Seven drivers who have made NTT INDYCAR SERIES starts this season have ventured to France this week to drive in the world’s most prestigious sports car race, the 24 Hours of Le Mans on June 15-16.
Two of those drivers, Scott Dixon and Alex Palou, have a chance to occupy rarefied air in motorsports history once the twice-around-the-clock endurance classic ends Sunday afternoon in Le Mans, France.
Chip Ganassi Racing teammates Dixon and Palou are trying to become just the second INDYCAR SERIES champion to win the overall crown at Le Mans, joining A.J. Foyt in 1967. Foyt teamed with Dan Gurney that year to triumph in the iconic Ford GT40 Mk. IV in a showdown against Ferrari.
The No. 2 Cadillac Racing V-Series.R car that Palou is sharing with Earl Bamber and Alex Lynn qualified second on the grid at the Circuit de la Sarthe, an 8.467-mile layout. Porsche Penske Motorsport is starting from the pole with the No. 6 Porsche 963 shared by Kevin Estre, Andre Lotterer and Laurens Vanthoor.
But Palou’s team will receive a five-place grid penalty when the official starting lineup is released due to a penalty from FIA stewards from the previous World Endurance Championship race, the 8 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps in May.
“Going to Le Mans is an amazing opportunity and a big challenge, as well,” Palou said. “This is such a special place, such a special event, that I think if you have the opportunity to do it with a big team like Cadillac and Chip Ganassi Racing, you have to take it and do your best.
“We have a chance to win it overall, and that is our biggest goal. I’m excited to be back in the Cadillac and join Earl Bamber and Alex Lynn. They had success here last year and the cars were quite fast, so with our recent pace at Daytona, I can’t wait to go for the win.”
Dixon’s No. 3 Cadillac Racing V-Series.R, shared with fellow INDYCAR SERIES champion Sebastien Bourdais and Renger van der Zande, qualified third. Bourdais will join Dixon as an INDYCAR SERIES champion and Le Mans winner if the No. 3 car crosses the line first.
“I'm very fortunate to be able to do this with the team and to be a part of it,” Dixon said. “It’s never easy to fit into a schedule, but everyone being on the same team makes that more possible.
“Just walking into the garage, seeing everybody for the first time is awesome and something that I really enjoy. The entire team has done a fabulous job of preparing the car, and we have more knowledge than we did last year in the first year of the car and at Le Mans.”
INDYCAR SERIES starters this season also racing in the premier Hypercar prototype class are Callum Ilott in the No. 12 Hertz Team Jota Porsche 963 and Romain Grosjean in the No. 19 Lamborghini Iron Lynx Lamborghini SC63.
Grosjean’s car, shared with Andrea Caldarelli and Matteo Cairoli, will start 21st. Hertz Team Jota faces a thrash to make the starting grid after Ilott crashed during practice Wednesday evening, forcing a rapid rebuild of the Porsche.
Two NTT INDYCAR SERIES rookies but sports car veterans will compete in the Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2) class.
Nolan Siegel is sharing the No. 22 United Autosports car with Oliver Jarvis and Bijoy Garg, while Chip Ganassi Racing driver Kyffin Simpson will drive the No. 24 Nielsen Racing machine with Fabio Scherer and David Heinemeier Hansson.
Sports car veteran Colin Braun, who made his NTT INDYCAR SERIES debut this season with Dale Coyne Racing, will return to familiar environs to race the No. 45 Crowdstrike Racing by APR car in LMP2.
The Max streaming service will broadcast all 24 hours live from Le Mans in the United States starting at 9 a.m. ET Saturday, June 15.