The IndyCar Series was well represented at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Mikhail Aleshin of Schmidt Peterson Motorsports competed in the LMP2 category; while Chip Ganassi Racing drivers Scott Dixon and Tony Kanaan (filling in for the injured Sebastien Bourdais) ran in GTE Pro class. Former IndyCar Series driver Townsend Bell also raced, in the GTE Am class.
Overall, it was a mixed day for those with IndyCar ties. Aleshin finished 34th overall and 17th in class, in the #27 SMP Racing Dallara P217. Dixon and Kanaan fared better in GTE Pro. Dixon, the current IndyCar points leader finished 24th overall and 7th in class in the #69 Chip Ganassi Ford GT. IndyCar team-mate and Le Mans rookie, Kanaan finished 23rd and 6th in the sister #68 Chip Ganassi Ford GT. Bell, racing in GTE Am, finished 30th and 3rd in class in the #62 Scuderia Corsa Ferrari. The class podium is Bell’s third in as many years.
These one-off appearances by IndyCar drivers show that single-seater drivers can compete with GT and endurance drivers across the board. In fact, the year started off with Bourdais winning the Rolex 24 at Daytona International Speedway in IMSA.
Should the trend of one-off races continue expect IndyCar drivers to be in-demand and possibly expand into an ‘all-star’ team in the future, of all-IndyCar drivers. Le Mans is a race that many hope to win—just ask Toyota—and maybe one day a current IndyCar driver(s) could experience what Nico Hulkenberg experienced in 2015. Victory.
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