Chaves confirmed for Indy 500 with new team Harding Racing

Mike Harding of Harding Group and Dennis Reinbold of Dreyer & Reinbold Racing, will enter a Chevrolet-powered car, with Larry Curry as team manager and competition director. The team will join IndyCar’s open test at Texas Motor Speedway this Wednesday.

Chaves, who will drive the #88 Harding Racing Chevrolet, won Indy Lights’ Freedom 100 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway during his championship year with Belardi Auto Racing, and in 2015 graduated to IndyCar, competing for Bryan Herta Autosport. The 23-year-old added six more IndyCar starts for Dale Coyne Racing last year, including the “500”.

"I'm extremely delighted to have the opportunity to get to challenge for my third Indy 500," Chaves said. "I am very excited to be joining a new team with our new owner, Mike Harding, and everyone involved, including Larry Curry, who has been instrumental in getting the team together and guiding it."

Curry, an IndyCar and Indy 500 veteran, said: “I'm excited to be working with car owner Mike Harding on forming his new Indy car team and we are very lucky to have driver Gabby Chaves, along with Chevrolet," Curry said. "We have assembled a great team and are looking forward to our shakedown test."

Al Unser Jr will serve as the team’s driving instructor, while Curry’s son Matt, who worked for AJ Foyt Racing last year, and was an engineer on Tony Kanaan’s 2013 Indy-winning KV Racing entry, will serve as lead engineer.

Reinbold’s Dreyer & Reinbold Racing team will also run Sage Karam in another Chevrolet-powered entry.