NXT Gen Notebook: Andretti dominate Indy doubleheader

Archie O’Reilly
May 12
8 min read

Written by Archie O’Reilly

After a staggered start to the season, Indy NXT headed to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course for a doubleheader weekend for Round 3 and Round 4 of 2025. DIVEBOMB delves into the key storylines from the event…

Hughes secures double pole position

Leading into the Indy GP weekend, it had been the Dennis Hauger show. The Andretti Global rookie - a former Formula 3 champion and Formula 2 race winner - took pole and led every lap in the first two rounds.

But Hauger’s rookie teammate Lochie Hughes, who graduated to Indy NXT as last year’s USF Pro 2000 champion, put a stop to the Norwegian driver’s run in qualifying on the Indy road course. Despite running in the less-favoured Group 1, Hughes logged a group-topping time which was over 0.2 seconds clear of that which Hauger paced Group 2 with.

It was a double front row for Hauger, but with Hughes logging the quickest fastest and second-fastest lap times, he secured pole for both races of the doubleheader.

Last year’s fourth-place championship finisher Callum Hedge, who switched to Abel Motorsports from HMD Motorsports for 2025, came into the weekend 12th in points but secured third-place starts for both races. He shared the second row with Andretti’s Salvador de Alba for Race 1 and HMD’s Caio Collet for Race 2.

A maiden victory for the rookie

Hauger may have grabbed the headlines in the early rounds, but Hughes’ start to his debut season - finishing second and third - was also impressive. He left Round 2 at Barber second in the standings, trailing Hauger by 32 points.

By the time Race 1 on the Indy road course concluded, Hughes had cut Hauger’s advantage to only three points.

With a long run to the opening corner, things can often get close at Turn 1. Hughes led with assurance, but as Hedge went two-wide with his teammate, fifth-place starter Myles Rowe, Hauger found himself tagged and forced into the runoff. By the time he had taken to the escape route, the runaway early championship leader was at the rear of the field.

A first caution came out on Lap 10, with Chip Ganassi Racing’s Niels Koolen penalised for avoidable contact, which dealt HMD debutant Juan Manuel Correa - an F2 veteran - a left-rear puncture and ended his race.

The race settled into a rhythm after this, with Hughes controlling proceedings out front, Collet settled in second after an excellent start from sixth and Rowe third. But with seven laps remaining, heavy rear contact with the SAFER barrier at the final corner for Andretti’s James Roe, who collected the innocent Nikita Johnson for HMD, brought out another caution.

Hughes once again controlled the restart exceptionally as Collet held onto second. In behind, De Alba made a move on Rowe for third but the American sophomore fought back expertly, with De Alba ultimately dropping to fifth behind Hedge.

Hughes held on for a start-to-finish win having led every lap from pole, ahead of last year’s third-place championship finisher Collet, who described it as a “good recovery” for his second podium of 2025 after a mechanical retirement at Barber. First-time podium-sitter Rowe was third.

Having found himself last in the order, Hauger charged through the field and recovered to finish eighth and maintain the lead of the championship.

“It looked like a pretty easy race,” Hughes said. “But it wasn’t. It was tough with different conditions throughout the day with practice and qualifying [on Race 1 day] and just trying to manage the tyres throughout the race.

“Had a few moments - ended up clipping the wall a little bit [at the final corner]. I actually went to touch the push-to-pass and had a snap and the wheel came out of my hands a little bit and clipped the wall. So it was actually a bit of a hard hit but I hit it pretty square.

“It was a little bit bent but she pulled through. So got away with one, otherwise I would have looked like a bit of a fool. Great to get the win finally.”

Hauger bounces back in Race 2

In need of a bounce back from his challenging Race 1, it was a clean start on Saturday in the second race of the weekend for Hauger. He initially challenged teammate Hughes before settling into second place, with Hedge holding onto third, Rowe up to fourth and Collet dropping to sixth by the end of the opening lap.

But the race was neutralised by an early caution, with HMD’s Nolan Allaer locking up and running into driving for his family Miller Vinatieri with Abel Motorsports’ Jack William Miller at Turn 1 on Lap 3. Miller had already been off-track the lap before after contact with teammate Jordan Missig.

The restart provided Hauger’s big chance to place yet more pressure on Hughes. He ducked to the outside and, despite having wheels on the grass in Turn 1, held on alongside his teammate, took the inside for the following corner and seized the lead with a decisive pass.

Rowe and De Alba passed Hedge on the restart. The New Zealander continued to drop down the order through the race, with Collet making his way back into the top five before a scuffle between Hedge and HMD’s Josh Pierson, who was forced off into the grass, saw Koolen promoted to sixth, where he remained for a career-best finish.

Hedge was later penalised for blocking Johnson and forced to yield three positions, falling to 10th. Johnson, the 16-year-old running a partial Indy NXT season alongside a GB3 Championship campaign in Europe, finished an impressive seventh.

Out front, Hughes managed to hang onto the back of Hauger for most of the race. But inside the final 10 laps, Hauger pulled the plug having controlled the pace of the race out front, ultimately winning by just shy of five seconds.

Hughes finished second by a comfortable six-second margin and confirmed four successive podiums at the start of his Indy NXT career as Andretti continued their 100 percent winning record in 2025.

Rowe withstood pressure from De Alba and Collet - with his tyres falling off “like on a cliff” late on - as he made it two third-place results for the weekend.

Hauger “not going to be put down so easily”

Despite the most eventful weekend of his Indy NXT career to date, Hauger maintains the championship lead ahead of teammate Hughes, albeit the margin reduced from 32 points at the start of the doubleheader weekend to only 15 points after four rounds.

Rowe is 53 points behind Hauger in third, followed by Collet a further 17 points back. De Alba and Pierson are the only other drivers to break 100 points thus far.

“Good to bounce back after [Friday],” Hauger said. “It was a tough day. We had a good practice but a bit of a weird qualifying. We didn’t quite nail everything from my end and the balance side. We didn’t have the best pace.

“But we sorted some things out and were able to fix the mistakes and get on with it. It shows we’re not going to be put down so easily.”

Friday’s charge through the field offered a first opportunity for Hauger to race wheel-to-wheel, as did his Race 2 pass for the lead.

“Being for the first time in these cars in dirty air, actually having to use the push-to-pass strategically, coming from the back was definitely a good experience,” he said. “I hope I didn’t have to experience it because we lost some points in the championship.

“But everything is new this year. It’s all about gaining experience every weekend. Not an optimal weekend points-wise but a lot learned.”

Issues with balance in the opening race were rectified for Race 2, while Hauger also took lessons from his approach to the first corner at the start after the Race 1 contact.

“Just brake a bit later for Turn 1 instead of being caught up in something,” he said. “[To take the lead] I got a good restart, stayed in the slipstream, went deeper on the brakes, tried to hang around on the outside. It was really tight.

“The goal was to try and get ahead early to get to clean air. On the last couple laps we were pushing a bit more but I didn’t want to overdo it beginning-to-mid [race] because I knew it would be about managing.”

A breakthrough weekend Hughes

“For sure,” was Hughes’ response when asked whether he felt as though this was a breakthrough weekend in his Indy NXT career.

“I learned a fair bit and I made some steps forward. It’s nice now that we're into the swing of things to get some momentum going.”

Despite podiums in the opening two rounds, a hurdle for Hughes to jump was finally getting the better of teammate Hauger. Taking both poles and a first victory in the opening race was a notable milestone.

Then after a strong start in Race 2, Hughes felt he was “stuffed” by the early caution that enabled Hauger to get by on the restart.

“Did the best I could,” he said. “Tried to give Dennis as little room as possible. He’s a teammate so had to be a little bit smart. Then after that I put as much pressure on Dennis as I could and I think honestly I was following too closely and pushing too hard behind him.”

Even falling to second, it was a memorable weekend for Hughes - one made all the more special by his parents visiting from Australia.

“It’s cool to have everyone here,” he said. “I think this is the third race they’ve been to since I’ve been racing in the States. They saw me win the championship last year in Portland but it hasn’t gone too well when they’ve been here. My mum doesn’t even watch the races so I’m surprised she was even down there.”

Off the back of the title with Louis Foster in 2024, undefeated Andretti have continued their hot streak in 2025.

“They’re doing a very good job,” Hughes said. “I’m super happy with everyone. It’s been awesome so far. We’ve had a pretty good car everywhere we’ve rolled off. It’s a testament to the work they’re doing behind the scenes.”

Rowe secures first NXT podiums

After two joint-career-best fourth-place finishes to kick off his sophomore Indy NXT season with new team Abel Motorsports, Rowe was teetering on the edge of a first podium. And continuing his ultra-consistent start to the campaign, two third-place results on the Indy road course marked the best weekend of the 24-year-old’s time in the series to date.

“It affirms a little bit more about the pace we have,” he said. “I don’t think what I did was a shocker to anybody, especially on the team. Me and the team know that there’s a lot more in there still confidence-wise. That never falters.

“I’ve had that all through my racing career. Even last year, it wasn’t a confidence thing. It’s always been pretty high… well, not too high.”

Rowe progressed from fifth to third in both races after strong starts. Tyre management became a key factor late in each race but the American was able to defend his podium position on both days.

“I don’t think it has anything to do with experience,” Rowe said of his success. “I felt this comfortable quite early last year [as a rookie]. It’s really just the new team and how we work together. We mesh really well. We listen to each other. The car works pretty well.

“I enjoy my time with them. The combination of all of that and the support they have for me, it’s starting to show. Obviously experience helps but everything around me is a little bit better tuned for me.”

Naturally, there comes a pressure with being a second-year driver in a junior series. But Rowe is not a driver that feels that too heavily.

“For sure the desire for my outside supporters and everything for our success is higher,” he said. “But the pressure, that doesn’t really resonate with me. If anything, I put more pressure on myself.

“I’ve been looking for the success just as much as I was last year and I’ll continue to push just the same and not overdo it. But I’m just here to do as best I can and deliver the results that I’m supposed to get.”