Yuven Sundaramoorthy scores best INDY NXT by Firestone season finish of his rookie season
LEBANON, Tenn. (15 September, 2024) – Yuven Sundaramoorthy saved the best for last, moving from 11th to second through the INDY NXT by Firestone field to capture his top series finish to date in the 65-lap Music City Grand Prix at Nashville Speedway.
Rain halted series qualifying on Saturday midway through the session, with Sundaramoorthy (No. 22 Optima Batteries/Clarios/ABEL Motorsports) at the top of the speed charts. The cancellation meant the field would start based on points, with Jacob Abel (No. 51 ABEL Construction) starting second, Sundaramoorthy 11th and Taylor Ferns (No. 55 Bradford Allen/ABEL Motorsports) 18th. Knowing he had the speed, Sundaramoorthy was determined to go for the win.
But drama started even before the green flag, as Abel experienced a steering wheel failure, with the wheel refusing to click into place. He immediately came to pit lane for a new one – which meant he took the green from the back of the 18-car field.
At the drop of the green, Sundaramoorthy headed straight for the high line, moving up to seventh by lap three then using the low line to steadily continue passing cars as he took third on lap 17.
Abel also began making moves, up to 15th by lap 10 and 13th by lap 19. But unfortunately for Ferns, an issue brought her to pit lane on lap 20, ending her day.
By lap 28, the leaders had caught the tail of the field, and Sundaramoorthy balanced getting through traffic and tracking down the two leaders – all while laying down lap times one or more miles an hour quicker. After a multiple-laps battle, Sundaramoorthy made a move in Turn 1 to take second, while Abel moved into the top 10, taking eighth position several laps later.
Slight contact between two cars on lap 53 prodcuced the only yellow of the race, bringing the leaders together with lapped cars behind. Going green with seven laps remaining, Sundaramoorthy stapled himself to the leader, looking for a way by, but at the checkered flag, he was happy with the second-place finish – and a positive start to his 2025 season with the team.
“That’s everything I could have hoped for,” said Sundaramoorthy. “The ABEL team gave me the best car. If quali hadn’t been rained out, I think we would have checked out, but Louis (Foster) ran a perfect race, he didn’t give me an opening. He was breaking the draft as he needed to do and I just couldn’t hold it. I didn’t warm my tires up enough initially on the restart so the first couple of laps were a bit sketchy but once I got rolling, I just caught him. I think we should have had a go there at the end, but I made the pass in the wrong corner and that was that.
“But this has been a great learning year for me,” continued Sundaramoorthy. “I signed a two-year deal with the team so we always knew that was the focus. But the second half of the year, I felt super comfortable. I can’t wait for next year.”
An eighth-place finish was not how Abel wanted to end his INDY NXT – and his junior formula – career, but looking back over a season that includes 10 podiums and three wins in 14 races, and second place in the championship battle, he knows that he’s made a statement as he looks toward a move to the NTT INDYCAR SERIES.
“When I left pit lane, I turned the wheel and it wouldn’t click into place,” said Abel. “I don’t know what it was but it was just something mechanical. Definitely not how I wanted my INDY NXT career to end, but we made a few moves through the field and hopefully showed what we can do when things don’t go our way.
“I’m proud of the entire team this season – everyone on the team worked so hard to get me where I got in the end, I’m glad we were able to do this as a group. Some of these guys have been with me through my whole junior formula career so I’m happy with how the season went – that obviously wasn’t how it was supposed to end but I’m really proud of everything.”
Team principal Bill Abel looked back on the season for his two full-time drivers, noting the progression that both Abel and Sundaramoorthy have accomplished.
“In my mind, this season exceeds our expectations,” said Abel. “The championship didn’t quite go like we wanted it to, but Jacob led the first part of the season and was never out of second place, so that’s a pretty good run at it. We had the pace to win today, Yuven showed that.
“And I think one of the big achievements for us is watching Yuven’s progression this season, from where he started to the way he finished up,” said Abel. “That’s what we predicted with him, similar to what we’ve seen with Jacob over the last three years. Yuven will be back with us next, definitely one of the championship contenders. We hope to have a few other drivers with him to help him that effort, drivers that are going to be really good, able to share good supporting data and video. It’s exciting – the team is in a really good spot.”
The race might not be a “home” one for the Speedway, Ind.-based team, or for Louisville, Ky.-based ABEL Construction, but family, friends and employees made it feel like one, as over 125 people gathered in the team’s hospitality area and in the grandstands for the race.
“We really appreciated everyone who came out,” said Abel. “It was great to see all the ABEL Construction shirts everywhere!”
ABEL Motorsports thanks partners ABEL Construction Company, Advance Ready Mix, Boyd Cat®, S Team Motorsports, Quest Global and OMP for their continued support.
The first event of the 2025 season for ABEL Motorsports and the INDY NXT by Firestone series will be the Chris Griffis Memorial Test at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Friday, October 18. Live timing and scoring of the test will be available at racecontrol.indycar.com.
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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