Jacob Abel – Syndication Server

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.”

Abel clings to Indy NXT title hopes with Portland victory

Jacob Abel knew the task and completed it perfectly. Abel kept alive his faint hopes for the Indy NXT by Firestone championship by passing points leader Louis Foster on the first lap and winning the Grand Prix of Portland on Sunday at Portland …

Jacob Abel knew the task and completed it perfectly.

Abel kept alive his faint hopes for the Indy NXT by Firestone championship by passing points leader Louis Foster on the first lap and winning the Grand Prix of Portland on Sunday at Portland International Raceway. Abel drove his No. 51 Abel Construction entry of Abel Motorsports to victory by 0.4103s over Foster’s No. 26 Copart/Novara Technologies car of Andretti Global.

“We didn’t roll off the trailer that well at all,” Abel said. “We were really struggling there the first practice session, especially going against someone like Louis, who won here last year and rolled off and just made his stuff better and better. Huge shoutout to the Abel Motorsports crew.”

Abel’s third victory of the season and in his career – his first since early May on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course – pulled him to within 79 points of Foster with two races remaining. Foster only needs to lead by 54 points after the next race, the Indy NXT by Firestone Milwaukee 100 on Saturday, Aug. 31 at the Milwaukee Mile, to clinch his first title in the IndyCar development series. Foster and Abel are the only drivers still eligible for the championship, which includes a financial package to run selected NTT IndyCar Series races.

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“We’re really just trying to go out and win some races,” Abel said. “We lost a little bit of ground there in the middle of the season, so just trying to go out and have some fun and enjoy my last few races in Indy NXT and hopefully make the jump to IndyCar next year.”

Rookie Bryce Aron of Andretti Global completed the podium finishers today on the 12-turn, 1.964-mile road course in the No. 27 Jaguar Land Rover Chesterfield machine after starting sixth. That finish tied his career best set in June at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.

Rookie Caio Collet finished fourth in the No. 18 HMD Motorsports car, followed by fellow rookie and teammate Christian Brooks in the No. 39 HMD Motorsports machine. Brooks tied a career best with his fifth place.

Abel wasted no time pouncing on an opportunity to pass Foster and keep the championship race alive. Abel, who started second, dove inside pole sitter Foster in the precarious, right-hand Turn 1 on the first lap and led all 35 laps.

But Foster didn’t make it easy on Abel. Foster stayed within a 0.5s of Abel’s gearbox for the entire race, often closing to within a car length.

Foster, who leads the series with six wins this season, pulled close enough to challenge on lap 12 but was rebuffed by Abel in a near-calamity for both drivers.

British driver Foster pulled inside of Abel entering the left-hand Turn 10, with Foster’s right front tire making light contact with Abel’s left-rear tire. Foster backed off, and both drivers continued, with Foster applying pressure on leader Abel for the rest of the race.

RESULTS

Abel powers to flag-to-flag Indy NXT win at Indy GP

All it takes is one. Jacob Abel spoke to how much confidence his maiden Indy NXT by Firestone victory April 28 at Barber Motorsports Park did for his psyche. Friday, Abel scored win number two. Abel held off second-place finisher Nolan Siegel in a …

All it takes is one.

Jacob Abel spoke to how much confidence his maiden Indy NXT by Firestone victory April 28 at Barber Motorsports Park did for his psyche. Friday, Abel scored win number two.

Abel held off second-place finisher Nolan Siegel in a three-lap shootout on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course to score his second consecutive victory in the No. 51 Abel Construction entry.

“This is awesome,” Abel said after leading all 35 laps in this race. “Unfortunately, we don’t get to celebrate for too long here. We’re getting another chance tomorrow. That was a really great race, though.”

Siegel came in tied with Abel for the points lead and charged from a fifth-place starting position to bring his No. 39 HMD Motorsports entry home second, 0.5470s in arrears. He trails Abel by 14 points entering Saturday’s second race of the Indianapolis Grand Prix doubleheader at 1 p.m. ET, with live coverage on Peacock and the IndyCar Radio Network.

Friday’s result was the third time in as many races this season the duo finished 1-2, as Siegel won the season opener in March in St. Petersburg, Florida.

Andretti Global’s Jamie Chadwick scored the best finish for a female driver in Indy NXT by Firestone since Pippa Mann’s 2010 win at Kentucky Speedway on Sept. 4, 2010, when she brought her No. 28 VEXT entry home third. Chadwick’s previous best finish was sixth last September at Portland International Raceway.

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Rookie Callum Hedge finished fourth in the No. 17 HMD Motorsports entry, with fellow rookie Myles Rowe rounding out the top five in the No. 99 HMD Motorsports with Force Indy car.

Abel initially had the win on cruise control before a pair of late-race cautions caused by both Abel Motorsports teammates erased his advantage. He leaped to nearly a five-season lead over Siegel before the first caution flew for Yuven Sundaramoorthy stopping off course in his No. 22 S Team Motorsports/Abel Motorsports entry in Turn 4 on lap 21.

On the lap 26 restart, Abel led Siegel to the green on the 14-turn, 2.439-mile road course. Two laps later, his advantage grew to 0.9704s.

On lap 30, Jordan Missig (No. 21 Abel Motorsports) went off course after contact with the wall in Turn 7, sparking the second full-course caution.

Siegel had a second chance to pass Abel for the win. Even with a great launch on the lap 32 restart, Abel prevailed.

“Nolan and I had a great battle,” Abel said. “I had it under control the whole time. I had a big lead there, and unfortunately a lot of yellows really made me work for it at the end. I was just saving tires early on, so I was ready for that.

“Massive thanks to all the Abel Motorsports crew. They delivered an amazing car. We didn’t roll off 100 percent here, but we everyone figured it out in that one practice session that we had, and that’s almost more gratifying than last weekend, when we just rolled off perfect.”

The exciting race featured 165 on-track passes and 136 passes for position, both series records for this circuit.

RESULTS

Abel completes perfect weekend, dominating Indy NXT at Barber

The wait finally is over for Jacob Abel. He led all 35 laps from pole to claim his first Indy NXT by Firestone victory Sunday in the Indy NXT by Firestone Grand Prix of Alabama at Barber Motorsports Park. The win came in Abel’s 30th career start in …

The wait finally is over for Jacob Abel.

He led all 35 laps from pole to claim his first Indy NXT by Firestone victory Sunday in the Indy NXT by Firestone Grand Prix of Alabama at Barber Motorsports Park.

The win came in Abel’s 30th career start in the IndyCar development series and was the first win for the family-owned Abel Motorsports team. His previous best result was second, three times, including in the 2024 season opener March 10 at St. Petersburg, Florida.

Abel led both practices and qualifying at Barber before completing his dream weekend with a win.

“I’m speechless, man,” Abel said. “This team has been working for this for so long now, and to finally get it done and on such a picture-perfect weekend, it’s been lights out all weekend long. It was just up to me to deliver it.

“A lot of nerves all weekend long, but I can finally say that yes, everything went right this weekend. Super happy with it.”

Abel won under caution in the No. 51 Abel Construction entry when Jamie Chadwick spun into the gravel in Turn 1 on lap 34 and got stuck, triggering a race-ending yellow flag. Abel led Siegel’s No. 39 HMD Motorsports car by about a second when the yellow flew.

James Roe placed third in the No. 29 TopCon car of Andretti Global to earn his second career podium finish. Caio Collet was the highest-placing rookie, finishing fourth in the No. 18 HMD Motorsports car.

Louis Foster completed a stirring drive from 21st and last on the starting grid to round out the top five in the No. 26 Copart/Novara Technologies entry fielded by Andretti Global.

Siegel, who started second, ran in that position for the entire race. But he did pull side by side with Abel in Turn 5 on lap 10 after gaining ground after a lap six restart. Abel parried that move by Siegel, who fell back to 0.5510s of a second behind at the end of that lap.

Abel then controlled the race from that point, but it wasn’t without some anxiety.

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Siegel conserved his Firestone Firehawk tires and Push to Pass and started to close in on Abel with 10 laps remaining on the 17-turn, 2.3-mile circuit. Siegel pulled his machine within 0.479s on lap 27, but Abel was able to expand that gap to 0.840s by lap 30 and held on for the win.

“Congrats to Jacob,” Siegel said. “He did a great job all weekend. Honestly, I think we were faster today. The car was fantastic. We saved everything for the last lap; we saved all our P2P, saved our tires the entire race sitting there, and right as I started to go for it, that yellow came out.

“Super disappointed, but I think it’s a good day when you’re disappointed with second.”

The duel between Abel and Siegel not only was compelling for the fans watching from Barber’s manicured grounds, but it also set the stage for a potential championship battle all season. Abel and Siegel are tied atop the standings with 95 points after two races.

“Props to Nolan,” Abel said. “He kept me honest. The whole entire race, he was right there. He’s a great competitor, and I look forward to many battles like that throughout the season.”

Foster may have salvaged his championship hopes with a terrific drive from the back of the field. He barely completed any practice laps this weekend and didn’t participate in qualifying due to nagging electrical problems.

But the Andretti Global crew diagnosed and fixed the gremlins, and Foster diced through the field for a strong recovery. He is third in the standings, 30 points behind Abel and Siegel.

The next events for Indy NXT by Firestone are the Indianapolis Grand Prix doubleheader May 10-11 on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course.

RESULTS

Abel continues dominance with Barber Indy NXT pole

Jacob Abel’s magic carpet ride continued Saturday at Barber Motorsports Park, as he drove to the pole for the Indy NXT by Firestone Grand Prix of Alabama. Abel, from Louisville, Kentucky, grabbed the top spot with a lap of 1m11.3507s in the No. 51 …

Jacob Abel’s magic carpet ride continued Saturday at Barber Motorsports Park, as he drove to the pole for the Indy NXT by Firestone Grand Prix of Alabama.

Abel, from Louisville, Kentucky, grabbed the top spot with a lap of 1m11.3507s in the No. 51 Abel Construction car fielded by Abel Motorsports. It was the second career pole in the IndyCar development series for Abel, whose first No. 1 qualifying position came in July 2023 at Iowa Speedway.

The pole continued a dominant weekend for Abel on the 17-turn, 2.3-mile natural road course. He has led every session, pacing practices Friday afternoon and Saturday morning.

“It was more of what’s been going on all weekend long,” Abel said. “The Abel Motorsports guys gave me a fantastic car today, so I just had to go and drive the thing. It felt pretty easy out there. It was awesome. I’ve just got to finish the job tomorrow now.”

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The 35-lap race starts at 11:05 a.m. ET Sunday, with live coverage on Peacock and the IndyCar Radio Network.

Abel’s cruise on Easy Street continued in qualifying, as he ended up 0.2239s ahead of No. 2 qualifier and championship leader Nolan Siegel, who turned a top lap of 1m11.5746s in the No. 39 HMD Motorsports car. Abel was 0.5158s ahead of the field in practice Friday, and he led practice Saturday morning by 0.2995s.

James Roe qualified third at 1m11.5971s in the No. 29 TopCon entry of Andretti Global, joined in row two by rookie Caio Collet after the Brazilian’s best lap of 1m11.7074s in the No. 18 HMD Motorsports entry.

Jamie Chadwick qualified a career-best fifth at 1m11.7240s in the No. 28 VEXT car of Andretti Global. Her previous best start was ninth in June 2023 at Road America. Rookie Michael d’Orlando also will start from row three, qualifying sixth at 1m11.9051s in the No. 3 Priority RSR Andretti Cape entry.

RESULTS

Abel and Hedge confirmed for 2024 Indy NXT season

Two more Indy NXT drivers have been confirmed for 2024. The first is Jacob Abel with his family-run Abel Motorsports team. The Kentucky native will have promising Wisconsin product Yuven Sundaramoorthy as his teammate for 2024 and the team run by …

Two more Indy NXT drivers have been confirmed for 2024.

The first is Jacob Abel with his family-run Abel Motorsports team. The Kentucky native will have promising Wisconsin product Yuven Sundaramoorthy as his teammate for 2024 and the team run by John Brunner could field as many as four cars next year.

The Butler University marketing student is taking a final run at the NXT championship while planning to take a step up to the NTT IndyCar Series after completing his first test with the Dale Coyne Racing team earlier this month. Abel earned his first NXT pole last season and took four podiums on the way to placing fifth in the standings.

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“The test was good and we were fast,” Abel told RACER. “And while we did have a really good year in 2023, we didn’t win any races or the championship, so when I get to IndyCar, I want to belong and deserve to be there. My dream would be to win for a big IndyCar team, and before I can do that, we’re going for having a big year next year in NXT.”

New Zealander Callum Hedge will make his NXT debut with HMD Motorsports, which comes after a dominant run to claim the 2023 Formula Regional Americas title.

Hedge will move up to Indy NXT with HMD Motorsports. Chris Jones/Penske Entertainment

“I have had a taste of the Indy NXT machinery and am ready for the challenge that 2024 will bring,” Hedge said. “I am thankful for the opportunity to join a championship-winning program in HMD Motorsports and for my partners who continue to make my motorsports dream a reality.”

Hedge is the sixth driver signed by HMD Motorsports GM Mike Maurini and team owners Henry and Daiva Malukas.

“We have a lot of time for Callum and are confident that he will have success in Indy NXT,” he said. “He is stepping into a program that has ascended rapidly and has been winning along the way. He is another piece to the growing puzzle and will be a threat for the top step of the podium all season. While the North American ovals and temporary courses will be new to him, he has a strong support system of drivers and engineers around him that will assist in making the transition seamless.”

Abel looks ahead to IndyCar test debut with Coyne

Jacob Abel was one of the breakout performers of the Indy NXT series in 2023. Driving for the family-owned Abel Motorsports team, the Kentucky native earned his first pole position, led laps and stood on the podium four times on the way to placing …

He’ll return for one more season of open-wheel schooling next year, and after the 2024 NXT season, Abel hopes to graduate to IndyCar. To get a feel for what it’s like to wield a Dallara DW12 chassis with more than 700hp from a 2.2-liter twin-turbo V6 engine, Abel will head to Florida next week and participate in his first IndyCar test with the Dale Coyne Racing team at Sebring.

“There’s many goals with this test,” the 22-year-old told RACER. “Abel Motorsports owns one Indy car and an extra tub, so where that leads with the team isn’t known yet, but I know I want to get to IndyCar as a driver and I’ve always been willing to look at other options with other teams. This was just a great opportunity to get me into an Indy car early and experience what it’s like.

“Dale Coyne is a really cool team owner when it comes to young drivers, because he’s one of the only ones that truly pays attention to all the smaller series and all the younger drivers. So he was very familiar with me and all the driving I’ve done, which is refreshing because sometimes I get a little bit overshadowed by the team and everything they’re doing.

“So he reached out and basically said, ‘Hey, do you want to do this?’ Which was pretty cool to me, because it makes me feel like my development has been noticed. It’s basically just to get a taste. Next year, we are planning on doing NXT, but doing an IndyCar test opens the door to other opportunities.”

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Although he’s focused on fighting for the NXT title, Abel wants to be ready if an IndyCar team finds itself in need of a driver.

“Whether that could be a last-minute need, or maybe an Indy 500 thing with Abel Motorsports, even though I don’t know if that’s necessarily [team manager] John [Brunner] and my dad’s plans, but it’s always in the back of my head,” Abel said. “If there’s a substitute driver need, it puts me already in a good place on many fronts.

“It’s a childhood dream. I’ve been around the Road to Indy and on this path for four or five years now, so to get just a little bit of a taste of the big series and the big cars is an important thing. And if nothing else, it will motivate me to push harder and really attack the whole 2024 NXT season and then trying to get something for IndyCar in 2025.”