Tag: HMD

AJ Foyt Racing to Compete in INDY NXT by Firestone in 2026 

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Editor’s note: Story from A J Foyt Racing. It is great to see another IndyCar team affiliated with IndyNXT.

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INDIANAPOLIS (October 21, 2025) — AJ Foyt Racing will extend its program into the INDY NXT by Firestone championship beginning in 2026. The team will field a two-car effort as it looks to build a strong foundation for drivers, crew, engineers, partners, and more for the future. Backed by a Strategic Alliance with HMD Motorsports, this collaboration represents the next step in strengthening the connection between INDY NXT by Firestone and the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, creating a more straightforward pathway for driver and team personnel development.

 

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The young drivers of the INDY NXT by Firestone championship get ready for the start at Nashville Superspeedway. (INDYCAR Photo)

While AJ Foyt Racing will maintain its own brand and identity, the new program emphasizes the team’s commitment to nurturing the next generation of INDYCAR talent. By working with not only drivers but also crew members looking to make a move to the INDYCAR SERIES earlier in their careers, the organization aims to provide a more integrated and structured approach to preparing all for the top level of American open-wheel racing.

Founded in 1965 by four-time Indianapolis 500 winner A.J. Foyt, AJ Foyt Racing is an iconic and respected name in motorsports. With multiple championships across the various sanctioning bodies of INDYCAR racing over the years, the team has built a legacy rooted in excellence, perseverance, and innovation. Under the leadership of Larry Foyt, the team continues to uphold its long-standing commitment to developing competitive talent and advancing the sport.

 

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The addition the program marks AJ Foyt Racing’s second foray into the INDY NXT by Firestone championship.. In 2002, A.J. Foyt IV won the first INDY NXT by Firestone championship. Ed Carpenter drove for the team in 2003 and won the Freedom 100, the Series’ inaugural race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

 

“This has been a long time coming,” commented AJ Foyt Racing Team President Larry Foyt. “We’ve

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played a significant role in developing drivers who have gone on to compete at the top level of INDYCAR. We felt it was time to get involved in the INDY NXT by Firestone program again. Forming a Technical and Strategic Alliance with HMD Motorsports provides the experience and technical support to make our INDY NXT program as strong and effective as possible.”

 

HMD Motorsports brings extensive experience in the INDY NXT by Firestone championship to the new alliance program. Since joining the series in 2019 and competing full-time from 2021 onward, the team has earned both a team title and two driver championships, multiple rookie of the year honors, and promoted several drivers into the NTT INDYCAR SERIES. HMD will provide technical support and series insight to AJ Foyt Racing’s INDY NXT program.

 

“We are thrilled to announce this Strategic Alliance with AJ Foyt Racing,” commented HMD Motorsports Team President Mike Maurini. “This is the next step in making the pathway to INDYCAR more accessible to talented drivers throughout the INDY NXT paddock. Together, our teams will combine experience and resources to help develop the next generation of competitive drivers.”

 

The partnership will combine AJ Foyt Racing’s INDYCAR experience with HMD Motorsports’ success in INDY NXT to support driver development and prepare rising talent for the NTT INDYCAR SERIES. AJ Foyt Racing will make its INDY NXT by Firestone debut in 2026 with further details on the driver lineup and program to be announced in the coming months.

Rowe Joins HMD Indy NXT for 2024

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Well, that did not take long. I spoke with someone familiar with Myles Rowe’s program Sunday who hinted that he might be joining HMD next season.

The release from HMD:

September 6, 2023 – Newly crowned champion of the 2023 USF Pro 2000 Championship with Cooper Tires, Myles Rowe will move up the ranks and join HMD Motorsports for the 2024 INDY NXT by Firestone season as he continues his journey to the NTT INDYCAR SERIES. Making history during the 2023 season, Rowe was the first African American to win a race in the USF Pro 2000 Championship’s history and the first African American driver to win a North American open-wheel championship.

Rowe will drive the No. 99 Force Indy entry with continued support from Penske Entertainment’s Race for Equality & Change initiative, an ongoing effort to support, grow and sustain diverse representation in motorsports. Race for Equality & Change was launched in summer of 2020 with a focus on generating impactful programming and opportunities across both the INDYCAR and Indianapolis Motor Speedway ecosystems. Next season will be Rowe’s fourth as part of the Force Indy program and the second year Force Indy has partnered with HMD Motorsports in INDY NXT by Firestone.

“We are excited to continue our partnership with Force Indy and have Myles as part of the HMD Motorsports program in 2024,” said General Manager Mike Maurini. “He has been a treat to follow through the ladder programs, and we are anxious to help him continue his goals to ascend to the NTT INDYCAR SERIES.”

Moving up through the ranks over the past three seasons, Rowe quickly became a standout talent in the junior series. In the 2023 season, Rowe earned an impressive five wins and four additional podium results on his way to a commanding championship win in the USF Pro 2000 Championship in his rookie season. In 2022, Rowe just missed out on the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship by six points after garnering five wins and five additional podium results.

“Force Indy is really looking forward to continuing the relationship with HMD Motorsports,” said Force Indy’s Rod Reid. “We have a season working together under our belt, and our goals in and out of the pits align.”

“I’m super excited to announce my next step to HMD Motorsports with Force Indy and be part of their family,” Rowe said. “I am extremely excited to grow and progress with them as a team and fight for many more race wins.”

As a data-driven driver with the raw talent to apply it, Rowe will benefit greatly from HMD Motorsports’ expansive field of drivers and the abundance of data the team provides. With just three seasons of INDY NXT by Firestone competition since the team’s inception, HMD Motorsports has accumulated 25 wins and earned back-to-back Team Championships and the 2023 Driver Championship. This weekend, the team will look to continue its championship streak as the season concludes at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca as Christian Rasmussen enters the doubleheader with a 65-point lead while teammate Nolan Siegel leads the Rookie of the Year standings.

Maurini said, “Myles is a great talent, and we have had our eye on him for quite some time and are confident that he will have success not only in 2024 but for years to come.”

Please be sure to follow HMD Motorsports on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram by searching @HMDMotorsports. For more information on HMD Motorsports visit HMDMotorsports.com or email info@hmdmotorsports.com.

Champions Power, Team Penske Share Honorsat Victory Lap Celebration  

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From Indycar

  Lundqvist, HMD Motorsports with Dale Coyne Racing Saluted for Indy Lights Title
INDIANAPOLIS (Saturday, Sept. 17, 2022) – Will Power and Team Penske stepped into the spotlight again as the 2022 NTT INDYCAR SERIES champions Saturday night during the Victory Lap Celebration at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum. Power clinched his second series championship with a third-place finish in the No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet last Sunday at the Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey at Weather Tech Raceway Laguna Seca. He won his first title in 2014 with Team Penske.
Australia native Power prevailed by 16 points over teammate Josef Newgarden, delivering Team Penske its record-extending 17th INDYCAR SERIES championship. Team Penske President Tim Cindric accepted the Championship Owner Award.
Newgarden and Scott Dixon of Chip Ganassi Racing also were saluted for finishing second and third, respectively, in the standings. Power led the 2022 season with five NTT P1 Awards for pole, earning the NTT P1 Award as the best qualifier of the season. It’s the fifth time in his career he has won this award. Power also made history last weekend by winning his 68th career pole, breaking a tie with fellow legend Mario Andretti for the all-time INDYCAR SERIES record.
Team Penske’s technical team also was honored with two awards. Kyle Moyer won the Team Manager of the Year Award for the fifth time. It’s the sixth time a Team Penske executive has won. Pennzoil presented Trevor Lacasse with the Chief Mechanic of the Year for the first time, the sixth time a Team Penske mechanic has earned this award.
Power’s No. 12 Verizon Team Penske crew also won the Firestone Pit Performance Award for earning the most cumulative Pit Stop Performance Award points during the 2022 season.
Team Penske drivers Power, Newgarden and Scott McLaughlin delivered nine of Chevrolet’s series-leading 11 victories this season, helping Chevy win the Manufacturer Award for the seventh time since it returned to the series in 2012 and the first time since 2017. Jim Danahy, U.S. vice president, Competition Motorsports Engineering for Chevrolet, accepted the award on behalf of his team
.Christian Lundgaard was honored as the 2022 NTT INDYCAR SERIES Rookie of the Year. Lundgaard, from Denmark, scored one podium finish, two top-five finishes and seven top-10s in the No. 30 Honda fielded by Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing. He edged David Malukas of Dale Coyne Racing with HMD by 18 points in the standings for first-year series drivers.
Success in Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires also was honored this year at the Victory Lap, as in 2022 INDYCAR took over execution and promotion of the series that provides the last step of preparation for drivers aspiring to race in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES. Linus Lundqvist was honored as champion after a dominant season for HMD Motorsports with Dale Coyne Racing. Lundqvist, from Sweden, won a series-high five races in the No. 26 HMD Motorsports with Dale Coyne Racing entry and clinched the Lights championship with a race to spare, ending with a 92-point advantage over Sting Ray Robb.
Lundqvist also received a painting representing his 2022 championship season created by noted motorsports artist Jim Swintal, also a longtime INDYCAR SERIES race official. Swintal has painted these works for Lights champions every year since 1991.Andretti Autosport teammates Robb and Matthew Brabham also were honored for finishing second and third, respectively, in the standings.
HMD Motorsports with Dale Coyne Racing owners Henry and Daiva Malukas accepted an honor for their championship-winning team this season in Lights.
Hunter McElrea received the Rookie of the Year Award in Indy Lights. McElrea, from New Zealand, drove to two victories, seven podium finishes and three poles in the No. 27 Andretti Autosport entry en route to finishing fourth in the series standings.
Newgarden and Lundqvist also received the AiM Sports Move Award for their respective series, presented to the driver judged to have made the most dramatic pass of the year.  

Indycar Notes: Indy Lights Looks for Expanded Grid; Ganassi, Montoya Make Sports Car Moves

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Some good news for Indy Lights. HMD is teaming with Global Racing Group to field a total of four cars in the Indy Lights field in 2021. Global Racing won the 2020 Formula Regional Americas title with Linus Lundqvist driving. HMD, owned by Henry Malukas ran David Malukas and Toby Sowery in 2019 Indy Lights. Sowery won a race in 2019.

The four car effort will double the current size of the field with the four cars from Andretti Autosport. Dan Andersen, owner of the Road to Indy, expects 11-13 cars on the grid in 2021.

Ganassi to Run DPi Cadillac in IMSA

Chip Ganassi Racing reenters IMSA with a DPi Cadillac entry next year. Ganassi ran the top class of prototypes in the Grand Am series and also entered Fords in the GTLM class through 2019. He takes over the Cadillac entry from Wayne Taylor, who is switching to Acura. Drivers have not been named, but I expect Scott Dixon to be the extra driver for the endurance races.

Montoya Signs with Dragonspeed

Juan Pablo Montoya will drive for Dragonspeed int he World Endurance Championship in 2021. The two time Indianapolis 500 winner drove for Team Penske Acura in IMSA the last three years, winning the championship in 2019. he finished the season with a second place overall at the Sebring 12 Hour race last Saturday.

Montoya will team with Henrik Hedman and Ben Hanley. Hanley drove Dragonspeed’s entry in the last two Indianapolis 500s. The team will not compete in any Indycar races in 2021.

Quiet at Coyne

We may have gotten spoiled the last couple of years as Dale Coyne Racing had their driver lineups set by Christmas. The quiet from the Coyne shop seems strange, but this is the way it used to be with the team.

I think some news may be coming soon, and it involves a possible new owner in Indycar. Stay tuned.

Requests

What stories would you like to see for the final six weeks of 2020? History? Reprints of previous articles? Let me know. I’m thinking of publishing some my non-racing creative writing, but I like you guys too much to bore you with that.

I will have at least one more column before Thanksgiving. Stay safe, mask up, and wash your hands.