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Monterey, CA – The 2023 season finale for the INDY NXT by Firestone championship has arrived, as ABEL Motorsports makes their way to the picturesque Monterey California and the Weathertech Raceway Laguna Seca for rounds 13 & 14 of the 2023 season. ABEL Motorsports will once again feature a 3-car lineup with Jacob Abel, Yuven Sundaramoorthy, and Francesco Pizzi.
After a frustrating day at the Portland International Raceway, series sophomore Jacob Abel, will be looking for a redemption weekend and a chance to move back into the top 3 in series points with 2 opportunities on the weekend to do so.
“Portland obviously didn’t go how we needed or wanted it to go, but that’s racing. You have to take the good with the bad and move on, and that’s our plan this weekend. I feel very confident with what we discovered here last year, the only new variable will be the repave of the track but that should mean we get to go faster with our Firestone tires which will be a blast. It’s been a great year for us and I truly think we can cap it off on a high-note as we move into the off-season and look ahead to 2024,” said Jacob Abel.
After scoring his first top-10 finish in the INDY NXT Series, Yuven Sundaramoorthy, is ready to be back in the No. 57 Dallara and to capitalize on the experience gained in Portland. Sundaramoorthy was able to complete just over 100 laps during the weekend at Portland and feels that his comfortability in the Dallara IL-15 is going to be a big plus for him this weekend in California.
“I’d say Portland went pretty well for us minus the turn 1 incident putting us a lap down, but I felt more comfortable in the car and felt like I showed some pace and I think with more seat time is only going to make me stronger. It’s been a few years since I last raced at Weathertech Raceway Laguna Seca (2019 USF200) but we were able to come away with a top-10 and the track is a blast to drive so I’m excited to do it in a bigger, faster car this time,” said Yuven Sundaramoorthy.
Back again with ABEL Motorsports after wrapping up his season in the USF Pro2000 series, Francesco Pizzi will be making his first trip to the iconic open-wheel circuit with the goal of learning the track and gaining more experience in the No. 55.
“It was great to wrap up my season in USF Pro 2000 and come away with a 5th place in the championship, but my mind is totally focused back on the INDY NXT car and getting up to speed as quickly as possible on a track that I have never been to before. Overall, I am feeling really good heading into the end of the racing season and looking forward for what’s to come,” said Francesco Pizzi.
The double-header weekend at Weathertech Raceway Laguna Seca gets underway on Friday September 8, with the sole practice session of the weekend. Qualifying for both races takes place on Saturday September 9th, followed by race 1 which will be streamed live on Peacock beginning at 12:35pm PT. The final race of the 2023 season will get the green flag on Sunday September 10th, live on Peacock starting at 10:00am PT. Keep up with the action all weekend long by following the team on social media @abelmotorsports.
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. For more information visit the official team website at: www.abelmotorsports.com