Two-time USAC champion Chris Windom will make his Indy Lights presented by Cooper Tires debut in May when he joins Belardi Auto Racing for the Freedom 100 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Belardi Auto Racing, which has won the Freedom 100 twice, will run the car in partnership with long-time Indy 500 entrant Jonathan Byrd’s Racing and sprint car mainstays Baldwin Brothers Racing.
“I’m really excited for the opportunity to race for Belardi Auto Racing with Byrd & Baldwin,” said Windom, the 2017 USAC National Sprint Car Champion and 2016 USAC Silver Crown Champion. “The Belardi team has had a ton of success on the (Mazda) Road to Indy, so I know I’ll be in good hands, with great teammates, as I deal with a fairly steep learning curve.”
The 27-year-old Windom has competed in each of USAC’s three national racing divisions, Silver Crown, Sprint Car and Midget, dating back to 2007. He is a six-time race winner in the Silver Crown Series and has has 17 career USAC Sprint Car victories.
“Though I’ve run big, high-speed tracks in Silver Crown, ARCA, and NASCAR, this will be my first rear-engine experience,” he said. “It’s obviously an entirely different style of racing than anything I’ve ever done, and I’m really looking forward to the challenge and to taking what I hope are solid steps to my goal of racing in the Indy 500.”
While the Jonathan Byrd name is no stranger to Indy car, with 2018 marking the 33rd anniversary of its first Indianapolis 500 entry, the entry represents its first foray into Indy Lights. The Baldwin Brothers team, after many years of sprint car racing and the collection of its first USAC championship in 2017 with Windom behind the wheel of their familiar #5 sprint car, will be making its first venture to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
“With two USAC championships under his belt and a bright future ahead of him, Chris has certainly earned himself an opportunity at Indy,” said David Byrd. “His abilities are obvious, but naturally, given his background, he needs the chance to gain experience, and when it comes to driver development, there’s no better team on the Road to Indy than Belardi Auto Racing. Speaking on behalf of my family and for Kenny Baldwin, who has been such a big part of Chris’ career over the last few years, we are tremendously appreciative of the opportunity to partner with Brian Belardi and the fantastic professionals on his team, and can’t wait to see Chris behind the wheel of the Belardi Auto Racing with Byrd & Baldwin machine.”
Added Brian Belardi: “We’re quite pleased to have Chris join our team. He’s obviously an extremely talented racer with a championship pedigree that has achieved success across multiple grassroots racing disciplines. I know that we are bringing a seasoned racer to our organization and that we will give him the tools that he needs to succeed.”