IndyCar outfit Carlin will slim down to a single entry for this weekend’s opening round of the delayed 2020 season.
The British team cited “the economic impact of the current COVID-19 pandemic in Europe” for why its #31 car will skip the June 6 race at the Texas oval, which will kick off a schedule spanning 14 events across four months.
Carlin’s other entry, the #59 Dallara-Chevrolet, will be raced at Texas by Conor Daly, who will contest the season’s oval races in the car while ex-F1 driver Max Chilton pilots it during the road course events.
Statement regarding the No. 31 #INDYCAR entry: pic.twitter.com/Lk9i2BUI10
— Carlin (@CarlinRacing) June 2, 2020
Carlin says it still aims to field two entries in the remaining rounds of the ’20 season.
The team had Felipe Nasr pencilled in to drive the car in the original scheduled opener, the March St. Petersburg race, which was postponed at late notice and now stands as the final round of the revamped campaign.
While IndyCar is set to finally get going for ’20, its main feeder series Indy Lights (pictured) announced recently it was going on hiatus until next year.
“The changes to our overall calendar of races as well as each event weekend’s scheduling and the ability for some of our drivers to compete has impacted the Indy Lights series far more harshly than our other two championships [on the Road to Indy ladder],” said Dan Andersen, CEO of series promoter Andersen Promotions.
“With less of a cushion to begin with, it became increasingly apparent that the 2020 season was in jeopardy and the best plan was to take a pause, reconstitute for 2021, and do our best to enhance the Indy Lights championship for next season.”
