It was a weekend of two halves for Tony Quinn Foundation Ambassador Liam Sceats, who returned to Indy NXT over the weekend at Laguna Seca.
The talented young Kiwi put in a storming drive from 17th to finish eighth in Race 1, before unfortunately getting caught up in an opening-lap clash in Race 2 that took him out of contention.
This weekend marked Sceats’s first round back in the series since Road America last month, and he was looking to make the most of his opportunity, jumping back aboard the HMD Motorsports car.
Sceats had two practice sessions to build momentum ahead of the all-important Qualifying. In Practice 1, he showed Top 10 pace across his 16 laps, posting a best time of 1:15.8924 to finish 10th fastest, just over a second off the top spot.
In Practice 2, he improved on his earlier time with a 1:15.4465, though Red Flag interruptions meant he didn’t get the running he’d hoped for. That limited track time left him heading into Qualifying without feeling fully comfortable in the car, adding to the challenge ahead.
Grouped with fellow TQF Ambassador Callum Hedge in Group 2 of Qualifying, Sceats faced a competitive session where both fastest and second-fastest laps would determine grid spots for the two races. Consistency was key.
He would, unfortunately, have a tricky session, setting a best time of 1:14.4443 to place ninth in the ten-car group. It was a strong improvement from practice, but not enough to challenge for the front. With the combined times from both groups, Sceats would line up 17th on the grid for Race 1.
However, Sceats’s consistency was impressive. His second-best lap was just 0.0158 off his quickest, and that tight margin rewarded him with seventh in the group on second-best times, two spots better than his outright result.
In combined standings, that secured him 13th on the grid for Race 2.
That meant he had his work cut out in the opening race, starting all the way back in 17th. But Sceats made an electric start, threading the needle through the opening corners as several drivers were caught up in incidents.
Smartly choosing the inside line, he picked up a handful of positions and used quick reflexes to avoid more chaos at Turn 4. When the inevitable caution came out, Sceats had jumped all the way up to eighth.
Racing resumed on Lap 5 with Sceats holding his position under pressure from Bryce Aron behind. He soon settled into a rhythm behind Tommy Smith in seventh and built a gap to those chasing.
With nine laps to go, Sceats had a big moment through Turn 6, snapping sideways and doing well to save it, though it forced him off the track and dropped him to 11th.
But the fight wasn’t over. Showing great composure, Sceats regrouped and began clawing positions back.
He re-entered the Top 10 by Lap 32, then two laps later overtook both Bryce Aron and Nolan Allaer to reclaim eighth, the spot he’d held before the off.
He held firm to the flag, finishing eighth and earning the Biggest Mover Award after gaining nine spots from where he started. It was a fantastic comeback drive.
Race 2 saw Sceats start from 13th, and while he made it cleanly through the opening corners, disaster struck at Turn 3.
Sandwiched between Aron and Smith, Sceats was tipped into a spin and ended up in the gravel. He eventually recovered and rejoined the race, but multiple laps down in 18th place.
He continued circulating until Lap 16, when he ran wide heading into Turn 6 and slid into the tyre barrier on the outside.
While he was thankfully okay after the incident, the off appeared to be a result of the damage sustained during the opening-lap clash, bringing a frustrating end to what had otherwise been a very promising return.
While that eighth-place finish gave him a solid points boost, the Race 2 retirement offset the gain.
Sceats now sits 14th in the Championship, 46 points outside the Top 10, and just 21 points behind Sebastian Murray, who sits third in the Rookie Standings.
At this stage, it’s uncertain when Sceats will return to the Indy NXT grid, with the 19-year-old doing everything he can to piece together the strongest campaign possible. Hopefully, after another promising showing, we’ll see him back on track again soon!
Indy NXT now heads into a one-week break before returning for Round 12 at Portland International Raceway, the final road course of the season.
Header Image: Penske Entertainment – Paul Hurley
