IndyCar Races Into Whitestown
Indiana, also known as the racing capital of the world, is adding another entry to its list of motorsports teams. McLaren CEO Zak Brown announced in late May that it plans to build a state-of-the-art IndyCar facility in Whitestown. The plan looks to create up to 175 high-wage jobs by the end of 2025.
The cost is an estimated $25 million to build a more than 97,000-square-foot facility that includes modern office spaces with technical areas, workshop space, logistics and transport areas, a gym to focus on exercise science, and more. The new facility will allow the Arrow McLaren SP racing team to run three full-time entries in the open-wheel auto racing NTT INDYCAR series in 2023, with plans to extend in the future.
McLaren racing teams have had success in multiple racing leagues in recent years, finishing in the top four of the Formula 1 racing team standings each of the past two years. Pato O’Ward of its NTT INDYCAR team finished third in the drivers’ standings in 2021.
Gov. Eric J. Holcomb said, “When Secretary [of Commerce Brad] Chambers and I met with Zak Brown during our recent trip to Europe, we were overly impressed that sustainability and adaptability have been keys to their success. This aligns perfectly with what we are building here in Indiana.â€
The announcement couldn’t have come at a better time, just three days before the 106th running of the Indianapolis 500. The Arrow McLaren SP team has three drivers in the NTT INDYCAR series: O’ward, Felix Rosenqvist, and Juan Pablo Montoya. O’ward (second place) and Rosenqvist (fourth place) both finished in the top five of Sunday’s race, with Montoya just outside of the top 10, coming in at 11th.
Arrow McLaren SP currently employs team members from both its headquarters in Woking, U.K., and in Indianapolis. It plans to begin hiring in Whitestown once construction is underway. Several positions have already been posted, and the team will continue to hire into early next year.
Those who are interested may apply online on the Arrow McLaren SP careers page, https://racingcareers.mclaren.com/indycar.
