Caio Collet Breaks Through at Road America With First Win of Season
The wait finally is over for Caio Collet.
Collet passed championship leader Dennis Hauger with less than five laps remaining and drove away to win the Grand Prix of Road America on Sunday, his first INDY NXT by Firestone victory this season. Collet's No. 76 HMD Motorsports car crossed the finish line 1.7093 seconds ahead of Hauger's No. 28 Nammo car fielded by Andretti Global.
SEE: Race Results
2024 series Rookie of the Year Collet entered this event with three podium finishes in the first six races this season, including two runner-up finishes. His victory was the first this season for HMD Motorsports, as Hauger and fellow Andretti Global rookie teammate Lochie Hughes have combined to win every race.
'At the beginning of the season, we couldn't match them, to be honest,' Collet said. 'It was really frustrating. Every time we went on track, it was hard to be second or third. But we kept working hard, and we need to keep working because they are a great team with great drivers. We need to keep pushing.'
Hughes rounded out the podium finishers in the No. 26 McGinley Clinic/USF Pro Championship car after passing Josh Pierson in the No. 14 HMD Motorsports machine on the last of 20 laps around the 14-turn, 4.014-mile circuit. Pierson ended up tying his career-best finish of fourth.
Myles Rowe placed fifth in the No. 99 Abel/Force Indy car in the caution-free race.
Hauger led from the pole on an unseasonably hot day with air temperatures in the high 80s. Collet stayed close from the second starting position, keeping the gap around five- or six-tenths of a second as the duo marched away from the rest of the 19-car field.
Collet's patience expired on Lap 16. He drove alongside Hauger on the long front straightway and made an outside pass in Turn 1 stick. Collet then eased away from Hauger over the last four laps.
'I kept up the pace, kept up the pressure,' Collet said. 'Yesterday, I think I lost the pole to myself. Dennis did a phenomenal lap, but I think I left a bit in the tank and was very frustrated. Today I really wanted to give the win to the team.'
Said Hauger: 'I think we've been on the back foot compared to Collet all weekend. We did everything right today, but they were just a bit stronger. I tried to do what I could, but it just wasn't meant to be. Still a decent weekend.'
Hauger's lead over second-place Hughes grew from 19 to 28 points with his fifth podium finish of the season. Collet is third, 70 points behind Hauger.
The next race is the INDY NXT by Firestone Grand Prix at Mid-Ohio on Sunday, July 6 at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. It's good track for Collet, who earned his sole previous INDY NXT victory there in July 2024.
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