Sage Karam Bio
Sage Rennie Karam (born March 5, 1995) is an American professional auto racing driver. He most recently competed part-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, driving the No. 53 Toyota GR Supra for Joey Gase Motorsports. Karam is best known for winning the 2013 Indy Lights championship and for his Indianapolis 500 appearances with Dreyer & Reinbold Racing. He is of Lebanese heritage and resides in Easton, Pennsylvania, with his family.
Early Life and Background
Sage Rennie Karam was born on March 5, 1995, in Nazareth, Pennsylvania. He grew up in the same small Pennsylvania town that produced some of the most respected names in American auto racing, and that heritage helped shape his early interest in the sport. As a young driver, Karam raced go-karts at Oakland Valley Race Park in Cuddebackville, New York, where he developed the race craft and car control that would later define his career.
Karam graduated from Nazareth Area High School in 2014, balancing his education with a fast-rising professional racing schedule. He is of Lebanese heritage, and his family supported his move from karting into open-wheel racing at a young age. His upbringing in the Lehigh Valley kept him close to the short ovals and road courses where he would eventually make his name.
Path to NASCAR
Karam’s climb to NASCAR followed years of success on the open-wheel ladder. He dominated the 2010 USF2000 Championship with Andretti Autosport, winning nine of twelve races and the pole in nearly every event. He then progressed through the Star Mazda Championship before winning the 2013 Indy Lights title with Schmidt Peterson Motorsports, becoming only the eighth rookie to win the series championship.
After several seasons in the IndyCar Series, including Indianapolis 500 starts with Dreyer & Reinbold Racing, Karam shifted his focus to stock cars. On July 26, 2021, it was announced he would make his NASCAR debut in the No. 31 for Jordan Anderson Racing in the Xfinity Series’ Pennzoil 150 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course. His schedule with Jordan Anderson Racing eventually expanded to include additional Xfinity races and a Camping World Truck Series event at Martinsville Speedway.
Sage Karam Career
Early Career (2010-2013)
Karam began his professional career in 2010 with Andretti Autosport in the USF2000 Championship, where his dominance earned him a prize package valued at US$350,000 to advance up the Road to Indy ladder. In 2011, he moved to the Star Mazda Championship with the same team, winning back-to-back oval races at the Milwaukee Mile and Iowa Speedway and earning rookie of the year honors with a fifth-place points finish.
He returned to Star Mazda in 2012 and improved to third in points with three race wins. The following year, he stepped up to the Firestone Indy Lights series with Schmidt Peterson Motorsports, where he captured the 2013 Indy Lights championship in his rookie season. That title cemented his reputation as one of the top young American open-wheel prospects of his generation.
IndyCar Series (2014-2021)
Following his Indy Lights title, Ganassi secured Karam a seat in the 2014 Indianapolis 500 with Dreyer & Reinbold Racing. Qualifying 31st, he drove to a ninth-place finish, the second-highest-finishing rookie in the field. During the 2015 IndyCar Series season, he split driving duties for Chip Ganassi Racing’s No. 8 Dallara with Sebastián Saavedra, posting a third-place run at the Iowa Corn 300 and a fifth-place finish at Fontana.
Tragedy struck at the 2015 ABC Supply 500 at Pocono Raceway, when Karam lost control exiting turn one and crashed hard into the wall. Debris from his car struck fellow competitor Justin Wilson’s helmet, and Wilson succumbed to his injuries the following day. Karam later returned to Dreyer & Reinbold Racing for the Indianapolis 500 from 2016 through 2020, with his best Indy 500 result coming in 2021, when he finished seventh at the 105th running of the race.
NASCAR Xfinity Series (2021-Present)
After several years in IndyCar, Karam made his NASCAR Xfinity Series debut in 2021 with Jordan Anderson Racing at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course. In 2022, he signed with Alpha Prime Racing for a part-time schedule, and his tenure included a road-course scuffle with Noah Gragson at Road America that resulted in a thirteen-car pileup. He returned to Alpha Prime Racing in 2023 and also drove for Sam Hunt Racing at Road America, where he finished fourth after leading laps late and battling for the win.
Karam continued running part-time in 2024 with Sam Hunt Racing and Jordan Anderson Racing, including a start at Daytona in the No. 26 and another with Jordan Anderson Racing at Las Vegas. He is currently listed as driving the No. 53 Toyota GR Supra for Joey Gase Motorsports in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, with Scott Osteen as his crew chief.
Driving Style and Strengths
Karam is widely regarded as a strong road-course and oval racer, with a background that has translated well from open-wheel cars to stock cars. His IndyCar experience at Indianapolis and the Iowa Speedway showed his ability to maintain pace on intermediate ovals, while his road-course battles in the Xfinity Series have highlighted his car control and aggressive passing ability. His partnership with crew chief Scott Osteen at Joey Gase Motorsports continues to develop as he builds his stock-car program.
Notable Races and Milestones
Among Karam’s signature moments are his 2013 Indy Lights championship, his ninth-place 2014 Indianapolis 500 finish as a top rookie, and his 2021 seventh-place Indianapolis 500 result. In NASCAR, his fourth-place run at Road America in 2023 with Sam Hunt Racing stands out as a breakthrough stock-car performance, where he led laps late and narrowly missed a chance at the win.
Sage Karam Career Wins
Sage Karam has built a varied win list across open-wheel, rallycross, and stock-car competition. His biggest open-wheel title came in the 2013 Indy Lights championship, while his rallycross career produced multiple victories across the Americas Rallycross Championship and Nitro Rallycross.
Indy Lights and Indy NXT Highlights
Karam won the 2013 Firestone Indy Lights championship with Schmidt Peterson Motorsports, becoming the eighth rookie to win the series title. The championship is now recognized as part of the Indy NXT Series lineage, and the title remains the defining achievement of his open-wheel career. He also won the USF2000 Championship in 2010 and added three Star Mazda wins in 2012.
Other Wins and Performances
In rallycross, Karam won at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course during the 2019 Americas Rallycross Championship with Dreyer & Reinbold Racing, never finishing lower than second across his five-race contract. In 2021, he returned to the discipline for Nitro Rallycross with the same team, earning five wins and seven podiums on his way to a second-place finish in the championship standings.
Sage Karam Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Karam is of Lebanese heritage, with family roots that shaped his upbringing in the Lehigh Valley of Pennsylvania. He grew up in Nazareth, the same Pennsylvania community that has produced several prominent American racing figures, and that local racing culture played a significant role in his development as a young driver.
Personal Life
Karam lives in Easton, Pennsylvania, with his wife, Abigail Karam. The two were married on July 16, 2021. He has a younger sister, Sydnee Karam, who is a swimmer. He graduated from Nazareth Area High School in 2014 and continues to make his home in the Lehigh Valley.
2025 Season Performance
Sage Karam is listed for part-time competition in the 2025 NASCAR Xfinity Series, driving the No. 53 Toyota GR Supra for Joey Gase Motorsports. His schedule is expected to include selected races while he continues to seek sponsorship for a fuller campaign. His prior part-time results with Alpha Prime Racing, Sam Hunt Racing, and Jordan Anderson Racing have shown competitive pace on road courses and intermediates.
His 2023 fourth-place run at Road America remains a benchmark for his stock-car program and a sign of the speed he can deliver when given seat time. With the continued partnership of crew chief Scott Osteen and the support of Joey Gase Motorsports, Karam is positioned to build on those results. A full-time ride remains his stated goal, and consistent top finishes in 2025 could help open that door.
