Tatiana Calderon’s maiden IndyCar Series season looks to have come to a premature end due to a sponsorship shortfall.
Prior to the Honda Indy 200 at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, AJ Foyt Racing foreshadowed the possibility it could be the Colombian’s last race for the foreseeable future.
Now, just days out from the Honda Indy Toronto at Exhibition Place, the team has confirmed Calderon’s absence.
Stan Sport is the only place to watch the 2022 INDYCAR Series with every race streaming ad free, live and on demand. Start your free Stan Sport trial here!
ROKiT, the car’s primary backer, has failed to come through with the necessary sponsorship to field the team’s third entry.
“The No.11 entry scheduled to be driven by Tatiana Calderon on the street and road courses this season will miss the event in Toronto due to an interruption in sponsorship funding,” the team said.
“It is undetermined at this time when the car will return to action.”
READ MORE: Barty addresses career amid Wimbledon snub
READ MORE: Truth behind Blues’ enforcer’s Origin snub
READ MORE: DCE’s career-defining Origin shot as dethroning looms
The team will still field Dalton Kellett and Kyle Kirkwood, the latter who also carries ROKiT backing.
Fortunately, the Andretti Autosport-bound driver does not rely on sponsorship from ROKiT. What presence the brand might have on the No.14 remains unclear.
Calderon was contesting a part-time campaign, limited to the road course races. The oval events, meanwhile, have been driven by JR Hildebrand.
What, if any, implications there are for Hildebrand remain unclear. Although he was announced with ROKiT backing initially, the American raced with ABC Supply sponsorship at the Indianapolis 500.
Hildebrand’s next scheduled outing is the double-header at Iowa Speedway on July 24-25 (AEST).
Calderon has had a lacklustre first season to date, recording a season-best 15th at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
From her seven races to date, she has only twice cracked the top 20.
Round 10 of the IndyCar Series marks the return of Exhibition Place to the calendar after a two-year absence due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Chip Ganassi Racing’s Marcus Ericsson leads proceedings on 321 points ahead of Team Penske duo Will Power (301 points) and Josef Newgarden (287 points).
For a daily dose of the best of the breaking news and exclusive content from Wide World of Sports, subscribe to our newsletter by clicking here!