NEWTON, Iowa. (July 14, 2024) – The ABEL Motorsports team fought through a myriad of outside issues during Saturday’s INDY NXT by Firestone Iowa 100, with Yuven Sundaramoorthy leading the driver trio with his fourth top 10 finish in the past five races.
Racing on a recently partially repaved circuit, several teams experienced tire blistering during Friday’s practice session, prompting INDYCAR – in consultation with series partner Firestone – to make several updates to Saturday’s race format. The race distance was adjusted from 75 to 55 laps, with a 10-lap competition yellow after the leader completed Lap 15.
Jacob Abel (No. 51 ABEL Construction), second in INDY NXT points, took the green flag in seventh position, with Sundaramoorthy (No. 22 S Team Motorsports) in 14th and Taylor Ferns (No. 55 Bradford Allen) – in her series debut – in 18th.
With track temperatures nearing 120F, the trio knew that tire management would be key. Abel opted for caution at the start, tucking into eighth position, as Sundaramoorthy and Ferns held their ground.
Two cars tangled in Turn 2 on Lap 13, with the field navigating a significant debris field as the yellow came out. Once the debris and resulting oil dry finally cleaned, the race returned to green with 10 laps remaining. As soon as he got back up to speed, Abel knew he had an issue, coming to pit lane to replace a punctured right rear tire. Sundaramoorthy and Taylor continued to battle, but the race went back to yellow with two laps remaining when another car found the wall. At the checkered flag, Sundaramoorthy had come home in 10th, with Abel 15th and Ferns 16th.
“We set up the car for long run pace in qualifying, which ended up starting us in the back,” said Sundaramoorthy. “But we were hoping we would get a long run to work our way forward. It didn’t quite happen that way with the yellows, which was a little unfortunate, but we had pace, so just going to look on the bright side today. There’s a lot of luck that goes into this sport and we didn’t get on the good side of luck today, so maybe next time.”
“We were fine early on, just saving our tires, and obviously the puncture was pretty bad luck,” said Abel. “We were going too slow during the yellow so it wasn’t apparent until we went back to green. Just a really frustrating day.”
“We lost the test day to rain but I had confidence in myself going into the weekend that we’d be alright,” said Ferns. “Unfortunately, the negative circumstances kept tumble-weeding, things that were out of our control. But the team worked with me, they were patient with me – more patient than I am with myself. I wouldn’t be doing this if I didn’t think I could be competitive, but we knew it was going to be a battle. I’m not out here whipping my sprint car around, and there are so many more variables. I’m really disappointed but we’ll be back.”
ABEL Motorsports thanks partners ABEL Construction Company, Advance Ready Mix, Boyd Cat®, S Team Motorsports, Quest Global and OMP for their continued support.
Next up for ABEL Motorsports and the INDY NXT by Firestone will be the Outfront Showdown at World Wide Technology Raceway near St. Louis, MO., August 17 at 3:55 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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