Photo Credit: IndyCar
Carlin, a name that is known and respected worldwide in motorsports, announced today that they would be entering two full-time entries in the Verizon IndyCar Series in the 2018 season. Their cars will be powered by Chevrolet, and piloted by former Chip Ganassi Racing drivers Max Chilton and Charlie Kimball.
“We’re delighted to finally be able to announce our entry into the Verizon IndyCar Series, the result of a long-term ambition of the team,” Team Principal Trevor Carlin said. “To be joined on that journey in our debut season by brands such as Gallagher and Novo Nordisk, and with drivers we already have a race-winning history with in Max and Charlie, is beyond what we could have expected. By no means do we underestimate the challenge and competition that lies ahead, but I have great faith in the young and passionate team that our team manager Colin (Hale) and I have put together.”
Carlin has been involved in motorsports around the world for two decades and has had success in different forms of racing including GP2 and GP3, British Formula 3, Formula Renault 3.5 and Porsche Supercup. They’ve had many drivers race for them including Chilton, Kimball, Takuma Sato, Will Power, Josef Newgarden, Conor Daly, Robert Wickens, Mikhail Aleshin, Jack Harvey and Ed Jones, to name a few. They made their name known in North America racing, in 2015 when they joined the Indy Lights presented by Cooper Tires and the top ladder in the Mazda Road to Indy development program. Jones won their first race a St Petersburg in 2015 where Chilton got the team’s first oval win at Iowa Speedway. Chilton moved up to the Verizon IndyCar Series with Chip Ganassi Racing in 2016 leaving Jones behind. Jones also went on to win the Indy Light Championship for Carlin.
Chilton first drove for them in the British Formula 3 in 2009, as well as winning races for them in GP2, and then driving for them in Indy Lights.
“I feel like I’ve learned a lot now and I’m going to be bringing that over to Carlin, which haven’t done INDYCAR yet and have a lot to learn in that series,” said Chilton, 26 and a native of Reigate, England. “The good thing which gives me a lot of excitement and joy is Carlin is a team which really excels in a one-make series, and I think it’s hard to disagree that INDYCAR next year is not going to be far from a one-make series. Everyone’s basically got the same machinery apart from the engines … and I think this is where Carlin excels, so I can’t wait. We had a win at Iowa (in Indy Lights) – my first-ever and only American victory so far – so hopefully we can get some more next year. It’s great to be with a team that has that energy to get that first win as well. It’ll be an amazing event and day when we first get that win.”
Kimball first drove for Carlin in 2005. Since his time with Carlin, he joined Ganassi, where he spent his last seven years with the team.
“What an exciting future for my racing career for this year,” Kimball said. “I have a lot of respect for Trevor as a team owner, as a successful team owner and just a great person to work in racing with. To now have Novo Nordisk as a partner with this new endeavor and a new team and to be teammates with Max again, I’m really excited. I don’t underestimate how much work there is because there is a lot of work to do.”
