Ed Carpenter Racing has announced that Hunter McElrea will be the team’s official reserve driver for the 2026 NTT IndyCar Series season.
The 26-year-old will travel with the team and be ready to serve if the team’s two full time drivers Alexander Rossi or Christian Rasmussen are not able to take part in a given weekend.
He will also assist in the team’s testing and simulator work to find the best setups as the season progresses.
McElrea raced in the IndyNXT Series in 2022 and 2023, earning four victories in that time and finishing runner up in the 2023 championship.
He has mainly contested IMSA events since then, but has one IndyCar race under his belt with Dale Coyne Racing in Toronto in 2024.
“I am really excited to join ECR as a reserve driver. The team has great momentum and I’m looking forward to being part of it,” stated McElrea.
“The NTT IndyCar Series has always been my goal, so I’m thankful for the opportunity and ready to support ECR however I can!”
McElrea has kept close ties with the IndyCar paddock since his IndyNXT days, looking for an opportunity such as this to help advance his career.
He has also proven quite adept at LMP2 racing in the meantime, earning multiple wins including a class victory at the Sebring 12 Hours just one week ago.
“Having a reserve driver in place is an important step in maintaining the level of performance required in this series,” added ECR team president Tim Broyles.
“Hunter has done a great job when we have had him in the car for testing. He has a really strong feel for the car and is able to provide detailed feedback that helps move the entire team forward.
“While you never want to be in a position where you need to call on a reserve driver, we’re confident Hunter would step in and rise to the occasion.”
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