RACE REPORT: INDY NXT by Firestone at Iowa Speedway
Race Notes
- After severe weather at Iowa Speedway wiped out yesterday’s INDY NXT by Firestone Qualifying session and shortened the sole practice session of the weekend, the Andretti INDY NXT drivers lined up for their second oval race of the season in Championship order, with Dennis Hauger leading the field and Lochie Hughes in second for yet another front-row lockout for the team.
- With only 30 minutes total of on-track time to prepare for today’s race, the INDY NXT field took on the INDY NXT by Firestone at Iowa Speedway, where the team landed a double-podium finish with Dennis Hauger and Salvador de Alba in second and third place, respectively.
- Today’s result puts the Andretti INDY NXT team at 271 total podium finishes and extends the team’s podium streak to 29 consecutive races, dating back to the INDY NXT by Firestone Music City Grand Prix in 2023.
- Today’s race saw a total of three caution periods, lasting 10 laps.
- During the shortened practice session yesterday afternoon, Salvador de Alba led the field with the fastest lap of the session at 165.518 mph. Dennis Hauger followed close behind in third, and the remainder of the Andretti INDY NXT fleet all wrapped up the shortened session inside the top 10.
- INDY NXT by Firestone will take next weekend off before hitting the track for a doubleheader race weekend at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, July 26-27.
Race Results
Lochie Hughes
No. 26 McGinley Clinic /
USF Championship Dallara
P16
| Started | P2 |
| Standings | P2 (338 points) |
- Ending yesterday’s practice session inside the top five, Lochie Hughes took to the track today with hopes of replicating the oval-racing success he had at World Wide Technology Raceway last month, where he captured his first INDY NXT oval victory.
- Starting the race on the front row next to teammate Dennis Hauger, Hughes ran the first 10 laps of the race in the top three. On Lap 12, the Aussie was issued a drive-through penalty for blocking the No. 99 car, sending him to the back of the field.
- With the setback, Hughes was forced to strategically navigate through traffic to make up the lost positions, ending the day in P16, a lap down.
“We got hit with a drive-through penalty early on. Unfortunately, that kind of call around here puts you a lap down. The pace was strong, but none of the moves we were making were for position. It was a boring day, but now, we will focus on Laguna.”
Salvador de Alba
No. 27 Grupo Indi Dallara
P3
| Started | P6 |
| Standings | P5 (258 points) |
- Heading into today’s race at Iowa Speedway with the quickest lap of yesterday’s practice session, Salvador de Alba was ready to capitalize on the speed he had on track to move up the field from his third-row starting spot this morning.
- Breaking into the top five as the green flag waved, de Alba remained in pursuit of third place, running 10 laps in the spot before returning to P4 on Lap 34.
- With just seven laps to go, de Alba made an impressive pass for the final step of the podium in Turn 1 and was able to hold on to the spot as he took the checkered flag. This allowed the Mexican driver to replicate his 2024 result at Iowa Speedway, where he earned his first-ever INDY NXT podium
- This is the No. 27 driver’s third INDY NXT career podium finish and best result of the 2025 season.
“I’m just so happy to finally get this first podium of the year – we’ve been right there all season. It’s also special to get this result at the track where I got my first podium in INDY NXT. We showed great speed and had a mega car, so we wanted a little bit more. Everything didn’t go quite the way we wanted in the race, but I’m still really happy to be here at the podium. It’s a big relief to have one in the pocket this season. Now, I’m just looking forward to Laguna.”
Dennis Hauger
No. 28 Nammo Dallara
P2
| Started | P1 |
| Standings | P1 (414 points) |
- Today’s pole-sitter, Dennis Hauger, led the field to green today at Iowa Speedway, after yesterday’s practice saw him maintain good speed and traffic navigation, ending the session in the top three.
- Getting a strong jump at the start of the race and at every restart, Hauger led the field with a strong pace for the majority of the race. The Norwegian driver ultimately lost the lead to the No. 99 car after leading 61 laps.
- Hauger was not able to find the pace he needed to regain the lead, and took the checkered in second place.
- This is Hauger’s best finish on an oval and his seventh INDY NXT career podium. The points he earned in today’s race increased his Championship lead by 76 points.
“That was a step in the right direction. I just got a bit stuck on the low line there, and he [Rowe] took advantage of it, but we just didn’t really have that pace today. Still, it was a good day with some good points. I always hope for a win, but we’ll get them next time. There’s still some work to do, but we’re getting there slowly. We have two more ovals coming up at the end of the season, so we’ll just keep working.”
James Roe
No. 29 Topcon Dallara
P7
| Started | P15 |
| Standings | P12 (148 points) |
- After finishing yesterday’s practice session with the eighth-fastest lap, 2024 Iowa Speedway pole-sitter James Roe was ready to use his extensive oval racing experience to move up the field this morning.
- Through a series of 11 on-track passes combined with strong pace, Roe put on an impressive performance in today’s race, putting him inside the top 10 as he took the checkered flag.
- Today’s seventh-place result marks Roe’s best result of the season and his 23rd INDY NXT career top-10 finish.
“It was a good oval race for us. We moved forward, which is always a positive. Since we didn’t get to qualify in Iowa, gaining ground the way we did feels like a solid result. We had a strong Andretti car and made the most of it.”
Seb Murray
No. 2 Dream Racing Dubai Dallara
NA
| Started | NA |
| Standings | P14 (140 points) |
- Due to the on-track incident during the INDY NXT by Firestone race at Mid-Ohio last weekend, Andretti Cape INDY NXT driver Seb Murray was not cleared by INDYCAR Medical to compete this weekend at Iowa Speedway.
Ricardo Escotto
No. 3 Frank’s RedHot Dallara
P12
| Started | P13 |
| Standings | P12 (144 points) |
- Ricardo Escotto started the weekend strong in practice yesterday, which saw the Mexican driver turn the fourth-fastest lap of the session.
- Taking the green outside of the top 10, Escotto hoped to turn his luck around this morning and work his way up to earn a strong result on the Iowa oval.
- During the restart on Lap 30 following the first caution period, Escotto began to lose control of the car and started to spin out coming out of Turn 4, narrowly missing contact with the wall on the front straight. Regaining control, Escotto rejoined the race near the back of the field, ultimately finishing the race where he started.
“It was a tough race. I just didn’t have the confidence in the car, and couldn’t do much. On a track like this, where overtaking is already difficult, it just made it a frustrating day. Looking forward to seeing what we can do in Laguna.”
Don Lambert
Team Manager
“It was one of those days in racing where things don’t always go your way. But overall, the team performed well. Dennis drove a solid race, Lochie was strong throughout, even with the penalty, and Salvador delivered a great run. James had a strong performance as well. Considering we weren’t able to qualify and had to start further back, it was a commendable showing across the board. Now we turn our attention to Laguna.”
