Mike Conway steps into his new car in the next week as he looks to tear up the Indy Car series over in America.

Conway will get his first run in the Honda-powered Dallara DW12 chassis at Sebring International Raceway next week, in company with several other teams.

It will be the Sevenoaks racer’s first appearance with the team since he joined the Foyt organisation after spending last season with Andretti Autosport.

“It’s been a shorter off-season than last year, when I didn’t really know if I would be driving until the end of February,” Conway told IndyCar.com.

“This year, it was nice to know before Christmas what I was doing and focus on it. I’m excited to just get in the car now.”

Conway, who scored his first IndyCar win on the streets of Long Beach last season expressed confidence that his No. 14 will be a more competitive proposition this year than it has been in recent seasons.

“Larry [Foyt, team director] is really committed to taking the team forward and has a lot of vision to making sure they get back into Victory Lane,” said Conway of Foyt’s iconic squad. “That definitely excited me. I get the chance to work with A.J. as well.”

Team owner Foyt explained that Conway’s demonstrated skills on road courses played a key role in his choice of the Briton to replace longtime driver Vitor Meira.

“With the series having twice as many road courses as ovals, we looked for a driver who is fast on those tracks and Mike has certainly proven himself in that area,” said Foyt, who’s in Daytona this weekend to serve as grand marshal for the 50th anniversary Rolex 24.

“I may even be able to give him a little advice when it comes to the ovals.”