2025 Indy NXT


The 2025 Firestone Indy NXT Series was the 39th season of the Indy NXT open wheel auto racing series and the 23rd sanctioned by IndyCar, acting as the primary support series for the IndyCar Series. This was the third year of the championship running under the Indy NXT moniker following its acquisition by Penske Entertainment, the owner of the IndyCar Series, in 2022.
Andretti Global driver Dennis Hauger won the Drivers' Championship title with one race to spare, and in doing so also became Rookie of the Year.
File:Dennis Hauger Austria 2022.jpg|thumb|Dennis Hauger of Andretti Global won the championship in his rookie season of Indy NXT

Teams and drivers

All teams used Dallara IL-15 cars with an AER produced Mazda sourced 2.0 litre engine and Firestone tires. The following drivers and teams competed in the series.

Team changes

  • On September 4, 2024, IndyCar team Chip Ganassi Racing announced its return to the Indy NXT series with a two-car effort. CGR last competed in Indy NXT's predecessor Indy Lights in 2008.
  • On February 4, 2025, Abel Motorsports announced a partnership with Miller Vinatieri Motorsports to field the No. 40 as their fourth entry, with Jack William Miller as the driver.
  • On February 13, 2025, Juncos Hollinger Racing announced it had elected to temporarily step back from competing in Indy NXT to focus on their IndyCar efforts, thereby relinquishing their 2025 entry despite having already signed Miguel María García to drive one of their cars.

    Driver changes

  • On January 16, 2024, Andretti and Cape Motorsports announced Salvador de Alba would be driving the No. 2 car of the newly formed Andretti Cape partnership in 2024. This announcement also included that de Alba's 2025 Indy NXT program would see him move over to Andretti Global.
  • On September 26, 2024, it was announced that Myles Rowe and the Force Indy program supporting him would switch to Abel Motorsports for the 2025 season to field the No. 99 Abel Motorsports with Force Indy car.
  • On October 8, 2024, Andretti Global announced that 2024 USF Pro 2000 champion Lochie Hughes would graduate to Indy NXT with the team.
  • On October 10, 2024, HMD Motorsport disclosed that Tommy Smith, who spent the previous two years in FIA Formula 3, would pilot the No. 16 car in 2025.
  • On October 14, 2024, HMD Motorsport announced two further drivers for its 2025 campaign: Bryce Aron, who would depart Andretti Global, with whom he came ninth in his debut season in 2024, and former NASCAR Xfinity Series driver Hailie Deegan, who would make her series debut.
  • On October 18, 2024, Andretti Global announced that Formula 2 driver Dennis Hauger would pilot the No. 28 car, thereby completing the team's lineup.
  • On October 24, 2024, Andretti Global announced Ricardo Escotto would pilot the No. 3 car run under the Andretti Cape Indy NXT guise in technical partnership with Cape Motorsports, thereby entering his first full Indy NXT season after contesting five races in 2024 with Juncos Hollinger Racing.
  • On October 30, 2024, Chip Ganassi Racing announced the driver lineup for their return to Indy NXT. It consisted of two drivers departing HMD Motorsports in Jonathan Browne, who finished the 2024 season in 13th, and Niels Koolen, who finished his part-time 2024 campaign in 20th.
  • On November 1, 2024, Juncos Hollinger Racing announced their first driver for 2025 in Miguel María García, who last competed in Super TC2000.
  • On November 25, 2024, Abel Motorsports announced that Callum Hedge would join the team for his second Indy NXT season, departing HMD Motorsports after coming fourth in 2024.
  • On December 4, 2024, Jamie Chadwick announced she would join IDEC Sport in the LMP2 class of the European Le Mans Series, thereby leaving the championship.
  • On December 11, 2024, it was announced Yuven Sundaramoorthy, who was slated to drive for Abel Motorsports, had to withdraw due to “unforeseen budget challenges.”
  • On December 14, 2024, Abel Motorsports announced that Jordan Missig, who contested five races with the team in 2024 as a replacement for Josh Mason, would race full-time for the team in 2025.
  • On December 19, 2024, HMD Motorsports announced that FIA F3 and endurance racing driver Sophia Flörsch would join the team for the 2025 season, making her Indy NXT debut.
  • On January 13, 2025, Dale Coyne Racing announced that Jacob Abel would join the team for a full-time IndyCar step-up in 2025.
  • On January 21, 2025, Andretti Global announced that GB3 driver Sebastian Murray would make the jump up to Indy NXT to pilot the No. 2 Andretti Cape Indy NXT car.
  • On January 29, 2025, HMD Motorsports announced that reigning USF Juniors champion Max Taylor would drive the team's No. 18 car for a part-time campaign comprising the rounds at Barber Motorsports Park, Detroit Street Circuit, Iowa Speedway, Laguna Seca and Milwaukee Mile. The following day, the team announced that Nikita Johnson would drive the No. 18 at St. Petersburg and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, complementing his full-time program in the GB3 Championship.
  • On February 13, 2025, Juncos Hollinger Racing announced it had elected to temporarily step back from competing in Indy NXT to focus on their IndyCar efforts, thereby eliminating Miguel María García from the 2025 grid.
  • On February 13, 2025, HMD Motorsports announced that USF Pro 2000 driver Liam Sceats would pilot the No. 30 car. Originally only announced for the round at St. Petersburg, Sceats remained in the car for the first seven rounds - bar the race at WWTR - and also entered the Laguna Seca double-header.
  • On February 24, 2025, HMD Motorsports announced that USF2000 driver Evagoras Papasavvas would drive the team's No. 18 car for a part-time campaign at World Wide Technology Raceway, Road America and Mid-Ohio.

    Mid-season

  • On March 27, 2025, HMD Motorsports announced that Sophia Flörsch would not continue her campaign in the No. 24 car and exit the team and the series after just one race. The team announced on April 29 that Evagoras Papasavvas would pilot that car at Barber Motorsports Park and Indianapolis, making his Indy NXT debut a month earlier than originally planned.
  • On April 29, 2025, Chip Ganassi Racing announced that Bryce Aron would take over its No. 9 entry after Jonathan Browne was forced to end his campaign due to budget issues. Aron therefore left HMD Motorsports and the No. 39 car after a single round.
  • On May 7, 2025, HMD Motorsports announced that IMSA driver Juan Manuel Correa would make his US open-wheel debut in the No. 39 entry vacated by Aron. Correa would enter the rounds at Indianapolis, Detroit, Gateway, Mid-Ohio, Iowa, Laguna Seca and Portland.
  • On May 14, 2025, HMD Motorsports announced that sprint car racer Davey Hamilton Jr. would drive the No. 24 entry vacated by Flörsch at the four oval events of the season, returning to Indy NXT after last entering three races in its predecessor series in 2016 and 2018.
  • On July 25, 2025, Andretti Cape announced that it had parted ways with Ricardo Escotto ahead of the Laguna Seca double-header. On August 5, it was announced that Michael d'Orlando would take over the No. 3 Andretti Cape entry for the final three rounds of the season.
  • On July 31, 2025, HMD Motorsports announced that USF Pro 2000 driver Nicholas Monteiro would drive the No. 24 entry at Portland, making his Indy NXT debut.
  • On August 19, 2025, HMD Motorsports disclosed that Nolan Allaer and the No. 11 car would not enter the Milwaukee event due to "family and school obligations".

    Schedule

The 2025 schedule was announced on June 13, 2024. Indy NXT visited the same twelve locations as the year before.

Race results

Season report

Opening rounds

The 2025 Indy NXT season began with a brilliant debut for Andretti's Dennis Hauger, who broke the track record in qualifying around the Streets of St. Petersburg to claim pole position. He led from the outset of the race, which was interrupted early by multiple crashes leading to three caution periods. Despite pressure from his teammate Lochie Hughes at each restart, Hauger gradually pulled clear after the third interruption ended on lap 24 and established a commanding lead, before a late crash for Abel/Miller Vinatieri Motorsports’ Jack William Miller brought out the pace car, ending the race under caution. Hauger secured victory ahead of Hughes, with HMD Motorsports’ Caio Collet third.
Hauger carried his dominant form into Barber Motorsports Park, taking pole position on a drying track with a lap over half a second clear of the field, while Collet topped the first group to start second. Hauger led from the rolling start but, incidents during the opening part of the race caused two cautions. During that period, Collet encountered throttle problems that dropped him out of contention, leaving Hughes, Abel/Force Indy’s Myles Rowe and HMD’s Evagoras Papasavvas to fight for the remaining podium places. Hauger steadily built a gap of over 11 seconds to win ahead of Papasavvas, who resisted Hughes to finish second on debut. Hauger extended his championship lead to 29 points.
Hughes led qualifying on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course to secure both pole positions of the weekend. At the start of race one, Hauger’s attempt to take the lead around the outside of turn one ended in contact with Rowe and HMD’s Callum Hedge, sending him off track and dropping him to the back of the field. Collet took advantage to slot into second, while Hughes built an early gap. Two cautions interrupted proceedings, but Hughes managed both restarts and controlled the race throughout, eventually finishing ahead of Collet and Rowe. Hauger recovered to eighth, allowing him to narrowly retain the championship lead by three points over Hughes, with Rowe third.
Hughes once again started from pole position for race two at Indianapolis, with Hauger alongside on the front row. An early caution was triggered by a multi-car clash involving Miller, Andretti’s James Roe, and HMD’s Nolan Allaer, which also delayed Abel’s Jordan Missig and HMD’s Nikita Johnson. On the restart, Hauger made his move on Hughes to take the lead, and although his team-mate stayed close for much of the distance, Hauger gradually edged away to win by almost five seconds. Behind them, Rowe and Andretti’s Salvador de Alba secured third and fourth. Hauger extended his points lead to 187, ahead of Hughes on 172 points and Rowe losing ground in third on 134 points.
Hauger was back in front for qualifying at Detroit, ahead of Hughes. The race began with chaos as contact between Hedge and Rowe triggered a multi-car pile-up at turn four, blocking the track and causing a stoppage. At the restart, Hauger led Hughes and de Alba. The Andretti pair fought, both suffered damage and were forced to pit, handing a huge lead to Hauger. His gap was then eradicated when Missig hit the barriers and caused a late caution. That set up a one-lap dash to the finish, which Hauger managed to win ahead of Collet. HMD’s Juan Manuel Correa claimed his first podium in just his third race in third as Hauger extended his championship lead to 240 points, 38 points ahead of Hughes.