Italian driver Luca Ghiotto, who secured third place in the 2019 F2 championship, has been selected by Dale Coyne Racing to pilot car #51 at Barber Motorsports Park this weekend. Ghiotto brings a wealth of experience from Formula 2, with his last full season in 2020 resulting in a tenth place finish in the championship while racing for Hitech Grand Prix. In addition to his Formula 2 experience, Ghiotto has also competed in the GT World Challenge series and served as a simulator driver for Nissan’s Formula E program. This weekend will mark his first time behind the wheel of an IndyCar, and he will return in two weeks to compete at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s road course. Ghiotto expressed his excitement for his NTT IndyCar Series debut, acknowledging the challenge ahead due to his lack of experience with the car and track. Dale Coyne Racing plans to hire drivers for short-term agreements throughout the season, aiming to field two cars in all 17 races. They had already signed Colin Braun for the first event of the season and have now brought in Ghiotto as their latest addition. Despite the lack of testing, team owner Dale Coyne is confident in Ghiotto’s abilities and believes he will bring valuable experience and knowledge to the team. Ghiotto will face a demanding task at Barber Motorsports Park, known for its physically challenging layout and the absence of power steering in IndyCars. He will have the opportunity to familiarize himself with the track on Friday before competing alongside teammate Jack Harvey in the main event on Sunday.
