Dale Coyne Racing has given Zachary Claman De Melo another IndyCar outing at this weekend’s Grand Prix of Indianapolis, in place of the injured Pietro Fittipaldi.
Claman De Melo and Fittipaldi were set to share the No. 19 Dale Coyne Racing car this season, and the Brazilian was slated to drive both the Indianapolis road course event and the 500 later this month.
But the youngster sustained leg fractures in a high-speed crash at last weekend’s Spa-Francorchamps WEC round, ruling him out of competition for the immediate future.
Dale Coyne has approved Claman De Melo for the upcoming round, though has yet to name a replacement for Fittipaldi for the prestigious 500 event.
“I’m extremely excited to get to race at the IndyCar Grand Prix this weekend aboard the No. 19 car, but I’m sad that it’s under these circumstances,” Claman De Melo said.
“My thoughts are first and foremost with Pietro. You never want to see that happen to a competitor, much less a team-mate.
“Getting to race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway is always special. I enjoyed racing there in Indy Lights and I can’t wait to now get a chance to drive there aboard an Indy car.
“It’s a fun track with some good passing opportunities, which means it should be a good show for the fans.
“Hopefully, we can turn our luck around and come out of the weekend with a good result.”
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