By: INDY NXT BY FIRESTONE (Photo Courtesy INDYCAR)
LEXINGTON, Ohio (Sunday, July 7, 2024) – Caio Collet left no doubt.
Brazilian rookie Collet led all 35 laps from the pole to earn his first career INDY NXT by Firestone victory Sunday in the Grand Prix at Mid-Ohio. Collet drove his No. 18 HMD Motorsports entry to a 6.8091-second victory over runner-up Louis Foster in the No. 26 Copart/Novara Technologies car fielded by Andretti Global.
“We couldn’t have asked for a better weekend,” Collet said. “We led every session, pole position, fastest lap. I think the car was great since Friday. The first lap, I felt really, really good. I managed to put the weekend together, and I’m really, really happy.”
Jacob Abel finished third in the No. 51 Abel Construction entry fielded by Abel Motorsports.
Rookies filled three of the top five finishing positions on the 13-turn, 2.258-mile Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. Callum Hedge placed fourth in the No. 17 HMD Motorsports car, followed by fellow first-year driver and teammate Christian Brooks in the No. 39 HMD Motorsports machine.
Collet produced a command performance all weekend, earning the “grand slam” of leading both practice sessions, winning the pole and the race, and completing the fastest lap of the race. He was never threatened, both at the start and on the only restart of the race, on Lap 4.
Foster stayed in touch during the first half of the race, staying within 1.2 seconds at the halfway mark. But Collet inexorably pulled away over the second half, building a gap of 3.4 seconds by Lap 29 as Foster and Abel struggled with tire wear. Collet also produced the fastest lap of the race in the final five trips around the repaved asphalt ribbon.
While Foster’s two-race win streak ended, his lead increased in the championship with his sixth consecutive top-two finish this season. Foster is first in the standings with 386 points, followed by Abel with 345 and Collet with 315.
There are five races remaining this season for the INDYCAR development series, with four on ovals. The next event is the first oval race of the season, the Iowa 100 this Saturday, July 13 at Iowa Speedway.
Neither Foster, Abel nor Collet – the top three drivers in the standings – have an oval win in INDY NXT. Collet will make his first career oval start this Saturday at Iowa, and he knows his status as a championship contender hinges on his quick adaptation to circle tracks.
“I’ll answer that question next Sunday at this time and see how my first oval race goes,” Collet said.
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Results Sunday of the INDY NXT by Firestone Grand Prix at Mid-Ohio INDY NXT by Firestone event on the 2.258-mile Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, with order of finish, starting position in parentheses, driver, laps completed and reason out (if any):
1. (1) Caio Collet, 35, Running
2. (2) Louis Foster, 35, Running
3. (3) Jacob Abel, 35, Running
4. (4) Callum Hedge, 35, Running
5. (6) Christian Brooks, 35, Running
6. (5) Reece Gold, 35, Running
7. (7) Jonathan Browne, 35, Running
8. (8) Nolan Allaer, 35, Running
9. (10) Josh Pierson, 35, Running
10. (11) Jamie Chadwick, 35, Running
11. (12) Christian Bogle, 35, Running
12. (18) Jack William Miller, 35, Running
13. (19) Jagger Jones, 35, Running
14. (15) Yuven Sundaramoorthy, 35, Running
15. (17) James Roe, 34, Running
16. (13) Salvador de Alba Jr, 34, Running
17. (16) Jordan Missig, 33, Running
18. (14) Bryce Aron, 32, Running
19. (9) Myles Rowe, 6, Mechanical
Race Statistics
Winner’s average speed: 106.703 mph
Time of race: 00:44:26.3447
Margin of victory: 6.8091 seconds
Cautions: 1 for 3 laps
Lead changes: 0
Lap Leaders:
Collet, Caio 1 – 35
