IndyCar: Dale Coyne Announces Engineering Reset

Dale Coyne Racing announced a comprehensive engineering reset for the remainder of the 2025 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season. Long-time INDYCAR engineer Michael Cannon will engineer driver Rinus VeeKay’s No. 18, askROI Honda, while Mike Culliver, former DCR engineering consultant, is set to engineer Jacob Abel’s No. 51 entry. K

“I would first like to thank Ed Nathman and John Dick for helping us get to this point in our 2025 season,” said team owner Dale Coyne. “Our driver lineup came together very late in the offseason, and we appreciate both Ed and John stepping in to get us on track so quickly. I’m also very excited to welcome back Michael Cannon and Mike Culliver to the Dale Coyne Racing team for the remainder of the year.”

Rinus VeeKay Photo courtesy of Penske Entertainment: John Grainda

Michael Cannon returns to Dale Coyne Racing as the lead engineer on the No. 18 askROI Honda driven by Rinus VeeKay. Cannon spent six years (2014–2019) as an engineer for a range of drivers, including Scott Dixon and Santino Ferrucci. When Ferrucci joined AJ Foyt Enterprises in 2023, Cannon followed and managed the engineering staff.

“I’ve always had a great deal of respect for Dale and the way he assembles his team,” said Cannon. “It’s great to be back, and I’m looking forward to what we can accomplish together in the races ahead.”

Mike Culliver also returns to the organization after serving as a consulting engineer in 2024. Most recently, he engineered Ryan Hunter-Reay at this year’s Indianapolis 500, where the American driver was running up front and contending for the win before an issue on the final pit stop ended his chance at a victory in the famed race.

Jacob Abel and His Dad Photo courtesy of Penske Entertainment: Chris Jones

This year, rookie Jacob Abel missed the race because his DCR car was just too slow. Last year, Nolan Seigel missed the race for this team.

Autoracing1 spoke with Coyne and asked why he had not researched a technical alliance with another team. The owner replied that being located in the Chicagoland area was a drawback and that he had never pursued the option.

Lucille Dust reporting live from Detroit