INDIANAPOLIS — This week's colder weather may have you in the holiday mood. Or it may just have you wishing for warmer days, like the month of May and the Indianapolis 500.
13 Sports met a young man who grew up in Sweden with a dream of racing in the 500.
Now, his dream has a chance of fulfilling that dream.
Twenty-four-year-old Linus Lundqvist will get his chance to add to the rich history and winning tradition at Chip Ganassi Racing.
"That would be a dream come true," Lundqvist said. "You know, one of the first tours that I got around this facility and they show me this wall (of cars). My first, initial thought was, 'I'd like my car up there. I'd like my name on one of those cars.'"
Christmas came early for Lundqvist. He landed one of the top rides for the upcoming IndyCar season. It all came together quickly.
"You know, I was on the sideline for a bigger part of the year, so the dream was to be on the grid, nevermind being with a team like Chip Ganassi Racing," Lundqvist said. "I don't even think I would have dared to dream this high, so to be able to sit here today, knowing it's a reality, like I still pinch myself every now and again to make sure it's real."
Soon, he will pilot a currently unbuilt car. He earned the seat by dominating in the support series. Lundqvist has come a long way from racing go-karts as a 6-year-old.
"Yeah, well, I fell in love with racing, but more so, I fell in love with winning," Lundqvist said. "And that was my main motivation and even still to this day, it's still the biggest thing for me. Don't get me wrong, it's very cool that we get to race these fast cars and you get to travel the world, basically, and meet amazing people, but I love winning."
He's joining a winning team with veteran Scott Dixon leading the way.
"I think that was one of the most incredible things about joining this team, as well. Firstly, the opportunity to race for Chip Ganassi Racing, but secondly, being teammates with somebody like Scott Dixon and now, Alex Palou is a two-time champion. As a rookie, there's no better place to learn," Lundqvist said.
Marcus Erickson was the last Swedish driver to win the Indy 500, and now, Linus Lundqvist is ready to chase his childhood dream of drinking the milk in Victory Lane.