Dale Coyne Racing will return to the driver lineup they used to start the season in Toronto as Luca Fillippi replaces Gabby Chaves in the team’s No. 19 Honda.
Fillippi will join Conor Daly, reuniting the duo that started the first four races of the year for DCR. The announcement will also allow Fillippi, 30, to return to the site of his career-best second-place finish in 2015.
Fillippi will run with support from IMPCO Technologies, a company out of Santa Ana, Calif., which specializes in alternative fuels.
“I’m very excited to be back with Dale Coyne Racing this weekend and to have the chance to race in the Honda Indy Toronto again,” Fillippi said. “I want to thank IMPCO Technologies, the ComfortPro team and Dale Coyne for giving me this opportunity.
“It’s one of my favorite races, not just because I finished on the podium in Toronto last year, but because it’s one of the best events on the schedule and I love to race on street circuits. I can’t wait to get back on track.”
The Italian’s gain comes at the expense of Chaves. Now in his sophomore season, Chaves inherited the No. 19 shortly before the Grand Prix of Indianapolis. The Columbian has competed in the previous six events for DCR, with his best results – finishes of 12th and 13th – both coming in Belle Isle. Motorsport.com reports that Chaves will return to the team in August’s race at Texas.
For comparison’s sake, Fillip’s best finish in four starts came in Long Beach, where the Italian finished 17th.
Aaron Bearden is a Frontstretch alumnus who’s come back home as the site’s Short Track Editor. When he isn’t working with our grassroots writers, he can be found talking about racing on his Morning Warmup newsletter, pestering his wife/dog or convincing himself the Indiana Pacers can win an NBA title.