The NTT IndyCar series has finalized the entry list for this week’s 2020 season opener at Texas Motor Speedway, which has hosted an IndyCar race every year since it opened in 1997.
24 drivers from ten teams will contest the 300-mile race on Saturday evening. Drivers and crewmembers alike will battle high temperatures and fatigue as they pack a full weekend of action into a condensed, one-day schedule.
Defending series champion and 2019 Texas Motor Speedway winner Josef Newgarden will look to hold off a strong field of past winners on the tricky oval, with Scott Dixon, Will Power, Graham Rahal, Ed Carpenter, and Tony Kanaan all taking part.
The field will be slightly smaller than originally planned, as some previously announced absences have been confirmed by way of omission on the entry list.
Carlin will only be bringing one car to this weekend’s race instead of two. The team had not announced a driver for their #31 entry and has decided to race with Conor Daly in the #59 Chevy as its only entry.
Dragonspeed will also not be running in Texas this weekend, citing the disruption due to the pandemic. Not being a full time IndyCar participant means it lacks financial assistance from IndyCar’s Leader Circle program and will look to focus on its sportscar program until the Indy 500 in August.
In addition to the challenges of returning to racing with a condensed schedule, teams will be racing with an unconventional pit strategy to comply with the mandatory 35-lap tire stint limit.
Firestone was not able to complete development of a new tire compound to properly handle the new Aeroscreen loads, so a combination of tires from last year’s Indy 500 and alternate tires from last year’s Texas race will be used with the imposed limits.
The action begins in two days with qualifying on Saturday at 5:00 PM Eastern Time, followed closely by the race at 8:00 PM.
