2018 BRDC British F3 Champion Linus Lundqvist could secure the Indy Lights title in Portland, Oregon this weekend.
The Swedish driver has dominated the leading feeder series to IndyCar this year, with five wins, seven pole positions and eight podiums so far from the 11 races, and is a massive 108-points clear of his leading opposition.
Should he leave this weekend's event 109 points or more clear of the opposition, he will secure the title and the $1 million scholarship prize towards the IndyCar Series, plus a guaranteed three races including the Indy 500 next year.
“We’re getting into the last stretch of the season, and I’m extremely excited for these last two rounds in Portland and Laguna Seca," he said.
“I know that I’ve got one hand on the title and it’s obviously a nice position to be in. Wrapping it up early in Portland would be a dream outcome, but there’s no stress. I’m up for a close fight this weekend and I will be going for victory, like always.”
Aiming to become the first driver from Sweden to claim the Indy Lights crown, the 2020 Formula Regional Americas champion has previous form at Portland, having taken podiums in both races at the circuit in his debut campaign last year.
“We were quick in Portland last year, I had two podiums, and David (Malukas, then HMD Motorsports team-mate) took one of the wins. I was a rookie back then and I picked up a few tricks that I look forward to trying out again this weekend. I have a great feeling. It may look straightforward on a map, but Portland is actually quite a particular track, so it will be fun to drive there again.”
Practice for this weekend’s Indy Lights event begins on Friday. Qualifying is set for Saturday afternoon local time, with the 35-lap race taking place on Sunday. Streaming of all sessions is available through the INDYCAR Live! online platform.