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Castroneves, 49, a two-time Indianapolis 500
winner and MSR's newest co-owner, finished 20th in last Sunday's
108th edition of the race in what was supposed to be his lone
IndyCar start of the year. But Blomqvist, in the No. 66 Honda,
has endured a tough first season on the circuit, including an
early crash at the Indy 500.
"Making this decision was by far the hardest one we have had to
make," MSR co-owner Mike Shank said in a release. "Tom is 100%
still a part of the MSR family and will remain a part of the
team for the rest of the season. The decision was not made
lightly and after much discussion with Tom, and with
back-to-back races coming up, we have decided to have Helio
drive in Detroit and at Road America."
In the first turn of the first lap of the Indy 500, the
30-year-old Blomqvist ran into the wall and took out 2022 500
winner Marcus Ericsson in the process. As a result of the crash,
Blomqvist finished 31st.
"It is fair to say that the last couple of days have been some
of the hardest in my career," Blomqvist said in a release.
"Everyone who knows me knows how much I love being a part of the
MSR family, and together we have enjoyed some amazing successes
and victories. I am looking forward to remaining part of the MSR
family and contributing to the MSR vision as we chase down
further successes in the future."
Blomqvist started off strong this season, finishing 15th at St.
Petersburg after qualifying 17th, along with solid qualifying
spots at Long Beach (15th) and Barber (12th). But his 19th-place
finish at Barber was his highest since St. Pete. This month has
taken a downward turn as he qualified 25th for the 500 after
starting 26th and finishing 23rd on the road course.
Blomqvist, who has consecutive Rolex 24s with MSR along with the
2022 IMSA Dpi championship, signed a multi-year deal with the
organization last August.
Last August, Blomqvist signed a multi-year deal with MSR for
what seemed to be a long-term career change to IndyCar with the
team he won back-to-back Rolex 24s and the 2022 IMSA DPi
championship with.
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