Ryan Norman joins Dale Coyne for IndyCar debut at Mid-Ohio

Ryan Norman‘s ascent through the Road to Indy ladder seemed to hit a snag after 2019, but he will finally get his shot in the NTT IndyCar Series. On Thursday, Dale Coyne Racing announced Norman will make his IndyCar début in the #52 Honda at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course on 4 July.

The 2016 Atlantic Championship winner, Norman spent three years in Indy Lights with Andretti Autosport. After finishing eleventh in the standings as a rookie, he improved to a pair of fourth-place points finishes with wins at Gateway (2018) and Road America (2019). 2019 also saw him nearly win the series’ famed Freedom 100 at Indianapolis, where he was edged out by Oliver Askew by .0067 seconds.

Norman switched to sports cars in 2020 when he joined the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge. Driving a Hyundai Veloster N TCR for Bryan Herta Autosport, he and 2014 Indy Lights champion Gabby Chaves won three races and the TCR class title. In addition to driving for BHA in the MPC for 2021 alongside Parker Chase, he débuted in the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship at the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona, where he and his Forty7 Motorsports team finished second in the LMP3 class.

“My goal throughout my whole racing career has been to become an NTT IndyCar Series driver,” Norman stated. “So many years of hard work and sacrifices have finally paid off and I want to thank Dale Coyne for giving me a shot to show what I can do in the series.

“It’s an honour to be able to drive for DCR. They have shown over the years that they have created a great competitive programme and I can’t wait to see what we can accomplish together. I’m more prepared than ever before to show that I belong in IndyCar and can fight for podiums and wins.”

In May, Norman won at Mid-Ohio in the MPC after placing second the previous year. He finished third and won in two starts there during his 2016 Atlantic Championship campaign; in Indy Lights, he has two podiums at the Lexington circuit including a runner-up finish in 2019. The Ohio native tested an IndyCar at the track for Andretti in 2019, followed by another session with DCR earlier this week.

DCR’s #52 was introduced at Road America last weekend and fielded in a partnership with Rick Ware Racing along with the full-time #51. Cody Ware finished nineteenth in his maiden IndyCar start.