Andretti INDY NXT Laguna Seca Race 1 Report
Race Notes
After a week off from racing, the Andretti INDY NXT team was back in action today in Monterey to take on the final doubleheader race weekend of the 2024 season at Laguna Seca. The team prevailed victorious with a sweep from Louis Foster who topped both practice sessions, captured the pole for Race 1 and 2 this morning in qualifying and led all 35 laps from the green to checkered to lock in his fifth career INDY NXT win.
The success that Foster secured this weekend so far has earned the Brit valuable Championship points, tying him for first place with competitor Jacob Abel. Foster will once again lead the field to green in tomorrow’s race.
Following clean practice and qualifying sessions, James Roe started Race 1 inside the top 10 where he stayed for almost the entirety of the race. Staying consistent, Roe slowly moved his way up to just outside the top five until the final lap saw an incident ahead that allowed Roe to move into the top five. This is Roe’s seventh top-five result of his INDY NXT career.
Coming off of a victory at the Road America road course two weeks ago, Jamie Chadwick took to the track in the middle of the pack today after struggling to find a gap as the sole Andretti driver in Group 1 of qualifying this morning. It was tough for Chadwick to pass throughout the race, but she was able to move up a spot in that last stretch, taking her eighth career top-10 finish.
Andretti Cape driver Salvador de Alba was involved in an on-track incident this morning in qualifying that saw the Mexican driver acquire a penalty for causing a local yellow that affected another competitor, forcing him to lose his best lap. Therefore, the No. 2 Grupo Indi driver made his Laguna Seca race debut in the back half of the field. However, de Alba stayed aggressive and utilized his prior road course experience to move up four positions throughout the 35-lap race, ultimately taking the checkered just outside of the top 10.
INDY NXT rookie Bryce Aron took the green flag just inside the top 10 this afternoon and was on pace to see a top-five finish after working his way up the field on a restart. Unfortunately, the No. 27 driver spun out in Turn 6, causing him to go off track. Aron was able to recover and finish the race, but he took the checkered near the back of the field.
Fans won’t have to wait long for the next INDY NXT by Firestone event as the Series will return to Laguna Seca tomorrow at 1:05 PM PT/ 4:05 PM ET for another thrilling race on the dynamic California road course. Live coverage of the race can be viewed on Peacock and INDYCAR LIVE.
Race Results
Louis Foster No. 26 Copart / Novara Technologies Dallara
Andretti INDY NXT
P1
Started: P1
Standings: 3st (291pts)
“We just finished up in Monterey with Race 1 and I’m super happy with the win here. We’ve had really good pace all weekend which helped us stay up there the entire race. Massive thanks to the Andretti team and the No. 26 Copart / Novara crew for giving me a great car this weekend. There’s still a lot of work to do tomorrow. We’re going to focus on putting one foot in front of the other and continuing to improve results to get solid Championship points.”
Bryce Aron No. 27 Jaguar Land Rover Chesterfield Dallara
Andretti INDY NXT
P16
Started: P9
Standings: 16th (110pts)
“It was a tough one today. We were running really good in the top seven there and had some good pace that could have had us in the mix for the top five. I just made a little mistake in Turn 6, and this track has little margin for error, so I spun out. That pushed us down a lot of positions, but luckily there was no damage to the car and we were still able to finish out the race and get some points. We have a good starting spot tomorrow, so we’ll need to look forward and take it from there.”
Jamie Chadwick No. 28 VEXT Dallara
Andretti INDY NXT
P9
Started: P12
Standings: 8th (163pts)
“I’m a bit disappointed with today’s race. I really just struggled to pass to be honest, but that’s on me for not getting where we needed to be in qualifying. We’ll just have to fight again tomorrow, but it was decent points nonetheless.”
James Roe No. 29 Topcon Dallara
Andretti INDY NXT
P5
Started: P7
Standings: 9th (152pts)
“We needed that result. It was a great race and the car was strong. We got boxed in little at the start, and fell back which made our race a little tougher than it had to be. We worked on our time, and let the race come to us. Fortunately, it paid off and it was a good day for the No. 29 Topcon crew.”
Salvador de Alba No. 2 Grupo Indi Dallara
Andretti Cape INDY NXT
P11
Started: P15
Standings: 12th (137pts)
“Well, we made up a couple of spots out in the field and almost finished in the top 10. We knew it was going to be hard to pass cars on track, so we kept the nose clean and tried to make some moves. We definitely have a little bit more speed than where we ended, but I’m still happy and working for tomorrow.”
Don Lambert Team Manager
“It’s a great day for Louis and the No. 26 crew. Just being able to get two poles this morning and then take the first race flag-to-flag is major for points. Our goal is the Championship and he’s working hard to get that little lead for us right now. The other cars did a really good job as well. It was a struggle in the middle of the pack and they fought hard today. All in all, this was some good racing experience for them and we just have to see what we have tomorrow.”
