IndyCar’s only full-time female circuit racer could soon be without a drive after just seven starts.
This year, Tatiana Calderon moved to the United States to contest the single-seater series with one of the category’s oldest teams, AJ Foyt Racing.
Now, it’s emerged financial issues relating to primary sponsor ROKiT have left the team short of funding for the Colombian to see out the season.
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It means this weekend’s race at Mid-Ohio could be the last for Calderon unless a resolution is found.
The news surprisingly came by way of the team’s weekend preview, which also confirmed her ROKiT-sponsored team-mate Kyle Kirkwood will race on unaffected.
“The future of the No.11 Chevrolet beyond this weekend’s race at Mid-Ohio is not guaranteed due to funding issues with primary sponsor ROKiT which team president Larry Foyt is trying to resolve,” the team’s preview read.
“We are trying to work through a difficult situation as I know ROKiT wishes to continue the program but there are some issues which may prevent that,” Foyt said.
“We will continue to either resolve it with ROKiT or try to find alternate funding which is difficult at best at this point in the season.
“The No.14 entry will run the entire season as it is not solely dependent on the ROKiT funding.”
This year, AJ Foyt Racing is fielding three cars in the IndyCar Series with Calderon, American Kirkwood, and Canadian Dalton Kellett.
Assuming the relationship between AJ Foyt Racing and ROKiT does cease, that would presumably affect JR Hildebrand.
Calderon’s campaign is limited to the street circuit and road course races while Hildebrand takes the reins of the entry on ovals.
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https://twitter.com/TataCalde/status/1541944328725172225
Although ABC Supply took naming rights on that car for the Indianapolis 500, Hildebrand’s entry at the team was initially announced as a ROKiT-backed one.
If AJ Foyt Racing and ROKiT do part company, it wouldn’t be the first time the company has cut ties with a racing team.
The group briefly sponsored Formula 1 team Williams in 2019, but cut ties to the squad before the delayed 2020 season got underway in earnest.
Williams duly took ROKiT to court and won $35.7 million in arbitration after the company backed out of the two-year deal.
ROKiT Group describes itself as an affordable, world-leading premium product and service provider specialising in telecommunications, bikes, drinks, gaming, and radio among a diverse portfolio.
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