Marcus Armstrong will return to Meyer Shank Racing for the 2026 IndyCar season
Marcus Armstrong’s strong 2025 campaign with Meyer Shank Racing has earned him the chance to return next year, the Pataskala, Ohio-based team announced on Monday.
The New Zealander joined MSR for a second full-time season in IndyCar after his stint with Chip Ganassi Racing, where he debuted in a part-time program in 2023 before contesting the full 2024 season, finishing 14th in the standings.
Still a CGR driver on loan to MSR for 2025, Armstrong has clearly stepped up his game this year. He has already scored ten top-10 finishes, eight of which have come in the last nine races, a run bettered only by the championship’s top three drivers: newly crowned champion Alex Palou (13), Pato O’Ward (11) and Scott Dixon (11).
Armstrong’s form has included his second IndyCar podium, a third-place finish in Race 2 at Iowa Speedway last month, along with other strong results at Road America (5th) and Detroit (6th). He also secured two second-row starts, qualifying third in Toronto and fourth at the season opener in St. Petersburg.
‘Grateful’ to remain with MSR
Marcus Armstrong, Meyer Shank Racing
Photo by: Penske Entertainment
“I’m very pleased and grateful to be back with Meyer Shank Racing and my crew for 2026,” Armstrong said. “The professionalism and attention to detail here set a benchmark across the field, and we’ve certainly improved with time together, which has been great. We’ll look to build on our momentum and work hard to climb the points standings.”
Mike Shank, co-owner of Meyer Shank Racing, added: “We’re thrilled to have Marcus back for 2026. He’s really grown a lot this season and we’ve seen that reflected in his results as the year has gone on. His performances have shown that he has all the tools to fight at the front. We’re excited to continue building on this progress together.”
As the IndyCar Series prepares to close out the 2025 season with two races over the final two weekends of August at the Milwaukee Mile and Nashville Superspeedway, Armstrong sits ninth in the championship, just 11 points behind sixth-place Will Power and six points behind teammate Felix Rosenqvist, currently seventh.
While it remains unclear if Armstrong is still under contract with Chip Ganassi Racing, his confirmation to return to MSR in 2026 takes one of the top free agents off the market and provides MSR with clear direction for the future, with Rosenqvist already secured on a multi-year deal, first signed in September 2023 and extended last year.
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