kentucky native won three races last season.

The No. 51 Honda is one of the 25 chartered entries, meaning that it is locked into every race on the schedule except for the 109th running of the Indy 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. It is one of 27 full-time entries, as Prema Racing's two full-time entries are not chartered cars.

The 26 full-time entries with confirmed drivers are all set to be driven by full-time drivers in 2025.

Coyne's confirmation of Abel means that there is just one full-time entry left without a confirmed driver for the 2025, and that is the No. 18 Dale Coyne Racing Honda.

There are plenty of drivers still seeking new rides for the 2025 season, giving Dale Coyne Racing a plethora of options to choose from. Their goal is to announce a driver for the No. 18 Honda within three weeks, and they would ideally like to add a second full-time driver rather than several part-time drivers.

2024 Rookie of the Year Linus Lundqvist, who was dropped by Chip Ganassi Racing simply because of the fact that the team downsized from five to three cars amid the introduction of the new charter system, is said to be among the top candidates.

Rinus VeeKay, who tested for Dale Coyne Racing at the Indianapolis oval following the 2024 season, is also reportedly under consideration. VeeKay, who won at the Indianapolis road course in 2021, was dropped by Ed Carpenter Racing after five seasons.

The 2025 IndyCar season is scheduled to get underway on Sunday, March 2 with the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. Live coverage is set to be provided by Fox from the streets of St. Petersburg, Florida beginning at 12:00 p.m. ET.