Andretti World’s Max Taylor pulled off a dramatic late go to assert his first-ever Indy NXT win on the Grand Prix of Arlington.
After beginning fourth, Taylor snagged the race lead with lower than two minutes remaining within the 30-minute timed race, crossing the end line 1.8925s forward of Enzo Fittipaldi within the #67 HMD Motorsports entry.
“Oh, I wished it with each ounce of my physique,” Taylor mentioned. “I imply, I needed to struggle for it. That was some onerous racing on the market, however this monitor simply creates such good racing.
“Completely unbelievable to drive round right here and, yeah, to make some strikes on the market. It was plenty of enjoyable. Lots of carnage occurring, however we have been in a position to present our tempo. Lacking qualifying yesterday, however we positively did not miss it immediately.”
Fittpaldi, who led the vast majority of what ended up being 15 laps, had combined feelings ending second.
“Yeah, it was onerous racing,” Fittipaldi mentioned. “I like to race onerous and that is what I like about, you understand, racing right here within the States. It is uncooked racing and I actually get pleasure from that. We had some good battles on the market. Sadly, we got here residence second. I feel we have been main a lot of the race there.
“I am only a bit pissed off with the end result, however tremendous blissful on the similar time, you understand, first podium of the season. And you understand, we had a tricky begin at St. Pete with that mistake in qualifying, and I am simply blissful to bounce again right here and have the ability to be combating on the entrance.”
Tymek Kucharczyk, driving the #71 HMD Motorsports machine, completed third on the two.73-mile, 14-turn short-term road circuit.
Juan Manuel Correa (Cusick Morgan Motorsport) and Lochie Hughes (Andretti World) completed fourth and fifth, respectively.
The Race
Chaos struck proper out of the gate as Jack Beeton jumped the beginning from fifth as the sector bought stacked up on the alternate begin line on the backstretch, which resulted in Colin Kaminsky being pressured out and punted into the surface wall.
A delayed yellow then noticed pole-sitter Alessandro de Tullio hit within the right-rear by Tymek Kucharczyk, sending de Tullio astray in Flip 10 and falling to twenty second.
The warning lastly got here out, and upon additional evaluation Race Management deemed Beeton was penalized for leaping the beginning and compelled to drop to the again of the sector. In consequence, Fittipaldi assumed the race lead.
The race restarted with simply over 16 minutes left, with Fittipaldi breaking away from Kucharczyk, who was beneath evaluation for his earlier contact on de Tullio. Kucharczyk started to shut on Fittipaldi, with third-place man Taylor holding serve 1s behind.
After an prolonged evaluation, Race Management deemed no motion was required on the sooner contact between Kucharczyk and de Tullio.
With 11 minutes to go, Kucharczyk started to hound Fittipalid for the race lead, coming out on the backstretch however unable to finish the go. It turned a three-horse race as Taylor joined within the battle. Kucharczyk handed Fittipaldi on the within Flip 9. Fittipaldi fought again and reclaimed the lead within the following nook as Taylor almost took it three-wide.
Taylor pulled off a late dive on Kucharczyk in Flip 14 and took second. Kucharczyk then got here beneath assault by Correa, however held serve.
Fittipaldi held a 1s lead on Taylor when the warning with six minutes remaining after Andretti World’s Josh Pierson was stopped heading in the right direction in Flip 2 after contact with HMD’s Salvador de Alba.
The restart got here with roughly 3 minutes, 38 seconds left as Fittipaldi pulled away from Taylor, however there was contact behind the sector that resulted in de Alba spinning. Thankfully, de Alba bought again going and the race stayed inexperienced.
Taylor bought beneath Fittipaldi on the exit of Flip 11 and took the lead with lower than two minutes to go. Fittpaldi continued to stalk the chief, with Kucharczyk proper within the thick of the struggle and able to pounce if the highest two made a mistake.
With a clear race monitor forward, Taylor was in a position to inch away from his rivals and safe the primary win of this Indy NXT profession, forward of Fittipaldi and Kucharczyk.
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