Reigning New Zealand Grand Prix winner Liam Sceats has secured a seat with HMD Motorsports for this week’s official Indy NXT test at the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Indy NXT serves as the direct feeder series to the IndyCar Series, marking a crucial step in Sceats’ journey towards achieving his dream of racing in one of the pinnacle series in global motorsport.
“It’s been an intense past few weeks honestly, trying to pull everything together to be able to confirm this deal on such a tight timeline.” said the Auckland-based teenager
“I’m thrilled to announce that I will be testing with one of the leading teams, HMD Motorsports, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to show what I can do at this level.”
HMD Motorsports is the same team fellow Kiwi, and NZ Grand Prix runner-up, Callum Hedge competed for in his rookie Indy NXT campaign this season.
The official test will play an important role in Sceats’s campaign to secure a full time seat in the 2025 Indy NXT championship.
“Indy NXT is to IndyCar what Formula 2 is to Formula 1,” he said.
“This is the final peak to climb before achieving a life-long goal of mine. It’s important to make a strong impression in this official test as IndyCar and Indy NXT teams will be keeping a close eye on the timesheets.
“This is my best and possibly only chance to prove myself to the people in the paddock. Opportunities like this are rare and I’m determined to make it count.”
Sceats also expressed his gratitude to his partners who have supported him in his journey.
“This opportunity wouldn’t have been possible without the incredible support of Omega Rental Cars, James Kirkpatrick Group Ltd, JFC Ltd, Go Media, and Tasman Motorsport Group,” he said.
Now that it’s confirmed, the exciting part awaits – getting behind the wheel of a 500-horsepower machine capable of speeds over 300km/h. The Indy NXT car presents a significant step up for the young kiwi driver.
“The jump up in power, downforce and complexity of the car makes it a beast compared to anything I’ve driven before in my career. I can’t wait to experience it firsthand, and prove to everyone what I’ve got.”
Securing a seat in the Indy NXT series for 2025 would bring Sceats one step closer to racing alongside the likes of Scott Dixon in the IndyCar series and competing in the prestigious Indianapolis 500.
“It’s surreal to think that not long ago, I was just a kid racing go-karts in New Zealand, and now I’m on the brink of testing for a series that leads directly to IndyCar.”
Header Image: TGRNZ
