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IndyCar turns into a cold-blooded world for drivers once the green flag is waved. The very premise of nearly 30 drivers competing for one prize sets the stage for intense rivalry. Some rivalries turn ugly, some remain respectful, and a few blossom into unlikely friendships.
This third scenario hits the sweet spot for both drivers and fans. The racing continues to be hard and respectful, but the bromance reappears once the helmets are off. While some friends are made through such rivalries, others have existed between drivers who rose through the junior ranks together. On that note, let's dive into five IndyCar friendships that put a smile on everyone's faces.
#5 Christian Lundgaard and Christian Rasmussen - childhood friends turned building mates
Other than sharing a common first name, Christian Lundgaard and Christian Rasmussen also spent their growing years racing against each other in Europe. The duo competed in the 2017 F4 Danish championship. Lundgaard took part in only three races in the season, while Rasmussen raced full-time to finish third in the championship.
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In 2018, Rasmussen moved to the USA to compete in the F4 US championship and continue in the IndyCar ladder series. Lundgaard, however, continued to rise through the Formula ranks in Europe. In 2022, the duo reunited when Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing signed Lundgaard for a full-time IndyCar seat. Then, Rasmussen was still racing in the Indy Lights (now Indy NXT).
Lundgaard spoke warmly about his childhood friend upon reunion and said (via Indy Lights):
"We grew up together. He moved over here to race in America. I was still racing in Europe. Now we reunited over here. We live in the same building, so we see each other quite a lot. We spend time and have a lot of fun together. It's great to come back to one of the old mates."
2024 was their first year going head-to-head after Rasmussen joined IndyCar with Ed Carpenter Racing.
#4 Scott Dixon and Marco Andretti - family-like friends
Six-time champion Scott Dixon and Marco Andretti have had many duels on the racetrack. Dixon has also often been compared to Marco's four-time champ granddad, Mario Andretti on many occasions.
In 2020, Dixon revealed the depth of his relationship with Marco when the latter trumped him to become the first Andretti to take the pole at the Indy 500. The Chip Ganassi Racing driver said (via Autoweek):
"I just know him as Marco my friend. He's a great person. Everybody included, his family, is. He's such a great guy and been a good friend for so many years. To see him get a pole position at Indianapolis, I know what that means to him and especially his family, as well."
In July 2024, Dixon also paid tribute to Mario Andretti after equaling the record for most podiums at 141. He said (via GpFans):
"Mario is a hell of a guy and obviously has accomplished a hell of a lot more than I have in my career, [across] many different categories."
#3 Alexander Rossi and Conor Daly - former housemates and reality TV show partners
Alexander Rossi and Conor Daly joined IndyCar in 2016 and have been housemates sometimes since they arrived in the series. In 2018, they partnered up to compete in season 30 of 'The Amazing Race', a reality show aired on CBS with a $1 million prize. They fared well before getting eliminated in leg 11 of the competition in Hong Kong.
"Conor and I have known each other for a long time and we’re very close friends," Rossi told IndyCar after the show ended. "We are able to push each other’s limits – kind of in a good way and a bad way. His sense of humor is pretty infectious, so we had a good time together."
In 2019, they raced as teammates at Andretti Autosport (now Andretti Global) at the Indy 500. Ahead of the 2025 season, when Daly announced a full-time IndyCar with Juncos Hollinger Racing, Rossi applauded his friend's tireless efforts to revive his career.
#2 Pato O'Ward and Felix Rosenqvist - one of IndyCar's best bromances
Pato O'Ward and Felix Rosenqvist joined forces in 2021 after becoming teammates at Arrow McLaren. They hit it off instantly and became the best of friends during their three years as teammates before Rosenqvist joined Meyer Shank Racing in 2024.
O'Ward labeled their friendship "the best friendship I've had in motorsports." In 2022, the Mexican also revealed that he spent more time with Rosenqvist than he did with his family (via The Race).
"It’s nice to have somebody that you get along with really, really well because I spend more time with him than I do with my family," O'Ward said. So it’s important to have a good connection and someone that you can work with.”
#1 Josef Newgarden and Scott McLaughlin - IndyCar's 'Bus Bros'
Josef Newgarden and Scott McLaughlin are not only teammates at Team Penske but also co-hosts of their podcast 'Bus Bros'. They first met in 2018 when McLaughlin was driving for Penske's Supercars team and Newgarden for its IndyCar arm.
In 2021, they became IndyCar teammates at Team Penske, and a friendship for the ages was born. McLaughlin jokingly told WTHR about Newgarden in 2023:
"Initially, I didn't like him. No, he's alright. He's better than most teammates."
They created the 'Bus Bros' podcast in 2022, releasing the first episode on May 5. Fans loved it, so the episodes kept rolling in until the last episode (22) in August 2023. Their on-track battles have been equally engaging and their friendship may well be one of the most entertaining ones in IndyCar.
