Liam Sceats has returned to New Zealand after his Indy NXT debut at St. Petersburg in Florida.
Sceats signed a one-race deal with HMD Motorsports after successfully obtaining enough funding to get him on the grid.
After winning the 2024 New Zealand Grand Prix and finishing second in the Formula Regional Oceania Championship, Sceats moved to the United States to compete in the USF Pro 2000 Championship, where he claimed a race victory and finished 5th in the overall standings.
The 19-year-old Kiwi spent the summer contacting potential sponsors to secure funding for his Indy NXT debut.
“I started fundraising in November” Sceats said
“It’s been a grind, having to pitch to potential investors and knock on doors just to get to the grid.
“This step into Indy NXT is a huge opportunity, but it also requires significant investment.”
The Indy NXT grid for the 2025 season opener featured two talented New Zealand drivers: Sceats and Callum Hedge, the 2023 Porsche Carerra Cup Australia Champion.
Sceats qualified 5th for the Indy NXT season opener in St. Petersburg behind top qualifier Dennis Hauger. A commendable effort from the Kiwi.
“We had a tough lead-up to qualifying, struggling to get the car in the sweet spot during practice. However, through working closely with my engineer, Tim Neff, we made a step in the right direction for qualifying, and I was able to extract everything from the package.” Sceats said
“We ended up qualifying 3rd in the group and 5th overall—pretty impressive for a debut in such a competitive series.
“Though I wish we could’ve seen how our race would unfold, as we went another step in the right direction with the car setup, I was confident I could challenge for the podium places from 5th on the grid.
“However, an unfortunate incident at the start ended our chances of fighting for the podium. As I hit the bumps in Turn 9, the car snapped, and I bumped the wall, which forced me to pit for repairs and ultimately finish further down the order.
“It’s a frustrating outcome, but I’m proud of the effort.”
Sceats finished the race 18th, while fellow Kiwi Callum Hedge finished 8th. Norwegian driver Dennis Hauger, who recently moved over from Formula 2, went on to win the race.
One of the weekend’s highlights for Sceats was sharing an interview with Kiwi motorsport legend Scott Dixon.
“As someone who has inspired me since I was a kid watching him in Go-Karts. His support behind me is huge as I look to rally more support behind me to keep going. He was in my exact shoes 25 years ago, trying to raise support to race in Indy NXT, and he has since proved it to be a worthy investment so there’s no better person to talk to.” Sceats said
Round 2 of Indy NXT is on May 4th at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Alabama. Round 3 is the following weekend, with a double-race header at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the only road course round for the 2025 season.
“With rounds two and three fast approaching in a couple of months, my focus now shifts to securing the necessary funding to return to the grid.” Sceats said.
“Everytime I have jumped in the HMD car, I have been trading competitive times at the better end of the field, so I’m itching to get back behind the wheel to be able to fight towards the top again.
“Back here in New Zealand, I’m working hard on the fundraising mission. Bayleys Real Estate Auckland is generously providing me with a huge opportunity, by hosting an exclusive event where I’ll be joining Greg Murphy for a Q&A and sharing my story to date and the mission I’m on to go from New Zealand Champion to INDYCAR Champion.
“It’s going to be a great opportunity to network, and I’m excited to give an inside look into my journey.
“I am incredibly grateful for the ongoing support from my family, my sponsors, and my team at HMD Motorsports. Without their belief in me, I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to race at St. Petersburg and make this debut.
“Six weeks ago, I lost my seat. Now, I’ve shown that I belong here. I’m determined to be back on the grid and continue chasing the end goal of INDYCAR and the Indy 500.”
The team at Velocity News NZ wishes Liam all the best for the 2025 season and looks forward to seeing him back on the grid soon.
