Free agent Nolan Siegel ‘not done with IndyCar dream yet’ as he targets 2027 seat

For Nolan Siegel, the IndyCar chapter is far from closed.

In the midst of free agency and exploring his next steps following his two-and-a-half-year stint with Arrow McLaren – highlighted by three top-10 finishes this year and a career-best sixth on the streets of Washington, D.C. – the 21-year-old California native has eyes locked on securing a seat on the 2027 grid.

With the driver market narrowing, the only full-time options remaining for next season are with AJ Foyt Racing, Dale Coyne Racing, and Juncos Hollinger Racing. While his impressive sports car résumé already boasts an LMP2 class victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans (in 2024) and IMSA wins (in 2023), Siegel’s heart remains set on unfinished business in IndyCar.

Siegel is actively weighing his options for next year, aiming for an ideal scenario that pairs an IndyCar seat with as many IMSA rounds as possible. However, the IndyCar dream is undoubtedly the priority.

“I've always loved racing in IMSA and endurance racing, so it's not something that I would be unhappy doing," Siegel told Motorsport.com. "But where I'm at now, I've put so much through my whole career into trying to make it to IndyCar, and I'm not done with that dream yet. So I would love to stay in IndyCar."

While nothing has been officially finalized, the young driver is pushing relentlessly to make it happen.

“Nothing is done yet,” he said. “So, I don't really have anything to share on that front, but it's certainly not impossible and definitely something that I'm working hard towards. Very much trying to make something happen in IndyCar and that's where I want to be."

Nolan Siegel, Arrow McLaren

Photo by: Perry Nelson / Lumen via Getty Images

There was plenty of chatter in the IMSA paddock during last weekend’s Petit Le Mans at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta heavily linking Siegel to a potential second privateer car with JDC-Miller MotorSports. Siegel was quick to address those rumors, emphasizing that sports car plans take a backseat until his IndyCar future is settled.

“I'm not in that second JDC car," Siegel said.

Siegel acknowledged respect for JDC-Miller MotorSports team owner John Church and the broader IMSA paddock, but reiterated that his focus is entirely fixed on IndyCar.

“There are a ton of great teams over there that I would love to be a part of," Siegel said. "I would love to be a part of their program, but I haven't… nothing has come together on that front and I would say probably won't until the IndyCar deal is… what I've been telling everyone is that IndyCar is the priority and I want to be full-time in IndyCar.

“If I could make something happen over there (in IMSA), it would be at the cost of something else. So yeah, it's kind of all just a waiting game on the IndyCar side.”

Nolan Siegel denied the rumors of him running in a second car with JDC-Miller MotorSports in 2027

Photo by: Brandon Badraoui / Lumen via Getty Images

Reflecting on his tenure with Arrow McLaren, Siegel looks back with immense gratitude and a clear sense of personal transformation. Moving through the ranks of one of the bigger organizations in the sport taught him invaluable lessons far beyond car setup.

“I look back on it and I feel like I'm a completely different person and driver than I was when I started," Siegel said. "I learned a lot, not just driving, but there's so much else that goes into it in an organization like that... It was a completely different experience than anything I've had at a different race team."

Of all the takeaways from his time with McLaren, Siegel takes the most pride in his mental evolution – specifically, learning to decouple his internal performance from external race factors like timing, strategy, or cautions.

“I feel like looking back on it, I'm really proud of the personal growth," Siegel reflected. "Being able to learn from that and separate your own performance from the result and kind of results that are influenced by external factors is really difficult and something I struggled with at the beginning. I feel like at the end I did a much better job with that. And I felt like my own personal performance last season and towards the end of last season was where it needed to be. I was proud of that, even though a lot of times the results didn't kind of go with it."

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