Jamie Chadwick set to complete first Indycar test with Andretti

Jamie Chadwick will be the first female Indy NXT winner in over a decade to receive an IndyCar test, as the Brit will join Andretti Autosport for a test at Barber Motorsports Park in September.

Jamie Chadwick is one of the most well-known female athletes in motorsport, both in Europe as well as in the United States, as the young British driver moved to the Indycar ladder after three W Series titles. In her second season of Indy NXT competitions, Chadwick celebrated her first victory at Road America earlier this year. She is known for breaking records and making history, and now she will become the next female Indy NXT winner to get the opportunity to test an IndyCar, 13 years after Pippa Mann in 2011.

Chadwick, 25, contested her first season in North America after winning three back-to-back titles in the all-female W Series championship, driving a Tatuus Formula Regional car. In W Series, Chadwick claimed an outstanding 11 wins, 10 pole positions, and 18 podiums out of 21 races.

Having also raced in the Formula Regional European Championship, where she climbed onto the podium once, and having picked up a race win in the Formula 3 Asian Championship, Chadwick was signed to the Williams Racing Driver Academy programme in 2019. Her stellar racing résumé includes successes in the BRDC British Formula 3, where she became the first woman to win a race, and a record-breaking title in British GT as the youngest-ever champion.

The British racer made her debut in Indy NXT in 2023, where she contested a highly positive campaign. Chadwick scored her first top ten finish at Mid Ohio, and went on to claim four more top 10s with a personal best of sixth at Portland.

She made significant progress during her rookie season and came back even stronger this year: she scored a podium at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course, making it the best Indy NXT finish for a female driver since Pippa Mann in Kentucky in 2010. She was also the first woman ever to score a pole on road courses in the series; all previous pole positions by female drivers were for oval races.

Jamie then became the first female driver to win on a road or street course, making history once again when she took victory at Road America. She is now fifth in the championship standings and aiming to continue the progress.

“I’m incredibly excited to be testing in INDYCAR for the first time with Andretti Global at Barber Motorsports Park later this year", Chadwick said. "I want to say a huge thank you to the team for this opportunity. It is for sure one I am going to relish."

"The NTT INDYCAR SERIES remains my goal, so I cannot wait to learn as much as possible on that day at one of the most demanding tracks on the calendar.”

The test at Barber Motorsports Park on September 30th will see Jamie driving for her current Indy NXT team, Andretti Autosport, which has a strong track record of supporting and developing young talents.

“It’s been a pleasure watching Jamie grow as a driver in our INDY NXT program", Michael Andretti, CEO and Chairman of Andretti Global, added. "The work she put in during the winter after her rookie season is obvious, and we’ve been impressed with the progress she’s made."

"The INDY NXT field is really competitive this year, and what Jamie has been able to do is a testament to the level of skill and potential she has", Andretti continued. "We believe in rewarding hard work and results and are excited to give her this opportunity. We’re all looking forward to seeing what she can do in September.”

Katherine Legge has been the only female driver to race in IndyCar in the last two years; the British driver contested the last two editions of the Indy500 and then joined the field at Iowa Speedway. Tatiana Calderon completed seven races in 2022, while Simona De Silvestro raced in four events in the same season.

Before the IndyCar test takes place, Chadwick will tackle the Indy NXT by Firestone Outfront Showdown at Gateway Motorsports Park on the 17th of August.