HIGHLIGHTS AND HISTORY

Entering its 41st season of competition in 2024, Dale Coyne Racing has a long and storied history in Indy car racing. Starting in 1984 as an owner/driver, Dale Coyne ran seven seasons in CART. In 1990, he focused his efforts on the tutelage of several up-and-coming drivers.​

From Dean Hall in 1990 to Paul Tracy in 1991 and two-time Series Champion Alex Palou in 2020, Coyne’s ability to help and coach drivers has paid dividends to the drivers who have competed with his seasoned team.​

Prior to making the transition to the IndyCar Series following the unification of American open-wheel racing, the team competed in the Champ Car World Series. In 2007, driver Bruno Junqueira recorded back-to-back-to-back podium finishes (Zolder, Belgium, Assen, Netherlands and Surfers Paradise, Australia) on route to a seventh-place finish for the year.​

In 2008, drivers Junqueira and Mario Moraes recorded five combined top-10 finishes and both drivers led several laps during the famed Indianapolis 500.​

In July 2009, the team celebrated its first win with Justin Wilson at Watkins Glen. Wilson would also win at Texas Motor Speedway in 2012, and Mike Conway added a third in the first race of the 2013 Belle Isle doubleheader weekend. Rookie Carlos Huertas made a surprising run to the checkered flag to win the first Houston race in 2014, notching the team’s fourth career triumph while Sebastien Bourdais marked his return to the team by winning the 2017 season opener at St. Petersburg.​

Also in 2017, Bourdais was on his way to a pole position at the Indy 500 prior to an unfortunate accident that sidelined him for nine races. The driver of the #18 machine was running 1.5mph quicker than eventual pole winner Scott Dixon when he lost control of his #18 machine in Turn 2 of his third qualifying lap.​

In 2018, DCR formed a collaboration with Jimmy Vasser and James Sullivan, to run its #18 entry with Sebastien Bourdais under the Dale Coyne Racing with Vasser-Sullivan name for two seasons. The team kicked off the 2018 season with Bourdais picking up his second consecutive win on the streets of St. Petersburg.​

For the 2020 season, Dale Coyne Racing with Vasser-Sullivan fielded an entry for Santino Ferrucci. DCR also formed a partnership with Team Goh to run driver Alex Palou in its #55 Dale Coyne Racing with Team Goh entry.​

The team continued its partnership with Vasser-Sullivan in 2021 and welcomed back its 2017 INDYCAR Rookie of the Year Ed Jones to pilot its #18 entry. It also created a new partnership with Rick Ware Racing to form Dale Coyne Racing with RWR and hired Formula 1 veteran Romain Grosjean to drive its #51 Honda. Grosjean had a great season, scoring three podium finishes and registering eight top seven starts, including one pole position.​

For its 2022 campaign, the team chose Formula 1 and NTT INDYCAR SERIES veteran and two-time Indianapolis 500 winner Takuma Sato to pilot its #51 Dale Coyne Racing with RWR entry, while 2021 Indy Lights vice-champion David Malukas took over driving duties of the newly formed Dale Coyne Racing with HMD Motorsports #18 entry.​

Malukas had a stellar rookie campaign in the #18 HMD Honda. He started in the top 10 seven times and picked up three top 10 finishes, including a second-place finish at WorldWide Technology Raceway.

In 2023, Malukas returned to the team for his sophomore season and picked up another podium finish at WorldWide Technology Raceway. Rookie Sting Ray Robb was behind the wheel of the Dale Coyne Racing with RWR entry.