The British racer, Ilott, lost his full-time racing seat with Juncos Hollinger Racing at the end of last season, even though he did very well during his time with the team.
But he got a chance to race with Arrow McLaren in the first race of the new season after David Malukas hurt his wrist in a biking accident before the season started. Ilott finished 13th in the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg.
Ilott also raced in a non-championship round at The Thermal Club before he had to leave for his World Endurance Championship races. Then, Theo Pourchaire replaced Malukas at Long Beach.
But now, since Malukas and Arrow McLaren have split and Pourchaire isn’t racing in the Indy 500, Ilott has been asked to race again.
Ilott said, “It is any driver’s dream to race in the Indianapolis 500, and I’d like to extend a thank you to Zak, Gavin [Ward, team principal] and Tony [Kanaan, sporting director] for making this happen. I’m grateful to step into this race with a familiar car and a familiar team now in Arrow McLaren. While our April Open Test at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway was shortened by weather, the runs we did have were productive. I feel comfortable with the team and know that we can come together throughout the Month of May to put our best foot forward come race day.”
Last year, Ilott was the second-biggest mover in the race with JHR, moving up 15 positions from 27th to finish 12th.
He will join a four-car effort for Arrow McLaren at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, joining series regulars Pato O’Ward and Alexander Rossi as well as Kyle Larson, who will be trying to race in both the Indy 500 and the NASCAR Coca-Cola 600 on the same weekend.
Ward said, “Callum brings experience with this team and at the Indy 500 that we think is very valuable as we enter the biggest two weeks of our season. He and the team got along well during the first two events of the season, and we’re looking forward to carrying that over here. I’m confident that Callum and the #6 NTT DATA Chevy team will be competing near the front of the grid during qualifying and on race day, just like the rest of our cars.”
