By: INDY NXT BY FIRESTONE (Photo Courtesy INDYCAR)
MADISON, Illinois (Saturday, Aug. 17, 2024) – It hasn’t mattered what type of circuit the INDY NXT by Firestone offers, Louis Foster has conquered it, especially recently.
The 21-year-old Andretti Global driver from England won for the sixth time in the past eight series races, making the OUTFRONT Showdown at World Wide Technology his second consecutive oval victory. In this dominating stretch he has claimed three wins on permanent road courses (at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and twice at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca) and another on a street circuit (Detroit).
The sixth win pushed Foster into a tie for 10th place in series history for wins in a season, and his eight career series wins is now tied for seventh all-time. In the past decade, only Kyle Kirkwood (10 wins in 2021), Pato O’Ward (nine in 2018), Oliver Askew (seven in 2019) and David Malukas (seven in 2021) have more frequently been to victory lane.
From the pole, Foster led all 75 laps of this race, and his margin at the finish line – 3.3406 seconds – could have been larger had he pushed his No. 26 Copart/Novara Technologies machine harder.
“I built a really strong gap at the start and then once I realized my pace was really strong we just backed (off) massively,” he said. “I was just massively tire saving kind of halfway through the race.”
A late restart allowed Jacob Abel of Abel Motorsports – and others – to close the gap, but Foster again put them away in short order.
Said Foster: “When the caution came out it wasn’t the best thing in the world, but I knew I had a good car and could pull away again.”
Abel finished second with Abel Motorsports, while teammate Yuven Sundaramoorthy ended third in the best series finish of his career.
“I think we fully maximized it today,” Abel said.
But there has been no keeping pace with Foster, who stretched his series lead to 91 points over Abel with three races remaining. Next up is the INDY NXT by Firestone Grand Prix of Portland on Sunday, Aug. 25. Foster, who won last year’s race from the pole, will have the opportunity to clinch the season championship with a similar performance.
The last two races of the season are on ovals: Aug. 31 at The Milwaukee Mile and Sept. 15 at Nashville Superspeedway.
Saturday’s 75-lap race got off to a bumpy start. The initial green flag was waved off due to the field’s poor alignment. On the first lap at speed, rookie Myles Rowe spun his No. 99 HMD Motorsports with Force Indy car without contact in Turn 2 to bring out the caution.
Just after Foster completed the first full lap under green, an accident behind him sent Andretti Global teammate Jamie Chadwick, the No. 2 qualifier in the No. 28 VEXT entry, and rookie Caio Collet into the inside wall on the frontstretch.
Collet and his No. 18 HMD Motorsports machine were able to continue following repairs, but he was penalized for avoidable contact and blocking. Chadwick’s car was too damaged to continue.
“From my side, I didn’t move,” said Chadwick, who led all 20 laps in the June 9 race at Road America, one of two in the past eight races where Foster finished second. “The margins in this championship are so narrow. We were so close (on the front straightaway). When we race close and well, it’s fine. Obviously, that is just a little too close.”
On Lap 52, Josh Pierson lost control of his No. 14 HMD Motorsports entry as he turned in to Turn 4. The car slid into the wall, hitting with the rear. He, like Chadwick, was not injured.
Results Saturday of the INDY NXT by Firestone OUTFRONT Showdown INDY NXT by Firestone event on the 1.25-mile World Wide Technology Raceway, with order of finish, starting position in parentheses, driver, laps completed and reason out (if any):
1. (1) Louis Foster, 75, Running
2. (6) Jacob Abel, 75, Running
3. (8) Yuven Sundaramoorthy, 75, Running
4. (9) Salvador de Alba Jr., 75, Running
5. (7) Callum Hedge, 75, Running
6. (13) Bryce Aron, 75, Running
7. (4) Christian Brooks, 75, Running
8. (5) Christian Bogle, 75, Running
9. (15) Jordan Missig, 75, Running
10. (12) James Roe, 75, Running
11. (17) Jonathan Browne, 75, Running
12. (10) Reece Gold, 75, Running
13. (14) Josh Pierson, 51, Contact
14. (3) Caio Collet, 32, Contact
15. (16) Taylor Ferns, 31, Retired
16. (2) Jamie Chadwick, 7, Contact
17. (11) Myles Rowe, 2, Contact
18. (18) Jack William Miller, 0, Contact
Race Statistics
Winner’s average speed: 127.965 mph
Time of Race: 00:43:57.4339
Margin of victory: 3.3406 seconds
Cautions: 3 for 19 laps
Lead changes: 0
Lap Leaders
Foster, Louis: 1 – 75
