Veterans in INDYCAR: C.J. Hardin

Throughout the 2023 INDYCAR season we’re highlighting veterans who work within the racing series, whether for Chip Ganassi Racing (CGR), INDYCAR or other racing teams.

This week we’re highlighting Legionnaire C.J. Hardin, who serves as a traveling IT technician for CGR’s INDYCAR program. Hardin served in the U.S. Army from 2015 to 2018 and started with Ganassi in 2021.

Hardin spoke with American Legion Social Media Manager Steven B. Brooks about how he came to work for Ganassi and seeing The American Legion team with CGR to bring awareness about veteran suicides through the “Be the One” initiative.

Steven B. Brooks: How did you get connected with Chip Ganassi Racing?

C.J. Hardin: I’ve always really been into racing. I was working at the Honda plant in Greensburg (Ind.) doing IT for them. I got a random notification on my phone one day from Indeed: “Chip Ganassi Racing hiring for IT technicians.” I was kind of like, “come on, no way.” So I applied just kind of for giggles and all that. I think I applied on Thursday, got a phone screening on Friday, an interview Monday, and I think I was hired by the following Thursday. I was very taken aback. At the time I didn’t really consider myself to be at that level, with a world-class racing organization. I was very surprised how quickly it all came together.

Question: What’s it been working for, as you say, “a world-classing racing organization”?

Hardin: Honestly, it’s been everything I’ve hoped for and more. It’s a lot of information. You don’t really have a lot of time, really, to troubleshoot when you’re at the racetrack. You’ve got to know how to do it, and do it now, basically. A lot of it is very time-sensitive and making sure things work. It’s very similar to what I did in the Army. We’d go out to these sites and we have to get the Internet up and going right away.

Question: What’s it feel like to you to see an organization like The American Legion, whose focus is on supporting the military and taking care of veterans when they get out of the military, teaming up with your racing organization to show the Legion is here for veterans, Chip Ganassi Racing cares about veterans, and using the “Be the One” campaign to show that too many veterans are taking their own lives every day?

Hardin: It’s amazing, honestly. It brings great publicity to something that’s a huge problem in the veteran community. I’ve seen quite a few (veterans) that have struggled with mental health. I, myself, have struggled with mental health before. It’s terrible, and you hate to see it. But I’m glad there’s an organization out there that is putting a lens to it and also doing it on some of the biggest stages, like the Indianapolis 500. It’s great to see that being put out into the public.