MOORESVILLE, N.C. — Simon Pagenaud has not been cleared to return to action by the IndyCar Medical staff because of lingering effects of a concussion. He will be replaced in the No. 60 SiriusXM/AutoNation Honda by Meyer-Shank IMSA driver Tom Blomqvist, who will make his NTT IndyCar Series debut.
“We’re obviously still working to get Simon as healthy as possible,” Meyer-Shank Racing team owner Michael Shank said. “He is feeling fine and is ready to get back in the car once he is cleared.
“The decision to put Tom in the car was an easy one. He’s coming off of an IMSA win at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park last weekend and I have all the confidence in the world putting him in our Indy car.”
Blomqvist is a two-time defending and reigning Rolex 24 at Daytona (Fla.) champion in the IMSA WeatherTech Sports Car Championship.
“First and foremost, I’m thinking of Simon and hoping that he recovers as quickly as possible so that he can get back behind the wheel,” Blomqvist said. “I have to thank Mike and Jim (Meyer, co-owner) for considering me to fill in this weekend. I’m definitely looking forward to seeing what IndyCar has to offer.
“Diving straight into the deep end is an understatement after only having one test in the MSR Indy car last year. I’m excited but aware of the challenges getting up to speed during a race weekend, so I’m not putting any pressure on myself. Just going to go out there soak it all in and give it all I’ve got.”
Pagenaud continues his recovery from the effects of a dramatic barrel-rolling crash that took place in practice at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course on July 1.
Blomqvist, who won the 2022 IMSA championship with Meyer Shank Racing, has run primarily in sports cars and prototypes in the last seven seasons after having started his career in open-wheel racing. Last weekend, Blomqvist claimed pole position at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park on his way to victory at the track with co-driver Colin Braun.
The Toronto outing will not be his first on board an IndyCar Series race car, as Blomqvist had an IndyCar test with MSR in Sebring in October of 2022. The British-born driver came up through the karting ranks and ran four seasons in various Formula 3 series in Europe, scoring 12 wins. He also broke Lewis Hamilton’s record as the youngest champion of the Formula Renault U.K. series, taking the crown at the age of 16.
His IndyCar Series debut comes in Sunday’s Honda Indy Toronto, as the series battles for the 37th time on the 11-turn, 1.786-mile street course that winds through the city’s Exhibition Place grounds.
This weekend’s MSR lineup features drivers on both ends of the seat time spectrum as the rookie Blomqvist will be joined by veteran Helio Castroneves (No. 06 AutoNation / SiriusXM Honda) who is looking to reprise previous successes on the course that lies in the shadow of the Princes’ Gate.
Castroneves has five front-row starts to his credit in Toronto, including pole positions in 2000 and 2004. The Brazilian has led laps in seven of his starts in the Ontario city and has finished on the lead lap in each of his last nine IndyCar starts there.
Sunday’s 85-lap race will air on Peacock on Sunday starting at 1:30 p.m. Eastern Time. Qualifying takes place on Saturday, July 15, beginning at 2:45 p.m. with live coverage on Peacock. SiriusXM will also host live race coverage on XM Ch. 160.
“I’m very excited to get back to Toronto, it’s a very fun event getting to run on the streets,” Castroneves said. “The team has been working so hard in the last few races to get some momentum going and I think we have made improvements and learned a lot. We will take that to Toronto this weekend and have a good race.”