Caio Collet Completes Weekend Sweep as Dennis Hauger Stumbles at Laguna Seca
Brazil's Caio Collet completed a doubleheader sweep of the INDY NXT by Firestone weekend at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, thrusting himself into championship contention with three races to go.
The HMD Motorsports driver led all 35 laps in each of the Grand Prix of Monterey races, slicing his deficit to series leader Dennis Hauger by more than half as Hauger stumbled in Race 2. With nine laps remaining, Hauger had contact with Andretti Global teammate Lochie Hughes, sending both cars to gravel pit. Hauger finished 16th in the 19-car field.
SEE: Race Results
Hauger entered the weekend with a 94-point lead on Collet, who was in third place behind Hughes. But that advantage has been sliced to 42 heading to the Aug. 10 race at Portland International Raceway. Hauger finished second in Race 1. Hughes finished sixth and 15th in the two races and trails Hauger by 89 points.
Collet scored his third win of the season and his fourth overall. He also became the 12th consecutive series pole winner to win the race.
'It's incredible and also we had some luck today as well for the championship,' Collet said. 'Hopefully I'm in the fight right now, and we'll keep it going.'
Collet admitted gratification when he came around the 11-turn, 2.238-mile road course and saw Hauger and his car stuck in the gravel.
'It's hard not to think about the championship when you see your main rival going off (the track),' he said. 'Obviously, there was still racing left. There's always bad luck (in racing). I had it happen at Barber (Motorsports Park on May 4); now it's happened to him.
'It's a championship and hopefully we can fight until the end.'
Josh Pierson of HMD Motorsports finished second for his second straight podium result. He had not had a top-three finish in his first 32 series races; now he has them in consecutive races. Abel Motorsports driver Callum Hedge finished third, his best finish of the season.
For the second consecutive day, Lap 1 presented trouble, and it seemed to start when Hauger dropped right-side wheels into the gravel, which kicked up dust. Deep in the pack, Chip Ganassi Racing's Bryce Aron ran over the back of HMD Motorsports' Liam Sceats. Tommy Smith's HMD Motorsports car was collected. Smith later had contact of his own, bouncing off the tire barrier in Turn 6.
On a mid-race restart, Abel Motorsports' Jordan Missig spun in Turn 11, creating a chain reaction as the trailing Smith got hard on the brakes. Behind them came three HMD Motorsports drivers -- Nolan Allaer, rookie Juan Manuel Correa and rookie Hallie Deegan – with the latter two receiving the most damage.
The ensuing restart had Abel Motorsports' Myles Rowe spinning during a passing attempt on Hedge. In front of them was the skirmish between Hauger and Hughes. On the restart with five laps to go, Rowe had contact with Andretti Global's Salvador de Alba in Turn 5, earning Rowe a drive-through penalty for avoidable contact.
The championship pursuit is down to three races. Next up is the Grand Prix of Portland (1 p.m. ET, FS1, FOX Sports app, INDYCAR Radio Network).
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