Indy NXT – Page 2 – Syndication Server

Aron switches to HMD for 2025 Indy NXT season

Bryce Aron spent his rookie Indy NXT season with Andretti Global and will return for his sophomore campaign with HMD Motorsports. The 21-year-old from Illinois earned two podiums with Andretti and hopes to become a title contender at the team which …

Bryce Aron spent his rookie Indy NXT season with Andretti Global and will return for his sophomore campaign with HMD Motorsports.

The 21-year-old from Illinois earned two podiums with Andretti and hopes to become a title contender at the team which won the NXT championships in 2022 and 2023.

“I’m extremely excited to be joining HMD motorsports for the 2025 Indy NXT season,” Aron said. “The goal is nothing short of winning the championship, and I believe together with HMD, this is possible. I’m looking forward to getting started with the team at IMS later this week.”

Aron adds another promising talent to HMD’s expansive roster.

“Bryce steadily improved throughout the 2024 season, and we are very confident in his ability to be at the pointy end of the field week in and week out,” said team president Mike Maurini. “Experience is key in the Indy NXT program, and Bryce is entering his sophomore season with experience at every venue that we will compete at in the 2025 season.”

Smith joins HMD for 2025 Indy NXT season

HMD Motorsports has signed Tommy Smith to its stable of Indy NXT drivers. The 22-year-old Australian spent the last two seasons competing in the FIA Formula 3 championship. “I am excited to compete in America and am up for the challenge,” Smith …

HMD Motorsports has signed Tommy Smith to its stable of Indy NXT drivers. The 22-year-old Australian spent the last two seasons competing in the FIA Formula 3 championship.

“I am excited to compete in America and am up for the challenge,” Smith said. “It was a great opportunity to watch the final Indy NXT race in Nashville with HMD. The series is competitive, and racing on ovals will be a new experience for me, but I’m excited to get behind the wheel for post-season testing later this month and start working with the team as we prepare for the 2025 season together.”

Smith will be reunited with former F3 teammate Caio Collet, the 2024 NXT Rookie of the Year, and join Josh Pierson, who is returning to HMD. More drivers are due to be announced.

“It is great to finally announce Tommy as part of the HMD Motorsports program,” said team president Mike Maurini. “We are excited to have him aboard, and he is ready to work. I had the opportunity to work with his management team over the past few months and with Tommy directly in Nashville, and they are all a great group of people. They will be a welcome addition to HMD Motorsports.”

USF Pro 2000 champ Hughes joins Andretti’s Indy NXT team

Louis Foster won the USF Pro 2000 championship, took the sizable advancement prize from Andersen Promotions to Andretti Global, and left the team as the reigning Indy NXT champion (and was announced today as an IndyCar driver for Rahal Letterman Lanigan). Australia’s Lochie Hughes recently won the USF Pro 2000 title, had the graduation funds in hand from Andersen, and has taken it to Andretti Global where he hopes to emulate the Briton and lead the team to consecutive NXT crowns.

“I’m so excited to be joining the Andretti INDY NXT team in 2025,” said Hughes, who captured the USF Pro 2000 championship with Turn 3 Motorsports. “It’s a dream to be a part of this historic team, and one that I’ve wanted to race for since moving to the U.S.

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“This year was great for me winning the USF Pro 2000 Championship and for Andretti winning the Indy NXT Championship, so, I hope that I can help be a part of adding another championship title to Andretti’s record. Right now, it’s all eyes on the 2025 season, and there’s nowhere else I’d rather be for next year. I just want to thank my parents for supporting me through my career, my sponsor The McGinley Clinic and the USF Pro 2000 Championship Scholarship for making this happen.”

Andretti president J-F Thormann, its longstanding leader among the team’s junior open-wheel programs, welcomes the spirited 22-year-old to the storied program which launched the likes of Pato O’Ward, Colton Herta, Kyle Kirkwood, and Oliver Askew upward to IndyCar in recent years.

“After an exceptional season for our Indy NXT program, we’re excited to kick off next year’s campaign with the first addition to our 2025 Andretti Indy NXT lineup,” Thormann said of the four-car outfit. “Although it’s still early in his career, Lochie has already compiled an impressive resume of success.

“He’s worked his way up the development series ladder, showing his potential at every step, and we’re looking forward to helping him continue to refine his skills and progress in his racing career. Our focus remains on bringing home wins and our seventh Indy NXT Championship, and we feel that Lochie will be an integral part of making those things happen in 2025.”

RLL signs Indy NXT champion Foster

New Indy NXT champion Louis Foster will become Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing’s newest full-time NTT IndyCar Series driver as the Briton has been signed to a multi-year deal. The team did not specify which car Foster will drive and sponsorship for …

“I am really looking forward to working with the team,” Foster said. “Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing have Indy 500 victories, obviously Bobby has won an Indy 500 and there is a great wealth of knowledge with the team. I want to thank Bobby, David and Mike for their faith in my abilities and I want to I can’t wait to start my IndyCar career with the team and hopefully we can have a long and successful career together.

“I’m hoping that coming off the experience gained from winning the Indy NXT championship, that will leave me in a good stance to get the ball rolling. This is where the hard work starts. We will start the preparations and make sure we get hit the ground running in St. Pete.”

The 21-year-old is expected to be a quality addition to the three-car organization; Foster is the second driver confirmed by RLL along with team veteran Graham Rahal.

“We are very pleased that we have been able to come to an agreement with Louis to have him drive for the team for the next several years,” Bobby Rahal said. “He obviously dominated Indy NXT in 2024 and we feel he has a big future ahead of him and are happy to support the ladder system IndyCar has created. We look at this as a long-term relationship that will go beyond the existing terms and are very excited to get started on preparations for the 2025 season and his series debut.”

Andretti pens open letter “to our fans”

Former Andretti Global team leader Michael Andretti penned an open letter to the team’s followers. The communication comes in the wake of his recent standing down as team principal and the transition of power to investor Daniel Towriss. “To Our …

“To Our Fans,

“I was born a racer. From an early age, I didn’t know anything different than life in the fast lane. Being a “son of” – be it a proud one – came with a high bar and, once I pressed the gas, I never looked back. I stopped at nothing to find success. I drove for the passion and love of the sport, but I won for the fear of losing. My father’s childhood dream became my destiny and together, we built a legacy and a family business.

“When my driving days slowed, I set my sights on creating a space that would inspire future drivers to go faster than I had. I believe that, together with the help of many very qualified and passionate team members, I have been able to do just that. For the past two decades, our team has seen the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. We’ve grown on a global level that I believe is still untouched in motorsport and we’ve seen some of the best talent in racing proudly wear the Andretti badge.

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“Many of my best memories have come at the wheel of this organization, and I am so proud of what we have built. But decades of running flat out doesn’t come without sacrifice and, after much thought and reflection over the past several months, I came to the decision to take a step back. I’ve had a day-to-day operational role since even before I stepped out of the race car, and it’s time now to pass the baton to my partner and friend, Dan Towriss.

“As I make this decision for myself, my family and this team, I know this is somewhat of a shock to many, especially you, the fans, my extended family. For many of you, you’ve watched me grow up, or you’ve grown up right alongside of me, and no matter what moves we’ve made as a team, you’ve stuck by our side at every turn. It is not lost on me that the generations of Andretti fans are the best in the business. I’m honored to be considered a fan favorite, a role model and a friend. And I thank you for a lifetime of support and, in some cases, your brutal honesty.

“But I am not going away – I will be serving as an advisor for the team and will be available to help wherever I can. While you might see me less at the racetrack, know that my passion for the sport and my support for our team, and its people, will remain unwavering.

“My hope is that you, as Andretti fans, will keep supporting our team with the same enthusiasm and loyalty that you’ve so graciously shown myself and my family over the years.

“I’m excited about the opportunity to spend more time with my beautiful family, including my 10-year-old twins, embrace my new Nonno title and explore new things on a personal level and with my other businesses. So, this isn’t a goodbye. It is just the turning of the page.”

Amid NXT expansion, Abel Motorsports eyes IMSA, Indy 500

Bill Abel’s team rose to Indy NXT prominence last season as his son Jacob Abel earned three wins, 10 podiums, two poles, and a runner-up finish in the championship behind Andretti Global’s Louis Foster. The two full-time cars for Abel – who is …

The two full-time cars for Abel — who is hunting for an IndyCar seat in 2025 — and Yuven Sundaramoorthy, and part-time efforts for a trio of other drivers, served as Abel’s largest footprint in NXT since it joined the series in 2022, and with their newfound success, the Indiana-based team is set to continue expanding.

Sundaramoorthy is signed for his second season with the outfit and Myles Rowe, who made his NXT debut in 2024 with HMD Motorsports, has moved across to the team. Abel intends to confirm more NXT drivers and is also looking at taking the team into a new territory.

“We’ve got two other seats that we’re going to fill, and we’ve got tons of interest because of the season we’ve had with Jacob,” Abel told RACER. “We’ll be a four-car Indy NXT team, and hopefully an Indy 500 team also. That’s where we’re headed to.”

Penske Entertainment’s recent formation of its charter program has thwarted Abel’s efforts to join the NTT IndyCar Series as a full-time entrant. Despite owning two Dallara DW12 Indy cars situated in his shop located next to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Abel sees partnerships with existing teams as the only avenue to take part in the series outside of the Indy 500.

“Everything that’s going on structurally within IndyCar has made it difficult for us to find a home as a full-time team, so I don’t know that that’ll be obtainable next year, but we’re talking to teams,” he said. “Jacob and I are having meetings with teams trying to find a home for him. I’m meeting with teams trying to figure out if there is a future for Abel Motorsports and IndyCar, and what that would look like. We’re having some pretty deep conversations. I don’t know where any of it is to wind up, but we’ll be in NXT next year.”

Much as Abel Motorsports might like to move up to IndyCar full-time, an Indy 500 partnership appears to be the maximum prospect for now. Brett Farmer/Motorsport Images

With the door to IndyCar all but closed as a standalone entrant, Abel has been taking a hard look at IMSA as a paddock where his team would be welcomed. Having attended the Sebring 12 Hours in March on a fact-finding mission and developed a range of possibilities partnerships to pursue in the NASCAR-owned sports car series, endurance racing could be part of Abel Motorsports’ future.

“We’ve got a company that’s talking to us about jumping into IMSA,” Abel said. “It’s not out of the realm of possibility. The choke point in our team is [team manager] John Brunner and what he wants to take on, or how we might take something on with some help.

“And part of it is thinking about Jacob, and if he’s not going to be in IndyCar, our motivation is greater to be in IMSA. I don’t know if that’s TCR, GT3, or LMP2. Nothing is off the table and that would be fun.”

Rowe switches to Abel for 2025 Indy NXT season

Myles Rowe will continue his education in the Indy NXT series with Abel Motorsports. Rowe, the 2023 USF Pro 2000 champion, graduated to NXT with the HMD Motorsports team in 2024 and struggled with his former outfit, placing 11th out of NXT’s 15 …

Myles Rowe will continue his education in the Indy NXT series with Abel Motorsports.

Rowe, the 2023 USF Pro 2000 champion, graduated to NXT with the HMD Motorsports team in 2024 and struggled with his former outfit, placing 11th out of NXT’s 15 full-time drivers in the championship. In stepping across from HMD to Abel, which placed second in the Drivers’ championship with the outgoing Jacob Abel, Rowe hopes to achieve the title-contending potential that was expected last season.

“I’m thrilled to be part of the Abel Motorsports family with Force Indy for the 2025 season” said Rowe, who will continue representing Force Indy under the leadership of Rod Reid and funding through Roger Penske’s Race For Equality & Change initiative.

“Abel has not only shown great skill, but they have a great deal of respect among the IndyCar community. It’s a privilege to represent them and Force Indy on this journey. I want to thank HMD Motorsports and Henry Malukas for giving me a good start at this level of racing.”

The team owned by Bill Abel and led by John Brunner is aiming to run four cars in 2025.

“When we first heard about the opportunity to bring Myles and Force Indy on board, we were immensely excited,” Abel said. “John and I have been watching Myles for a number of years, and to see his progression as a driver has been remarkable, and something that we knew we wanted to be a part of.

“Not only do we look for competitive drivers on track, but we look for the right personality and off-track presence that will represent us well. Myles absolutely checks that box for us too, so excited for 2025 is an understatement.”

Chadwick keen to take on IndyCar in 2025

Jamie Chadwick has expressed her ambition to compete in 6-8 NTT IndyCar Series races next year. The Briton, who completed her second season of Indy NXT with Andretti Global, shared her goals on the home page of her new website, but the line was …

A winner from pole position at Road American in June, Chadwick was a two-time podium finisher on her way to placing seventh in the championship, a marked improvement from 12th as an NXT rookie in 2023. The three-time W Series champion is facing a packed driver market among those who hope to land one of the remaining seats on the IndyCar grid.

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Whether it’s her Andretti teammate Louis Foster who won eight races and ran away with the NXT championship, or runner-up Jacob Abel, or a range of Formula 1 and Formula 2 drivers searching for opportunities, or the sizable number of IndyCar drivers – including Rookie of the Year Linus Lundqvist – hunting for homes, Chadwick is facing a challenge to graduate in 2025.

She has her first IndyCar test scheduled with the Andretti team on September 30 at Barber Motorsports Park which, if it goes well, could help to move the 26-year-old higher up on a few short lists.

Andretti COO Rob Edwards doesn’t know what the future holds for Chadwick, but would welcome her back to Andretti’s NXT program if she wants to try and view for a championship.

“Ultimately, that decision rests with Jamie and her manager,” Edwards told RACER. “We would love to have her back for Indy NXT, if that was something that she wanted to do. Her aspirations are to do something in IndyCar in 2025, but it is a very crowded market at the moment. If she does come back to do NXT again, I think she’d certainly be a title favorite.

“An Indy NXT championship would go a long way to helping her achieve her ultimate aspirations. We’re supportive of whatever she does.”

Chadwick’s diminutive size made it hard to attack the Dallara IL15 Indy NXT car as a rookie, and with an intensive training program leading into 2024, she added the muscle mass required to get the most from the machine. The test at Barber, in a much heavier Dallara DW12 with greater downforce will provide Chadwick and interested teams with critical information about her ability to attack the Honda-powered hybrid Andretti Indy car.

And with the Andretti NXT team receiving plenty of interest from drivers after they won the title with Foster, the clock is ticking on being able to save a seat for Chadwick.

“The Barber test is a big marker in terms of decision making for them,” Edwards added. “You know, the Chris Griffis test in the middle of October is traditionally a date by which we try to have all of our seats in place. So that’s probably the window and the timeline for things to fall one way or the other.”

Foster closes out Indy NXT title year with eighth win at Nashville

Louis Foster was just too fast – Sunday, and all season long. Foster finished his Indy NXT by Firestone championship-winning season with his eighth victory of 2024 in the Music City Grand Prix at Nashville Superspeedway. He drove his No. 26 …

Louis Foster was just too fast – Sunday, and all season long.

Foster finished his Indy NXT by Firestone championship-winning season with his eighth victory of 2024 in the Music City Grand Prix at Nashville Superspeedway. He drove his No. 26 Copart/Novara Technologies entry from Andretti Global to victory by 0.3071s over rookie Yuven Sundaramoorthy in the No. 22 Optima Batteries/Clarios/Abel Motorsports car. It was a career-best finish for Sundaramoorthy.

While Foster clinched the title in the IndyCar development series at the previous race, Aug. 31 at Milwaukee, he finally got a chance to perform celebratory donuts after his 10th career victory in Indy NXT, tying him for second all time with Tommy Byrne, Alex Lloyd, Paul Tracy and current NTT IndyCar Series star Kyle Kirkwood. Greg Moore is the all-time leader with 13 wins.

“I would have loved to have done them at Milwaukee, but we had to baby the car for one more weekend,” Foster said of the celebration. “But now we can. Yeah, it’s good. If in doubt, go flat out.”

Rookie Caio Collet finished third in the No. 18 HMD Motorsports entry, 1.7897s behind Foster on the 1.33-mile concrete oval. James Roe finished fourth in the No. 29 Topcon car of Andretti Global, and rookie Salvador de Alba Jr. rounded out the top five in the No. 2 Grupo Indi machine of Andretti Cape NXT and helped to put three Andretti-affiliated cars in the top five as the team capped its sixth championship in Indy NXT.

Foster earned his eighth win in the last 11 races as his list of superlatives continued to mushroom. He never finished lower than second in the last 11 races of this season, dating back to mid-May. He qualified on the front row in the last 10 races of the season.

In total, Foster led the series in wins (eight), poles (seven), laps led (362 of 640, 57 percent), top-five finishes (13) and top-10 finishes (14) in 14 races this season.

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Foster pulled away from the field Sunday after starting from pole. His gap held steady between 2-3s, first over Collet. Then Sundaramoorthy passed Collet in Turn 1 on lap 34 of the 65-lap race but couldn’t bridge the gap to Foster.

The complexion of the race changed on lap 52 when Jack William Miller in the No. 40 Patterson Dental Haven Go by SAAM car of Miller Vinatieri Motorsports and Jamie Chadwick in the No. 28 VEXT entry of Andretti Global made contact in Turn 1, triggering the only caution of the race.

Foster’s 3s lead suddenly evaporated. He got a good jump on the restart on lap 58, but Sundaramoorthy rallied to pull to within 0.2s on lap 59. Sundaramoorthy closed to within 0.1s on lap 63, but Foster drove away on the last two laps to hang on for victory. He led every lap.

“It was a strange race, really,” Foster said. “We were pinned for pretty much the entire race. Once I had a bit of a gap to Caio and Yuven behind, I was saving tires a bit.

“Yuven was really strong that race. I had to keep him behind at the end, and I was struggling with the balance of the car. I wasn’t sure if we had it, but luckily, I was able to keep him at bay and finish with a win.”

Foster on Indy NXT Nashville pole after qualifying rainout

Winning a championship has its privileges, even when it rains. 2024 Indy NXT by Firestone champion Louis Foster will start first in the Music City Grand Prix on Sunday, as entrant points set the starting grid for the final race of the season for the …

Winning a championship has its privileges, even when it rains.

2024 Indy NXT by Firestone champion Louis Foster will start first in the Music City Grand Prix on Sunday, as entrant points set the starting grid for the final race of the season for the IndyCar development series when qualifying was interrupted and eventually rained out Saturday at Nashville Superspeedway.

“Interesting session; I’m sure everyone would have preferred to qualify,” Foster said. “But it’s not what we got today. Hopefully the rain stays away tomorrow for the race. Should be an interesting race – not a lot of practice here today. We’ll see what happens.”

Andretti Global driver Foster will start at the front of the field for the seventh time in 14 races this season. He led both practice sessions Saturday on the 1.33-mile concrete oval before qualifying.

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Foster clinched the series championship in his No. 26 Copart/Novara Technologies car at the last event, Aug. 31 at the Milwaukee Mile.

Nine of the 18 drivers in the field made qualifying attempts before rain washed out the session. Rain already interrupted qualifying for a brief period after the first four drivers made attempts before the session resumed, only to be halted again.

The nine drivers who made attempts will receive a set of new Firestone tires so all cars will start the 65-lap race Sunday on sticker tires. Live coverage starts at 11:50 a.m. ET on Peacock and the IndyCar Radio Network.

Jacob Abel will join Foster on the front row, starting second in the No. 51 Abel Construction entry.

Row two will be comprised of rookie HMD Motorsports teammates Caio Collet in the No. 18 car starting third and Christian Brooks in the No. 39 machine starting fourth.

Rookie Callum Hedge will start inside the third row in fifth in the No. 17 HMD Motorsports car, with fellow rookie Salvador de Alba Jr. starting sixth in the No. 2 Grupo Indi entry of Andretti Cape Indy NXT.

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