Dennis Hauger returned to winning form on Saturday with a dominant drive in Race 2 of the INDY NXT by Firestone doubleheader at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course, securing his third victory in just four races this season.
Piloting the No. 28 Rental Group Andretti Global entry, Hauger surged past teammate and pole sitter Lochie Hughes early in the 35-lap contest and never looked back, crossing the finish line 4.7739 seconds ahead to take the checkered flag.
“It’s been a great start to the season,” Hauger said. “Yesterday wasn’t great, but we were able to come back and get a win today. Super-happy about that, and in a place like this, it’s awesome.”
A Perfect Bounce Back
After a frustrating Race 1 on Friday—where Hauger was bumped off track at Turn 1 and had to claw back from last to finish eighth—the Norwegian made the most of his second chance. Avoiding trouble at the start, he stalked Hughes from the green flag and capitalized on the restart after an early caution.
That caution came on Lap 3, when Jack William Miller and Nolan Allaer made contact in Turn 1, stopping both cars in the grass and triggering the race’s only yellow flag. On the restart at Lap 6, Hauger boldly passed Hughes around the outside in Turn 1—his left wheels brushing the dirt—and sealed the move in Turn 2.
From that point on, Hauger steadily extended his lead, managing his rear tires in the warm afternoon and showing impressive pace. His lead hovered around one second until the final ten laps, when he began to pull away convincingly.
“Today we really nailed it,” he said. “It was a warm day, and you had to judge it nicely with the rear tires. We managed well, and we had really good pace.”
Rising Stars Shine
Hughes, who earned his maiden INDY NXT victory in Race 1, secured second place and now trails Hauger by 15 points in the standings after four of 14 races. Myles Rowe continued his breakout weekend with another third-place finish in the No. 99 Abel/Force Indy entry—his best result yet.
Salvador de Alba (P4) and Caio Collet (P5) rounded out the top five, highlighting the depth of young talent in the INDYCAR development ladder.
Looking Ahead
Hauger becomes the first driver to win three of the first four INDY NXT races since Pato O’Ward in 2018—a campaign that launched O’Ward into a full-time INDYCAR career. With this win, Hauger positions himself as a championship favorite as the series heads next to the Detroit street circuit on June 1.
“That’s a good way to bounce back,” Hauger said. “We’ll keep pushing.”
written by Philipp Kraus / Media Credit: Penske Entertainment
