For a fourth consecutive event, Simon Pagenaud will not be taking part in an IndyCar weekend. He has been ruled out of racing at Nashville this weekend.
The former Indy 500 and IndyCar champion continues to recover from the monster shunt he had at Mid-Ohio at the start of this month.
In a statement on social media, Pagenaud explained he’s continuing to focus on making a full recovery before returning to action.
Simon Pagenaud
“First of all, I want to say I am very grateful for everyone’s support and kind messages during this time. I am focusing on recovering to 100% and it is just taking some time. As my fans know, when I do something I always want to it to my absolute best.
“Thank you and I wish good luck to Linus Lundqvist who gets a chance to show his talent with MSR this weekend in Nashville. Thank you.”
With Pagenaud still on the sidelines, Meyer Shank Racing have turned to Swedish driver Linus Lundqvist to pilot the 60 for the race at Nashville this weekend.
The 24-year-old Swede has had an impressive career in both Europe and the United States, winning the British Formula 3 Championship in 2018 and Indy Lights last year.
Lundqvist heads into this weekend with no prior race weekend experience in the series, but he has conducted tests with Ed Carpenter Racing, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing and Andretti Autosport. He has run on both road and oval circuits during those appearances.
Lundqvist admits he is unbelievably excited to get this opportunity. He will join fellow Swede’s Marcus Ericsson and Felix Rosenqvist on the grid this weekend.
Linus Lundqvist
“This is a moment I’ve been dreaming of literally since the start of my career. I could not be more excited about the prospect of finally making my NTT INDYCAR SERIES debut; I am extremely grateful to Meyer Shank Racing for this opportunity.
“This will be an incredible experience, but also the toughest challenge of my life. Sitting on the sidelines all year, it would be a massive task to join any championship towards the end of the season – let alone the NTT INDYCAR SERIES on the streets of Nashville. There’s been very little time to prepare, but I feel like the sheer excitement of this moment will make up for some of that.
“Of course, working alongside Helio – one of the true legends of this sport – will also be a huge asset. Last but not least, I would like to wish Simon Pagenaud a continued speedy recovery. While fully aware of everything I have to learn this weekend, I will do my very best to make him and everyone else on the team proud in Music City.”
Photo credit: Penske Entertainment | Joe Skibinski
