Oliver Askew

Born:

December 12 1996

Nationality:

United States

First race:

Texas, 2020

Races:

Wins:

Race Win %:

About Oliver Askew

Biography

Performance by Circuit Type

Results

Biography

Early Career

Oliver Askew began his motorsports career in Formula Masters China, after which the American with Swedish heritage was selected for the Team USA Scholarship in 2016.

This allowed Askew to compete in the Formula Ford Festival and the Walter Hayes Trophy. In the latter, Askew won his heat and went on to finish second in the final. Later that same year, he won the Mazda Road to Indy Shootout at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, which, thanks to the accompanying $200,000 prize, enabled him to compete in the 2017 U.S. F2000 Championship—the first step on the Road to Indy ladder.

U.S. F2000 and Indy Pro 2000

Askew claimed the 2017 U.S. F2000 Championship title with seven victories for Cape Motorsports, though he faced strong competition all the way to the final round from Dutch driver Rinus VeeKay. By winning the title, Askew automatically advanced to Indy Pro 2000, where he again raced for Cape Motorsports in 2018.

The American—who not only has Swedish roots but also holds a Swedish passport—was soundly defeated in this championship by his U.S. F2000 rival, Rinus VeeKay. Askew had to settle for third in the final standings, with a single win at Portland International Raceway.

Indy Lights champion

Although Askew was never a serious contender for the 2018 Indy Pro 2000 title, he stepped up to Indy Lights in 2019 to race for Andretti Autosport. Unlike his 2018 season, Askew delivered a very strong performance in 2019, winning the Indy Lights championship with seven victories—though once again after fierce season-long competition from the fast Dutchman Rinus VeeKay.

IndyCar Debut and the 2020 Season

In 2020, Askew made his debut in the NTT IndyCar Series, competing full-time in the No. 7 entry for Arrow McLaren SP. Despite promising early results—highlighted by a third-place finish in the first race at Iowa Speedway—the 2019 Indy Lights champion’s rookie season did not unfold as hoped. During the 104th Indianapolis 500, Askew crashed violently into the inside wall exiting Turn 4. Although he competed in the next four races, it quickly became clear he was not performing at the same level as before his Indy crash.

After repeated complaints of headaches and dizziness, Askew underwent medical evaluation and it was determined that he had suffered a concussion from the Indianapolis 500 crash. As a result, he had to sit out the entire INDYCAR Harvest GP weekend at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway infield.

To make matters worse, shortly after that weekend he was informed that Arrow McLaren SP would not retain him for 2021, as the team instead chose to sign Felix Rosenqvist. Even though Askew impressed Andretti Autosport during a test day at Sebring International Raceway early in the year—filling in for James Hinchcliffe—it did not earn him a full-time IndyCar seat, nor was he able to secure a ride for the 105th Indianapolis 500.

IMSA Success and Return to IndyCar as Substitute Driver

Fortunately, Askew was able to secure a competitive full-time seat in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, racing in the LMP3 class for Riley Motorsports. This partnership led to immediate success, as Askew and teammates Gar Robinson, Scott Andrews, and Spencer Pigot won the 24 Hours of Daytona in their class.

Nearly two weeks after the 105th Indianapolis 500, Askew was unexpectedly called back to IndyCar to replace his former teammate Felix Rosenqvist for the second race at Belle Isle Park, after Rosenqvist suffered a heavy crash in Race 1 due to mechanical failure and was unable to compete in Race 2.

Askew’s substitute duties did not end there. He also competed in the following race at Road America, this time not for Arrow McLaren SP but for Ed Carpenter Racing. Rinus VeeKay, the team’s full-time driver, had broken his collarbone in a cycling accident just two days after the Belle Isle weekend, leaving him unable to race. Team owner Ed Carpenter did exactly what Arrow McLaren SP had done the previous weekend—calling on Oliver Askew to fill in.

Final Races of the 2021 IndyCar Season

After substitute appearances in Detroit and Elkhart Lake, Askew’s 2021 NTT IndyCar Series season was still not over. The 2019 Indy Lights champion went on to compete in the final three races of the season as well, driving the third entry for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing.

Performance by Circuit Type

Type	Races	Avg Finish	Race Win %
Roadcourse	8	17.6250	0%
Oval	6	13.1667	0%
Streetcourse	3	21.0000	0%

Results

Date (ET)	Race	Type	FP
2020
June 6	Genesys 300 Texas Motor Speedway	Oval	9
July 4	GMR Grand Prix Indianapolis Road Course	Roadcourse	26
July 11	REV Group Grand Prix - Race 1 Road America	Roadcourse	15
July 12	REV Group Grand Prix - Race 2 Road America	Roadcourse	21
July 17	Iowa IndyCar 250s - Race 1 Iowa Speedway	Oval	3
July 18	Iowa IndyCar 250s - Race 2 Iowa Speedway	Oval	6
August 23	104th Running of the Indianapolis 500 Indianapolis	Oval	30
August 29	Bommarito Automotive 250s - Race 1 Gateway	Oval	14
August 30	Bommarito Automotive 250s - Race 2 Gateway	Oval	17
September 12	Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio - Race 1 Mid-Ohio	Roadcourse	19
September 13	Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio - Race 2 Mid-Ohio	Roadcourse	15
October 25	Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg St. Petersburg	Streetcourse	16

Date (ET)	Race	Type	FP
2021
June 13	Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix - Race 2 Detroit Belle Isle	Streetcourse	25
June 20	REV Group Grand Prix Road America	Roadcourse	12
September 12	Grand Prix of Portland Portland	Roadcourse	24
September 19	Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey Laguna Seca	Roadcourse	9
September 26	Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach Long Beach	Streetcourse	22