{"id":4501,"date":"2026-10-27T09:30:00","date_gmt":"2026-10-27T12:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/?p=4501"},"modified":"2026-10-27T09:57:56","modified_gmt":"2026-10-27T12:57:56","slug":"dunne-impresses-on-indycar-debut-with-second-fastest-time-and-eyes-2027-move","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/indy\/dunne-impresses-on-indycar-debut-with-second-fastest-time-and-eyes-2027-move\/","title":{"rendered":"Dunne impresses on IndyCar debut with second-fastest time \u2014 and eyes 2027 move"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">News Summary<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Alex Dunne completed 55 laps in his first IndyCar test at Barber Motorsports Park<\/strong>, setting a best time of 1:07.674.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The Irish Formula 2 contender finished <strong>second-fastest overall<\/strong>, just 0.117 seconds behind Hunter McElrea, after leading the morning running.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Dunne remains a contender for a Dale Coyne Racing seat in 2027, although the team has not confirmed a deal.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Alex Dunne made an impressive first appearance in IndyCar machinery at Barber Motorsports Park on Monday (October 26), finishing second-fastest in a four-driver test as Dale Coyne Racing continues evaluating its options for the 2027 season.<\/strong> The Irish Formula 2 contender completed 55 laps in the team&#8217;s #19 Honda and recorded a best time of 1:07.674, initially leading the session before Hunter McElrea went faster later in the day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The result gives Dunne a strong opening reference as he considers the possibility of moving from Formula 2 to American single-seater racing. The 20-year-old currently occupies third place in the 2026 F2 standings, with one victory and nine podium finishes, and has emerged as a candidate for one of Dale Coyne&#8217;s vacant IndyCar seats.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Dunne narrowly misses fastest time in first IndyCar test<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Dunne drove during the morning session at Barber, sharing the #19 Dale Coyne Honda with Indy NXT champion Nikita Johnson, who took over the car in the afternoon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Irishman&#8217;s time remained the fastest of the day until McElrea, driving for Ed Carpenter Racing, completed a 1:07.557 lap.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Conor Daly, representing Dreyer &amp; Reinbold Racing during the team&#8217;s preparations for its return to full-time IndyCar competition, recorded the third-fastest time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Barber IndyCar test \u2014 Times<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><tbody><tr><th class=\"has-text-align-right\" data-align=\"right\">Pos.<\/th><th>Driver<\/th><th>Team<\/th><th>Best lap<\/th><th>Gap<\/th><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-right\" data-align=\"right\">1<\/td><td>H. McELREA<\/td><td>Ed Carpenter Racing<\/td><td><strong>1:07.557<\/strong><\/td><td>\u2014<\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-right\" data-align=\"right\"><strong>2<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>A. DUNNE<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Dale Coyne Racing<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>1:07.674<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>+0.117<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-right\" data-align=\"right\">3<\/td><td>C. DALY<\/td><td>Dreyer &amp; Reinbold Racing<\/td><td>1:07.830<\/td><td>+0.273<\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-right\" data-align=\"right\">4<\/td><td>N. JOHNSON<\/td><td>Dale Coyne Racing<\/td><td>1:08.020<\/td><td>+0.463<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Reported times from the Barber evaluation test, rather than an official championship session.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Dunne&#8217;s competitive pace was particularly encouraging because he had never previously driven IndyCar&#8217;s Dallara DW12.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The car uses a 2.2-litre twin-turbocharged V6 engine and generates different power delivery, downforce and braking characteristics from the Formula 2 machinery familiar to the Irishman.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Dunne admits IndyCar has become an attractive alternative to Formula 1<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After completing the test, Dunne spoke positively about his first experience of an IndyCar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;The car, the track, everything. I loved it all,&#8221; he told <em>RACER<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Irishman praised the power and downforce of the car and described Barber&#8217;s elevation changes as an enjoyable challenge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Dunne also acknowledged that his original career ambition remains Formula 1, but securing a seat has become increasingly difficult.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He identified IndyCar as the alternative he would most like to pursue if an F1 opportunity does not materialise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The comments make his test particularly significant because it was not simply an isolated development outing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It represented an opportunity to evaluate a genuine alternative career path.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Dunne is still competing for the Formula 2 championship and must balance his immediate title ambitions with decisions about 2027.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Dale Coyne still evaluating drivers for 2027<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Dale Coyne has not confirmed either of its regular drivers for next season, leaving the team central to the remaining IndyCar driver market.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The vacancy became more significant following Dennis Hauger&#8217;s move to AJ Foyt Racing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/indy\/alex-dunne-moves-closer-to-indycar-as-dale-coyne-offers-alabama-test-with-2027-seats-open\/\">GRANDE PR\u00caMIO previously reported when Dunne&#8217;s evaluation was arranged<\/a><\/strong>, the Irishman is among the candidates under consideration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Johnson, who won the 2026 Indy NXT title, is another contender and completed his own first IndyCar test at Barber.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Although Dunne set the quicker time, direct comparisons require caution because the drivers ran at different stages of the day and under potentially different conditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The team&#8217;s eventual decision will also involve technical feedback, funding, experience and longer-term development considerations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For Dunne, Barber represents a promising beginning rather than a contract confirmation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Dunne-McLaren-rookie-1024x576.webp\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1010367264\" srcset=\"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Dunne-McLaren-rookie-1024x576.webp 1024w, https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Dunne-McLaren-rookie-300x169.webp 300w, https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Dunne-McLaren-rookie-768x432.webp 768w, https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Dunne-McLaren-rookie-150x84.webp 150w, https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Dunne-McLaren-rookie.webp 1440w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Alexander Dunne (Photo: McLaren)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Dunne willing to tackle IndyCar&#8217;s oval challenge<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">An IndyCar move would require Dunne to adapt to a broader range of circuits than those used in Formula 2.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The championship combines permanent road courses, street circuits and oval tracks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Dunne acknowledged that oval racing would present a new challenge, but expressed enthusiasm for learning the discipline.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He has followed IndyCar through race broadcasts and simulator driving and believes his preference for high-speed corners could help with the transition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">However, he also recognised that racing on ovals involves technical details not immediately apparent to spectators.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The next step depends on Dale Coyne&#8217;s evaluation and the availability of a suitable agreement for 2027.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>GRANDE PR\u00caMIO<\/strong> is following the IndyCar driver market, Dale Coyne Racing&#8217;s 2027 plans and preparations for the new season, with full coverage in its <a href=\"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/indy\/\">IndyCar section<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Formula 2 title contender Alex Dunne led the morning at Barber Motorsports Park before finishing second overall, just 0.117 seconds behind Hunter McElrea, as Dale Coyne Racing assesses its options for 2027.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1020319248,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"42wp_featured_image_caption":"Alexander Dunne","42wp_featured_image_credits":"IndyCar","42wp_featured_video":"","42wp_ai_content_disclaimer":"","42wp_is_ai_content":false,"42wp_featured_image_hidden":false,"42wp_authors_list":[{"id":14,"location":""}],"footnotes":"","42wp_hide_from_automatic":false,"42wp_breaking_news":false},"categories":[6],"tags":[163,935,941,940],"42wp_author":[14],"class_list":["post-4501","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-indy","tag-alex-dunne","tag-dale-coyne-racing","tag-hunter-mcelrea","tag-nikita-johnson","42wp_author-daniel-balsa"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4501","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4501"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4501\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4502,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4501\/revisions\/4502"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1020319248"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4501"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4501"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4501"},{"taxonomy":"42wp_author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/42wp_author?post=4501"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}