Chip Ganassi Racing announced today that the team has signed Marcus Armstrong to a multi-year contract extension. Armstrong hasn’t been shy about wanting to stay here.

“Well, I mean, I haven’t exactly kept it a secret, but I’d love to stay here at Chip Ganassi Racing,” he said during the weekly INDYCAR zoom call ahead of last month’s race in Nashville. “I think I’ve been reasonably vocal about trying ovals for the first time. It would be a dream come true to compete at the Indy 500.”

Now, he’ll get that chance.

The Kiwi will be expanding his driving duties to compete on ovals with a full season beginning next season. Armstrong will drive an INDYCAR on an oval for the first time when he tests at Texas Motor Speedway on September 13.

“Yeah, certainly it’s going to be something like I’ve never experienced before,” Armstrong told me of the oval test. “So whenever you go into a testing situation or anything for that matter that you don’t know what to expect on, it always brings some nerves, I think.

“It’s like jumping onto your first street circuit. It’s always a little bit daunting at the beginning, but it doesn’t take long for you to acclimatize to that and to trust your instincts.

“With ovals, it’s something that my skills will obviously have to improve as I become more experienced on ovals. I’m excited for that challenge because it’s something that really fascinates me.”

Which is why he’s not just thrilled to be running full-time, he’s overly joyed that by running every race, that includes the Indianapolis 500.

“I am very proud and excited to continue with Chip Ganassi Racing for next year and beyond. Together with this very talented and experienced team, I am confident we can compete at the highest level in this championship. I feel very grateful that Chip has given me the time to adapt to INDYCAR and has helped me every step of the way in what has been a good season,” said Armstrong. “I’ve spent the year learning from a great group of people, including my teammates and Dario. I’m very grateful for how much help I’ve received from each team member. With a season under my belt, I now want to turn these lessons into results. I will be racing on the ovals for the first time next year and it’s an exciting challenge that I’m confident I can learn quickly. I spent the entire month of May either in the engineering office or in the pit stand this year, trying to familiarize myself with the details of oval racing. It’s a challenge that excites me a lot.”

Armstrong will round out the Ganassi 2024 driver lineup as he joins Scott Dixon, Alex Palou and recently signed Linus Lundqvist.

“Yes, definitely so,” Armstrong said on if he’s found a love of this series. “Somehow it feels like yesterday we were at Thermal doing our preseason testing. It’s gone remarkably quickly. In saying that, I feel like I’ve learned a lot, and I’ve learned to truly love this series, this championship.

“I feel like it’s a place where I really see myself staying for a long time. So I’m going to do my best to earn the right to be here, and that starts already from this weekend and onward. So I’m very pleased with the recent announcement.”

Lundqvist was just signed as Marcus Ericsson’s replacement while Ganassi confirmed last Sunday that Palou will also be back.

“Marcus Armstrong has proven in 2023 his quick adaptation to INDYCAR road and street tracks. He’s ready to be a full-time Chip Ganassi Racing INDYCAR driver,” said Chip Ganassi Racing Managing Director Mike Hull. “Winning is integrated into his racing resume. This includes his pursuit of the 2023 INDYCAR Rookie of the Year. He knows how to win as a teammate. Next comes ovals at the highest global level. We look forward to a long-term relationship driven by growth and opportunity in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES with Marcus.”

Armstrong made the jump to race in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES with Chip Ganassi Racing after competing in the FIA Formula 2 Championship from 2020 to 2022 where he earned four wins and eight podiums.

Now, at the young age of 23, he has a job that most race car drivers could only dream of. To be in his early 20’s and racing not only for an INDYCAR team full-time, but to do so with a team like Ganassi, it’s something that not many people get to experience.

“I would say yes, it’s a pretty special place to be really, especially at my age,” Armstrong told me on if this is a dream job. “It gives me the best opportunity, I think, to compete for championships, something that I believe I’ll be capable of soon.

“I feel like, had you told me two years ago that I’d be here, I probably wouldn’t believe you. Yeah, to think about it like that, it’s a place exactly like I planned when I was 8 years old.”

Before we get to next year, he first has a rookie title to claim in the season finale this weekend.

Armstrong, 23, currently leads the Rookie of the Year standings in his debut NTT INDYCAR SERIES season with 190 points. The Christchurch, New Zealand, native has competed exclusively in road and street course races. Throughout his first 11 races in the series, he has recorded three top-eight finishes and led the field for five laps.

Now, with one race left of this season but going into a new contract that spans multiple years, does that take the pressure off despite a trophy on the line?

“I wouldn’t say that,” he told me. “I don’t have external pressure from anyone. I didn’t feel that at any point in the season really. So I would say the most important thing for me is to get the results that I want, irrelevant of the rookie championship or anything like that.

“We were on target for a great result last week, and I feel like I’m just going to focus on what’s going to bring me results this week.

“I am in a very special situation where I have a great team around me, I have a great car, and I have the opportunity to win races, simple as that. So I’m going to go out there with that mindset and try to take advantage of this extra test day to give myself the best chance of performing tomorrow and on Sunday.”