#06 – Helio Castroneves, 18th in the championship standings (217 points) – 17 races
- 0 wins, 0 podiums, 0 top fives, 1 top 10s, 0 poles, 0 Fast Six Appearances
- Best Finish: 10th (Texas)
- Best Start: 8th (Iowa – Race 2)
#60 – Simon Pagenaud, 28th in the championship standings (88 points) – 8 races
- 0 wins, 0 podiums, 0 top fives, 0 top 10s, 0 poles, 0 Fast Six Appearances
- Best Finish: 13th (Detroit)
- Best Start: 8th (Detroit)
#60 – Tom Blomqvist, 34th in championship standings (16 points) – 3 races
- 0 wins, 0 podiums, 0 top fives, 0 top 10s, 0 poles, 0 Fast Six Appearances
- Best Finish: 24th (Portland)
- Best Start: 20th (Toronto)
#60 – Conor Daly, 25th in championship standings (134 points) – 11 races, 3 w/ MSR
- 0 wins, 0 podiums, 0 top fives, 0 top 10s, 0 poles, 0 Fast Six Appearances (* w/ MSR)
- Best Finish (w/ MSR): 17th (Iowa – Race 2)
- Best Start (w/ MSR): 15th (Iowa – Race 2)
#60 – Linus Lundqvist, 31st in championship standings (35 points) – 3 races
- 0 wins, 0 podiums, 0 top fives, 0 top 10s, 0 poles, 0 Fast Six Appearances
- Best Finish: 12th (IMS Road Course – Race 2)
- Best Start: 11th (Nashville)
Joey Barnes: There are so many elements to Meyer Shank Racing’s 2023 campaign that are bizarre to me. I didn’t expect some of the woeful performances in its second year of being a two-car team, especially with the technical alliance with Andretti Autosport.
Obviously, Pagenaud’s terrifying crash at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course drastically derailed the season in more ways than one. That said, results showed a tough start to the year as Castroneves and Pagenaud combined for one top 10 and two top 15 finishes through the opening six rounds.
The Frenchman had a runner-up and six additional top 10s in 2022 compared to none in 2023 prior to the Round 8 practice crash that kept him out for the remainder of 2023. It’s hard to fathom there was that much regression by Pagenaud and the team, which is why I view it more as something simply not meshing between the two.
There were flashes of promise when Lundqvist came in to substitute drive Pagenaud’s ride. The 2022 Indy NXT champion set the fastest laps in two of his three appearances, which only added to the debate on gauging MSR’s progress or if Lundqvist’s talent was that much more superior at this point in time over Castroneves and Pagenaud.
Given all the elements this team endured in 2023, there is some degree of me that views the report as incomplete. The combination of a veteran driver alongside what ended up as a rotation of talent in the second car was reminiscent of past years by Dale Coyne Racing.
If MSR is going to take that next step and not live in backmarker hell, and I expect them to be very much improved for reasons my colleague shares below, it’ll come down to the details and being closer to the mark when they unload each and every race weekend.
Nick Degroot: The 2021 Indianapolis 500 winners faced a very difficult year.
While Castroneves led the effort, he was only 18th in the final standings with a best finish of 10th.
Unfortunately, the second MSR entry was involved in a major accident at Mid-Ohio. Pagenaud's rollover crash sidelined him for the remainder of the year, and the team was forced to use multiple drivers to fill in the gaps. Daly, Blomqvist, Lundqvist all shared the ride. It was a struggle and a year to forget, but the team seems committed to improving things for 2024.
MSR has made some changes to its driver lineup for next year, signing Blomqvist and Felix Rosenqvist to full-time roles. I believe this is a good move, and Castroneves will continue to compete in a third car. A combination of young guns and a veteran eye will only help them. The organization has also paused its sports car efforts, focusing all of its energy on bettering the IndyCar program.
