Indy NXT: Hauger Dominates for First Series Victory in St. Pete
There are big expectations surrounding Dennis Hauger’s first season of INDY NXT by Firestone with Andretti Global as he dominated to win on the streets of St. Petersburg.
So far, so good.
Hauger completed a dominant weekend with his first victory in his first start in the INDYCAR development series, taking the checkered flag in the No. 28 Rental Group car under caution. Hauger, who started from the pole, led every lap and turned the fastest lap of the race. He became the first driver since Linus Lundqvist in 2021 to win in his INDY NXT by Firestone debut.
Norwegian driver Hauger joins INDY NXT by Firestone this season after winning the FIA Formula 3 Championship in 2021 and earning five wins and 13 podium finishes in FIA Formula 2 – the last official ladder step before Formula One – in the last three seasons.
“That was fun,” Hauger said. “First proper race on this course for me, as well. We had a good rhythm. The car was really good, and the team did an amazing job all weekend long to be up there with us. Super happy. Good start to the season and definitely a confidence boost for us.”
Fellow rookie Lochie Hughes gave Andretti Global a 1-2 finish in the No. 26 McGinley Clinic/USF Pro Championship machine. Caio Collet, the top returning driver in the series, rounded out the podium finishers in the No. 76 HMD Motorsports car.
Myles Rowe tied his career-best result in INDY NXT by placing fourth in the No. 99 Abel Motorsports/Force Indy car. Salvador de Alba rounded out the top five in the No. 27 Grupo Indi car fielded by Andretti Global.
Jordan Missig continued his breakthrough weekend by finishing a career-best sixth in the No. 48 Abel Motorsports car. Missig, who also qualified a career-best ninth, recorded a best finish of ninth in five INDY NXT starts last season for the Abel team.
The only thing that slowed Hauger was four caution flags that forced the race, originally scheduled for 45 laps, to instead become a 55-minute event. He held off teammate Hughes on all three restarts, on Laps 2, 14 and 25, and eased away.
With 10 minutes remaining, Hauger led Hughes by 1.3 seconds. That gap expanded to 2.4 seconds and was growing when Jack William Miller hit the barrier in Turn 9 while running fifth in the No. 40 Abel/Miller/Vinatieri Motorsports car with two minutes, 15 seconds left in the race. That triggered the fourth and final caution period and ended the race.
Female rookie teammates Sophia Floersch and Hailie Deegan finished 12th and 14th, respectively, in their respective series debuts for HMD Motorsports.