The NTT IndyCar Series, known for its fierce competition and diverse track challenges, is facing an unexpected crisis: a severe shortage of seasoned race engineers. As the 2025 season approaches, powerhouse teams like Chip Ganassi Racing and rising contenders like Juncos Hollinger Racing are in a heated race—not on the track, but in the paddock—to secure the engineering talent necessary to maintain or climb the competitive ladder.
The Talent Void: Why IndyCar Engineering is Unique
Unlike other racing series, IndyCar demands engineering mastery across a variety of tracks: high-speed ovals, short tracks, and winding road and street courses. This unique blend of challenges places a premium on experienced race engineers who understand the complexities of setup adjustments and real-time data analysis across different racing environments.
“It’s so complicated when it comes to getting it right the first time on an oval,” said Juncos Hollinger Racing team principal Dave O’Neill, who joined the series after a long career in Formula 1. “A person new to oval engineering is going to have a hard time, and that affects the entire team.”
Chip Ganassi Racing’s Search for Stability
Chip Ganassi Racing, fresh off another championship season, has found itself unexpectedly short-staffed after losing two senior race engineers. The team is now hunting for a race engineer to work with sophomore driver Kyffin Simpson while ensuring that Scott Dixon and Alex Palou’s programs remain at the top.
Mike Hull, managing director of Ganassi, emphasized the rare qualities the team seeks in candidates. “The ideal engineer would have IndyCar experience and, ideally, some driving experience themselves,” Hull said. “It gives them a better understanding of what the driver needs from the cockpit outward, rather than just analyzing data inward.”
The team’s engineering shuffle follows broader changes, including the downsizing from five full-time entries to three and the closure of its IMSA GTP program, which has forced Ganassi to reassess its internal resources.
Juncos Hollinger: A Different Set of Challenges
For Juncos Hollinger Racing, the challenge lies in finding the right mix of youth and experience. After losing Stephen Barker, who is believed to have joined the new PREMA Racing outfit, the team now needs to fill engineering roles for drivers Conor Daly and Sting Ray Robb.
O’Neill described the difficulty of recruiting seasoned IndyCar engineers, particularly for a younger team still building its competitive foundation. “We look to universities like Purdue for young talent, but enthusiasm doesn’t replace experience,” he said. “You need someone who knows when not to panic and can provide a steady hand during a race weekend.”
The Broader Hunt: From F1 to Universities
When IndyCar teams can’t find candidates within the paddock, they often expand their search to other series like Formula 1, IMSA, NASCAR, or the FIA World Endurance Championship. However, transitioning engineers from these disciplines presents its own set of challenges, particularly with oval racing.
“If you can’t find an experienced person, you have to look inside your team for junior engineers or scout universities,” O’Neill said. “With a new car on the horizon, you’d ideally want someone who can grow with you and be part of that development process.”
A Long-Term Problem
IndyCar’s engineering shortage reflects a larger issue: the demand for top-tier talent is outpacing supply. As teams invest in developing junior engineers and fostering new talent from academic institutions, they face the short-term reality of competing with incomplete rosters.
For Ganassi, Juncos Hollinger, and others, the stakes are high. As O’Neill put it, “Stability within your engineering program gives you a level playing field. Without it, you’re always playing catch-up.”
