Jamie Chadwick, known for her June at Road America in Indy NXT this summer, which made her the first woman in Indy history since 2010 to bring home a Champion, made history on September 30th after testing for a spot on Andretti Global’s IndyCar team. Weather conditions were overcast and foggy, but the 26-year-old defied the odds, completing 87 laps at her maiden test with the team. She was confident in her ability to be behind the wheel, having been in the feeder NXT series with Andretti the past two seasons, and has been vocal about her desire to transition to IndyCar.
Improvements Chadwick is Making
While Jamie Chadwick’s maiden test with Andretti Global was largely successful, she found herself disappointed regarding the steering. After all, it was heavier than anticipated, causing her to second-guess her ability to maneuver the car even though she knew it could be challenging. The steering in an Indy NXT vehicle is much looser than traditional IndyCar, with steering that’s both heavier and tighter than she’s used to.
However, she pointed out that aside from becoming more comfortable with steering, the process went smoother than she could have imagined. Working with the team, becoming accustomed to driving in a new setting, and learning the differences between IndyCar and Indy NXT were the highlights of her time at Barber Motorsports Park. Therefore, Jamie Chadwick is highly optimistic about a future with IndyCar and Andretti Global, but what’s next?
“It went pretty well from a personal point of view,” she stated. “I was a little bit disappointed with finding the steering effort as hard as I did, but I think I knew that was potentially going to be the case doing the test at Barber, which I guess was the worst-case scenario.”
“But the rest of it, in terms of working with the team, getting comfortable in the car and understanding a bit more about IndyCar, I was really happy with how it all went,” she added.
Will Andretti Global Sign Jamie Chadwick?
Even though Jamie Chadwick is a promising young stand-out in the Indy community, the question remains whether the charter set to take effect in 2025 will hurt her chances. Currently, Andretti Global, like many other sports teams, has recently downsized to three drivers due to restrictions that only allow three cars per chartered team. The new three-manned team driving for Andretti Global’s IndyCar Team consists of Colton Herta, Marcus Ericsson, and Kyle Kirkwood, so this leaves the British racer out for now.
Jamie Chadwick knew going in that it wasn’t likely for her to be signed to Andretti now because of the charter, but this doesn’t mean she’s giving up on her dream of progressing into IndyCar. She’s also not ruling out the possibility of running a third-season campaign in Indy NXT, so either way, she’ll be on track even though she won’t be running ovals just yet, but make no mistake, she’s not giving up on her dream but simply putting it on pause and plans to revisit it when the right time allows.
“There’s so much that goes into it, obviously.” I’ve been with Andretti for the past two years, I’ve tested with Andretti, I really want to have every opportunity to stay within that family and environment. I think they are a huge part of helping me develop and get to this next level but they, of course, have three seats and three drivers.”
“I think, realistically, it’s an up-in-the-air opportunity whether we can make something happen. But I make no secret, IndyCar is absolutely my goal and where I want to get to,” Jamie Chadwick stated.
Final Thoughts
26-year-old Jamie Chadwick made Indy history when she tested with Andretti Global at Alabama’s famed track at Barber Motorsports Park, completing 87 laps in unfavorable weather, only further proving she has what it takes to progress from feeder series NXT to IndyCar. Still, Chadwick will have to put that on hold for now because Andretti Global is already set for the 2025 season that kicks off in March. Nonetheless, her goal remains the same, and she’ll continue to strive for an IndyCar seat.
She has paved the way for young women everywhere interested in the sport, becoming the first female driver since 2010 to secure a road course championship since Pippa Mann in the Indy Light Series for Sam Schmidt Motorsports. Jamie Chadwick’s willingness to learn is undoubtedly a large part of contributing to the success of her Indy NXT career, and no matter if she’s behind the wheel in NXT or IndyCar, she’ll be back for the 2025 season.
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