| Base | Plainfield, IL |
| Owner | Dale Coyne |
| Engine | Honda |
| Series | NTT IndyCar Series |
| 2026 Drivers | #18 Romain Grosjean, #19 Dennis Hauger |
2026 Season Stats
Team History
Dale Coyne Racing is the ultimate IndyCar survivor. Founded by Dale Coyne in 1984, the team has competed continuously in American open-wheel racing for more than four decades - a remarkable achievement for an independent team operating without the massive budgets of organizations like Team Penske or Chip Ganassi Racing. Based in Plainfield, Illinois, Coyne has built his team on resourcefulness, determination, and an uncanny ability to identify and develop talented drivers who go on to greater things elsewhere in the series.
The team's reputation as a talent incubator is well earned. Over the years, Dale Coyne Racing has given first IndyCar opportunities to drivers who would later become stars at bigger teams. The most famous example is Sebastien Bourdais, the four-time CART champion and former Formula 1 driver, who enjoyed a remarkable late-career renaissance with Coyne's team, winning multiple races and proving that DCR equipment could compete with the best in the field. Other notable drivers who have raced for Coyne include Justin Wilson, Carlos Huertas, and Alex Palou - who would go on to become a four-time IndyCar champion with Chip Ganassi Racing after his DCR stint in 2020.
Dale Coyne himself is a former driver who raced in CART and the Indianapolis 500 in the 1980s before transitioning to team ownership. His ability to keep the team running through economic downturns, series splits, and the constant financial pressures of IndyCar racing speaks to his business savvy and his genuine love for the sport. The team has won races against all odds, often with drivers and engineers who would later move to bigger programs. For 2026, Coyne fields two Honda-powered entries with experienced Formula 1 veteran Romain Grosjean and young Norwegian talent Dennis Hauger, who arrives from the European junior formula ranks. DCR continues to embody the independent spirit of IndyCar racing - proving that passion and ingenuity can compete with corporate budgets on any given Sunday.
Current Drivers
- #18 Romain Grosjean - Former F1 driver (10 podiums), survivor of 2020 Bahrain crash
- #19 Dennis Hauger - Norwegian talent, 2021 FIA Formula 3 champion
Indianapolis 500 Victories
Dale Coyne Racing has not yet won the Indianapolis 500. The team has been a consistent entrant in the race for decades, with its best results coming through strong qualifying performances and competitive race-day showings. The team continues to pursue its first Indy 500 victory - a result that would be one of the great underdog stories in the history of the race.
Interesting Facts
- Dale Coyne Racing has competed continuously in American open-wheel racing since 1984 - one of the longest-running independent teams in history.
- Alex Palou drove for Dale Coyne Racing in 2020 before moving to Chip Ganassi Racing and winning four IndyCar championships.
- Romain Grosjean famously survived a horrific fireball crash at the 2020 Bahrain Grand Prix before transitioning to IndyCar.
- The team is based in Plainfield, Illinois, one of the few IndyCar teams not headquartered in Indianapolis or North Carolina.
- Sebastien Bourdais won multiple IndyCar races with Dale Coyne Racing, proving the team's equipment can compete with the best.