Ed Jones has made the shock switch to Chip Ganassi Racing in 2018, with the 2017 Rookie of the Year linking up with Verizon IndyCar Series veteran Scott Dixon in a reduced two-car effort.
Jones was set to remain with Dale Coyne Racing after an impressive debut season in 2017, with his best result coming at the Indianapolis 500 where he finished an excellent third, less than a second behind race winner Takuma Sato despite running with a damaged front wing in the closing stages.
But the twenty-two-year-old will now partner four-time series champion Dixon after the departure of Tony Kanaan, Max Chilton and Charlie Kimball from their 2017 line-up.
“This is truly an honour to have the opportunity to drive for Chip, his organization and to represent NTT DATA,” said 2016 Indy Lights champion. “Chip runs one of the biggest and best motor racing teams in the world, and equally as important, is a proven winner across each series he competes in from Le Mans to Indianapolis and beyond.
“I want to get up to speed quickly and learn as much as I can. Scott is a legend in the sport, and to get the chance to team with him is an amazing opportunity. I think I’m joining the team at a perfect time when the playing field is being reset with common aero kits, and everyone is adjusting to a new formula.
“I’m really looking forward to getting in the car and getting underway with our 2018 campaign.”
Team owner Chip Ganassi said they had been looking at the Dubai-born Briton for a while, and he was pleased to be able to sign him to his outfit for the 2018 season.
“We’ve been following Ed’s career for quite some time now and are pleased we are able to add him to strengthen our Indy car line-up,” said Ganassi.
“He has a year of Indy car racing under his belt now and is the type of young talent that we were looking for. We can’t wait to get him on the race track.”
