Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires rookie Kyffin Simpson will join HMD Motorsports for the rest of the 2022 season, starting with the race this Saturday afternoon at Iowa Speedway.

Simpson, 17, will drive the team’s No. 21 Ridgeline-branded car. Simpson is eighth in the standings this season, with a best finish of fifth at Barber Motorsports Park and in the first event at Belle Isle, both with TJ Speed Motorsports.

Cayman Islands resident Simpson joins the powerful HMD team that boasts three drivers in the top seven of the standings, with leader Linus Lundqvist, fifth-place Benjamin Pedersen and seventh-place Danial Frost. HMD will field six cars at Iowa.

“I’m excited to join HMD Motorsports at Iowa and for the remainder of the season,” Simpson said. “They have a proven package with Linus Lundqvist leading the championship, as well as three different drivers on the podium this season, and I’ve been impressed with their ability to field five competitive cars. In our discussions it’s become clear they can field a sixth car at the same level, an opportunity I believe is too good to pass up at this stage in my development.”

This is a homecoming of sorts for Simpson, who drove for HMD in the FR Americas series in 2020.

“I made my FR Americas debut in late 2020 with HMD and have a good relationship with the crew, so we have a solid foundation to build on,” Simpson said. “Of course, having a great group of drivers as a direct reference point ultimately pushes me to raise my game even more. I’m ready for the challenge, and I’m looking forward to seeing what we can achieve together in the remaining races this year.”

The first oval event of the Indy Lights season is scheduled for 12:20 p.m. (ET) Saturday on the .875-mile Iowa Speedway, with live coverage on Peacock Premium and the INDYCAR Radio Network.