Nolan Siegel – Page 2 – Syndication Server

Siegel romps to maiden Indy NXT pole in St. Petersburg

Nolan Siegel’s first career pole in Indy NXT by Firestone came at the right time Saturday. In the first race of the season, Siegel was in the first qualifying group for the Indy NXT by Firestone of St. Petersburg, proving to be the difference amid a …

Nolan Siegel’s first career pole in Indy NXT by Firestone came at the right time Saturday.

In the first race of the season, Siegel was in the first qualifying group for the Indy NXT by Firestone of St. Petersburg, proving to be the difference amid a competitive session.

New for this year, Indy NXT by Firestone competitors were divided into two qualifying groups, and Siegel’s group ran without a caution. The second group had two red flags, including one when the field was on what presumably would have been the fastest laps. That group came up a few tenths short of Siegel’s pace-setting time.

Siegel’s pole-winning and track-record lap around the 14-turn, 1.8-mile temporary street circuit was 1m4.5759s. Jacob Abel was quickest in Group 2, but he didn’t get a chance to finish his final lap due to the crash of series newcomer Callum Hedge in the final set of corners.

Second-year series driver Siegel will go for his third career series victory in the 45-lap race that begins shortly after 10 a.m. ET (Peacock, IndyCar Live, IndyCar Radio Network).

“It’s my first pole in Indy NXT, so it feels really good,” the driver of the No. 39 HMD Motorsports entry said. “Starting 2024 up front is the best way to do it, for sure. Everyone’s worked super hard in the offseason, and HMD did a great job. It’s a nice reward.”

Abel settled for the second starting position in the No. 51 Abel Construction entry. His best qualifying lap was 1m04.5825s.

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Series veteran Abel was pleased with the new format and applauded series officials for trying to present a level playing field for qualifying. Having 21 cars on track would have been a lot for one group, and the format is similar to the one used for years in the NTT IndyCar Series. Drivers were placed in groups based on their best lap times from practice.

“With the format, there’s going to be a little bit of luck involved,” Abel said. “Today we got a little unlucky with all the red flags in our session.

“But we got the most out of our car there, and starting on the front row won’t be too bad.”

Abel led 27 of the 40 laps in last year’s race before finishing third, and he will be seeking his first series win in Sunday’s race. Siegel finished second in last year’s race, won by Danial Frost, and led four laps.

Series rookie Myles Rowe (No. 99 HMD Motorsports with Force Indy) and two-time Indy NXT by Firestone race winner Louis Foster of Andretti Global (No. 26 Copart/Novara Technologies) will start Sunday’s race from the second row. Their best qualifying laps were 1m04.5985s and 1m04.6027s, respectively. Foster led four laps last year as the pole sitter, finishing 14th.

Sunday’s race will be the first of 14 events this year for Indy NXT by Firestone.

RESULTS

Coyne closing in on 2024 drivers

With transporters due to move into the St. Petersburg paddock in four weeks’ time, the clock continues to wind down on the launch of a new season while Dale Coyne Racing – the last NTT IndyCar Series team to declare its 2024 drivers – works to fill …

With transporters due to move into the St. Petersburg paddock in four weeks’ time, the clock continues to wind down on the launch of a new season while Dale Coyne Racing — the last NTT IndyCar Series team to declare its 2024 drivers — works to fill its roster.

Nine of IndyCar’s 10 full-time teams have signed and declared their drivers for the upcoming season, and according to the veteran team owner who runs his two-car program out of Plainfield, Illinois, their identities could be known in a matter of days.

“We tested Jack Harvey and Nolan Siegel down in Homestead, and we’ve had Jack in the simulator this week and that went really, really well,” Coyne told RACER. “We learned a lot about him and that was pretty interesting. But is there anything finalized yet? No, but we’re very close, I would say. By the middle of next week, I think we’ll know exactly where we’re at.”

Coyne had a pair of young drivers last year with David Malukas, who left for Arrow McLaren, and Sting Ray Robb, who departed for A.J. Foyt Racing, which has presented DCR with a range of options on which direction to take his program.

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In previous seasons, Coyne often paired a veteran with a rookie, which could make someone like Harvey, who made his IndyCar debut in 2017, a prime candidate to consider for one of the seats. Coyne also prefers to have his drivers bring some funding to offset annual operating expenses for the car which, in Harvey’s case, could come with the need for the Briton to raise a few million dollars to offer the team.

For Siegel, his plans are already set for 2024 with HMD Motorsports in the Indy NXT series where he’s expected to vie for the championship during his sophomore season, but if the rumors are true, the teenage Californian could already be scheduled for his IndyCar debut with DCR in 2025.

Although Coyne wouldn’t be drawn on the topic, he was clearly impressed by Siegel’s performance during his first IndyCar test.

“It was a very pleasant surprise,” he said. “It reminded me of when we tested with Danial Frost, and then he went out and beat Marcus Armstrong and Juri Vips, and we said, ‘What the hell have we got here?’ Nolan goes out and beats [Scott] McLaughlin and [Romain] Grosjean, and you go, ‘Wow, what’s this?’ And it’s not like those guys weren’t trying. He didn’t get weak or tired in the car. He didn’t get worn out mentally in the car, so we liked that.”

Recent speculation regarding a part-time return to DCR for Takuma Sato was recently put to rest, but the concept of Coyne splitting one of his entries between an oval specialist like the two-time Indianapolis 500 winner and a dedicated road racer continues to make the rounds. Drivers from Formula 2 to IMSA have been on the team’s radar, but as is often the case with DCR in the final stage of the offseason, there’s a bit of intrigue and mystery surrounding who will race for the team.

Coyne says the field of candidates has been narrowed, and with the season almost upon us, the 26th and 27th full-time entries will soon have names attached to both cars for the 17-race championship.

“Most people know what they’re going to do this year now,” he added. “So it’s quieted back down, which is OK because we’ve still got plenty of serious people looking at us, so it’s all good.”

Siegel shines in IndyCar testing debut with Coyne

Nolan Siegel was fast on his NTT IndyCar Series testing debut with Dale Coyne Racing as the Indy NXT star was a fraction of a second behind race winner Christian Lundgaard but edged Arrow McLaren’s Alexander Rossi on the way to posting the …

The 19-year-old Indy NXT driver was in Florida to race in the LMP2 class at the Rolex 24 At Daytona, and with a visit to the track by Dale Coyne last weekend during the Roar Before The 24 test and a quick huddle between both parties, Siegel was slotted in to turn his first laps in an IndyCar on the final day of testing at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

“It all came together late, but I’m really glad I got the opportunity to do it and learned a ton,” Siegel told RACER. “Everything ran smoothly all day and I got lots of experience. Overall, super happy.”

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Siegel was busy in the No. 18 Honda, turning 89 laps for DCR on a day where he was just 0.202s off of third-place Linus Lundqvist in the No. 8 Chip Ganassi Racing entry. Although everything was new to Siegel, his pace and mature-beyond-his-years approach made him look nothing like a rookie.

“The car has a little bit more of everything than the NXT car; I’d say the power and the braking are the two biggest differences,” he said. “Obviously a lot more downforce as well, but the carbon brakes are a big adjustment. It took a little bit to figure everything out but I think the Indy NXT car and the whole series prepares you really well for IndyCar, so it wasn’t anything crazy or super overwhelming. By the end of the day, I felt I felt pretty comfortable and felt like I belonged in IndyCar, so it was good.”

As a rookie in NXT with HMD Motorsports, Siegel made an immediate impact by capturing two victories, five podiums, and third in the championship. Returning for his sophomore season with HMD, he’s an immediate title favorite, and while IndyCar isn’t part of his immediate plans, count on Siegel to be on his way to the big series in 2025.

“It’s exciting just something I’ve been waiting to do for a long time — a childhood dream — and I feel like everything I’ve done leading up to this has gotten me ready,” he said. “All of the all the basics still apply, so I just focused on doing everything that I know well and it all came together.”

Despite settling in and performing like a veteran, Siegel admits to being somewhat starstruck — as you’d expect — by seeing his name nestled among some of IndyCar best and most accomplished drivers.

“It’s really cool to look at a time sheet with Alexander Rossi and Scott McLaughlin and Roman Grosjean and all the big names there, and I never would have expected to be in the middle of that pack,” he said. “But again, the focus was not on a result or a lap time; the focus was just on doing the best that I could do and when I checked the time sheet at the end of the day, that’s where I was. It was a special moment and special to share the track with people that I’ve been watching for so many years.”

Friday IndyCar Laguna recap with Nolan Siegel and Marcus Ericsson

HMD Motorsports Indy NXT driver Nolan Siegel and Indy 500 winner Marcus Ericsson join RACER’s Marshall Pruett to review Friday’s NTT IndyCar Series action at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. Or click HERE to watch on YouTube. Presented by: RACER’s …

HMD Motorsports Indy NXT driver Nolan Siegel and Indy 500 winner Marcus Ericsson join RACER’s Marshall Pruett to review Friday’s NTT IndyCar Series action at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.

Or click HERE to watch on YouTube.

Presented by:

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Siegel slides into Indy NXT points lead with second straight win at Road America

Nolan Siegel earned his second consecutive victory this season and took the championship lead with a composed drive to the checkered flag Sunday in the Indy NXT by Firestone Grand Prix at Road America. Rookie Siegel added his second career victory …

Rookie Siegel added his second career victory in the No. 39 HMD Motorsports with DCR car to his win in round two on the Streets of Detroit doubleheader on June 4. It could have been three wins in a row, as Siegel’s car suffered a mechanical breakdown with two turns to go while leading the first race in the Motor City.

Siegel, 18, from Palo Alto, California, finished 1.2695s ahead of veteran Jacob Abel, who earned a career-best runner-up result in the No. 51 Abel Motorsports car. Veteran Hunter McElrea finished third in the No. 27 Smart Motors car fielded by Andretti Autosport, his first podium finish of the season.

Reece Gold finished fourth in the No. 10 HMD Motorsports with DCR car, with James Roe rounding out the top five in the No. 29 Topcon machine fielded by Andretti Autosport.

“I’ve now done a few races in this car, and it’s all starting to come together,” Siegel said. “I’m comfortable in the lead now. There’s no stress when we see people catching up, and I think we’ve got the strategy down. Super, super happy with the job everyone did.”

Siegel became the first two-time winner this season in the IndyCar development series. The win also vaulted Siegel from a two-point deficit to Christian Rasmussen in the standings to a 40-point lead. Rasmussen crashed out on lap 10 of the 20-lap race, ending up last in the 19-car field in the No. 6 HMD Motorsports with DCR car. He was unhurt in the incident.

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“I like that,” Siegel said of seizing the championship lead. “I’d like to keep it like that.”

Siegel, who started fourth, passed teammate Gold for the lead on lap eight of the 20-lap race with an outside pass under braking in Turn 5. Abel passed Gold for second in Turn 1 after a lap 13 restart and pulled to within 0.6s of a second of Siegel with four laps remaining, but Siegel eased away on the final trips around the 14-turn, 4.014-mile circuit.

Gold grabbed the lead after a chaotic first corner of the race. Pole sitter Kyffin Simpson went wide in the inviting Turn 1, with his No. 21 HMD Motorsports with CGR car launching all four wheels into the air after hitting a curb on the exit of the first turn. Simpson slipped to seventh place after the incident and eventually placed eighth.

Siegel climbed to third on the opening lap, behind Gold and fellow rookie Louis Foster in the No. 26 Copart/USF Pro Championship car. Siegel passed Foster for second on lap 5 and then began to devour the 1.2s margin to leader Gold over the next three laps.

Rasmussen’s heavy crash in the fast Turn 11 triggered the only caution period of the race, on lap 10. But Siegel skillfully managed the gap on the lap 13 restart, getting a great jump on the long, uphill straightaway to the green flag.

Next up is the Indy NXT by Firestone Grand Prix at Mid-Ohio on Sunday, July 2.

RESULTS

Siegel applying lessons from IMSA in his rapid rise in Indy NXT

Veteran race engineer Jeff Braun knows a thing or two about young driving talent. His son Colin, a standout star since he was a teenager, has been a race winner and pace-setter for most of his life, and with the chance to work with the 18-year-old American Nolan Siegel in IMSA’s WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, the elder Braun sees similar traits in the baby-faced kid from California.

“Nolan’s so good at such a young age,” Braun said after Siegel helped the LMP2 team he works with finish fifth in March at the 12 Hours of Sebring. “He’s one of the most complete young drivers I’ve come across.”

Braun’s words have been prophetic during the opening stages of Siegel’s rookie Indy NXT by Firestone campaign with the HMD Motorsports with Dale Coyne Racing team. After taking a pair of seconds and a win at the latest race from the opening five rounds, Siegel’s holding second in the championship entering Road America and needs only three points to displace Andretti Autosport’s Christian Rasmussen as the NXT leader.

Getting his start on the USF Championships by Cooper Tires in 2019, Siegel amassed three seasons of USF2000 and claimed fourth in the USF Pro 2000 championship last year while adding in some IMSA endurance racing in the LMP3 class at the Rolex 24 At Daytona and six more hours at Watkins Glen in the same class.

Altogether, the teen who turned up this year in LMP2 with Braun and in NXT with HMD is indeed a rookie but has been performing like a veteran.

Siegel leads the Indy NXT field en route to victory in Detroit. James Black/Penske Entertainment

“It’s been a super strong rookie year — we didn’t know what to expect going into the season, but we were hoping to be strong,” Siegel told RACER. “But we’ve been on almost every podium, and to be fighting for wins every weekend is a dream come true, honestly. The team is super excited about it, so we’re hoping to continue that streak.”

Just as IndyCar title contender Pato O’Ward did when he spent a year racing prototypes in IMSA, Siegel credits the extra mileage and intra-team experience he’s gained in those 24-, 12-, and six-hour races for accelerating his learning curve.

“The IMSA racing that I’ve done has helped me a ton as a driver,” he said. “And not just the extra time in the car, but the people that you meet, like Jeff and Colin Braun, have been super for me. All the engineers that I’ve worked with have helped me so much along the way. So just getting that experience from so many great guys on that side of the racing world transfers over to this as well. I would absolutely credit a lot of success we’re having to the time I’ve had in IMSA with 70 cars on track, or whatever it is, and so much chaos all the time.”

The specific challenges of prototype racing might seem very different from open-wheel, but Siegel feels many of the lessons he’s learned there are applicable. Jake Galstad/Lumen

It’s the multi-class racing, with differing closing speeds and the mix of pro and pro-am drivers to deal with, which Siegel credits with putting him on the developmental fast track.

“You have to be super comfortable running around those different cars and a lot of different experience levels in the driving,” he noted. “Just becoming accustomed to situations as hectic as that makes this [in NXT] feel like a little bit less of a step, because there’s so much going on in an IMSA race and so much to think about on that side that it makes me a lot more relaxed when I come to this side. Everything’s a little bit slower and calmer. Obviously, it’s still intense, but you’re not constantly in a fight in every turn and every braking zone like you are in IMSA.”

It’s too early in the NXT season to say where Siegel will end up in the standings, but if he remains on his current path, graduating to IndyCar in 2024 could be on the cards.

“Coming into the season as a rookie, it’s hard to tell where you’re going to be,” he said. “I don’t think that anyone was expecting IndyCar talks this year, but with the way it’s been going, it’s become more of a reality and I would absolutely love to do that. That’s been my dream. If that opportunity arises, I would absolutely love to go to IndyCar, but I’m not gonna get ahead of myself.”