Note: This concludes a series of 2024 INDY NXT by Firestone team previews on INDYNXT.com. The season starts Sunday, March 10 on the streets of St. Petersburg, Florida.
Starting Lineup: Louis Foster (No. 26 Copart/Novara Technologies), Bryce Aron (No. 27 Jaguar Land Rover Chesterfield), Jamie Chadwick (No. 28 VEXT), James Roe (No. 29 TopCon).
2023 in Review: It was a strong season for the organization, scoring four wins and 13 combined podiums in 14 races, including a driver on the podium in nine of the final 10 events. Hunter McElrea led the charge with a runner-up finish in points after scoring 11 top-five finishes. McElrea produced a strong end of the season with five podium finishes, including a pair of wins (Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course and WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca), in the final six races. Foster had a strong debut season in the series with wins at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course and Portland International Raceway and six podiums in a fourth-place finish in points. Chadwick improved drastically in the second half, seeing her average finish jump from 13.5 in the first six events to 10.38 over the final eight. Roe produced his strongest season to date with a podium finish at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course and four top-five finishes.
New for ’24: A rebrand. Andretti Autosport shifts to Andretti Global as the organization rebrands all its teams across various disciplines under one umbrella. Otherwise, it’s mainly status quo apart from newcomer Aron replacing McElrea in the No. 27 car. The rest of the cast from 2023 returns as the team is after its sixth INDY NXT by Firestone championship.
Keep an Eye on This: Continuity is sports is a great thing, but for a series like INDY NXT by Firestone, it adds pressure to the drivers. At this level, most drivers have their eyes peeled toward a future in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES. However, you don’t want to overstay your welcome. Two years in INDY NXT has proven to be the right range. For Andretti Global, three of their four drivers enter their sophomore seasons full time, and each says how much pressure is on this being a make-or-break season for them. There are no longer any excuses not to perform, especially for a team of this magnitude.
Little-Known Fact: An Andretti Global driver either has finished first (2018, 2019, 2021) or second (2022, 2023) in points in each of the last five INDY NXT by Firestone seasons.