Indianapolis, Indiana – Arrow McLaren is once again loading up its roster for the Indianapolis 500, and this time the team is bringing in one of the most seasoned and respected American drivers of his generation. Ryan Hunter-Reay, a past champion of both the INDYCAR SERIES and the famed Indy 500, has been confirmed as the team’s fourth entry for the 110th Running of the Indianapolis 500. His addition completes what has become one of the most ambitious four-car programs in the field as the team prepares for the Month of May in 2026.
Hunter-Reay, who claimed the Borg-Warner Trophy in 2014 and secured the INDYCAR SERIES title in 2012, will pilot the No. 31 Chevrolet. He joins Arrow McLaren’s full-season lineup of Pato O’Ward, Nolan Siegel and Christian Lundgaard, forming a group that blends youth, experience, and sheer competitive grit. For a race that has a long history of dramatic twists, high-pressure stakes, and razor-thin margins, the addition of a driver with nearly two decades of Indy 500 experience promises to be a major boost.
“This is an incredible opportunity in so many ways,” Hunter-Reay said when the news was announced. “I’d like to express my gratitude to Zak (Brown), Tony (Kanaan) and the rest of the Arrow McLaren management team for pursuing this partnership and making it a reality. It is an honor to represent and drive for one of the most iconic teams in motorsports history, an organization that spares no effort or resource in the pursuit of being at the pinnacle of the sport and of course, winning the Indy 500.
“After coming so agonizingly close to a shot at the win in last year’s ‘500,’ I am beyond primed and ready to make the absolute most of this partnership.”
Those words resonate strongly with anyone who watched Hunter-Reay’s recent performances at Indianapolis. Even as the sport’s landscape has shifted, his ability to rise to the challenge at the Speedway has remained steady. His 2025 charge from 24th to the front, where he led 48 laps before a fuel issue derailed the final moments of his run, was a reminder that he still carries the instincts and racecraft that define Indy winners.
With 395 INDYCAR SERIES starts across 21 seasons, along with 18 victories and 47 podiums, Hunter-Reay arrives with one of the most impressive résumés among active American drivers. He will attempt to qualify for his 18th Indy 500 start next May. If he makes the field as expected, he will be one of only a handful of drivers competing who hold both an INDYCAR title and an Indy 500 win — a list that includes Scott Dixon, Josef Newgarden, Alex Palou and Will Power.
Arrow McLaren’s choice to expand again fits with the team’s pattern in recent years. The organization has frequently brought in standout names for a one-off run at Indy, often pulling drivers from different corners of the motorsports world. Fernando Alonso, a two-time Formula One World Champion, ran with them in 2017 and 2020. Two-time Indy 500 winner Juan Pablo Montoya represented the team in 2021 and 2022. Tony Kanaan, who now serves as the team’s principal, took the wheel in 2023. Kyle Larson, a dominant force in NASCAR, competed in 2024 and 2025 as part of his high-profile attempt at the Memorial Day Double. Each guest entry added a spark of intrigue and extra competition to the team’s lineup. Hunter-Reay now continues that tradition, arriving not as a celebrity crossover but as a veteran with unfinished business at the Speedway.
His past at the 500 is full of near misses, dramatic battles, and hard-fought results. His 2014 victory — earned by .600 of a second — remains the second-closest finish in race history. The tension of that final lap, as he held off Helio Castroneves, still stands as one of the defining moments of the modern era. A year earlier, Hunter-Reay had been equally close, leading late before settling for third behind Kanaan in 2013. That link adds an unusual twist to this year’s pairing: the driver who beat him to the win then is now helping guide his Indianapolis return as part of Arrow McLaren leadership.
“Ryan is a great addition to the Arrow McLaren IndyCar Team and just who we want in that fourth car this coming May alongside Pato, Nolan and Christian,” Kanaan said. “He’s an Indy 500 champion – and if you look at our history at McLaren – that’s the reason we field a fourth car, to have one more contender in the mix.
“He is a proven winner, and we know he will have a strong chance to win this historic event. Ryan is one of the best teammates I’ve ever had, and we’re very excited to get started with him and have him part of our team into next May.”
Beyond INDYCAR, Hunter-Reay’s accomplishments stretch well beyond the oval at Indianapolis. Over the past two decades, he has built a diverse resume that includes major sports car victories, such as wins at both the 12 Hours of Sebring and Petit Le Mans. His invitations to the Race of Champions and his two ESPY Driver of the Year awards from 2013 and 2014 highlight the broad respect he has earned across different forms of racing.
Arrow McLaren’s 2026 Indy 500 effort now looks more formidable than ever, mixing raw speed from O’Ward, emerging talent from Siegel, engineering precision from Lundgaard, and the strategic savvy of Hunter-Reay. As the Month of May approaches, the team will enter the Speedway with expectations as high as its history suggests and with a fourth entry capable of challenging for the win.
For Hunter-Reay, the move marks another chance to return to the place where he has built some of his defining career memories — and perhaps to write one more.
