Latest news with #Hauger
Fox Sports
12-07-2025
- Automotive
- Fox Sports
Thunderstorms Send Dennis Hauger to Pole at Iowa Speedway
INDYCAR INDY NXT by Firestone points leader Dennis Hauger will start from the No. 1 position for the INDY NXT by Firestone at Iowa Speedway race after the qualifying session was rained out. The field for the 75-lap race will take the green flag based on entrant points entering the event. SEE: Starting Lineup Hauger had the third-fastest lap in Friday's abbreviated practice, turning a lap of 165.073 mph in Andretti Global's No. 28 Nammo entry. His lap was part of the Andretti organization's strong start to the weekend. Four of the team-related drivers turned laps among the session's top five. Hauger will start from the top spot for the seventh time in nine races this season. He started second in the other two. Salvador de Alba posted the fastest lap of the 30-minute session at 165.518 mph in the No. 27 Grupo Indi car of Andretti Global. Myles Rowe was second driving the No. 99 Abel/Force Indy machine (165.421 mph). '(A) shortened practice, but happy to be where we are,' de Alba said. 'All the Andretti cars are pretty fast. We (turned) good laps at the very end with the used tires, so that gives us even more confidence.' Ricardo Escotto was fourth in the No. 3 Frank's Red Hot car of Andretti Cape Motorsports (164.623 mph). Rookie Lochie Hughes was fifth in Andretti Global's No. 26 McGinley Clinic/USF Pro Championship entry (164.291 mph). Andretti Global's James Roe, who won the pole for last year's race at this .894-mile oval, had the eighth-fastest lap in the No. 29 Topcon entry (163.267 mph). Jordan Missig had the session's only spin, a lazy excursion off Turn 2. He did not make contact with the No. 48 Abel Motorsports car, enabling him to continue after pitting. The field was expected to include Sebastian Murray in the No. 2 DREAM RACING DUBAI entry of Andrett Cape Motorsport, but he was not medically cleared to participate in the wake of last weekend's accident with Escotto at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. Saturday's 75-lap race starts at 1:30 p.m. ET. FS1, the FOX Sports app and the INDYCAR Radio Network will have the broadcasts. recommended Item 1 of 2
Indianapolis Star
12-07-2025
- Automotive
- Indianapolis Star
Myles Rowe becomes first Black driver to win IndyCar or NASCAR race at Iowa Speedway
NEWTON, Iowa — When Myles Rowe exited his car in victory lane Saturday at Iowa Speedway, it marked another milestone on the road to IndyCar and a historic win. Rowe, the only Black driver in IndyCar or its developmental series IndyNXT, became the first Black driver to win an IndyCar or NASCAR race at Iowa Speedway. And Rowe is the first Black driver to win an IndyNXT race. Pato O'Ward, a native of Monterrey, Mexico, who moved to San Antonio at age 11, won the first IndyCar race at Iowa Speedway in 2022. "I'm super proud to be able to represent and be winning now and be up front," Rowe said. "It's super crucial to be able to see somebody that looks like you doing well, someone to look up to, especially when you're younger." Willie T. Ribbs was the first Black driver to race in the Indianapolis 500 in 1991. Rowe's 2021 victory in the developmental USF Pro 2000 series was the first win by a Black driver in an IndyCar-sanctioned event. He was the centerpiece of IndyCar's Race for Equality & Change program, announced in 2020 to diversify its pool of drivers with more women and people from historically marginalized races. Rowe, 25, raced last year at Iowa Speedway in his rookie IndyNXT season, and was in Iowa in June for a tire test. On Thursday, he said Iowa Speedway was the "perfect" track for the smaller IndyNXT cars. To get his first win, Rowe had to ride out a tornado Friday in the Iowa Speedway Media Center after severe weather cut IndyNXT practice short. "The first time I had a tornado drill in racing," Rowe joked. "So that was quite fun. But it will definitely be memorable for multiple reasons." Rowe passed pole sitter Dennis Hauger between turns three and four for the win. The pass came on the outside with about 10 laps left. "In practice we were doing a good bit of high-line running," Rowe said. "That was actually working. The question was, was it going to work in the race. It was pretty tough doing that, but I knew once we slowed down to minimum speeds that it may be a little bit more feasible." Hauger said he got stuck on the bottom and Rowe was faster. "I was able to stay really close the whole race," Hauger said. "Once we sort of roughed up a bit in the second half of the race, he was able to get runs." Iowa Speedway has long been a proving ground for IndyCar and NASCAR prospects. Brad Keselowski won the 2009 NASCAR Xfinity Series race, the first for NASCAR's top developmental series at Iowa Speedway. He later won the 2012 NASCAR Cup Series championship. In 2024, Keselowski said that winning the 2009 Xfinity Series race was "one of the highlights of my career" and added, "I felt like I had really made it that weekend. So it was really special." Now Rowe wants to race in IndyCar. His historic win made it clear that he's on that path. "I'm looking for more," Rowe said. "Racing drivers, we're never satisfied. I just want more of this. That's what I'll be doing and chasing."
Fox Sports
04-07-2025
- Automotive
- Fox Sports
Three-Way Title Fight Reaches Middle Rounds at Mid-Ohio
INDYCAR The INDY NXT by Firestone season hits a pivotal point this weekend at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. After a dominant start to the year by Dennis Hauger and Andretti Global, the championship momentum has shifted, and the title fight is suddenly wide open. SEE: Event Details With four wins in the first five races, Norwegian rookie Hauger leads rookie teammate Lochie Hughes by 28 points and sophomore driver Caio Collet by 70. Collet arrives in Ohio fresh off his first win of the season June 22 at Road America, ending Andretti's perfect 2025 start and injecting life into HMD Motorsports' campaign. Collet also knows his way around the 13-turn, 2.258-mile circuit. He won from pole here last year, snapping Andretti's decade-long dominance at Mid-Ohio as the team has triumphed in 10 of the last 11 races. Hughes, meanwhile, has found his stride, with a pair of wins this season and back-to-back podium finishes boosting his stock heading into the weekend. Last year's Mid-Ohio race saw the top three in the standings fill the podium. After a similar sweep two weeks ago at Road America, don't be surprised to see Collet, Hauger and Hughes lead the charge again in Sunday's 35-lap INDY NXT by Firestone Grand Prix at Mid-Ohio airing at 10:30 a.m. ET on FS1, the FOX Sports app and the INDYCAR Radio Network. Pierson Ascending At just 19, Josh Pierson already has 30 INDY NXT by Firestone starts. But the rising American talent is still hunting for his first podium finish. That long-awaited milestone may come on Sunday at Mid-Ohio. In his second full-time season, Pierson enters this weekend fifth in the championship standings, 123 points behind Hauger. Despite that gap, consistency has been his calling card. He's finished ninth or better in all seven races this season, including two fourth-place finishes in his last three starts. His latest podium near-miss came at Road America, where he ran third until Hughes slipped past on the final lap, denying Pierson his maiden trip into the top three. Mid-Ohio might just be the track where things click. Pierson finished ninth here in both 2023 and 2024, but with growing experience and momentum, a top-three finish isn't out of reach. Mid-Ohio Is Ideal Spot for Rowe's First Win Myles Rowe heads to Mid-Ohio with momentum, history and a growing sense that his first INDY NXT by Firestone victory is around the corner. Rowe secured his sixth top-five finish of the season at Road America and sits fourth in points, 101 back of Hauger. Quietly consistent all year, the ABEL Motorsports with Force Indy driver has shown the pace, racecraft and maturity of a front-runner. It's just a matter of putting it all together. That could happen this weekend. History suggests Mid-Ohio is a fertile ground for breakthrough wins. In each of the past three seasons, a driver claimed their maiden INDY NXT victory at Mid-Ohio. Hunter McElrea did it for Andretti Global in 2022. Louis Foster broke through for the same team a year later. And then Collet accomplished the feat last season. Rowe is a proven winner across the junior categories at Mid-Ohio, claiming victory in both USF Pro 2000 (2023) and USF2000 (2022), where he finished first, first and third in a dominant triple-header showing. As a sophomore, Rowe returns to Mid-Ohio with more experience, confidence and perhaps the perfect conditions for a breakout. If Mid-Ohio continues its trend of crowning first-time winners, Rowe may be next in line. Papasavvas Returns Home Evagoras Papasavvas takes on his home race this weekend at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, driving the No. 24 entry for HMD Motorsports. This is the fifth and final confirmed race of the season for the Ohio resident, who transitions into his reserve driver role with the team for the remainder of 2025. A spring test at Mid-Ohio for the team led to Papasavvas' maiden start May 4 at Barber Motorsports Park. He qualified third and finished second in his series debut. He also finished 10th and 13th, respectively on the 2.439-mile, 14-turn Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course on May 9-10 and 12th at Road America. Sleepers To Watch While the spotlight has centered on title contenders like Hauger, Hughes and Collet, a pair of sophomore drivers, Jack William Miller and Bryce Aron, could steal headlines this weekend. Miller, 21, has quietly put together his most consistent stretch in INDY NXT competition. Coming off a seventh-place finish at Road America, where he qualified fifth, the ABEL Motorsports driver sits eighth in points, boasting four top-10 finishes in the last six races. That's a big leap forward from 2024, when he only earned two top-10's all season. This is Miller's first year under the ABEL Motorsports banner after Miller Vinatieri Motorsports merged with ABEL's operation over the offseason. The results speak for themselves. Miller's upward trajectory could continue at Mid-Ohio. Aron, 21, also has found new life since joining Chip Ganassi Racing after the St. Petersburg season opener, where he raced for HMD Motorsports. After a slow start with CGR with three straight 15th-place finishes, Aron began to settle in by picking up two top-10 finishes in the last three races, highlighted by a season-best ninth at Road America. Last year, Aron competed for Andretti Global and had eight top-10 finishes. He's starting to look like a driver who could crack the top five with the right progression. Track Specs: 2.258-mile, 13-turn road course Qualifying Record: Caio Collet, 1:10.2879 (115.650 mph), July 6, 2024 Push To Pass Parameters: 150 seconds of total time with a maximum time of 15 seconds per activation recommended
Fox Sports
26-06-2025
- Automotive
- Fox Sports
Road America Victory Drives Caio Collet Into Title Hunt
INDYCAR Caio Collet thrust himself into contention for the 2025 INDY NXT by Firestone championship with a commanding win June 22 at Road America. That was Collet's first victory of the season and second of his career in the INDYCAR development series. HMD Motorsports driver Collet capitalized on a rare error by Andretti Global's Dennis Hauger, who had led the opening 15 laps from pole. Hauger slid wide in the final corner on the 4.014-mile track, allowing Collet to pounce and take the lead, one he never relinquished. 'For 14 laps, he didn't put a wheel wrong,' Collet said. 'At one point in Turn 14, he had a little slide. I got a run. In my mind, I thought, 'It's now or never.'' Collet topped both practice sessions during the weekend and converted his pace into a statement win, leading all five remaining laps after Hauger's mistake. The win capped Collet's third consecutive podium finish, building on a second-place result on the streets of Detroit on June 1 and a third at World Wide Technology Raceway, where he led a race-high 58 of 75 laps June 15. Despite losing out late in that race to rookie Lochie Hughes and second-year driver Myles Rowe, Collet found consistency at a critical stage in the championship, reaching the midway mark of the season. Entering WWTR, Collet trailed championship leader Hauger by 84, but his form has begun to shift momentum. He sits 70 points back heading into the next round Sunday, July 6 at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, the site of his first pole and victory last season. This moment could catapult him to preseason expectations. Collet, the 2024 Rookie of the Year, was a title favorite entering this season – with good reason. He was the top returning points scorer, placing third last year. And 2024 champion Louis Foster and runner-up Jacob Abel each graduated to the NTT INDYCAR SERIES. However, early dominance by Andretti Global rookies Hauger and Hughes, who won the season's first six races, left Collet playing catch-up. A third-place finish behind Hauger and Hughes in the season opener at St. Petersburg was followed by a mechanical DNF at Barber Motorsports Park. 'To be honest, it was quite tough,' Collet said. 'When you come in a second year, you expect to be at the front. We were there, but not to their level.' Road America proved he has leveled the playing field. With four of the remaining seven races on natural road courses – where Collet has a strong record – and three ovals where he holds experience over the rookies, the championship picture has shifted. Even Hauger acknowledged the potential turning of the tide. 'We've been on the back foot compared to Collet all weekend (at Road America),' Hauger said. 'We did everything right, but they were just a bit stronger.' With momentum now on his side and tracks ahead that suit his style, Collet's resurgence sets up a thrilling second half of the season. 'Hopefully, we can gain the momentum throughout the rest of the season,' Collet said. 'For sure will be a long fight and a difficult one. Hopefully, we can win a couple more races, and we never know what can happen. I think our focus is to win races and see what happens.'
Fox Sports
24-06-2025
- Automotive
- Fox Sports
Rowe Leads Rain-Interrupted Open Test at Milwaukee Mile
INDYCAR Series veteran Myles Rowe led the INDY NXT by Firestone Open Test on June 24 at the Milwaukee Mile, edging rookie and championship leader Dennis Hauger. Rowe was fastest among the 20 drivers in the rain-interrupted test with a lap of 151.751 mph in the No. 99 Abel/Force Indy car. 2023 USF Pro 2000 champion Rowe is seeking his first INDY NXT victory in his second season in the INDYCAR development series. SEE: Test Results 'Happy with the day,' Rowe said. 'It's looking good for Milwaukee, and we had a pretty good Iowa test. Very clearly looking forward to the ovals. Hopefully we can just carry the momentum and the execution toward those events. This is good momentum to continue the season.' Drivers tested on the historic 1-mile oval at Wisconsin State Fair Park to prepare for the series race Sunday, Aug. 24, the penultimate event of the season. Late morning rain forced a delay of four hours, 12 minutes today before drivers returned to the track midway through the afternoon. Formula 2 veteran Hauger, who never turned a lap on an oval before this season, continued to build his experience and circle-track speed by ending up second at 150.618 in the No. 28 Nammo car of Andretti Global. Andretti Global-affiliated drivers took the next four spots in the order. Rookie Lochie Hughes was third at 150.415 in the No. 26 McGinley Clinic/USF Pro Championship machine. Hughes is second in the standings, 28 points behind Hauger. Salvador de Alba continued the power play by Andretti Global, ending up fourth at 149.753 in the No. 27 Grupo Indi entry. Ricardo Escotto rounded out the top five at 149.469 in the No. 3 Frank's Red Hot machine of Andretti – Cape Motorsport. The next event for the series is the INDY NXT by Firestone Grand Prix at Mid-Ohio on Sunday, July 6 at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course near Columbus, Ohio. recommended
