Note: The Penske Entertainment editorial staff is looking back at the five biggest moments of 2025 in INDY NXT by Firestone in this year-end series, with one installment appearing on the site per day in countdown fashion from Dec. 27-31.

Myles Rowe ended the 2025 INDY NXT by Firestone season in style, scoring a commanding victory in the season finale Aug. 31 at Nashville Superspeedway.

Rowe led 20 of 65 laps to earn his second career win in the INDYCAR development series – both coming during a breakout 2025 season.

That feat marked a satisfying conclusion to a year defined by growth and resilience. ABEL Motorsports originally signed Rowe following a difficult rookie INDY NXT campaign with HMD Motorsports/Force Indy in 2024, when he went winless in 14 starts despite entering the series as the reigning USF Pro 2000 champion.

In 2025, he rewarded ABEL’s confidence by delivering two wins in his final six races, providing a timely boost to his upward trajectory.

Winning once – his breakthrough July 12 triumph at Iowa Speedway – would have been meaningful on its own. Winning twice made a stronger statement.

“It’s nice when the results start to match what you believe in your heart,” Rowe said.

Rowe’s rise has been anything but typical. After beginning in karting, he advanced to the Lucas Oil Formula Car Race Series in 2017 and 2018, but financial limitations forced him to step away in 2019. The COVID-19 pandemic further complicated sponsorship prospects, and Rowe shifted his focus to photography while attending Pace University, unsure if he would ever return to racing.

That changed with the launch of Penske Entertainment’s Race for Equality & Change initiative in 2020, which created new pathways for minorities and women in motorsports. From that effort, Force Indy was established. In 2021, Rod Reid – founder of NXG Youth Motorsports – offered Rowe a lifeline with a USF2000 opportunity.

Rowe seized it, becoming the first Black driver to win a race in the series with a breakthrough victory at New Jersey Motorsports Park. He remained in USF2000 in 2022 with Pabst Racing, while Force Indy moved up to INDY NXT. Rowe delivered five wins that season and finished just six points short of the championship, placing second to Michael d’Orlando.

His ascent continued in 2023 with Pabst and continued Force Indy support in USF Pro 2000. Five more wins secured the title and made Rowe the first Black driver to win a North American open-wheel championship.

That achievement earned him a career enhancement scholarship to step up to INDY NXT in 2024. But his rookie year proved challenging, as he finished 11th in the standings. In 2025, he rebounded convincingly with six podium finishes, including an impressive 2.5 average finish across four oval starts. He added three podiums on road and street circuits, underscoring his versatility.

Rowe returns to ABEL Motorsports in 2026, aiming for the championship.