LEEDS, Ala. — Rookie Dennis Hauger remained flawless on this younger Indy NXT by Firestone season, profitable the Grand Prix of Alabama on Sunday at Barber Motorsports Park.
Andretti International driver Hauger, from Norway, led all 35 laps from the pole in a repeat efficiency of his season-opening win from the No. 1 qualifying place March 2 at St. Petersburg, Florida. Thus far, Hauger has led all 79 laps of competitors this season and each session apart from one observe at St. Petersburg – he was second – within the IndyCar improvement sequence.
“That was a superb weekend, for certain,” Hauger mentioned. “It felt actually good on the market. I used to be attempting to handle the rear tires, particularly to start with. After that, I used to be simply attempting to maintain it constant.
“The tempo was actually there. Andretti gave me a superb automotive all weekend. I’m tremendous glad for all of us.”
Hauger drove his No. 28 Rental Group automotive to a 11.0196-second victory over 17-year-old Evagoras Papasavvas, who made a powerful first profession begin within the No. 24 HMD Motorsports automotive. Lochie Hughes accomplished the rostrum full of rookie drivers, putting third within the No. 26 McGinley Clinic/USF Professional Championship machine.
Veteran Myles Rowe completed fourth – tying his profession greatest within the sequence – within the No. 99 Abel/Drive Indy automotive, whereas veteran Josh Pierson completed a career-best fifth within the No. 14 HMD Motorsports machine.
Two warning intervals had been the one velocity bumps for Components 2 veteran Hauger on Sunday on the 17-turn, 2.3-mile pure terrain street course. He was by no means challenged and pulled away from the sector on restarts on Lap 4 and Lap 13.
Veteran Caio Collet, who began second, saved Hauger trustworthy within the early going. Collet stayed inside a couple of second of the chief till he dropped down the order when his No. 76 HMD Motorsports automotive developed a throttle downside in the course of the second warning interval, triggered on Lap 11 when the No. 29 Grupo Indi automotive of Salvador de Alba and the No. 9 Chip Ganassi Racing machine of Bryce Aron collided in Flip 5.
Papasavvas then inherited second place. He by no means threatened Hauger however held off Hughes, Rowe and Pierson over the closing laps to cap a robust sequence debut. The hole between second-place Papasavvas and fifth-place Pierson on the end was simply 1.8332 seconds.
