New Zealand’s Callum Hedge finished ninth in this morning’s Indy NXT race at Barber Motorsports Park in Alabama.
The result is the Kiwi’s first top-ten finish in IndyCar’s second tier, following an eleventh-placed result at the season opener in St. Petersburg.
The duel 2023 Porsche Carrera Cup Australia and Formula Regional Americas Champion qualified tenth for the race and remained in the mid-field until the chequered flag.
Castrol Toyota Formula Regional Oceania Championship alumnus Jacob Abel led from the pole until the end to claim his first-ever Indy NXT victory in his 30th career start.
“I’m speechless, man,” Abel said. “This team has been working for this for so long now, and to finally get it done and on such a picture-perfect weekend, it’s been lights out all weekend long. It was just up to me to deliver it.
“A lot of nerves all weekend long, but I can finally say that, yes, everything went right this weekend.
St. Petersburg winner Nolan Siegel ran in second for the entirety of proceedings to retain the championship lead, tied on points with Abel, who finished as runner-up in the opening round.
“Congrats to Jacob,” Siegel said. “He did a great job all weekend. Honestly, I think we were faster today. The car was fantastic. We saved everything for the last lap; we saved all our P2P (Push to Pass), saved our tyres the entire race sitting there, and right as I started to go for it, that yellow came out.
“Super disappointed, but I think it’s a good day when you’re disappointed with second.”
James Roe completed the podium ahead of top rookie Caio Collett.
Louis Foster completed the top five, storming from 21st and last on the grid for the result. He now sits third in the standings, 30 points behind the leaders.
Hedge is eleventh, 54 points adrift of the lead.
Indy NXT returns to action with a double-header round on the Indianapolis Road Course on May 10-11.
