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Speedway, Ind. – It was a hot and wild weekend for Abel Motorsports and their trio of drivers as the team took to the Streets of Downtown Nashville for round 9 of the 2023 INDY NXT by Firestone Championship. Joining alongside Jacob Abel, and making their series debut, were both Francesco Pizzi and Yuven Sundaramoorthy.
The weekend got off to a great start for the series sophomore, Jacob Abel, as he timed in at the top of the chart for both practice 1 and the subsequent practice 2. Time on track was incredibly limited due to heavy storms that moved through the Nashville area causing standing water in multiple areas of the track limiting the amount of green flag running available to the teams.
With qualifying being cancelled due to the standing water, it was determined that the lineup would be set by entrant points giving Jacob Abel a 3rd place starting position.
The INDY NXT by Firestone Music City Grand Prix proved to be a battle the entire way for Jacob Abel as the opening lap saw him fighting with Louis Foster – a theme that would carry on throughout the race as the two battled hard for a podium position. As the laps wound down, Abel had to give up a position to Nolan Siegel after receiving a blocking penalty on the restart. Abel made incredibly quick work, giving up the spot and claiming it right back to try his best to chase down the 2 cars in front. Ultimately Abel would have to settle for 3rd – his 4th podium on the season and his 2nd podium finish in a row.
“This was for sure an interesting weekend because of the weather. We had a super fast car in the dry and were able to show that being P1 in both practice sessions, but not getting the chance to qualify because of the rain was a bit disappointing because I really think we had a shot at the pole. The race was really aggressive but exactly what you would expect as we come down to the end of the year. We are all fighting for a championship and a shot at the NTT INDYCAR Series so the battles are only going to intensify. I can’t thank my guys at Abel Motorsports enough for once again giving me a rocket, but we will come back even hungrier at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway,” said Jacob Abel.
Making his debut in the INDY NXT by Firestone Series, Yuven Sundaramoorthy, had a quiet but very impressive weekend as the Indian American driver was able to keep the No. 57 machine clean all weekend while also learning every step of the way. With qualifying getting rained out and the lineup being set on entrant points, meant Sundaramoorthy would have to start towards the back in 18th.
Slowly chipping away at the cars in front of him, Sundaramoorthy managed to steadily gain positions as the race wore on. As he settled into his Rhythm, passing became easier and easier and ultimately lead to Yuven passing a car every couple of laps until he ultimately ran out of time and ended up in 11th.
“It was a great weekend to get my first shot at the INDY NXT by Firestone Series, and I couldn’t have done it with a better team. The weather didn’t play in our favor at all this weekend so with incredibly limited track time I am really happy with our result. To be able to progress and take the next step towards the NTT INDYCAR Series is just incredible and I can’t wait until I am back in the car,” said Yuven Sundaramoorthy.
Roudning out the Abel Motorsports trio and also making his debut weekend in INDY NXT, Francesco Pizzi, experienced a few mechanical gremlins that ultimately hurt his chances at a strong finish. Despite the difficulties, Pizzi still showed his pace by ending practice 2 in 11th and had been flirting with the top 10 times in practice 1. Lining up based on entrant points meant Pizzi would be starting from the back of the pack in 19th with his sights set on moving up as quickly as possible.
Unfortunately for Pizzi and his No. 55 Abel Motorsports crew, issues came back that resulted in the team and engine partners having to perform a quick diagnostic check and get the 55 machine back in the race 13 laps down. Ultimately Pizzi would soldier through and gain more experience with each lap to finish 19th.
“It was a tough weekend for us in Nashville with some mechanical issues, but that is racing. The team did a great job each time to quickly diagnose what was going on with the car and fix it as fast as possible to give me as many laps as possible to learn. I am looking forward and moving past this weekend and focusing on our next race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and getting a good result there,” said Francesco Pizzi.
Next up for Abel Motorsports is a return to the Indianapolis Motor speedway as a part of the cross-over weekend between the NTT INDYCAR Series and the NASCAR series. Practice, qualifying, and the race will all take place on Friday August 11 with the race being streamed live on Peacock. Keep up with all things Abel Motorsports 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