The future of the Team Penske trio was a focal point of discussion Friday from St. Petersburg, Florida. Scott McLaughlin announced hours before the opening NTT INDYCAR SERIES practice session of the season that he will remain with the team for the foreseeable future.

“Signed a long-term extension in the off-season with Team Penske,” McLaughlin said in a social media post.

McLaughlin has proven himself as a consistent top performer, securing seven wins in four full-time seasons and finishing third in points for the last two years, the best among the three Team Penske drivers.

“It was not like I was worried about it, but more just it's just nice to be long term with the team,” McLaughlin said. “Just super, super excited to be part of this team and moving forward, part of it for a long-term future. It’s a good feeling for me, and especially now, after having a baby girl, it's nice to have a little bit of security, as well.”

McLaughlin and his wife, Karly, welcomed their first child, Lucy, last fall.

His teammate Josef Newgarden also announced Friday he signed with sports agency Klutch Sports, co-owned by LeBron James and his longtime friend and business partner, Rich Paul.

Newgarden's decision to sign with Klutch Sports is an interesting move, especially considering the added attention the series is getting with FOX Sports as the new TV provider. With FOX giving Newgarden a prominent spot in its national commercial campaign, it makes perfect sense for him to align himself with a high-profile agency like Klutch.

The agency is known for its top-tier representation and connections, so it could provide Newgarden with even more opportunities both on and off the track and can help elevate his personal brand and deliver more value for sponsors.

“I think from the commercial side, they're a great partnership to have, and they can be a tremendous asset for myself and certainly this series as we're all trying to grow together,” Newgarden said. “I'm excited about it. I respect what they do a lot. I respect guys like LeBron James, tremendously. Just in the world of sports, the way he strives to be the best at what he does. That's how I aspire to be in motorsport – the best to do it. So, it's an honor to be joined up with him and decided to see what we can put together this year.

“I think there's a good intersection, timing wise, between (Newgarden and Klutch). They've never really been involved in motorsport, and certainly for me, I've not been involved with a commercial agent like that. So, I think the time in the sport and everything that we have going on right now, it just seems like good timing.”

Among the 31 career wins for Newgarden are two Indianapolis 500 victories, each coming the last two years. He’s also a two-time NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion. He was introduced to the agency over the offseason.

Will Power also joined an agency this offseason, signing with A14 Management in January. That agency is owned by two-time Formula One champion Fernando Alonso and former INDYCAR SERIES driver Oriol Servia.

Power acknowledged Friday he is a free agent at season’s end and chose to have contract representatives so he can focus on performing on track.

“I like of like it, to be honest,” Power said. “I’m not going to lie.”

Lundgaard Passes Indiana Driver’s Test

Christian Lundgaard tested his No. 7 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet at Sebring International Raceway on Feb. 17-18. He flew back to Indianapolis to take another test on Feb. 20 … his Indiana driver’s test.

Lundgaard, 23, was the 2022 NTT INDYCAR SERIES Rookie of the Year, won the 2023 race on the streets of Toronto in addition to winning SMP and Spanish F4 championships and scoring wins in the FIA Formula 3 and Formula 2 Championships.

Even though Lundgaard is an elite race car driver with a wealth of experience on tracks around the world, the Indiana driver's test turned out to be a real challenge. Sometimes local road rules and requirements can throw even the most seasoned professionals for a loop.

“I was more nervous for that than the Indianapolis 500,” Lundgaard said. “Just because you don’t know what they’re going to say.”

Lundgaard mentioned he owned a valid driver’s license but was still required to take the test. By comparison, the Indiana driver’s test was more challenging than testing in his Denmark.

“More scrutiny,” he said of the differences. “Here, it’s like taking it in a vending machine.”

Ganassi To Use OpenAI’s Technology

Chip Ganassi Racing announced a strategic research collaboration Friday that will use OpenAI’s artificial intelligence technology to maximize performance both on the racetrack and in the front office.

OpenAI is a research and deployment company with a mission to create safe and powerful AI that benefits all humanity. This is OpenAI’s first collaboration in motorsports.

“Racing has always been a proving ground for innovation, and we’re excited to explore how our AI technology can contribute alongside the incredible talent at Chip Ganassi Racing,” said Sam Altman, CEO, OpenAI. “INDYCAR is a sport where every detail counts, and we’re eager to see how advanced technology can support the team’s expertise in pushing performance forward.”

Through the partnership, CGR will look to benefit from the extensive software engineering and research capabilities that OpenAI brings. Working with its engineers, CGR will create advanced efficiency as they can help automate knowledge-based tasks in ways that were previously impossible or at least time-consuming.

“Over the years, we have had the good fortune of partnering with some of the most iconic brands in the world, but I am not sure there is one that is more important right now than OpenAI,” team owner Chip Ganassi said. “Sam and his team have been amazing at helping us try to maximize the power of artificial intelligence to make us better both on and off the racetrack. We look forward to continuing to attack business and racing challenges with the folks at OpenAI, some of the smartest and most creative people around.”

MSR, SiriusXM Rocking with Shinedown

Meyer Shank Racing and SiriusXM continued their partnership that’s bringing award-winning talent to the world of INDYCAR racing. The pair, which enter a ninth season of their partnership, will kick off the season in St. Petersburg with a special collaboration featuring SiriusXM’s Octane (channel 37) and multiplatinum rock band Shinedown on the No. 60 SiriusXM Honda driven by Felix Rosenqvist.

This is the second season that MSR and SiriusXM are collaborating to bring some of music’s top artists from different genres to the track. During the 2024 season, MSR featured Bon Jovi Radio (SiriusXM channel 312), Smokey’s Soul Town (channel 74), Eric Church’s Outsiders Radio (channel 740), The Tragically Hip Radio (channel 757) and Diplo’s Revolution (channel 53).

The pair will continue this exciting collaboration spotlighting top artists and their SiriusXM channels, and for the season opener, Octane—the channel for New Hard Rock —is taking center stage. The No. 60 entry will display the Octane channel logo alongside Shinedown, one of rock’s most powerful and record-breaking bands. Shinedown’s Zach Myers and Barry Kerch will be at the track on Race Day, immersing themselves in the INDYCAR action and supporting MSR from the pit lane.

RLL Extends Sponsorship with Mobil 1

Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing announced earlier this week that Houston-based Mobil 1 extended its sponsorship of the team in a multiyear deal that includes primary backing of the No. 15 Honda driven by Graham Rahal at The Thermal Club race on March 23.

The Mobil 1 Delvac brand, which will continue as the official lubricants partner of the team, also will be featured on the three RLL cars driven by Rahal, Devlin DeFrancesco and rookie Louis Foster as full-season associate sponsors.

Coyne Adds BITNILE.COM as Sponsor

Dale Coyne Racing added BITNILE.COM as the secondary sponsor for the No. 18 Honda driven by Rinus VeeKay for the 2025 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season.

VeeKay joined DCR after five-seasons driving for Ed Carpenter Racing, where BITNILE.com became a team sponsor in 2022.

"It's a privilege to have BITNILE.COM as a secondary sponsor on the No. 18 Honda,” VeeKay said. “I’m sincerely grateful for the opportunity to represent their brand on the track once again. Their unwavering support and belief in me are truly meaningful, and I can't wait to repay them with a trip to Victory Lane.”

DHL, Palou ‘Speed Up’ Employee Recognition

For the second consecutive season, DHL is celebrating its employees across North America by using its partnership with Chip Ganassi Racing in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES.

The “Accelerating with Alex” program gives DHL employees the opportunity to attend an NTT INDYCAR SERIES race and see their names featured on the back of the No. 10 DHL Honda driven by three-time champion Alex Palou. Winners have the opportunity to meet Palou as he and his DHL team defend their back-to-back championships.

Odds and Ends

  • The car number of Conor Daly’s Juncos Hollinger Racing machine was changed from 78 to 76 before the first practice, and font and colors of the number on the rear wing endplates and engine cover looked identical to the orange-and-blue logo of Unocal.
  • Friday was motorsports legend Mario Andretti’s 85th birthday. Andretti, a four-time series champion and 52-race NTT INDYCAR SERIES winner, including the 1969 Indianapolis 500, received many well wishes from the paddock and FOX broadcast.
  • 2025 NASCAR Hall of Fame inductee Carl Edwards was onsite Friday with his son. The Missouri native visited the NTT INDYCAR SERIES race weekend near St. Louis at World Wide Technology Raceway last August and become hooked. Since Edwards docks his boat near the track and has flown his plane to Albert Whitted Airport the last few months, he figured he’d come take in a practice day. The 2,413-foot front straight of the racetrack also serves as a runway for the Whitted airport.
  • Julia Vaizer, director of medical services for INDYCAR and Indianapolis Motor Speedway, was honored by Indianapolis Business Journal’s Excellence in Health Care Education, which honors an individual involved in training the next generation of doctors, nurses and other health care professionals. Vaizer became the first female medical chief in the history of the sanctioning body and the track. She has worked with the AMR Safety Team since 2020 and became the first person to complete the IU School of Medicine Motorsports Fellowship in July 2021.
  • A year after two-time Indianapolis 500 winner and two-time NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion Josef Newgarden released a kids book, “Josef’s BIG Dream,” his wife authored a book called “Goodnight Racetrack.” Ashley Newgarden worked with Red Racer Books founder Andy Amendola to give the younger fans another bedtime read.