Carlin's American journey has been an unqualified success so far, competitive in Indy Lights in year one, winning the title with Ed Jones in 2016 and now announcing its first ever top-flight single-seater campaign with its '18 IndyCar move.
It's been a whirlwind journey for one of Britain's best single-seater teams, but multiple factors lined up perfectly over the winter so it could finally make the step up.
Three years after team boss Trevor Carlin and Jones discussed a potential Indy Lights move at the Abu Dhabi GP3 test - buying the cars and testing just two months later in January - Carlin is looking at another quick turnaround.