Ahead of the 2024 season, we wanted to sit down with key personnel at ABEL Motorsports to get their story about what makes ABEL great and their thoughts about the future of the team.
Q: You have worked with many young drivers during your engineering career as they climb the open-wheel ladder towards the NTT INDYCAR SERIES. What has it been like working with Jacob Abel as he has progressed through USF Pro 2000 into a veteran in the INDY NXT by Firestone series?
KB: It’s been great not only getting to work with Jacob as his lead engineer, but to also get to know him away from the track as well. Throughout my career I have had the pleasure of creating long lasting relationships with my drivers, and Jacob is no different.
In terms of on track performance, Jacob’s growth in such a short amount of time has been great to watch. He shows up ready to get to work, and is always asking questions to try and figure out ways we can improve as a team and an engineer/driver combination which makes me work that much harder.
Q: You have been involved with open-wheel racing for years, what is it about ABEL Motorsports that keeps you invested and excited to show up to work every day?
KB: The people. We not only have an incredibly talented group of people, from mechanics, engineers, truck drivers, all the way up but its the personal relationships that we have here that is awesome. It really is one big family here at ABEL Motorsports, and when you combine that with the growth we have over the past few seasons, it makes it very easy to get up and come to work day in and day out.
Q: There were quite a few highlights for not only the team in 2023, but also the 51 car specifically. When you reflect back on the season and year as a whole, what moment or moments stand out most to you?
KB: Easily at the top of the list for me would have to be our pole at Iowa. It was awesome to not only help get Jacob his first INDY NXT pole, but to also help bring the first pole position award to the team. It was nice to reward everyone who works so hard on this team with our car at the top of the pylon, and to show that we are more than capable of challenging for poles, wins, and championships.
Q: We had some younger individuals in the engineering office this year working under you, what feelings do you get when you see one of your jr. engineers really start to understand something or watching them progress in learning the race engineer role?
KB: Pride. I have been doing this for a number of years, and I think back to when I was first starting out in this industry and seeing everything for the first time and thinking “wow there is a lot to learn”. Being able now in my career to help mentor the younger engineers that one day will be doing what I do just brings me an immense joy.
Q: When looking at the growth of the team, and thinking ahead to 2024, what are you looking forward to in the new season? Where do you think ABEL Motorsports is headed?
KB: When you look at our team year over year, there is a consistent theme: growth. Whether that be more experience, a new series, new team members etc. and that consistent theme is something I expect to be present again in 2024. We have really proved over the last two seasons that we have the right people in place, and great equipment and 2024 is hopefully going to be filled with wins, podiums and hopefully a 2024 INDY NXT by Firestone championship.
Abel Motorsports including team Principal, Bill Abel, has been competing since 1972. ABEL Motorsports is now on to the third generation with Jacob Abel being the flagship driver for the team. The team was able to capture the inaugural F3 Americas Championship in 2018, and currently competes in the freshly rebranded INDY NXT by Firestone series, the official development series for the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, as well as the team’s first entry into the Indianapolis 500 with driver RC Enerson. For more information visit the official team website at: www.abelmotorsports.com