That jump from the junior ranks straight into a Chip Ganassi Racing machine was viewed by many as a massive gamble. Kyffin Simpson didn't carry some glittering, decades-long open-wheel pedigree into the series—his path included 16 USF Pro 2000 starts in 2021 with three podium finishes, followed by a pair of seasons in INDY NXT by Firestone where he took two podiums and six top-five results across 27 starts. But as he heads toward the 2026 NTT IndyCar Series season, the Cayman Islands native is looking very much like a potential breakout star.
Now, to be fair, he also spent time in sports cars, notably grabbing an LMP2 class victory at the 2023 12 Hours of Sebring with Tower Motorsports. Yet his rookie 2024 IndyCar campaign resulted in a 21st-place finish in the standings. Then came 2025, and everything shifted.
I think we showed a lot of potential. We had a lot of good results, not as consistent as I would like, but we’ll work on that for next season and come back stronger.
Simpson dragged his average finish on street circuits from 19.25 all the way up to ninth, a stunning transformation highlighted by a career-best third-place result at the Ontario Honda Dealers Indy Toronto on July 20. Road courses saw steady gains too, moving from an average of 19.33 to 18.14. That could easily have been stronger if not for bad luck, like an electrical issue that forced him to retire before the start of the Sonsio Grand Prix on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course in May after qualifying well, or a pit road mistake at Mid-Ohio that dumped a likely top-five run down to 10th.
Ovals were always going to be the steepest climb for the young driver, who averaged a 19.71 finish on them in 2024. But the season finale at Nashville Superspeedway changed the narrative entirely. Simpson found himself banging wheels with Team Penske driver Scott McLaughlin for the final podium spot, ultimately yielding fourth on the very last lap when McLaughlin squeezed past.
“That kid raced me with a lot of respect,” McLaughlin said of the battle. “He's getting better every week. That was probably my best oval battle ever.” Even Chip Ganassi admitted the performance caught him off guard, noting, “Believe me, it was as much of a surprise to me as it was to all of you.”
Ganassi, whose team has claimed 17 championships since 1996 including five of the last six, had previously discussed development directly with Simpson's father, specifically pointing out that ovals were the primary hurdle. By the end of 2025, Simpson had five top-10 finishes locked away, all collected over the final 11 races of the year.
At just 21 years old—having celebrated his birthday on October 9—the expectations are naturally climbing. But the driver himself is staying grounded as he prepares for year three. “I’m super happy with last season,” Simpson said. “I think we showed a lot of potential. We had a lot of good results, not as consistent as I would like, but we’ll work on that for next season and come back stronger.”
