Indy NXT at Iowa delivered a blockbuster race for us. With Dennis Hauger on Pole, things looked set to go as they normally do. By the end of the race, we had a jumbled podium, a new race winner and a championship contender potentially with a championship ending result.
Here’s everything you need to know from Indy NXT in Iowa.
Myle Rowe Makes History
Last time out at Mid-Ohio, Myles Rowe had his second worst result of the season so far, finishing down in P10. Fast forward seven days and what a difference a week makes. Starting from fourth on the grid, Rowe kept an eye on what was happening out in front for the majority of the race.
Then, with fourteen laps to go, Rowe made a daring and brilliant move on Hauger, swooping past the Norwegian driver to claim P1. From there until the end, he refused to relinquish the lead. Crossing the line in first place with a gap of 1.3927 seconds, Rowe won his first race of the 2025 season – and his first ever in Indy NXT.
“We don’t stop here — I’m looking for a lot more than this,” – Myle Rowe
It’s been a long time coming for Myles Rowe. With Louis Foster and Dennis Hauger dominating the past two seasons of Indy NXT, some weren’t sure if we’d get the chance to see Rowe demonstrate what he’s truly capable of. But after a consistent run of results this season, we finally got to.
Dennis Hauger Looms Large
Another week and another pole position for Dennis Hauger. In the Indy NXT race at Iowa this weekend, he also led the most laps but unusually, the win would allude him. Mirroring IndyCar Championship Leader Alex Palou though, Hauger’s version of a bad result was P2. So not too shabby all things considered.
When it came to battling Rowe and taking the lead back from, Hauger simply didn’t have an answer. He’ll want to look into that and where he might improve even more before Indy NXT goes racing again next time out in Laguna Seca.
Fight for Best of the Rest
Normally this season, the podium places have been made up by Hauger, Collet and Hughes in some formation. Not so at Iowa. Hauger was the only one of the three up there with Rowe out front in first. But it was Salvador De Alba who claimed the last spot on the podium in P3. Somehow, this is the Mexican’s first podium of the season, having come tantalisingly close several time already.
While Caio Collet wasn’t a million miles away in fourth, it was Neils Koolen who finished in fifth. It was by far and away his best result of the year so far and seemed to come out on nowhere. The Dutch driver will be very happy with this result and will want to replicate and improve on it again next time out.
Callum Hedge finished in sixth and then James Rowe finished in seventh – also his best result of the season so far. There must be something in the air in corn county. Jordan Missig continued his somewhat resurgent form of point scoring finishes by coming home in P9. Max Taylor finished in P10, in only his third race of the season, the three of which have been unevenly spread out all year. He last raced in Indy NXT back in Detroit.
Indy NXT in Iowa
Elsewhere, following his massive crash at Mid-Ohio, Sebastian Murray was not cleared by the medical team to go racing here in Iowa. Hopefully he’ll be able to race again in Laguna Seca.
Josh Pierson, Ricardo Escotto, Juan Manuel Correa and Davey Hamilton Jr. all had spins of their own throughout the race. Pierson was the highest recovering driver of the four, coming home in P11.
Lochie Hughes also had a very costly day at the office. Blocking Rowe, Hughes was awarded a drive through penalty. Due the short nature of the Iowa oval, this essentially put Hughes out of contention. He finished in P16.
Myles Rowe is slowly closing in on Collet and Hughes now but any chance of anyone catching Hauger looks all but lost.
Can anyone take the fight to Hauger in Laguna Seca? We’ll have to wait and see.
Feature Image: IndyCar Media Centre
Indy NXT returns July 26th at Laguna Seca
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