A New Zealand-raised, British-born driver who has beaten Max Verstappen is on the verge of a big break.
Tom Blomqvist has been confirmed to cut his first IndyCar laps with Meyer Shank Racing, the same squad that he races for in the North American IMSA SportsCar Championship.
The 28-year-old has been a standout in his first IMSA season in the top class, winning the 24 Hours of Daytona on debut with Oliver Jarvis, Helio Castroneves, and Simon Pagenaud.
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Blomqvist and Jarvis currently lead the DPi standings. Although they only have one win to show for this season, the pair have combined for five straight second place finishes.
The test points towards a possible berth in the IndyCar Series and a return to open-wheel racing a decade on from beating the newest Formula 1 champion, Verstappen.
In the formative stages of his career, Blomqvist was drafted into the Red Bull Junior Team in 2013 and put on the path to Formula 1.
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He was unlucky not to stick with the junior squad and was replaced a year later by Verstappen.
Ironically, Blomqvist would beat the Formula 1-bound driver in the 2014 FIA European Formula 3 Championship – finishing second to Esteban Ocon while Verstappen was third.
Although Formula 1 didn’t come knocking, Blomqvist found a niche in sports car and GT racing, winning the 24 Hours of Spa for BMW.
Now, a return to open-wheel racing is looming with the IndyCar test on the horizon in the coming months.
“Really, really exciting news for me, getting my first shot in an Indy car later in the year,” said Blomqvist.
“Super grateful to Mike [Shank, team owner] and the full team at MSR for giving me this opportunity. Something that I’m definitely looking forward to.
“I’ve heard good things. I think I need to hit the gym, but it’s exciting times and I can’t wait to take the Indy car for a skid.”
A competitive IndyCar debut mightn’t come as soon as 2023, at least not with Meyer Shank Racing, however.
Incumbent star Pagenaud is already signed for next year while four-time Indianapolis 500 winner Castroneves is expected to be re-signed.
“Tom’s originally an open-wheel guy and has expressed interest in IndyCar,” Shank told RACER.
“Tom has massively exceeded what we’ve asked of him in the sports car, so we want to get a look at him and get a feel for his potential in an Indy car.
“We’re not looking at having anything for Tom in IndyCar right now, but you never know what the future might hold down the road a little ways.”
The IndyCar Series continues across July 24-25 (AEST) at Iowa Speedway with a double-header on the oval.
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