Sage Karam Bio
Sage Rennie Karam (born March 5, 1995) is an American professional auto racing driver. He competes part-time in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, driving the No. 55 Toyota GR Supra for Joey Gase Motorsports with Scott Osteen. He previously competed in the IndyCar Series and is the 2013 champion in what is now known as the Indy NXT Series.
A graduate of the Road to Indy development ladder, Karam built his career through junior open-wheel competition before transitioning into IndyCar and, more recently, NASCAR’s national touring divisions. He is widely regarded for his oval-track pace and his resilience across multiple racing disciplines.
Early Life and Background
Karam was born on March 5, 1995, in Nazareth, Pennsylvania, the same small town associated with racing legend Mario Andretti. He grew up in Nazareth and developed an early passion for motorsports, eventually racing go-karts at Oakland Valley Race Park in Cuddebackville, New York. His karting years gave him a foundation in race craft that would later translate to cars.
Karam is of Lebanese heritage and graduated from Nazareth Area High School in 2014. He has a younger sister, Sydnee Karam, a competitive swimmer. The Nazareth region and its racing heritage shaped his ambitions and connected him to one of the most storied open-wheel teams in the country.
Path to NASCAR
Karam climbed the open-wheel ladder quickly. In 2010, he joined Andretti Autosport for the USF2000 Championship, winning nine of twelve races and the pole in all but one event on his way to the title. That championship came with a prize package worth roughly $350,000, funding a step up to the Star Mazda Championship in 2011.
He won back-to-back oval races at the Milwaukee Mile and Iowa Speedway in his Star Mazda rookie season, earning Rookie of the Year honors, and improved to third in points in 2012 with three victories. In 2013, he moved to Firestone Indy Lights with Schmidt Peterson Motorsports and won the championship as a rookie, becoming the eighth rookie titlist in series history.
Sage Karam Career
Early Career (2010–2012)
Karam’s professional career began in 2010 with Andretti Autosport in the USF2000 Championship, where he dominated the field and secured the title. The win earned him a scholarship that moved him into the Star Mazda Championship the following year. Driving for Andretti Autosport, he won at Milwaukee and Iowa, took Rookie of the Year, and finished fifth in points.
In 2012, Karam returned to Star Mazda with Andretti Autosport and improved to third in the standings with three race wins. The steady progression through the Mazda Road to Indy ladder established him as one of the top young open-wheel prospects in North America and led to his promotion to Indy Lights.
Indy Lights and IndyCar Breakthrough (2013–2015)
In 2013, Karam stepped up to Firestone Indy Lights with Schmidt Peterson Motorsports and won the series championship, becoming the eighth rookie to claim the Indy Lights title. The performance drew the attention of Chip Ganassi Racing, which signed him for selected endurance sports car races in 2014 and a part-time IndyCar program the following year.
Karam made his Indianapolis 500 debut in 2014 with Dreyer & Reinbold Racing, qualifying 31st and finishing ninth as the second-highest rookie. During the 2015 IndyCar Series season he shared the No. 8 Chip Ganassi Racing entry with Sebastián Saavedra. He set quick practice times at Indianapolis, finished third at the 2015 Iowa Corn 300, and ended the year twentieth in points. At the 2015 ABC Supply 500 at Pocono, his airborne crash sent debris toward Justin Wilson, who later died from his injuries. The 2015 season was his strongest IndyCar campaign.
Karam also returned to the Indianapolis 500 with Dreyer & Reinbold Racing in 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020. His best Indy 500 result came in 2021, when he finished seventh. Across his IndyCar career, he recorded one podium, with his best series finish of twentieth coming in 2015.
Joey Gase Motorsports Era (2021–Present)
Karam made his NASCAR debut on July 26, 2021, driving the No. 31 for Jordan Anderson Racing in the Pennzoil 150 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course. He expanded that schedule to include Xfinity races at Bristol and the Charlotte Roval, plus a Truck Series start at Martinsville.
In 2022, Karam signed with Alpha Prime Racing for a part-time Xfinity Series schedule, and in 2023 he returned to APR before also driving the Sam Hunt Racing No. 24 at Road America, where he finished fourth. In 2024 he ran a part-time schedule with Sam Hunt Racing and Jordan Anderson Racing, and in 2025 he joined Joey Gase Motorsports with Scott Osteen in the No. 55 Toyota GR Supra for the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, recording two top-ten finishes across the season.
Driving Style and Strengths
Karam is best known for his oval-track speed and his ability to adapt quickly to new cars and series. His open-wheel background gives him a strong feel for mechanical grip and tire management, and he has shown the versatility to translate those skills into stock car racing on road courses, ovals, and rallycross circuits alike.
Notable Races and Milestones
Signature moments include his ninth-place Indianapolis 500 debut in 2014, his third-place finish at the 2015 Iowa Corn 300, and his seventh-place result in the 2021 Indianapolis 500, which remains his best Indy 500 finish. In NASCAR, his fourth-place run at Road America in 2023 marked a career milestone, and he has added two top-ten finishes in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series with Joey Gase Motorsports.
Sage Karam Career Wins
Karam has collected wins in multiple disciplines. He is a USF2000 champion (2010), a Firestone Indy Lights champion (2013), and a 2019 Americas Rallycross winner, and he finished second in the 2021 Nitro Rallycross standings with five victories. In NASCAR’s national series, he has not yet recorded a win.
Indy Lights and IndyCar Highlights
Karam’s most celebrated achievement came in 2013, when he won the Firestone Indy Lights championship as a rookie with Schmidt Peterson Motorsports. He added one IndyCar podium during the 2015 season and posted consistent top-ten Indy 500 runs, capped by a career-best seventh-place result in 2021.
Other Wins and Performances
Beyond IndyCar, Karam dominated the 2010 USF2000 Championship with nine wins and earned Rookie of the Year in Star Mazda in 2011. In 2019, he won at Mid-Ohio in the Americas Rallycross Championship, and in 2021 he captured five rallycross wins and seven podiums in Nitro Rallycross, finishing as series runner-up.
Sage Karam Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Karam is of Lebanese heritage and grew up in Nazareth, Pennsylvania, a region long associated with American motorsports. He has a younger sister, Sydnee Karam, who is a competitive swimmer.
Personal Life
Karam lives in Easton, Pennsylvania, with his wife Abigail. The two were married on July 16, 2021, and the couple has three dogs. His Easton residence keeps him close to his hometown of Nazareth, where he first fell in love with racing.
2025 Season Performance
In 2025, Sage Karam joined Joey Gase Motorsports with Scott Osteen to drive the No. 55 Toyota GR Supra in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, running a part-time slate. The campaign focused on building continuity with a single team and chasing his first NASCAR national-series victory.
Across his 2025 starts, Karam produced two top-ten finishes, building on the momentum of his fourth-place run at Road America in 2023. The program continued to refine the team’s road-course package and oval setups, with an eye on expanding the schedule in 2026.
Looking ahead, Karam has stated his goal of returning to full-time NASCAR competition, and the 2025 season with Joey Gase Motorsports is designed to position him for a more complete schedule. The combination of Toyota support and his open-wheel experience should keep him in contention for stage points and a potential breakthrough win.
