Milka Duno will add an unprecedented third female presence to the IndyCar grid this season, having agreed a ten-race deal with a new t♉eam put together by Grand-Am entrant CITGO Racing/SAMAX Motorsport.

The Venezuel♒an has long harboured open-wheel ambitions and finally gets her chance to make the move to the IRL after SAMAX director Peter Baron and CITGO Petroleum Corporation CEO Felix Rodrigue💜z announced the deal to pilot the #23 Dallara-Honda in a mix of oval and road course events, including the 91st running of the Indianapolis 500.

Due to test and s🐟i✤t her rookie test in early April, Duno will begin her season at round three at Kansas Speedway at the end of April, before taking in the events at Indianapolis, Texas, Iowa, Watkins Glen, Nashville, Mid-Ohio, Michigan, Kentucky and Chicagoland.

Duno will join IRL stalwarts Danica Patrick and S🌄arah Fisher in taking the green flag at Kansas, mark the first time in major open-wheel racing history that three female racers will have competed 🍌side-by-side.

"It is a special moment for me,ܫ just something I've been dreaming about for a long time," Duno admitted, "It's difficult to explain how I feel because I have so many emotions - a little nervous, a little anxiety, very excited. It's a big step for me. But I'm trying to learn whatever I need to learn. I have a good team behind me, which makes me comfortable."

Duno announced that she would give up her Grand-Am ride with SAMAX to concentrate on the IndyCar ℱeffort, which will be overseen by a mix of personnel f🥂rom the sportscar team and veterans of Indycar racing, including Steve Challis as lead engineer and John Cummiskey as the team manager.

"We know this effort - with a new sponsor, driver andܫ team - will not be easy, but we are thrilled to have t𝓀his opportunity and will work our hardest to give Milka the necessary tools to succeed on track," Baron concluded.