Chip Ganassi Racing has signed IndyCar rookie of the year Ed Jones for the 2018 season.
Jones made his IndyCar debut with Dale Coyne Racing this year after graduating from Indy Lights and led the team in the absence of Sebastien Bourdais following his Indianapolis 500 qualifying crash.
Dale Coyne had been keen to retain Jones for next season, but he has now made a surprise switch to Ganassi.
Jones will partner Scott Dixon at a slimmed-down Ganassi team, which made the decision to scale back to two cars for 2018 and has already released Max Chilton and Charlie Kimball.
“This is truly an honour to have the opportunity to drive for Chip,” said Jones.
“Chip runs one of the biggest and best motor racing teams in the world, and equally as important, is a proven winner across each series he competes in from Le Mans to Indianapolis and beyond.”
“I want to get up to speed quickly and learn as much as I can.
“Scott is a legend in the sport, and to get the chance to team with him is an amazing opportunity.”
Jones added that the reset for next year with the introduction of the universal aerokit makes it the perfect time to switch teams.
“I think I’m joining the team at a perfect time when the playing field is being reset with common aero kits, and everyone is adjusting to a new formula,” he said.
“I’m really looking forward to getting in the car and getting underway with our 2018 campaign.”
Chip Ganassi says that Jones’ performances last year and in Indy Lights made him a strong option for the team.
“We’ve been following Ed’s career for quite some time now and are pleased we are able to add him to strengthen our Indy car line-up,” he said.
“He has a year of IndyCar racing under his belt now and is the type of young talent that we were looking for.
“We can’t wait to get him on the race track.”