By Lonnie Hugh Skinner
DETROIT (Friday, May 30, 2025) – Just when it appeared Dennis Hauger might be mortal, he sent a message Friday afternoon to the rest of the INDY NXT by Firestone field during the final moments of the first practice for the Detroit Grand Prix.
Series points leader Hauger turned the quickest lap of the opening session of the weekend, 1 minute, 6.8158 seconds, in the No. 28 Rental Group car fielded by Andretti Global on his final trip around the nine-turn, 1.645-mile street circuit in downtown Detroit.
SEE: Practice Results
“Good run,” Hauger said. “We were having some issue in the middle of practice, which wasn’t ideal, and we didn’t get to do as many laps as the others. But we still found good pace. Getting laps was the most important thing with a new track (for me), and a track like this, it’s not easy to get on with quickly.
“A good start. We have to keep improving for tomorrow.”
Those are ominous words for Hauger’s rivals. He has won three of the first four races this season in the INDYCAR development series and is 15 points ahead of fellow Andretti Global series rookie Lochie Hughes atop the standings.
Up next is practice at 8 a.m. ET Saturday, followed by qualifying at 11:30 a.m. (both sessions FS1, FOX Sports app, INDYCAR Radio Network). The 45-lap race starts at 10:30 a.m. ET Sunday (FS1, FOX Sports app, INDYCAR Radio Network).
2024 series Rookie of the Year Caio Collet ended up second at 1:07.1961 in the No. 76 HMD Motorsports machine, also ripping off his quickest lap late in the 45-minute session.
Rookie Max Taylor, just 17 years old, sat atop the time sheets with one minute to go but ended up still an impressive third at 1:07.2210 in the No. 18 HMD Motorsports car. Series veteran Myles Rowe was fourth at 1:07.3022 in the No. 99 Abel/Force Indy machine.
Veteran Salvador de Alba rounded out the top five at 1:07.3826 in the No. 27 Grupo Indi car of Andretti Global. That team put three drivers in the top six as Hughes’ best lap was 1:07.4375 in the No. 26 McGinley Clinic/USF Pro Championship car.
The unforgiving concrete walls around tight, bumpy street circuit in downtown Detroit collected their share of cars during the session.
Andretti Global’s James Roe brought out a red flag with heavy left-side contact in Turn 7 in his No. 29 Topcon machine, while Liam Sceats later made contact in Turn 4 in his No. 30 HMD Motorsports car shortly after the track opened following Roe’s incident.
Also making light contact without causing a red flag were rookie Tommy Smith in the No. 16 HMD Motorsports machine and veteran Niels Koolen in the No. 10 Chip Ganassi Racing car.
None of the drivers involved in the incidents was hurt.
COURTESY INDYCAR COMMUNICATIONS
