By: INDY NXT BY FIRESTONE (Photo Courtesy INDYCAR)
WEST ALLIS, Wis. (Friday, Aug. 30, 2024) – Louis Foster sent a clear message to the rest of the INDY NXT by Firestone field during practice Friday at the Milwaukee Mile: He wants the season championship now.
Championship leader Foster dominated with a best lap of 148.410 in the No. 26 Copart/Novara Technologies entry of Andretti Global early in the 45-minute session on the 1.015-mile oval. Foster only needs to finish fifth or better to secure the title in the penultimate race of the season and the first race at this historic track since 2015 for the INDYCAR development series.
“I think it’s good to be back here,” Foster said. “Now, we’ll go to work on the car for qualifying and also the race car. It’s going to be a tricky car to set up, so we’re going to work on that tonight and try figure it out.
“Obviously, it’s a good way to start the weekend. I’m happy with the car; we just need to fine-tune it here.”
Qualifying is next at 1 p.m. ET Saturday (INDYCAR LIVE, INDYCAR Radio Network), followed by the 90-lap INDY NXT by Firestone at the Milwaukee Mile race at 3:50 p.m. Saturday (Peacock, INDYCAR Radio Network).
Rookie Callum Hedge was second fastest in practice at 147.348 – more than 1 mph behind Foster – in the No. 17 HMD Motorsports car. Jacob Abel, who won last Sunday at Portland International Raceway to keep his faint title hopes alive, was third at 147.252 in the No. 51 Abel Construction machine of Abel Motorsports. Abel is the only driver mathematically eligible to challenge Foster for the title, 79 points behind the leader.
Another rookie, Salvador de Alba Jr., was fourth at 147.093 in the No. 2 Grupo Indi car fielded by Andretti Cape INDY NXT. De Alba scored his only podium finish of 2024 at the season’s first oval by placing third July 13 at Iowa Speedway.
Jamie Chadwick rounded out the top five at 147.067 in the No. 28 VEXT car of Andretti Global.
Two yellow flags for contact interrupted practice.
Rookie Taylor Ferns did a quarter-spin exiting Turn 2 in the No. 55 Abel Motorsports car and backed into the SAFER Barrier eight minutes into the session. Nine minutes later, Reece Gold also clipped the wall in Turn 2 with the right side of his No. 10 HMD Motorsports car. Ferns and Gold were unhurt.
