Ryan Hunter-Reay to race 2026 Indy 500 with Arrow McLaren
Ryan Hunter-Reay will join Arrow McLaren’s NTT IndyCar Series team for the 110th Running of the Indianapolis 500 in 2026.
Hunter-Reay will drive the No. 31 Chevrolet, serving as a teammate to Pato O’Ward, Nolan Siegel and Christian Lundgaard for the Month of May.
“This is an incredible opportunity in so many ways,” Hunter-Reay said. “I’d like to express my gratitude to Zak (Brown), Tony (Kanaan) and the rest of the Arrow McLaren management team for pursuing this partnership and making it a reality. It is an honor to represent and drive for one of the most iconic teams in motorsports history, an organization that spares no effort or resource in the pursuit of being at the pinnacle of the sport and of course, winning the Indy 500.”
The 2012 series champion last raced the full schedule in 2021 and has only raced the Indy 500 the last two years. Last year, he led 48 of 200 laps but a sequence of late-race events shuffled him to 21st.
The Arrow McLaren ride means he wants redemption.
“After coming so agonizingly close to a shot at the win, I am beyond primed and ready to make the absolute most of this partnership,” he said.
Hunter-Reay has 18 open-wheel victories and 47 podium finishes since his debut in 2003. His first win came at Surfers Paradise in Australia late that season. His biggest triumph came in 2014 when he won the Indianapolis 500.
Now seeking his second Borg-Warner trophy as one of five active drivers with an Indy 500 win and an IndyCar championship, Hunter-Reay is following in the footsteps of some big names who have done one-off Indy 500 entries with Arrow McLaren, including:
- Fernando Alonso: 2017, 2020
- Juan Pablo Montoya: 2021, 2022
- Tony Kanaan: 2023
- Kyle Larson: 2024, 2025
Hunter-Reay racing for Arrow McLaren in the 2026 Indy 500 and Larson having little success in 2025 also likely shuts off the likelihood of Larson doing a third Double attempt in 2026.
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Jonathan Fjeld View All
Jonathan Fjeld is the co-owner of the The Racing Experts, LLC. He has been with TRE since 2010.
A Twin Valley, MN, native, Fjeld became a motorsports fan at just three years old (first race was the 2002 Pennsylvania 500). He worked as a contributor and writer for TRE from 2010-18. Since then, he has stepped up and covered 24 NASCAR race weekends and taken on a larger role with TRE. He became the co-owner and managing editor in 2023 and has guided the site to massive growth in that time.
Fjeld has covered a wide array of stories and moments over the years, including Kevin Harvick's final Cup Series season, the first NASCAR national series disqualification in over 50 years, Shane van Gisbergen's stunning win in Chicago and the first Cup Series race at Road America in 66 years – as well as up-and-coming drivers' stories and stories from inside the sport, like the tech it takes for Hendrick Motorsports to remain a top-tier team.
Currently, he resides in Albuquerque, N.M., where he works for KOB 4, an NBC station. He works as a digital producer and does on-air reports. He loves spending time with friends and family, playing and listening to music, exploring new places, being outdoors, reading books and writing among other activities. You can email him at fjeldjonathan@gmail.com