Andretti INDY NXT Iowa Speedway Race Report
Race Notes
The Andretti INDY NXT and Andretti Cape teams made their mark in Iowa this afternoon as the teams executed a podium sweep by Louis Foster, James Roe and Salvador de Alba. This is the team’s sixth win and first podium sweep of the 2024 season.
For the oval debut of the season, drivers took on the Iowa 100 under an adjusted format that saw the race shortened from 75 to 55 laps with a competition yellow after 15 laps, approximately 10 laps run under caution and a single file restart for the remaining race distance. The race only saw 28 green laps due to the combination of cleanup from an on-track incident in Turn 2 that occurred on Lap 14 and the mandatory competition yellow.
Starting alongside teammate Roe in the first row on the grid this afternoon, Louis Foster took on the Iowa 100 for the second time in his career. Foster maintained his P2 position for almost the entirety of the race until he made a strategic pass on Lap 49, where he led the rest of the race to checkered to score his fifth victory of the 2024 season and seventh of his career. Today’s win scored Foster valuable Championship points, cushioning his lead by 77 points.
After breaking Andretti INDYCAR driver Colton Herta’s INDY NXT qualifying record at the Iowa Speedway with a two-lap average speed of 170.625 MPH, James Roe led the field to green from the pole for the first time in his career. Roe maintained strong pace and held onto this spot until teammate Foster took on the leading position at the end of the race with six laps to go. This is Roe’s third INDY NXT career podium and first on an oval.
Rounding out the Andretti INDY NXT podium sweep, Salvador de Alba started the race today in Row 5, but an impressive start saw him immediately jump up into the top five, where he stayed for most of the race. On Lap 52, de Alba finally broke into the top three and captured his first INDY NXT career podium.
Following an impressive qualifying session that saw Jamie Chadwick lock in a second-row starting spot in today’s race, Chadwick unfortunately moved down one position from where she qualified at the start of the race. She stayed consistent in this P4 spot, but ultimately lost pace near the end of the race and took the checkered in the top 10.
Closing out the Andretti lineup, rookie Bryce Aron joined teammate de Alba in Row 5 today and managed to take the checkered a position up from where he started. This is Aron’s fifth INDY NXT career top-10 finish.
Race Results
Louis Foster No. 26 Copart / Novara Technologies Dallara
Andretti INDY NXT
P1
Started: P2
Standings: 1st (437pts)
“First of all, massive thank you to Andretti and the No. 26 crew this weekend. The car was super in the window, and we were really happy with it. I had to make sure to manage my tires well today, but I knew that they were good and I had the pace to make the pass so I went for it on the outside. To be fair to James, he gave me respectful room and we were able to make good overtake and have a good show there at the end.”
Bryce Aron No. 27 Jaguar Land Rover Chesterfield Dallara
Andretti INDY NXT
P9
Started: P9
Standings: 14th (181pts)
“Congrats to my teammates on a podium sweep. They deserved it. Overall, I am happy with our P8 finish. With it being my first time on an oval, I had quite a bit to learn. However, I thought it was a really good race and we were able to get some points. I’m looking forward to taking on another oval next month in St. Louis.”
Jamie Chadwick No. 28 VEXT Dallara
Andretti INDY NXT
P7
Started: P3
Standings: 5th (237pts)
“Pretty disappointed after a really strong qualifying yesterday. I felt like we had a good race car, but just fell victim to getting a bit stuck in a traffic jam and dropped back at the very end when we lost a bit of momentum. So, it was a frustrating day, but still, we managed to get some points and I’m looking forward to the rest of the ovals.”
James Roe No. 29 Topcon Dallara
Andretti INDY NXT
P2
Started: P1
Standings: 7th (222pts)
“Every driver wants to get on the top step. However, it’s fantastic to get the pole this weekend and a podium finish. We were a little boxed in with what I could do with adjustments in the car, but that’s racing. Overall, we had a great car and it was just a dominant weekend for Andretti team.”
Salvador de Alba No. 2 Grupo Indi Dallara
Andretti Cape INDY NXT
P3
Started: P10
Standings: 8th (216pts)
“I’m very proud of the team, the car and everyone who has put a lot of effort into this project. Grupo Indi, MECANO – thanks a lot for this. This first podium was well-deserved for our partners and the team. Yesterday’s qualifying wasn’t great, but we knew the car was going to be there for the race. It was a little bit of a shortened race, which honestly was what we wanted. Really happy with this first podium, and this was a great oval experience for me. Congratulations to the whole Andretti team for sweeping the podium.”
Don Lambert Team Manager
“What an incredible day for the Andretti INDY NXT and Andretti Cape teams. Our team has been strong, and we couldn’t be happier to conclude the race weekend with a podium sweep. Louis, James and Salvador really battled it out in the end. Congrats to Louis and the No. 26 crew on yet another win this season. They gained some really good Championship points. We can’t to see what we can accomplish at the next oval in St. Louis.”
