#06 – Helio Castroneves, 18th within the championship standings (217 factors) – 17 races
- 0 wins, 0 podiums, 0 high fives, 1 high 10s, 0 poles, 0 Quick Six Appearances
- Greatest End: tenth (Texas)
- Greatest Begin: eighth (Iowa – Race 2)
#60 – Simon Pagenaud, twenty eighth within the championship standings (88 factors) – 8 races
- 0 wins, 0 podiums, 0 high fives, 0 high 10s, 0 poles, 0 Quick Six Appearances
- Greatest End: thirteenth (Detroit)
- Greatest Begin: eighth (Detroit)
#60 – Tom Blomqvist, thirty fourth in championship standings (16 factors) – 3 races
- 0 wins, 0 podiums, 0 high fives, 0 high 10s, 0 poles, 0 Quick Six Appearances
- Greatest End: twenty fourth (Portland)
- Greatest Begin: twentieth (Toronto)
#60 – Conor Daly, twenty fifth in championship standings (134 factors) – 11 races, 3 w/ MSR
- 0 wins, 0 podiums, 0 high fives, 0 high 10s, 0 poles, 0 Quick Six Appearances (* w/ MSR)
- Greatest End (w/ MSR): seventeenth (Iowa – Race 2)
- Greatest Begin (w/ MSR): fifteenth (Iowa – Race 2)
#60 – Linus Lundqvist, thirty first in championship standings (35 factors) – 3 races
- 0 wins, 0 podiums, 0 high fives, 0 high 10s, 0 poles, 0 Quick Six Appearances
- Greatest End: twelfth (IMS Highway Course – Race 2)
- Greatest Begin: eleventh (Nashville)
Joey Barnes: There are such a lot of parts to Meyer Shank Racing’s 2023 marketing campaign which are weird to me. I didn’t anticipate a few of the woeful performances in its second 12 months of being a two-car group, particularly with the technical alliance with Andretti Autosport.
Clearly, Pagenaud’s terrifying crash at Mid-Ohio Sports activities Automotive Course drastically derailed the season in additional methods than one. That stated, outcomes confirmed a tricky begin to the 12 months as Castroneves and Pagenaud mixed for one high 10 and two high 15 finishes by means of the opening six rounds.
The Frenchman had a runner-up and 6 further high 10s in 2022 in comparison with none in 2023 previous to the Spherical 8 apply crash that saved him out for the rest of 2023. It’s onerous to fathom there was that a lot regression by Pagenaud and the group, which is why I view it extra as one thing merely not meshing between the 2.
There have been flashes of promise when Lundqvist got here in to substitute drive Pagenaud’s journey. The 2022 Indy NXT champion set the quickest laps in two of his three appearances, which solely added to the controversy on gauging MSR’s progress or if Lundqvist’s expertise was that rather more superior at this cut-off date over Castroneves and Pagenaud.
Given all the weather this group endured in 2023, there’s some extent of me that views the report as incomplete. The mixture of a veteran driver alongside what ended up as a rotation of expertise within the second automobile was harking back to previous years by Dale Coyne Racing.
If MSR goes to take that subsequent step and never reside in backmarker hell, and I anticipate them to be very a lot improved for causes my colleague shares under, it’ll come all the way down to the main points and being nearer to the mark once they unload each race weekend.
Photograph by: Richard Dole / Motorsport Photos
Tom Blomqvist, Meyer Shank Racing Honda
Nick Degroot: The 2021 Indianapolis 500 winners confronted a really troublesome 12 months.
Whereas Castroneves led the trouble, he was solely 18th within the remaining standings with a greatest end of tenth.
Sadly, the second MSR entry was concerned in a significant accident at Mid-Ohio. Pagenaud’s rollover crash sidelined him for the rest of the 12 months, and the group was compelled to make use of a number of drivers to fill within the gaps. Daly, Blomqvist, Lundqvist all shared the journey. It was a wrestle and a 12 months to overlook, however the group appears dedicated to bettering issues for 2024.
MSR has made some adjustments to its driver lineup for subsequent 12 months, signing Blomqvist and Felix Rosenqvist to full-time roles. I consider this can be a good transfer, and Castroneves will proceed to compete in a 3rd automobile. A mixture of younger weapons and a veteran eye will solely assist them. The group has additionally paused its sports activities automobile efforts, focusing all of its vitality on bettering the IndyCar program.
