It’s been a few weeks since we last saw the Indy NXT drivers out on track, battling for the win at the Sonsio Grand Prix. But last weekend, they were back out in force for the Detroit Grand Prix. Once again, Championship Leader Dennis Hauger was the man that everybody wanted to beat. But would anyone be able to?
Hauger Extends Championship Lead
Dennis Hauger’s renaissance is in full swing over in the United States of America. The Norwegian driver has gone from strength to strength in Indy NXT in 2025 – and that was no different this time out in Detroit.
Once again, Hauger qualified in Pole Position and and dominated Sunday’s race. His victory makes this his fourth win from five races in only his rookie season. Were it not for Lochie Hughes, his lead in the Championship would be nothing short of monumental. Hauger currently sits on 241 points, with Hughes on 203. But Caio Collet in third place is much further back, sitting on just 157 points.
Hauger’s performance at the Detroit Grand Prix showcased once again what many saw him do back in Formula 3. If he keeps this up, the title might be wrapped up well before the end of the season.
Collet Close Behind
At the Detroit Grand Prix, while it may have been another win for Hauger, Caio Collet was hot on his heels. Starting from fourth on the grid, he made his way up to second place by the end of the race. He followed Hauger home over the line with just over a second separating the pair. This marked his third podium of the season. But that first win of 2025 continues to elude him. Having finished third in the Championship in 2024, Collet will be looking to go all out for the remainder of the season, not just to prove that Hauger can’t have it all his own way – but for the sake of his own IndyCar future too.
Podium for Correa!
In only his third race in Indy NXT, after having only joined the series at its third round at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Juan Manuel Correa found himself on the podium. The American-Ecuadorian driver started down in ninth place after a mixed qualifying session on Saturday.
But Correa was able to avoid all of the drama and carnage from the opening lap (more on that shortly) and methodically work his way up through the field. His distinctive yellow livery also makes the newcomer easy to spot for new and old fans alike during the race, making it easier to route for him when he’s so easily identifiable.
Another driver hailing from the world of Formula 2 and Formula 3, Correa got off to a rough start last time out in Indianapolis. But this third place finish at the Detroit Grand Prix is surely going to be a massive confidence boost for him. Sitting in nineteenth in the standings at the moment, with momentum like this, it’s unlikely that he’ll stay down there for long.
Carnage on Lap 1!
There was chaos on the opening lap of the race in Detroit however! Before all of the cars had even managed to get around the first turn, Jordan Missing made contact with the wall, damaging his nose and forcing those around him to carefully drive around him.
Less than two corners later and it was a case of at least three cars definitely don’t fit into one corner at the same time. Ten cars were involved in the incident in total with a complete blockage of that part of the track as drivers attempted to make their way over the bridge. Naturally, the red flag was waved and the race stopped while this mess could be cleaned up.
Detroit Grand Prix – Worthy Mentions
Josh Pierson is worth mentioning here as he put in his best performance of the season so far by finishing the race in fourth place. Sebastian Murray also managed to achieve this with his six place finish.
Salvador de Alba, Myles Rowe and Liam Sceats all had weekends to forget with some of their worst race results from the season so far.
Hailee Deegan was involved in the lap one carnage but was able to survive it. Currently the only female driver on the Indy NXT grid, Deegan went on to finish in P16 – her second best result of the season.
Detroit Grand Prix – Final Thought
The Detroit Grand Prix proved once again just how good Dennis Hauger is behind the wheel of an Indy NXT car. There are still nine rounds to go in 2025 but with the gap in the Championship widening after every race, the task of beating him to the title becomes ever more difficult. Will anyone be able to? Will we see Hauger follow in Louis Foster’s footsteps to transform his domination into an IndyCar seat in 2026? We’ll have to tune in to find out.
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Indy NXT returns June 15th at the World Wide Technology Raceway.
Feature Image: IndyCar Media Centre
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