After nearly two seasons at Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, Jack Harvey has been relieved of his duties driving the #30 Honda, per a team press release released Tuesday morning. Running part-time in the IndyCar Series from 2017 to 2019, the native of Bassingham, England, joined Meyer Shank Racing for his first full-time ride in 2020. After finishes of 15th and 13th in the championship over two years at MSR, Harvey signed a two-year deal with RLL.
The 30-year-old finished in the top 10 just once with Meyer Shank, finishing well behind teammates Graham Rahal and Christian Lundgaard in 2022, and sits 22nd in the standings after Sunday’s Gallagher Grand Prix, the last race before his firing.
In a statement posted on his X account following the news, Harvey stated “It’s no secret that my time at Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing didn’t go as planned. It was not through a lack of effort. I leave confident that I put my everything into every moment as a member of the team.”
“Only time will tell what the future holds. I am more motivated than ever to find a new home in IndyCar to showcase what I am capable of doing behind the wheel of a race car. We are not defined by our failures but rather how we respond to them. This is just one chapter in my story and I look forward to writing the next.”
While it was all but a fact that Harvey’s time at Rahal was up at the end of 2023, Tuesday’s premature firing likely happened for two reasons: First, each IndyCar entry competes for a spot in the “Leader’s Circle” program, a system that rewards the top 22 car entries (not drivers) with $910,000 as a reward, a significant amount of money, especially for smaller teams like RLL.
Additionally, the team now has the opportunity to try out multiple drivers for 2024 in the next three races. While Conor Daly was announced as the team’s replacement for the upcoming race at World Wide Technology Raceway (Gateway) due to his success on ovals, no driver has been announced for the final two races of the season at Portland and Laguna Seca respectively.
“We will use the final three races of the season to gauge other racing talent. I’m very pleased that Conor has agreed to join us in St. Louis. He’s been strong there and I feel that he can bring value to the team while also providing us with a strong effort. I look forward to having him with us.”
Bobby Rahal – Co-Owner, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing
Driver currently in IndyCar that could be on the move for 2024 include Romain Grosjean, Felix Rosenqvist, and Callum Ilott.