Strong P12 in St. Pete Season-Opener
Strong P12 in St. Pete Season-Opener
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (10 March 2024) – ABEL Motorsports made its opening bid for the 2024 INDY NXT by Firestone championship as Jacob Abel scored his second straight second place finish on the streets of St. Petersburg, in front of a sizable Sunday crowd at the NTT INDYCAR SERIES’ Firestone Grand Prix.
Abel (Louisville, Ky.), Yuven Sundaramoorthy (Oconomowoc, Wis.) and Josh Mason (Maresfield, UK) each showed solid pace through the 45-lap race on the 14-turn, 1.8-mile street circuit – the first of 14 INDY NXT by Firestone races in 2024.
Both Sundaramoorthy and Mason had their adventures in the opening laps. Sundaramoorthy found himself shuffled back to 15th as cars jostled early, while Mason – having successfully completed his first ever rolling start – powered through the opening laps of his debut race in the series, pacing in 18th position. With the final laps under green, Abel battled hard to hold position and took the checkered flag in second place. Sundaramoorthy looked to the outside to make a late pass but found the marbles, losing several positions but bringing it home in 12th, with Mason 17th.
While the results varied, all three drivers were happy with their performances and eagerly anticipate the season’s next event.
“I was pretty cautious on the start, with everyone bunched up,” said Sundaramoorthy. “I didn’t want to do anything too hasty, but in hindsight, I could have kept a bit closer – but it was better than being in the wall here. The car felt great on the restarts, it really came alive late in the race. I was able to make a few good moves, though I tried on the outside which cost me a few positions. But we know we have pace; the team gave me a great car. I need to keep getting used to the car and I think we’ll be quick.”
This is only Sundaramoorthy’s fourth race in an INDY NXT car.
