INDY NXT RACE REPORT: Grand Prix of Monterey Race 2
Race Notes
- Following an exciting podium finish by Colton Herta in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES race at WeatherTeach Raceway Laguna earlier this afternoon, the Andretti INDY NXT team was finally able to close out the doubleheader Grand Prix of Monterey race weekend after inclement weather conditions pushed the start of the event to the afternoon.
- In a hectic race that saw four caution periods lasting a total of 15 laps and six penalties distributed across the field, Seb Murray fought through the chaos and locked in the best finish of the day for the Andretti fleet in fifth, also marking the best finish of his INDY NXT career.
- The Andretti INDY NXT team will take a weekend off from racing, but the on-track action will return on August 8 as the team kicks off the 2025 Grand Prix of Portland at Portland International Raceway.
Race Results
Lochie Hughes
No. 26 McGinley Clinic /
USF Championship Dallara
P15
| Started | P4 |
| Standings | P3 (381 points) |
- After locking in his ninth INDY NXT career top-10 finish in yesterday’s race, Lochie Hughes was prepared to capitalize on his second-row starting position to secure an improved result this afternoon.
- Although he maintained a strong pace, the Australian driver remained in his fourth-place starting spot for the majority of the race, until Lap 27, when he and teammate Dennis Hauger made contact and went off the track in Turn 2.
- After pitting for repairs, Hughes returned to the race, but jumped the restart on Lap 31 and received a drive-through penalty. He finally took the checkered in the back of the field, nine laps down.
“It was a bit of a wild race. I got up to third at the start, but had to give the position back when the yellow came out. After that, the car felt a bit loose, but I was getting to grips with it and making progress. There were a lot of yellows, and the end was a bit chaotic. We’ll go back, review everything and talk it through as a team.”
Salvador de Alba
No. 27 Grupo Indi Dallara
P9
| Started | P16 |
| Standings | P6 (291 points) |
- Following a tough Race 1 that saw Salvador de Alba’s day cut short within the first lap of the race, the Mexican driver was determined to set out for a clean race and some points this morning in Race 2.
- De Alba avoided the multi-car incident on Lap 1 between Turns 2 and 3, moving up three spots to P13 before the first full-course yellow was called. The Mexican driver capitalized on the restart, moving his way up to 10th by Lap 8.
- In attempting to make a pass in the Corkscrew on Lap 16, de Alba went too far on the inside and lost a position, moving outside the top 10.
- On the final restart of the race on Lap 26, de Alba gained three positions, putting him up to eigth place, but his time there quickly diminished as the No. 99 car made contact with him on Lap 31, damaging his right rear tire. After quickly pitting for repairs and getting back out into the race, the No. 27 driver persevered and walked away from the race with a top-20 finish, the 18th of his career.
“It was definitely a chaotic race for the Andretti team. We were just trying to avoid crashes until we got collected out of nowhere by the No. 99. Even with a drive-through penalty, he ended up ahead of us. It’s disappointing, especially coming off good momentum. However, we’ll put this one behind us and focus on the next race. We need to find some speed and keep pushing forward.”
Dennis Hauger
No. 28 Nammo Dallara
P16
| Started | P2 |
| Standings | P1 (470 points) |
- After making history at the finish line yesterday in Race 1 by closing the gap behind first place to mark the closest ever finish in the INDY NXT by Firestone Series, Dennis Hauger took the green flag from P2 once again to take on Race 2.
- In the opening lap of the race, Hauger was shuffled to P3 coming out of Turn 1, and remained in this position for the majority of the race until, with under 10 to go, he made contact with teammate Hughes. Going off the track in Turn 2, the incident caused the No. 28 car to get stuck in the gravel and be damaged beyond repair, ending the Norwegian’s day prematurely.
- Hauger still leads the INDY NXT Championship by 42 points.
“Today was difficult. You never want to make contact with a teammate. We struggled a bit with pace and couldn’t quite get by Josh Pierson. Then things got a little too messy on the restart. It’s not the result we wanted, but we’re still leading the Championship, and we know we have the pace as a team. We’ll put this one behind us and focus on Portland.”
James Roe
No. 29 Topcon Dallara
P13
| Started | P11 |
| Standings | P13 (181 points) |
- James Roe made his sixth race start at Laguna Seca this morning just outside of the top 10, after yesterday saw the No. 29 driver finish Race 1 a lap down after getting hit by a competitor on the opening lap of the race.
- Although he got spun out in Lap 1 Turn 1 of the race, Roe recovered and held onto his starting position.
- During the Lap 7 restart, the Irish driver made contact with a competitor (No. 39) in Turn 1, damaging his right suspension. After pitting for repairs on Lap 7, Roe eventually returned to the field two laps down. Roe eventually took the checkered in thirteenth.
“It was a frustrating day. We had contact at the start with one of the HMD cars for the second time this weekend which is disappointing. That caused front suspension damage we had to replace, but the team got me back out there and we did what we could. It was a crazy race with a lot of cautions. We’ll reset and move on to Portland.”
Seb Murray
No. 2 Dream Racing Dubai Dallara
P5
| Started | P8 |
| Standings | P12 (138 points) |
- Representing the Andretti Cape team this weekend, Seb Murray once again took the green flag from his career-best starting position, hoping to lock in some better results this morning after yesterday’s race saw the Scot get collected in a Lap 1 multi-car incident and face gearbox issues, impeding him from crossing the finish line in Race 1.
- Despite the chaos leading to multiple yellows going on around him, Murray maintained a clean race, and eventually wrapped up the day, rounding out the top five.
- Today’s result marks the Scot’s best INDY NXT career finish.
“It was awesome to close out the weekend with a top-five finish, which is our best result of the season. After the setback with the gearbox yesterday, the team gave me a great car today. We had strong pace from start to finish and stayed out of trouble. A huge thanks to the entire team and my sponsors. We’ll carry this momentum into Portland.”
Don Lambert
Team Manager
“It was a tough day. I think we had the potential for a couple of strong finishes, but it just didn’t go our way. It was a solid result for Sebastian Murray, which was a positive for the team. We’ll regroup and come back ready to fight in Portland.”
