Pourchaire out as Arrow McLaren signs Siegel to multi-year IndyCar deal

The Arrow McLaren IndyCar team has announced the signing of Nolan Siegel to a multi-year deal, which will begin with this weekend’s round at Laguna Seca.

Siegel is fresh off taking the LMP2 class victory in the Le Mans 24 Hours with United Autosports, the team part-owned by McLaren CEO Zak Brown.

The American will take over the #6 car from reigning Formula 2 champion Theo Pourchaire, who was announced just last month as the team’s driver to run the rest of the 2024 season with the exception of the Indianapolis 500.

The 20-year-old Frenchman was originally brought in to substitute while David Malukas - who has since been released by the team and joined Meyer Shank Racing - recovered from a preseason injury that required surgery. 

“Stability and sustained growth are key to our long-term game plan here, and this is a significant step in that mission,” said Gavin Ward, Team Principal for Arrow McLaren. 

“First, I want to thank Theeo for his time filling in on the No. 6 car with us in recent weeks. We’ve been working through musical chairs all season, and ultimately, making this change to Nolan now that he’s available gives us the chance to build a foundation for the future.

“He is a young, talented driver with an immense amount of experience at this stage of his career and we’re excited to continue on the upward journey together.”

Siegel will drive the entry “for the 10 remaining races this season and 2025 and beyond”.

In stepping into the role with Arrow McLaren, he will forgo the rest of his sophomore campaign in Indy NXT with HMD Motorsports, where he was positioned fourth in the championship standings. 

Nolan Siegel, Arrow McLaren

Photo by: Arrow McLaren SP

Siegel’s diverse driving portfolio also includes LMP2 victories in IMSA with CrowdStrike Racing during the 2023 campaign, which came in the Six Hours of The Glen and Petit Le Mans, while he claimed an LMP2 win in the Asian Le Mans Series later that same season with Inter Europol Competition.

This year saw Siegel get an early taste of IndyCar, debuting in the non-points exhibition at The Thermal Club with Dale Coyne Racing in March. He also drove for the team at Long Beach (finishing a current career-best 20th) but missed making the field of 33 after a go-for-broke effort that ended with him crashing in Indy 500 qualifying.

In the previous round at Road America, Siegel withdrew from his Indy NXT race after receiving the opportunity to substitute for Agustin Canapino at Juncos Hollinger Racing.

“I’m looking forward to jumping right in with the Arrow McLaren team this week and confirming my place in the NTT IndyCar Series in papaya moving forward,” said Siegel, the 2023 Indy NXT Rookie of the Year.

“This is an unexpected jump, but I’m thrilled to be in this position after a rewarding run in the Indy NXT by Firestone series with HMD Motorsports.

“I am looking forward to this new journey and learning alongside the entire team starting this weekend in my home state.”