Jamie Chadwick is already working towards a move to the IndyAutomobile Series, the one query is whether or not that may occur in 2025 or not.
The Briton's first race in IndyAutomobile colors – which was announced on Wednesday – will happen on September 30 at Barber Motorsports Park with Andretti Global, the identical squad with which she spent the last two seasons in Indy NXT.
“I’m preparing like I’m going to IndyCar next year, physically, as much as I can,” Chadwick told Motorsport.com. “I’m preparing by way of sponsorship, every thing to have the opportunity to go to IndyAutomobile.
“I feel like the higher I aim, the higher I hope to fall; that's what we're aiming for.”
Jamie Chadwick, Andretti Global, on his solution to victory at Road America
Photo: James Black
Chadwick became the primary woman to win an Indy NXT race on a road or street course earlier this yr in a flag-to-flag race from the pole position at Road America. Additionally, no woman has previously won a pole position on a road or street course within the series.
She became the third winner in Indy NXT history, joining Pippa Mann and Ana Beatriz, who each won on the oval tracks.
“There are so many things that need to fall into place,” Chadwick said. “We have a couple of people around us who’re also attempting to help me with every thing.
“Putting these programs together – Indy NXT, IndyAutomobile – it's hard for anyone. It's an enormous sum of money to lift. It's an enormous amount of labor to do. I'm preparing as much as I can to attempt to go to IndyAutomobile next yr.
“There are so many factors and I don't know what the realism is at this point. A lot will depend on September 30, but the work really needs to start well before that.”
Jamie Chadwick
Photo: Simon Galloway / Motorsports images
While it’s not unusual for IndyAutomobile rookies to check drive at tracks like Sebring, Road America and even Portland, Chadwick desired to tackle the challenge of a 2.3-mile, 17-turn natural terrain course situated just outside of Birmingham, Alabama.
One big reason was her Indy NXT debut at Sebring, which was a helpful experience but didn’t provide an entire picture of what she was entering after a profession in Europe that saw her win three W Series titles.
“I did the Indy NXT test at Sebring and it went well,” she said. “It gave me a feel for the automotive, nevertheless it’s a totally different track.
“It's a little more like the street circuits that we go to, a lot slower speeds, very fast lap times. I felt like it gave me one picture of the Indy NXT car and that experience, but not the whole picture. And for me, I think IndyCar, it would be the same feeling.”
“I actually desired to get as much of an image as possible of what the demands could be and what the Indy automotive would appear like, so we narrowed it all the way down to a couple of tracks and Barber was probably at the highest of the list. It's a track that each driver says is one of the physical on the calendar, one of the demanding. It's a tricky track, it's fast, it's flowing, there are a whole lot of corners with no visibility.
“I want to know if I'm ready for IndyCar. I think this track will give me the best idea of ​​whether I'm ready or not.”
Jamie Chadwick
Photo: Penske Entertainment
Chadwick has no illusions concerning the task ahead, but is looking forward to testing herself within the “top-of-the-range” automotive she has ever driven.
“I want to come out of this test knowing, 'OK, in the next few months I'm really going to be able to get my head around this and I think I might be in a good position or I might not be, and I need to reassess this and think about what other options I might have for next year,'” she said.
With no guarantees beyond the Test, the 26-year-old simply wants to present herself one of the best likelihood possible to exercise her option next yr, although she has not ruled out returning for a 3rd campaign in Indy NXT next yr.
“It’s potentially an option, for sure,” Chadwick added. “At the start of the yr, I began to actually think it was something that could be within the cards.
“I believe a whole lot of people would turn away from the third yr of Indy NXT, but after I look back at my first yr, I feel like my second yr is what I wish for my first yr.
“If you wish to come back in your second yr and have a very clear likelihood to win a championship, despite the fact that we made a whole lot of progress in our game, we didn’t have a likelihood to compete for a championship.
“So yeah, I believe there's potential, but I actually have to confess I actually need to go to IndyAutomobile.
“I think we'll learn a lot in IndyCar. If I get the opportunity, I'd love to take advantage of it.”
