INDIANAPOLIS — British driver Stefan Wilson spent a whole yr hoping to drive on this yr’s Indianapolis 500.

All he has to do now’s qualify.

Cusick Motorsports and DragonSpeed introduced Thursday that they’ve employed the 32-year-old British driver, nearly assuring race organizers they are going to fill the standard 33-car beginning grid.

“The journey to the 2022 Indianapolis 500 has been a rollercoaster trip for Cusick Motorsports, our companions and myself,” Wilson mentioned in an announcement. “A couple of brief weeks in the past it did not appear to be this was going to occur for us, however I am so relieved the entire items got here collectively to get one other shot at this race.”

Crew officers have been anticipated to talk later Thursday.

I am so trying ahead to seeing the Month of Could at full capability this yr. Cannot wait to see you all out on the best place on earth! The Indianapolis Motor Speedway! Thanks all for the assist as all the time! Greatest followers! 🙏 #25 #IndyCar #Indy500 @IndyCar @IMS pic.twitter.com/AwB3oNsjHN

— Stefan Wilson (@stef_wilson) Could 5, 2022

The hiring of Wilson brings a well-recognized title with emotional ties again to Indianapolis Motor Speedway. He’ll try and make his fourth profession begin driving the No. 25 automotive — the identical quantity his older brother, Justin, was utilizing when he died from accidents suffered throughout an IndyCar race at Pocono in August 2015.

Wilson might be working for the second straight yr with Cusick’s crew, this time in a black, blue, pink and white paint scheme with a Chevrolet engine and attempting to keep away from the early pit-lane crash that knocked him out of final yr’s race in thirty third.

“Final yr was an unbelievable first on-site expertise for Cusick Motorsports and our companions, and we’re so glad to have them with us,” Don Cusick mentioned. “We now have some unfinished enterprise from final yr with Stefan Wilson and our companions, so we can not wait to get the occasion going.”

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Qualifying might be held Could 21-22. The race is scheduled for Could 29.

Wilson has been aggressive at Indy earlier than. He was main the 2018 race with 4 laps to go when his automotive ran out of gasoline. He wound up ending a career-best fifteenth.

The announcement ends weeks of hypothesis about who would turn out to be the thirty third entry. Mark Miles, the CEO of IndyCar’s mother or father firm Penske Leisure, mentioned in April that he anticipated a minimum of yet one more automotive and presumably two to affix the fray.

With Wilson on board and if qualifying weekend goes as deliberate, 11 rows of three automobiles ought to take the inexperienced flag.

The automotive was offered by A.J. Foyt’s crew and might be sponsored by Lohla Sport and Sierra Pacific Home windows and Gnarly Premium Reduce Jerky.

Cusick and Wilson have labored collectively this season on the IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup circuit and made their sportscar debut on the Rolex 24 at Daytona. Wilson additionally competed at Sebring, The Glen and Petit Le Mans.

DragonSpeed proprietor Elton Julian has larger aspirations than only one IndyCar race.

“This chance means a lot to us,” Julian mentioned. “Placing this program along with Don Cusick, Stefan Wilson and the Cusick Motorsports accomplice group brings us again to Indy even sooner than we hoped and a step nearer to changing into a full-time IndyCar crew.”