Ed Jones won the Indy Lights championship last season, and has now found a home in the Verizon IndyCar Series with Dale Coyne Racing. He will drive the team’s second car, alongside four-time Champ Car champion Sebastien Bourdais.

The team saw great success last year, with Conor Daly and RC Enerson taking turns in the spotlight. Now, the focus is with an established veteran leading the way, and mentoring the 21-year old Jones.

In 34 career Indy Lights starts, Ed won five races, earned three poles, and collected 15 podium finishes.

“I’m hugely excited about stepping up to the Verizon IndyCar Series next year with Dale Coyne Racing,” said Jones. “To reach an agreement as early as we have done is great news as it gives me plenty of time to settle into the team and get to know everybody properly so we can prepare as well as possible for the season ahead. Although we spoke to a few teams, Dale Coyne Racing always stood out as the best option and Dale worked hard to make the deal happen.”

Jones has tested an IndyCar twice before, both with Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing. The first was at Sonoma in 2015, and this past year at Watkins Glen. They were impressed by his performance, as was Coyne.

“Ed had a couple of remarkable seasons in Indy Lights and we’re very excited to have him join our team for his rookie IndyCar campaign,” said Team Owner Dale Coyne. “I attended the season finale at Laguna Seca and Ed demonstrated a lot of poise, maturity and determination while under pressure, knowing that the championship was on the line. Those are all qualities that will serve him well in IndyCar. I was very impressed with what I saw.”

In addition to working alongside Bourdais, Jones will be paired with race-winning engineer Michael Cannon. Dale Coyne will be his race strategist in the No. 18 car. That is something that Ed believes will help him. “Whilst I’m aware I have a big learning curve ahead of me, my plan is to absorb as much information as I can and get onto the pace as quickly as possible, and as a former driver himself, Dale understands what it’s like inside the cockpit which will be hugely beneficial when it comes to talking about set-up and discussing feedback.”

Jones will make his first IndyCar start in the season-opening event at St Petersburg on March 12.