Myles Rowe will take his advancement prize for winning the USF Pro 2000 presented by Cooper Tires championship to the Indy NXT by Firestone series and the defending title holders at HMD Motorsports.
Rowe, 23, will drive the No. 99 Force Indy entry run for Penske Entertainment at HMD, which continues the tradition established this year with Ernie Francis Jr., who moves on from the No. 99 car after two seasons in NXT under Penske’s Race For Equality & Change initiative. It’s unclear where Francis Jr’s next steps in the sport will be taken.
For Rowe, who was the first driver chosen by Penske for the Force Indy opportunity, the last two seasons have been remarkable as he earned 10 victories and 19 podiums while completing his degree in film studies at New York University. With Indy NXT as his main focus, Rowe is expected to continue his rise up the American open-wheel ladder and eventually reach the NTT IndyCar Series.
“I’m super excited to announce my next step to HMD Motorsports with Force Indy and be part of their family,” Rowe said. “I am extremely excited to grow and progress with them as a team and fight for many more race wins.”
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Force Indy program director Rod Reid is happy for the Indy NXT relationship to continue.
“Force Indy is really looking forward to continuing the relationship with HMD Motorsports,” he said. “We have a season working together under our belt, and our goals in and out of the pits align.”
On the cusp of earning a second consecutive NXT championship, HMD GM Mike Maurini sees a big future for Rowe in the team owned by Henry Malukas.
“We are excited to continue our partnership with Force Indy and have Myles as part of the HMD Motorsports program in 2024,” he said. “He has been a treat to follow through the ladder programs, and we are anxious to help him continue his goals to ascend to the NTT IndyCar Series. Myles is a great talent, and we have had our eye on him for quite some time and are confident that he will have success not only in 2024 but for years to come.”