Dale Coyne Racing has announced that Jacob Abel will drive one of the team’s two cars for the 2025 NTT IndyCar Series season.
Abel will climb behind the wheel of the #51 entry and will contest all 17 rounds of the upcoming year.
Abel worked his way through IndyCar’s ladder system as he learned his craft, competing in increasingly higher levels of feeder series since 2017.
He did not win championships along the way, but consistently collected solid results while driving for his family’s Abel Motorsports team throughout the process.
When the team moved up into the Indy NXT Series in 2022, Abel joined them and spent the past three years racing in cars one step below top-level IndyCar machinery.
He improved each year, and in 2024 he earned three wins and 10 podiums on his way to a runner-up championship result.
The 23-year-old is now set to race in a full season in the premiere series, and will hope to make his mark enough to secure a seat for future seasons.
“It’s a lifelong dream come true,” said Abel. “I can’t thank everyone who’s helped out along the way enough. I’ve had a great relationship with Dale for the last couple of years, and I’m very thankful for the confidence he has in me.
“The team has some very experienced personnel joining and returning to the program, and I have full confidence they will deliver a great race car and help me learn the ropes of the NTT IndyCar Series. It’s going to be a fun but challenging journey, and I can’t wait to get started.”
Abel recently completed an IndyCar test with Chip Ganassi Racing at Texas Motor Speedway, and reportedly did well enough to help him earn a ride with DCR.
He will get a chance to prove his skills soon enough, as the 2025 season starts just over six weeks from now during the first weekend of March.
Abel’s signing fills one of only two remaining open seats for the upcoming season, leaving only a second DCR entry yet to have its driver confirmed.
A host of talented drivers including Rinus VeeKay, Linus Lundqvist, and Hunter McElrea are still in need of a ride and will likely by vying for the final open position as the start of the season draws near.
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