- Jacob Abel holds a 25-point INDY NXT by Firestone championship lead heading into the second of two successive race weekends
- Yuven Sundaramoorthy (Wisconsin) and Jordan Missig (Illinois) both consider Road America their home track
SPEEDWAY, Ind. (5 June 2024) – ABEL Motorsports heads to this weekend’s INDY NXT by Firestone Grand Prix of Road America with plenty of storylines, and a driver trio that includes the points leader (Jacob Abel) and two local drivers (Yuven Sundaramoorthy and Jordan Missig).
All three drivers have a great deal of experience on the historic 4.048-mile road course termed “America’s National Park of Speed” through their junior formula careers and, in Missig’s case, his sports car career as well.
Born in Oconomowoc, Wis., Sundaramoorthy figures that between June Sprints, F1600 Championship races, and the USF Pro Championships, he has raced at Road America 20 times. His family moved to China for his father’s work when he was three years old, then moved near Albany, NY when he was 10, but Wisconsin remained a mythical figure in his life.
“Growing up, I would always say that I was from Wisconsin. My parents always bought me Badger stuff growing up because I was into the Wisconsin sports. It’s always been a faint memory in the back of my mind, and I knew I wanted to go to college there.”
Graduating from the University of Wisconsin at Madison last year with a degree in computer science, Sundaramoorthy came away from school with much more than just a degree – his time in Formula SAE gave him practice, real-world knowledge that he puts to use as a race car driver.
Sundaramoorthy will drive the Formula SAE electric vehicle he helped build while studying computer science at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The student team will compete for the electric vehicle championship title at Michigan International Speedway, against as many as 119 university-based teams from all over the world.
“Working with the Formula SAE team gave me so much valuable experience, including ways to use my computer science knowledge with a connection to racing. Through the FSAE team, I got to understand more of the intricacies of a race car, more of the physics side of the car, which has given me more of an understanding of the details behind the car – instead of just being the driver.”
With such a short turnaround between Detroit and Road America, the ABEL team was grateful to come away from last weekend’s street fight with very little damage and for Abel, still holding the points lead. With two podiums and four top fives in six junior formula races at Road America (including last year’s INDY NXT second place finish), Abel considers the scenic road course to be one of his best. It’s also the very first racetrack he visited.
“I feel as though last year’s race was a win that got away from us,” said Abel. “We got unlucky in qualifying and started back in the field but drove up to second. It’s one of our best tracks so I’m looking forward to it. It’s also one of my best memories – it’s the very first track I attended. I was in fourth or fifth grade and my grandfather took me out of school to go see my dad in the vintage races there. I’ve been going there at least 15 years so it holds a very special place in my heart.
“Last year was a crucial year at Road America, because of the new surface,” continued Abel. “We were all still learning the Firestone tires last year and they adapted to that new surface well, so it’s a high-speed, high grip track now. You just have to have confidence out there and as a third-year driver in the series, I’m confident with the car and tire at Road America.”
Missig, from Joliet, Ill. returns to the team for what he considers to be his home race.
“This track has meant a lot to me over the years – it’s given me a lot of wins and a lot of great finishes so I’m hoping to deliver more of that kind of results this weekend,” said Missig, who earned two Lamborghini Super Trofeo Series victories at Road America in 2021, on his way to a third-place finish in the championship. “But this weekend is also special because most of the crew from Autobahn Country Club is coming up to support me, including executives and members. It will be fun to be racing in front of the hometown fans and people who are important to me, on the biggest stage that I’ve been on.”
ABEL Motorsports thanks partners ABEL Construction Company, Advance Ready Mix, Boyd Cat®, S Team Motorsports and OMP for their continued support.
The INDY NXT by Firestone Grand Prix at Road America takes the green flag Sunday at 1:05 p.m. ET. The race will be streamed live in the U.S. on Peacock, while international viewers can watch via INDYCARLIVE, with INDYCAR Radio available at indycar.com and on Sirius XM.
About ABEL Motorsports: Team principal Bill Abel began racing motocross in 1972, earning numerous championship titles as he continued the family racing tradition. In 2015, ABEL Motorsports was launched, starting in the USF2000 series and building up the junior open wheel ladder. The team captured the inaugural Formula Regional Americas Championship with driver Kyle Kirkwood in 2018.
ABEL Motorsports currently competes in the INDY NXT by Firestone series, the official development series for the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, led by third-generation driver Jacob Abel. The team made its INDYCAR debut in 2023 with driver RC Enerson in the Indianapolis 500. For more information visit the official team website at abelmotorsports.com.
About Abel Construction Company: ABEL Construction is one of the largest general contractors in Kentucky, holding licenses in thirteen states. The company has offices in Lexington, Kentucky and Indianapolis, Indiana, with the corporate office in Louisville. Their expertise spans many areas, including general contracting, construction management, design-build, Integrated Project Delivery (IPD), and facilities maintenance.
Abel Construction has helped build some of the region’s most recognizable landmarks. Their projects cover diverse sectors, including automotive, healthcare, post-secondary education, commercial, food/beverage, tech, and industrial/manufacturing. They prioritize client satisfaction, focusing on efficient project delivery regardless of size or cost. The company’s skilled professionals utilize cutting-edge technology and software to ensure successful outcomes. abelconstruct.com/.
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