Road to Indy ladder series race winner Nolan Siegel will advance to Indy Lights in 2023 driving for HMD Motorsports with Dale Coyne Racing.

California native Siegel, 17, made his Indy Lights debut last month with HMD at the season-ending Indy Lights Grand Prix of Monterey at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. He was second quickest in the opening practice and ended the weekend with two top-10 finishes.

“I was thrown into the deep end a little bit at Laguna Seca but enjoyed the experience and learned a lot,” Siegel said. “The Indy Lights car is a whole new beast. It is heavier, faster and takes a slightly different driving style. The tires had a different grip level than I was used to, and the push-to-pass option was also something new to me.

“After the weekend was done, I looked back and it was definitely not the results I would have wanted, but I also wouldn’t want to go into the first race of 2023 having not had the experience.”

Siegel won two races in the 2022 Indy Pro 2000 Presented by Cooper Tires season before his Lights debut. He finished fourth in the series standings, just five points out of third.

Previously in the Road to Indy, Siegel completed three seasons of the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship beginning in 2019 at age 14. In his final USF2000 season, Siegel earned one win and four podiums.

“Nolan performed well at Laguna and during our new driver evaluation day,” HMD Motorsports General Manager Mike Maurini said. “I am expecting some big things from him in 2023 as he has surrounded himself with all the right people to have success.”