Jamie Chadwick parlays W Sequence success into Andretti experience

Jamie Chadwick, the three-time W Sequence champion, has finally parlayed her success within the all-women sequence into an even bigger experience.

The British racer on Thursday was chosen the motive force for Andretti Autosport within the Indy NXT Sequence subsequent season. Indy NXT is the brand new identify of the rebranded Indy Lights Sequence, the ultimate step on the ladder system earlier than IndyCar.

Chadwick will make her debut in an American racing sequence in March, driving the No. 28 for Andretti Autosport with sponsorship from DHL. The 24-year-old will change into the primary feminine in 13 years to compete fulltime within the Indy NXT championship.

Chadwick joined the feminine free-to-enter W Sequence in its inaugural 2019 season, successful two races and the primary of three consecutive championships. She has been a reserve driver for the Williams System One workforce and can proceed in that function in 2023.

Regardless of her success, Chadwick hasn’t landed an even bigger experience in F3 or F2 and her break did not come till Michael Andretti contacted her and supplied a check in an Indy NXT automotive.

The ultimate three races of this 12 months’s W Sequence schedule had been canceled when funding fell by way of, however Chadwick nonetheless believes the all-female sequence was the appropriate path for her.

“W Sequence has all the time been and can proceed to be a possibility to be racing for each feminine driver, so for my facet I checked out it whereas maybe I’d have appreciated to step up perhaps earlier, on the identical time having the ability to have that likelihood to race, get that have, have that growth, seat time… I used to be continuously studying,” Chadwick advised The Related Press.

“In that sense, I wasn’t pissed off in any respect. However on the flipside of it, now I’ve had that have testing in the USA in Indy NXT and that is one thing I am actually enthusiastic about.”

Chadwick can be anticipated to have an enhanced function as a growth driver subsequent season with Williams, which selected American driver Logan Sargeant to fill its open seat on subsequent 12 months’s F1 grid.

“Andretti Autosport is proud to be supporting Jamie alongside DHL,” mentioned Michael Andretti. “Jamie’s profitable profession speaks for itself, however Indy NXT offers Jamie the chance to proceed her growth in a brand new sort of racing.

“We’ve turned out 5 Indy NXT champions over time and sit up for persevering with our function in creating new expertise.”

Andretti subsequent season will discipline two drivers it developed in Indy NXT in its IndyCar program: Kyle Kirkwood, the 2021 champion, will return to Andretti after one season in IndyCar driving for A.J. Foyt Racing, and Devlin DeFrancesco is again for a second season.

Chadwick will likely be teammates in Indy NXT with Hunter McElrea and Louis Foster. She turns into Andretti’s second fulltime feminine driver alongside Catie Munnings, who competes for Andretti United within the Excessive E Sequence.

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