Castroneves Takes Over Car #66 as Blomqvist Steps Back Amid Struggles

Castroneves is ready to take over the wheel of car #66 in the next two race weekends, according to an announcement from Meyer Shank Racing on Wednesday. This means that Tom Blomqvist, a rookie in the IndyCar series, will be replaced due to his struggles throughout the season. Blomqvist’s best placement so far has been 15th in five races. His performance in the Indy 500 was particularly disappointing, as he made a mistake in the first corner, causing a crash with himself and two other drivers. As a result, the team decided to leave Blomqvist out of the upcoming races in Detroit and Road America, giving the opportunity to veteran driver and minority owner Castroneves to achieve better results. Blomqvist expressed his disappointment, but also his commitment to continue being part of the MSR family and contribute to the team’s future successes. Although MSR has not provided specific plans for car #66 beyond Road America, they have made it clear that Blomqvist is still a valued member of the team. As a champion IMSA driver, Blomqvist joined MSR in early 2022, and it seems like he is being given time to recover after a tough start to his IndyCar career. Co-owner Mike Shank emphasized the difficulty of the decision and assured that Blomqvist will continue to be part of the MSR family for the remainder of the season. With consecutive races approaching, the team concluded that having Castroneves driving in Detroit and Road America was the best decision to be made.