Sage Karam teams up with Carlin for Toronto
Sage Karam will return NTT IndyCar Series in four years in next weekend's Honda Indy Toronto driving for Carlin Racing.
The 24-year-old from Nazareth, Pennsylvania will drive the team's No. 31 Chevrolet powered entry with sponsorship coming from SmartStop Self Storage, who serves as a personal sponsor of Karam. The entry had been piloted by 2018 Indy Lights presented by Cooper Tire Champion Patricio O'Ward, who has vacated the seat to drive for Mugen Racing in the Super Formula Championship.
Sage Karam will return NTT IndyCar Series in four years in next weekend's Honda Indy Toronto driving for Carlin Racing.
The 24-year-old from Nazareth, Pennsylvania will drive the team's No. 31 Chevrolet powered entry with sponsorship coming from SmartStop Self Storage, who serves as a personal sponsor of Karam. The entry had been piloted by 2018 Indy Lights presented by Cooper Tire Champion Patricio O'Ward, who has vacated the seat to drive for Mugen Racing in the Super Formula Championship.
"I want to thank everyone at Carlin for giving me the opportunity to compete in an Indy car again in the NTT IndyCar series," said Karam. "I'm extremely excited and grateful to get back behind the wheel on a road course again for the first time since 2015, and I'm thrilled to carry a great sponsor like Smartstop Self Storage on the side of the No. 31 Carlin Chevrolet."
Karam sole outings in IndyCar since 2016 have come at the Indianapolis 500 with Dreyer and Reinbold Racing where he recently finished 19th this year. His last start on a road course came at Mid-Ohio in 2015 when he raced for Chip Ganassi Racing. He logged the best career finish of his 17 total career starts with a podium at Iowa that same year.
He also claimed titles in USF2000 in 2010 and in Indy Lights in 2013 prior to his IndyCar venture.
Karam is the team's fifth driver of the year with Conor Daly being called up to sub for Max Chilton at Texas in June.
"We are extremely excited to partner with SmartStop Self Storage and to be a part of their debut into the NTT IndyCar Series," added Team Principal Trevor Carlin. The Honda Indy Toronto is such a great event and will be the perfect introduction for them into the series," "We've obviously been following Sage's career closely since he won the Indy Lights Championship in 2013 and he's done a really great job."
The entry also marks the first forray into IndyCar for sponsor SmartStop Self Storage. The company operates 131 storage facilities in the United States and Toronto.
