Twelve months ago Dean Stoneman claimed one of the biggest wins of his career so far: the Freedom 100 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on the weekend of the 100th Indy 500.
It was his second victory in as many races in Indy Lights for Andretti Autosport, the team McLaren has this year teamed up with to run Fernando Alonso in America’s greatest race.
The 26-year-old claimed fifth in the standings in his rookie Indy Lights season but has returned to Europe for 2017 to race a McLaren in Blancpain, which might just make Stoneman the company’s most experienced oval racer…
Stoneman visited Indianapolis this weekend, catching up with Andretti Autosport team manager John Furend and the engineers that ran his Watkins Glen IndyCar test last year, and even his victorious Mazda Indy Lights car – now driven by Colton Herta, son of IndyCar winner and 500-winning team owner Bryan.
He hasn’t been forgotten by the US racing scene either, returning to the TV screen with SNBC’s Katie Hargitt asking “Where have you been?!” on the grid ahead of the 2017 Freedom 100.
Being Andretti Autosport alumni he managed to spend time with the Andrettis, Alonso and McLaren boss Zak Brown during his stay, as the photos he’s sent back testify.
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