Dale Coyne Racing announced that 2025 Indy NXT champion Dennis Hauger will pilot one of the team’s cars for the 2026 season. The Danish rookie won six races on the way to taking the Indy NXT title in his first season in North America. Prior to that, he spent three years in Formula 2, winning five races and finishing in the top ten two straight seasons before leaving late in the 2024 season to come to America.
Hauger “excited” for 2026 Indycar season
In a statement, Hauger said he’s “excited to be joining Dale Coyne Racing for my rookie INDYCAR season. The progress the team has shown this year is really impressive, and it’s an honor to take my place on the grid with them in 2026.”
Dale Coyne Racing had its best season since 2020 this past year, with Rinus Veekay taking their first podium since 2023 and finishing 14th in points in the #18 car. He departed at the end of the season, but while there is still the question of who will be in the other car, the move solidifies things at a team that has frequently announced their driver lineups much later in the offseason.
Andretti Global coming along for the ride
The driver assignment also comes with a new technical partnership with Andretti Global, who fielded Hauger’s car in Indy NXT. Hauger said “it’ll also be nice to see some familiar faces through the team’s technical partnership with Andretti Global. They’ve been a big part of my success since making the switch, so having their involvement in another rookie season for me will be great.”
Team owner Dale Coyne called the deal between him, Hauger, and Andretti Global “a great opportunity for us here at DCR to bring on a talented driver and gain a strong technical partner in Andretti Global, Thanks to Dan [Towriss, Andretti Global team partner] and his belief in our sport and his dedication to elevating Dennis to the top of the ladder.”
