Why Jamie Chadwick’s IndyCar test with Andretti is such a big deal

While the IndyCar series has historically been more open to participation from women drivers, it has been over a decade since the a woman competed in the series full time.

That’s why it’s so important that Jamie Chadwick is lined up to test an Andretti Global machine in the near future; she’s the closest thing the series has had to a full-time female driver since Simona de Silvestro contested the 2013 season with KV Racing Technology.

Jamie Chadwick to test Andretti Global Indy car in September

Jamie Chadwick has been something of a phenom since she first appeared on the racing scene, with many pundits projecting that she’d become the first woman to race in Formula 1 since Giovanna Amati.

While that projection hasn’t quite played out as expected, Chadwick has been making a strong name for herself in the Indy NXT series — the rung of the American open-wheel ladder just below IndyCar proper — since she joined in 2023.

This year, she became the first woman in Indy NXT history to secure pole and win a race on a road/street course, and the third woman in history to take a victory in the series. In her sophomore season, she sits fifth overall in the standings.

As an Andretti Indy NXT driver, Chadwick has been seen as a potential favorite for a full-time IndyCar ride in the future. As a result, she has been awarded a test with Andretti Global proper, which will take place at Barber Motorsports Park on September 30 — after American open-wheel racing season has wrapped up.

While a test does not necessarily guarantee a ride in the future, it does provide some hope that Chadwick could become the first woman to race in IndyCar full-time in over a decade.

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IndyCar has an impressive history of female participation. Just this season, Katherine Legge has contested three IndyCar races — including the Indy 500 — with Dale Coyne Racing.

Nine different women have started the Indy 500, but only a handful have contested a full season of American open-wheel racing, including Sarah Fisher, Danica Patrick, Milka Duno, and Simona de Silvestro.

De Silvestro was the most recent woman to contest a full IndyCar season back in 2013, when she raced with KV Racing Technology to finish 13th overall in the championship standings.

Of course, plenty of women have raced in IndyCar more recently on a part-time basis; in the last decade, we’ve seen part-time or one-off starts from Katherine Legge, Pippa Mann, and Tatiana Calderon.

While it is always encouraging to see any kind of female participation, a full-time entry is critical when it comes to providing women drivers with the key platform on which to grow their careers.

Chadwick is the first woman to race in the Indy NXT series on a full-time basis in 13 years, proving that she has dedicated herself to developing her craft in American open-wheel racing.

Now, she’s well on the route to becoming the first woman to race in IndyCar full-time in over a decade as well.

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