Louis Foster crowned Indy Nxt champion with Milwaukee 100 victory

Photo: James Black

Andretti Global’s Louis Foster clinched the 2024 Indy Nxt title with a lights-to-flag victory in the Milwaukee 100.

Foster was untouchable throughout the penultimate race of the season, controlling the pace from the front for all 90 laps and taking the chequered flag for his seventh win of 2024 more than four seconds ahead of second placed Jacob Abel.

His former title rival had some difficulties at the start of the race, making contact with HMD Motorsports’ Christian Brooks as the field bunched together on the opening lap.

The Abel Motorsports driver slipped back down the order and Jamie Chadwick came through to second, with Abel then spending the first half of the race slowly working his way back up through the field. 

A mid-race spin for Myles Rowe prompted a brief caution period, but Rowe was able to get going again swiftly. The caution period bunched up the field, but Chadwick did not challenge team-mate Foster on the restart. Instead, she came under attack from Andretti Cape’s Salvador de Alba, who slotted past into second.

Abel took Chadwick soon after and kept the pressure on de Alba, allowing Foster to escape up ahead. The pair battled to be runner-up, with Abel managing to make a move stick late in the race to secure the position.

With Foster comfortably ahead, there was little Abel could do to reel in the champion-elect or to keep his own title hopes alive. He had to settle for second, in both the race and the championship. He sits far enough ahead of Caio Collet in the standings to have his position in the standings secured before the final race.

Andretti Cape driver de Alba held onto the final podium spot, ahead of Bryce Aron and Chadwick.

James Roe Jr and Yuven Sundaramoorthy spent the second half of the race battling for position, along with Brooks. Roe and Sundaramoothy made slight contact at one point, but they managed to both get away without damage. Roe took sixth, with Brooks passing Sundaramoorthy to take seventh.

Collet finished ninth ahead of Jonathan Browne, who passed the battling Josh Pierson and Callum Hedge late in the race to make the top 10.

Race result (90 laps)