Indianapolis, Ind. (October 13, 2026) – Abel Motorsports is pleased to announce that Niels Koolen will join the team for the 2027 INDY NXT season. The 25-year-old Dutch driver joins Abel Motorsports after spending the past two seasons with Chip Ganassi Racing in INDY NXT.
Koolen will begin his preparations with Abel Motorsports at the first official INDY NXT test for the 2027 season at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on October 16.
“I’m very happy to join Abel Motorsports for 2027,” said Koolen.
“I have spent time with Bill, John and the people at Abel Motorsports and I’m looking forward to working with the team. We start at Indianapolis on October 16 and from there the focus will be on preparing as well as possible for the new season.”
“We’re very excited to have Niels join our team here at Abel Motorsports for the 2027 season, we have been watching Niels continue to mature and grow behind the wheel and think there are some areas where we can help so we are looking forward to what we can do together next season,” said Team Manager John Brunner.
Alongside his INDY NXT testing program in the United States, Koolen will continue racing during the winter to gain additional track time. His program will include a number of races in Europe, including an LMP2 campaign in the Asian Le Mans Series, which will be held entirely in Europe this season.
Testing ahead of the 2027 INDY NXT season gets underway with the annual Chris Griffis Memorial test at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on October 16th , followed by a test at the Barber Motorsports Park on November 9th. Keep up to date with all things Abel Motorsports including notes from testing by following the team on social media, @abelmotorsports , or by visiting www.abelmotorsports.com
About Abel Motorsports: Abel Motorsports Team Principal Bill Abel began racing motocross in 1972, earning numerous championship titles as he continued the family motorsports tradition. In 2015, Abel Motorsports was launched starting in the USF2000 series and building their way up the junior open-wheel ladder. Abel Motorsports was able to capture the inaugural Formula Regional Americas Championship with driver Kyle Kirkwood.
Today, Abel Motorsports is a leading force in the INDY NXT by Firestone Championship, the official development series of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, where the team operates as a multi-car organization focused on the future. 2024 was a breakout season for Abel Motorsports scoring three wins, three pole positions, and 12 podiums on their way to second in the entrant championship.