Kyffin Simpson Bio
Kyffin Simpson (born 9 October 2004) is a Caymanian racing driver who competes in the IndyCar Series with Chip Ganassi Racing, driving the No. 8 entry. He is best known for winning the 2023 European Le Mans Series championship with Algarve Pro Racing and for climbing the Road to Indy ladder from karting to a full-time IndyCar seat. Simpson represents the Cayman Islands at international events and has become one of the most promising young open-wheel talents from the Caribbean region.
Born in Bridgetown, Barbados, and raised with ties to the Cayman Islands, Simpson blends Caribbean roots with an American racing education. He continues to balance single-seater and sports car commitments while establishing himself in the NTT IndyCar Series.
Early Life and Background
Simpson was born in Bridgetown, Barbados, on 9 October 2004. He is the son of Caymanian businessman David Simpson, and the family has long-standing ties to the Cayman Islands. Simpson grew up moving between the Caribbean and the United States, and he has spoken openly about representing the Cayman Islands in motorsport, saying he feels closely connected to the people of the islands and enjoys flying the Caymanian flag on his car.
Simpson began karting at a young age and spent roughly nine years competing in karting events across the Caribbean and the United States. That extensive karting foundation helped him transition to open-wheel car racing, where his race craft and consistency quickly stood out to scouts.
Path to IndyCar
Simpson made his car racing debut in 2020 with Velocity Racing Development in the Formula 4 United States Championship, simultaneously contesting the Formula Regional Americas Championship. In 2021 he dominated the Formula Regional Americas Championship, taking podiums in all but five races and clinching the FR Americas title, which came with a $600,000 Honda Performance Development scholarship intended to fund a Super Formula campaign in 2022. Japan’s COVID-19 travel restrictions prevented that program from taking place, redirecting his path back to the American ladder.
In 2022 Simpson signed a multi-year development deal with Chip Ganassi Racing and stepped up to Indy Lights, first with TJ Speed Motorsports alongside James Roe Jr. and later with HMD Motorsports, finishing ninth overall with a best finish of fifth. He also entered the Indy Pro 2000 Championship with Juncos Racing, scoring three podiums, and won the GTD class of the 2022 Petit Le Mans with Gradient Racing. In 2023 he returned to the rebranded Indy NXT series with HMD Motorsports, recording two podiums and finishing tenth overall while winning the European Le Mans Series title and the LMP2 class at the 12 Hours of Sebring.
Kyffin Simpson Career
Early Career (2020–2021)
Simpson’s first car racing season in 2020 saw him balance Formula 4 United States and Formula Regional Americas duties, gaining critical experience on circuits such as Road America, Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s road course, and Mid-Ohio. The following year, 2021, marked his breakthrough in junior formulae, as he swept the Formula Regional Americas Championship with podiums in nearly every round.
That FR Americas title, along with the attached HPD scholarship, made Simpson one of the most talked-about young Americans in the Road to Indy. Although the Super Formula plan fell through, the year cemented his reputation as a consistent front-runner capable of adapting to new cars and tracks quickly.
Indy Lights / Indy NXT Era (2022–2023)
Moving to Indy Lights in 2022, Simpson impressed in his first eight races with TJ Speed Motorsports before switching to HMD Motorsports. A best result of fifth at Barber Motorsports Park and Detroit showed flashes of pace, and he was retained for the rebranded Indy NXT series in 2023.
In 2023 Simpson delivered two podiums on his way to tenth in the Indy NXT standings while balancing a heavy sports car schedule. The combination of single-seater and endurance racing sharpened his race craft and prepared him for the demands of a full IndyCar campaign.
IndyCar Breakthrough (2024–Present)
In January 2023 Simpson completed his first NTT IndyCar Series test with Chip Ganassi Racing at Sebring International Raceway. After two years as a development driver, Chip Ganassi confirmed that Simpson would step up to a full-time IndyCar seat in 2024. He opened his rookie season at St. Petersburg with a twelfth-place finish, ahead of all other rookies, and set the fastest lap of the race. He ended his debut Indy 500 twenty-first after qualifying eighteenth, a record for a Caymanian driver at the time.
The 2025 season marked a clear step forward. Simpson began with eighteenth at St. Petersburg and fifteenth at Thermal Club before claiming his maiden IndyCar top ten at Long Beach with tenth place. A fifth at Detroit and a sixth at Road America followed, and at Mid-Ohio he qualified third before being penalized in the pits. His best result came at Toronto, where he charged from thirteenth on the grid to third, earning his first IndyCar podium. He closed the year with a strong fourth at Nashville, praised by Scott McLaughlin for his racecraft and respect on track, finishing seventeenth in the standings with six top-ten results.
Chip Ganassi Racing Era (2023–Present)
Simpson’s relationship with Chip Ganassi Racing began in 2022 as a development driver, including IMSA outings and IndyCar test sessions. The promotion to a full-time seat in 2024 made him one of the youngest full-time drivers in the team’s modern era. In 2025 he moved to the No. 8 entry, signaling continued confidence from the team in his growth and long-term potential.
Driving Style and Strengths
Simpson is regarded as a calm, technically precise driver who learns quickly and excels at tire management and alternate strategy execution. His sports car background, particularly long stints in the European Le Mans Series, has given him strong feedback for engineers and an ability to stretch fuel and tire windows, traits that showed in results at Long Beach, Detroit, and Toronto. Veteran drivers have noted his respectful but firm race craft, especially on ovals.
Notable Races and Milestones
Highlights include his 2021 Formula Regional Americas title, the 2022 Petit Le Mans GTD victory, the 2023 European Le Mans Series championship and Sebring LMP2 win, his 2024 Indy 500 rookie appearance, his maiden IndyCar top ten at Long Beach in 2025, and his first IndyCar podium at Toronto in 2025, capped by a charge to fourth at Nashville.
Kyffin Simpson Career Wins
Simpson’s verified career victories span single-seater and sports car racing. His most prestigious title is the 2023 European Le Mans Series LMP2 championship with Algarve Pro Racing, and he has added endurance wins at the 2022 Petit Le Mans and the 2023 12 Hours of Sebring, as well as the opening round of the 2023 Asian Le Mans Series at Dubai.
European Le Mans Series Highlights
Teaming with James Allen and Alex Lynn at Algarve Pro Racing, Simpson helped secure the 2023 ELMS LMP2 title. After an opening-round recovery, the crew won at Spa-Francorchamps to take the championship lead, then sealed the crown with back-to-back second places at the 4 Hours of Algarve and Portimão. Simpson also set the fastest lap at Paul Ricard and was praised by Lynn as a fast learner with strong race pace.
Other Wins and Performances
In the Asian Le Mans Series, Simpson, Allen, and John Falb opened the 2023 season with victory in Dubai. In IMSA competition, Simpson won the GTD class at the 2022 Petit Le Mans with Gradient Racing and the LMP2 class at the 2023 12 Hours of Sebring with Tower Motorsports, sharing the car with Scott McLaughlin and John Farano.
Kyffin Simpson Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Simpson is the son of Caymanian businessman David Simpson. While the family is not a multi-generation racing dynasty, his father’s support has been central to his career path, allowing him to train and race in both the Caribbean and the United States from a young age.
Personal Life
Simpson competes under the Caymanian flag and has spoken about his pride in representing the islands. He continues to balance life between the United States and the Cayman Islands while pursuing a full-time IndyCar career with Chip Ganassi Racing.
2025 Season Performance
Simpson’s 2025 NTT IndyCar Series campaign represented a clear step forward in his second full season with Chip Ganassi Racing in the No. 8. Early results at St. Petersburg, Thermal Club, and Long Beach helped him find rhythm, and the Long Beach top ten on alternate strategy was a breakthrough moment. The middle of the season brought mixed results, including a strong fifth at Detroit, a sixth at Road America, and disappointment at Mid-Ohio, where a pit-lane stall cost him a top-five finish.
The summer stretch delivered his most impressive drives, including a charging third-place finish at Toronto for his maiden IndyCar podium and a hard-fought fourth at Nashville that drew praise from rivals. Although he finished seventeenth in the final standings, six top-ten results showed steady growth in both speed and consistency.
Looking ahead, Simpson’s combination of IndyCar experience, endurance racing pedigree, and a strong Chip Ganassi Racing engineering package position him to push for top-fifteen championship contention and additional podiums in the seasons to come.
