Simpson makes mark on track

Former karting champion to participate in 2024 IndyCar Series

Yet another Barbadian driver is making a name for himself on the international circuit.

Following an impressive season in Europe, two-time karting champion Kyffin Simpson has been signed by Chip Ganassi Racing (CGR) for the 2024 NTT IndyCar Series.

His success comes on the heels of fellow Barbadian and F2 driver Zane Maloney, who is set to compete in the 2024 FIA Formula 2 Championship for Rodin Carlin.

Competing in single-seaters and sports cars this year in Europe and the United States, the 19-year-old Simpson won the LMP2 class and overall European Le Mans Series titles, as well as finishing on the podium in Indy NXT by Firestone races, in which he was the youngest driver on the grid.

Simpson, who joined CGR as a development driver in May last year, was recently named Rookie of the Year by American website Sportscar 365.

In his first full season in sports cars, he won the ELMS title with Portugal-based Algarve Pro Racing, playing a crucial role alongside team-mates Alex Lynn of Briton and Australia’s James Allen.

Simpson also raced in the IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup with Tower Motorsport in the USA, claiming a class win and third overall in the Twelve Hours of Sebring with Scott McLaughlin and John Farano.

His achievement has been lauded by president of the Barbados Motoring Federation (BMF), Senator Andrew Mallalieu.

“We could not be more proud of Kyffin’s achievements. As a federation, our sole purpose is to provide an environment where our member clubs and by extension their members can thrive.

“Kyffin developed his love for the sport at Bushy Park and saw his earliest successes not that long ago in karting at the track. It is remarkable that next year little Barbados will have drivers in both IndyCar and FIA Formula 2 at the same time. This is just more evidence that we are the Motor Sport Island,” Mallalieu said.

The NTT IndyCar season starts with the Firestone Grand Prix on the streets of St Petersburg in Florida on March 10, when Simpson will line up for the first time with team-mates Marcus Armstrong, Scott Dixon, Linus Lundqvist and Alex Palou as part of a five-car CGR squad.

There are 17 races, including a return to the Milwaukee Mile for the first time since 2015, with extensive broadcast coverage on NBC and live streaming on Peacock.

Simpson won his first championship at age 11 at Bushy Park Barbados in 2015, the first full season after the facility’s redevelopment.

He was the Barbados Karting Association’s (BKA) Easykart 60cc Cadet champion, winning back-to-back titles the following season.

In a successful karting career in the United States, he won the Sunshine State Karting Challenge in X30 Junior in 2018 and ‘19, before progressing to single-seater racing in the FIA F4 US Championship in 2020. With two podium finishes on his debut, he was a regular front-runner, then made his F3 debut at the Circuit of the Americas (CotA) later in the year.

In 2021, Simpson dominated the Formula Regional Americas season, starting with a clean sweep of three wins in round one and winning the championship with a round to spare.

He was also selected to participate in the HPD GT3 Academy programme by Honda Performance Development, enhancing his skills for endurance racing opportunities in the future. (PR/RB)