Photo: Joe Skibinski
Louis Foster made it two from two at Laguna Seca with his second Indy Nxt win of the weekend in Sunday’s race.
Championship rival Jacob Abel finished outside the top 10 after an incident with Reece Gold earned him a drive-through penalty.
It was another lights-to-flag affair for Foster, who claimed his fourth victory of the season and moves into the lead of the championship standings. The Andretti Global driver was comfortably ahead of the rest of the field when the safety car was brought out for a spin from Callum Hedge.
Racing resumed on lap 18 with half the race remaining, and Caio Collet could not stay with the race leader. Foster took the chequered flag 4.3962s ahead.
As in race one, the battle for third was decided in dramatic fashion. Gold had started just ahead of Abel and held that position through the first half of the race. Abel was pushing hard and in the second half of the race the two made contact, sending Gold slightly airborne. The incident allowed Bryce Aron to slip through and secure his first podium finish of the season.
Gold was able to return to the pits with damage to his car and he retired. Abel was deemed at fault for the incident and was handed a drive through penalty that dropped him out of the top 10.
He ended the race battling Jack William Miller for 10th, but couldn’t find a way past.
Yuven Sundaramoorthy finished fourth ahead of Salvador de Alba and Jamie Chadwick, who found a way past championship newcomer Christian Brooks in the closing stages of the race.
Christian Bogle took eighth ahead of Josh Pierson.
Race result (35 laps)
| Pos | Driver | Team | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Louis Foster | Andretti Global | |
| 2 | Caio Collet | HMD Motorsports | +4.3962s |
| 3 | Bryce Aron | Andretti Global | +22.0412s |
| 4 | Yuven Sundaramoorthy | Abel Motorsports | +25.6155s |
| 5 | Salvador de Alba | Andretti Cape | +31.4937s |
| 6 | Jamie Chadwick | Andretti Global | +38.4999s |
| 7 | Christian Brooks | HMD Motorsports | +40.6733s |
| 8 | Christian Bogle | HMD Motorsports | +45.4593s |
| 9 | Josh Pierson | HMD Motorsports | +46.8044s |
| 10 | Jack William Miller | Miller Vinatieri Racing | +49.0732s |
| 11 | Jacob Abel | Abel Motorsports | +49.5460s |
| 12 | Niels Koolen | HMD Motorsports | +52.9177s |
| 13 | Ricardo Escotto | Juncos Hollinger Racing | +56.7201s |
| 14 | Nolan Allaer | HMD Motorsports | +57.0467s |
| 15 | Lindsay Brewer | Juncos Hollinger Racing | +1m13.6046s |
| 16 | Callum Hedge | HMD Motorsports | +1 lap |
| 17 | Myles Rowe | HMD Motorsports | +1 lap |
| Ret | Reece Gold | HMD Motorsports | |
| Ret | James Roe Jr | Andretti Global | |
| NC | Jonathan Browne | HMD Motorsports | |
| Fastest lap: Hedge, 1m14.3127s
Championship standings |
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