BALTIMORE (AP) - Stefan Wilson’s road to his IndyCar Series debut takes him to the streets of Baltimore.
Wilson is set to follow his big brother, Justin, into IndyCar and will make his debut Sunday in the Grand Prix of Baltimore. The 23-year-old Wilson will drive the No. 18 Honda for Dale Coyne Racing.
Wilson hasn’t competed in an American open wheel race since he drove in the 2012 Indy Lights season finale. But he tested for Coyne in March to get him ready for his debut.
He’s thrown into the fire pretty quick, starting on the curvy turns in Baltimore.
“I kind of described it as being thrown into the deep end of the pool with no arm bands on,” he said. “After the first practice session, it was more like being thrown into the ocean without arm bands. There’s definitely a huge learning curve. It’s definitely one of the toughest tracks in the series.”
Stefan and Justin are set to become the first brothers to drive in the same IndyCar race since Buddy and Jaques Lazier in the 2007 Indianapolis 500.
Justin Wilson is 35 and has raced in six Indianapolis 500s. He’s had a ride with Coyne since 2009.
“I’ve spent a lot of my life looking up to Justin and seeing his achievements,” Stefan said. “I hope I’m able to achieve what he has in his career. Taking away the brother factor, I want it to be a normal weekend where we are two teammates working together to get the best out of the car.”
Justin Wilson said he had “mixed emotions” about racing against his brother.
“It’s good to have him as a teammate. I want to try and help him and see him get the maximum out of it,” he said. “At the same time, I have to try and focus on what I’m trying to do and get the most out of myself.”
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