Abel keeps Indy Nxt title fight alive with Portland win

Photo: Travis Hinkle

Jacob Abel kept his Indy Nxt titles hopes alive with a victory ahead of chief rival Louis Foster at Portland.

The Abel Motorsports driver remains mathematically in the fight to be champion and is the only person who can now deny Andretti Global’s Foster the 2024 title.

Abel jumped into the lead at the start, diving past poleman Foster before the first corner. Foster attempted to fight back and was never too far behind Abel, but the leader left him no opportunity to get back past.

Further back, a slight lock-up at the first corner sent drivers scrambling into the run-off area, but everyone made it through the first lap in one piece.

On lap eight the pace car was brought out after Juncos Hollinger Racing’s Ricardo Escotto made contact with the back of James Roe Jr’s car. Roe came to a stop on track, but the Andretti driver was able to get going again and pitted. Escotto also came into the pits, where he retired.

Foster made an attempt at reclaiming the lead from Abel on the restart, but his rival timed his return to racing speed perfectly to remain ahead.

The battle eventually began to draw in Foster’s team-mate Bryce Aron, who had held onto third after a strong start. But Aron was never quite close enough to be able to threaten the top two and settled for his second podium finish of the season.

After a strong start, HMD Motorsports’ Caio Collet took fourth, ahead of team-mates Christian Brooks, Reece Gold and Myles Rowe.

The closest battle in the second half of the race was at the bottom of the top 10, as HMD’s Josh Pierson tried to hold off Andretti’s Jamie Chadwick and his own team-mate Callum Hedge. As Chadwick and Hedge battled, both drivers were forced wide at the chicane and dropped down the order.

HMD’s Jonathan Browne then kept Pierson under pressure, but he was held off, with the pair finishing behind Yuven Sundaramoorty.

Race result (35 laps)