Indy NXT by Firestone sophomore Myles Rowe made history on Saturday at Iowa Speedway, claiming his first victory in the series after 23 starts. The Georgia native made a brave pass on championship leader Dennis Hauger in the closing phases of the race before creating an insurmountable gap on his way to the checkered flag.
The victory marked a milestone first win for Kentucky based team Abel Motorsports in 2025. It also was the first time a driver besides Jacob Abel earned an Indy NXT race win for the team. However, the importance of this win stretched beyond team achievements, as Rowe became the first Black driver to win an Indy NXT race.
For a Force Indy Race Team that has spent years developing drivers to increase diversity in racing, this was no small moment in their ongoing story as a program. A day with no shortage of firsts and historic moments left Rowe joyous, but also already looking ahead towards the future.
“We don’t stop here,” Rowe said. “I’m looking for a lot more than this. But, glad we could finally get this done for sure.”
The overtake to move into the top spot on track was a story of its own, requiring dozens of laps to set up, and the bravery to take a chance around the outside of the racetrack.
“Passing in the beginning wasn’t going to be realistic,” Rowe said. “I knew I was going to have to come to traffic and just be a little strategic and patient. And that’s exactly what I did.”
As for the bigger picture in the Indy NXT championship, Rowe gained ground on the rest of the competition, but remained 125 points behind Hauger, and 36 behind Caio Collet, who currently occupies third position in the championship. With five rounds to go, including two more ovals, the battle between Collet and Rowe is set to go down to the final laps in Nashville next month.
Until then, Rowe must continue to make a strong case to join the NTT Indycar Series for years to come, and today was a huge step in shaping that argument, and shaping his future.
written by Owen White / Media Credit: Penske Entertainment
