Photo: Gavin Baker Photography
Salvador de Alba will step up to Indy Nxt this year with Andretti Cape, a tie-up between the Andretti Global and Cape Motorsports teams.
Prior to 2022, de Alba was a stock racing star and spent five seasons racing in his home country in NASCAR Mexico. He won a race as a series sophomore in 2018, was second in the 2019 standings then two years later took the title with four race wins.
He then moved across to USF Pro 2000, a third-tier single-seater series on IndyCar’s support bill, and won two races as a rookie en route to eighth in the standings. Last year he won the Freedom 90 oval race and improved to third in the standings despite his season being light on podium finishes.
The 24-year-old now moves up to the next rung on the single-seater ladder, and is the first signing for the Andretti Cape alliance which was announced earlier this week.
“Joining Andretti Cape is the biggest step in my career so far, and I’m excited to be part of this team,” said de Alba.
“Last year was great for me across NASCAR, Super Copa and USFP2000, so I’m eager to start competing in Indy Nxt for the first time. With the help of my sponsors, [former IndyCar racer] Michel Jourdain and the Andretti Cape team, we’re pleased to make the jump to Indy Nxt, and I plan to work hard to make the most out of this season.”
Andretti’s president J-F Thormann added: “Bringing Salvador onto the Andretti Cape Indy Nxt roster this year is an excellent move for us. He has a strong resume in a variety of series and recently walked out of 2023 with two driver’s championships, which is an impressive feat that hasn’t gone unnoticed. We think that Salvador’s experience and eagerness will make him a great asset to the team, and we’re looking forward to helping to develop his career and watching him grow.”