RACE REPORT: Music City Grand Prix
Race Notes
- Andretti INDY NXT closed out the 2025 season this afternoon as the team battled it out in an exciting race at Nashville Superspeedway, which saw Salvador de Alba and Dennis Hauger finish the day on the second and third steps of the podium, respectively. Rounding out the top five, teammate Lochie Hughes took the checkered close behind.
- Today’s results bring the Andretti INDY NXT team to 279 total podium finishes.
- On Lap 32, an incident between d’Orlando and the No. 17 car (Hedge) caused the No. 17 to make contact with the SAFER barrier in Turn 2, causing the sole full-course yellow of the race, which lasted 12 laps.
- The Andretti INDY NXT team has wrapped up another successful season, celebrating the team’s second consecutive and seventh overall INDY NXT by Firestone Championship title, achieved by rookie standout Dennis Hauger.
Race Results
Lochie Hughes
No. 26 McGinley Clinic /
USF Championship Dallara
P5
| Started | P4 |
| Standings | P3 (466 points) |
- Making his Nashville Superspeedway race debut today from the second row, Lochie Hughes quickly made a pass within the first lap of the race to break into the top three.
- As the race continued, Hughes struggled to keep up with the leaders and was shuffled down to fifth by Lap 26.
- Hughes maintained this position through the restart and the remainder of the race, taking home his 10th top-five finish this season and finishing third in the Championship standings.
“It feels great to close the season with a top-five finish and to secure third in the Championship. For my rookie year, that’s something I’m really proud of. We learned a lot, had some strong runs and set a foundation to build on. I’m already looking forward to carrying this momentum into next season.”
Salvador de Alba
No. 27 Grupo Indi Dallara
P2
| Started | P1 |
| Standings | P5 (418 points) |
- Following a stand-out qualifying performance that saw Salvador de Alba secure his first INDY NXT pole position, the Mexican driver led the field to green today at Nashville Superspeedway.
- The beginning of the race saw de Alba fighting in intense, side-by-side racing to hold onto his first-place position.
- On the only restart of the race, de Alba lost the lead to the No. 99 car (Rowe) on Lap 46.
- Although he remained diligent in trying to close the gap to the leader, he ultimately took the checkered in second, rounding out the season with his fifth INDY NXT career podium and finishing fifth in the Championship standings.
“Wrapping up the 2025 season with a podium feels really good. Of course, we wanted that win, but I’m proud of the way we finished. This year was full of highs and lows, and I’ve learned from every moment. Closing the season on a high note will definitely help shape what’s ahead. A big thank you to everyone at Andretti for their support all season long. I couldn’t have done it without them. Hopefully, I’ll see everyone back on the grid soon.”
Dennis Hauger
No. 28 Nammo Dallara
P3
| Started | P3 |
| Standings | P1 (599 points) |
- 2025 INDY NXT by Firestone Champion and Rookie of the Year Award winner Dennis Hauger took on today’s 65-lap race from the second row, alongside teammate Hughes.
- It was a tight battle near the front of the field in the opening laps of the race, and Hauger was unable to maintain his spot in the mix, falling to P6 by Lap 4.
- After d’Orlando was forced to give up fifth place due to a penalty on Lap 21, Hauger took advantage of the situation and set out on a mission to break into the top three, which he achieved by Lap 29.
- The INDY NXT Champ finished the day in third place, concluding his season with 11 podiums, six wins, seven poles and 301 laps led.
“I’m proud to wrap up 2025 as Champion. It has been an awesome year. From the very first race, we were on it, winning races and consistently at the front. This was my first season on ovals, and I learned so much with each race. It wasn’t always easy, but the team worked so hard to prepare every weekend like it was the last, and that’s what I’m most proud of. Huge thanks to Andretti for making me look good out there and giving me everything I needed to succeed. I don’t know yet what 2026 will bring, but for now, I’m going to enjoy this moment. Winning my first Championship means everything.”
James Roe
No. 29 Topcon Dallara
P10
| Started | P6 |
| Standings | P12 (235 points) |
- James Roe made his second race start at Nashville Superspeedway today from his season-best starting position. Unfortunately, the No. 29 driver fell back two positions within the opening laps.
- After a penalty sent teammate d’Orlando to the back of the field after the Lap 44 restart, Roe was moved up into seventh.
- The Irish driver was slowed down by lapped traffic and fell back to 10th by Lap 54, where he finished the race.
- Today’s result marks Roe’s 25th INDY NXT career top 10 and placed him 12th in the final INDY NXT Championship standings.
“It was a tough race today. I got caught up in lapped traffic and lost a few positions, and I didn’t want to risk going high on the marbles because I could feel them building. Still, the car was strong as always, and I’m proud of the pace we had. Thank you to my crew and everyone at Andretti for a great season.”
Seb Murray
No. 2 Dream Racing Dubai Dallara
P11
| Started | P11 |
| Standings | P13 (230 points) |
- Seb Murray wrapped up his rookie INDY NXT season today after taking the green flag just outside of the top 10.
- Unable to maintain pace with the leaders, Murray fell to P14 by Lap 6, but ten laps later, the Scot moved up one spot to 13th.
- After d’Orlando was forced to the back of the field following the caution period, and the No. 17 car was not able to complete the race, the No. 2 car was shifted up two spots to 11th following the sole caution period, where he eventually took the checkered.
- Murray finished just behind Roe in the Championship standings in 13th.
“Just like that, the season is wrapped here in Nashville. Overall, it was a solid weekend and a good rebound from Milwaukee. The team did a great job identifying the issues, making the repairs and giving me a really strong car for race day. We came home P11, and I think a top 10 was within reach, but a couple of mistakes on my part cost us that. A big thank you to my crew and to all of my partners. And, of course, a huge thank you to Andretti for their support all season. They’ve been awesome, and I’m excited to build on this for next year.”
Michael d’Orlando
No. 3 Rising Star Racing / Priority Dallara
P14
| Started | P5 |
| Standings | P22 66 points) |
- Making his second Nashville Superspeedway race start this morning with Andretti Cape, Michael d’Orlando joined teammate Roe in the third row on the grid to take on the final race of the season.
- In an effort to maintain his top-five position, d’Orlando exceeded track limits and was issued a penalty on Lap 21, forcing him to give up a position.
- After an on-track incident with the No. 17 on Lap 45, d’Orlando was issued a Stop-and-Hold penalty for avoidable contact, shuffling him to the back of the field after the restart on Lap 44. d’Orlando completed his three-race stretch this year with Andretti Cape in 14th place, two laps down.
“We were having a great race up until that incident. From my view, Hedge came down on me when he wasn’t clear and tried to take the spot I had. Unfortunately, I ended up with the penalty. The good news is we still brought the car home with only minor damage, and the pace was there to run at the front. I had a couple of mistimings, but it was an exciting race, battling hard with Lochie and the rest of the Andretti crew. It’s not the way I wanted to close out the three-race stretch this year, but I’m proud of the effort. The No. 3 has been great all season, and I can’t thank the Andretti Cape crew enough for giving me the opportunity. We’ll regroup and come back strong next year.”
Don Lambert
Team Manager
“Overall, it was a solid way to close out the day. Of course, we wanted to get the win, but it just wasn’t our day for that. Dennis, Lochie, Salvador and James all did a great job, and it’s been a battle all season on the ovals. We’ve shown speed and picked up some lessons in race craft. It’s been a great Championship year and an all-around strong season for Andretti INDY NXT. We’re excited to carry the momentum into next year.”
