The Dane was hired by Ed Carpenter Racing after impressing in a current check at Barber Motorsports Park, and can make his IndyCar debut subsequent season with a highway and road course deal along with contesting the Indianapolis 500 in a 3rd automobile.
Staff proprietor Ed Carpenter will take over Rasmussen’s common #20 machine for the six oval races, whereas crew common Rinus VeeKay will return for a fifth season with the squad.
Not like the earlier two seasons, ECR has no plans to run a 3rd automobile at occasions exterior of the Indy 500.
This course has been chosen because the crew seeks to maximise its sources after a disappointing 2023 that yielded simply 4 high 10 finishes between Carpenter, VeeKay, Conor Daly and his mid-season alternative Ryan Hunter-Reay.
“Lots of it was simply taking an evaluation of the place we had been and the way the 12 months went, what went effectively and what did not, how will we take a step ahead,” Carpenter mentioned.
“The sequence is so aggressive now from high to backside. For us, it was as a lot as something about ensuring we’re utilizing the sources that we’ve with all of our personnel and automobiles and preparation and placing our greatest foot ahead.
“We staffed up extra final 12 months for the third automobile than we had previously, however that is nonetheless in all probability lower than what different two-car groups would common. As a lot as something, we weren’t proud of how we carried out final 12 months general.
“Doing the identical precise factor once more wasn’t going to be the last word repair. If we may have gotten sufficient additions into the crew on all sides of issues from engineering down by the mechanics, possibly we may have come to a special conclusion.
Photograph by: Josh Tons / Motorsport Images
Rinus VeeKay, Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet
“The competitors simply is not on observe, it is off observe as effectively. Very arduous to get new individuals into the constructing and away from different groups.
“It is a resolution that enables us to be extra centered and hopefully come again stronger in 2024, which is the plan.”
Carpenter mentioned he had been impressed by Rasmussen’s “pure potential and pace” within the Barber check and revealed that the 23-year-old’s contract shouldn’t be strictly set for under 2024.
“There’s choices for it to be a number of years,” Carpenter mentioned.
“That is the intent, that that is greater than a one-year venture. I feel in the event you take a look at our historical past, usually we have tried to construct on relationships and develop them.
“I do not suppose it might be truthful to say we will see Christian’s full potential after one 12 months. It is a bounce.
“I anticipate him to be robust, however we would like to have the ability to capitalise on his expertise for the long term. That is our intent.”
When requested by Autosport if it might be doable for Rasmussen to run different oval occasions with one other crew to achieve expertise with a full-time schedule, just like when Daly break up time with ECR and Carlin in 2019 and 2020, Carpenter expressed a hesitancy towards the thought.
“Yeah, we’ve not actually talked about that,” Carpenter mentioned.
Photograph by: Ed Carpenter Racing
Christian Rasmussen, Ed Carpenter Racing
“I would say it is unlikely that we might be comfy having him run with one other crew.
“I might say it is early sufficient that there is at all times potential so as to add to the programme that we’ve if the scenario presents itself over time and we’re in a position to do this.
“Actually, the long-term aim is to have him working a full-time schedule, so we’ll see how that develops. Proper now, that is the plan.”