2023 Microsoft IndyCar Series season

2022 IndyCar season

The **2023 Microsoft IndyCar Series season** is set to be the first season of Indycar National Championship competition since the 1999 season, and a part of the 111th year of American open wheel racing. The Microsoft IndyCar Series serves as the second tier of the American open wheel ladder, below the AT&T Champ Car World Series, and above the Nissan Atlantic Championship.

Due to the last National Championship season being run in 1999, there are no defending Driver's or Team's Champions competing in the 2023 season.

## Background

On May 6, 2021, the North American Motor Racing Association (NAMRA) announced it would be reviving the National Championship to act as a second tier in the American open wheel racing ladder, unveiling the concept of the Microsoft IndyCar Series. The IndyCar moniker was abandoned when Horizon Corporation took over management of the Indycar World Championship competition in the middle of 2019, with the rights to use the IndyCar branding reverting back to NAMRA after Citadel Promotions backed out of sanctioning body duties.

The Microsoft IndyCar Series will use the IR-22 chassis created by Dallara Automobili, which uses the same base structure as the CC-22 chassis being used by the AT&T Champ Car World Series beginning in 2022. This will allow teams competing in IndyCar to easily convert their machines to Champ Car regulations with an upgrade kit if they so choose. A deal between NAMRA and Horizon Corporation has also allowed the potential of Champ Car's engine suppliers, Alpine, Chevrolet, and Honda, to compete in the series to support interested customer teams.

As with the rest of the American open wheel racing ladder, the Microsoft IndyCar Series will use Firestone Firehawk tires, running nearly identical tire compounds to that of the AT&T Champ Car World Series. Sunoco will be the official fuel supplier of the series.

## 2022 Teams and Drivers

The following teams and drivers are scheduled to contend at least part of the 2023 Microsoft IndyCar Series season. Up to 26 cars are permitted to take part in each IndyCar event.

### Notable Entries

* 2021 Champ Car Rookie of the Year, Ryan Stevens, will compete in the 2023 season with Swift Autosport after being replaced by David Wessel for 2022.
* Katarina Milenkovic will step up to the Microsoft IndyCar Series for Striker Motorsports. Milenkovic raced for Black Rose Racing in 2021 in the Nissan Atlantic Championship, as well as the Intel 500 and Pepsi 500 in the 2021 Champ Car season.
* Natalia Vulicevic will race for Coca-Cola Atomic Autosport in 2023, after spending 2021 racing for Striker Motorsports in the Nissan Atlantic Championship.
* Ronald Walker and Apex Racing Team will compete in the 2023 Microsoft IndyCar Series season after being rejected by Horizon Corporation midway through the 2021 Champ Car season. Walker and ART would win the Aramark 300 at Gateway after having their 2022 Champ Car entry renewal rejected.
* Legendary team, Escuderia Aguila, will compete for the National Championship in 2023, with Cristine Espinoza being the team's sole entry for the season. Espinoza will also compete in the 2022 Firestone Triple Crown.
* Team Impulse will enter three cars into the 2023 season. Thomas Rogers will return to the team after a one year sabbatical. Artyom Kozlov will also race for the team. They raced for the team in 2021 in the Nissan Atlantic Championship, as well as the last two races in the 2021 Champ Car season, where they filled in for Sakura Ishibashi after she was injured at the Firestone Grand Prix of Indianapolis. Jake Carter will also make his open wheel debut for the team.

## Calendar

The 2023 Microsoft IndyCar Series calendar was ratified by NAMRA on December 1, 2022. Since the series is taking place solely within North America, FICA did not need to also ratify the calendar. 20 races are scheduled to take place, between the United States, Canada, Brazil, Japan, and Germany. A variety of superspeedways, intermediate ovals, short ovals, road courses, and temporary street circuits will be used during the season.

## See Also

* CRC's YouTube Channel
* 2022 AT&T Champ Car World Series season, the 23rd season of Indycar World Championship competition.
* 2022 Nissan Atlantic Championship season, the 2nd season of America's third tier open wheel racing series.