INDY NXT by Firestone Teams Complete Test at Iowa Speedway in Advance of Hy-Vee INDYCAR Race Weekend
June 09, 2023 | By INDYCAR
A Total of 17 Cars Participate in Series Open Test on Thursday
NEWTON, Iowa (June 8, 2023) — The rising stars of INDYCAR took to the Iowa Speedway short oval track on Thursday in preparation for next month’s Hy-Vee INDYCAR Race Weekend, July 21-23. During today’s INDY NXT by Firestone open test, 17 cars turned laps on the 7/8 of a mile track in Newton, Iowa as series teams gear up for the first oval race of the 2023 season.
The test was a valuable one for INDY NXT competitors as they got their first opportunity to run the new Firestone tire compound for oval tracks, which will see its first race action during Hy-Vee INDYCAR Race Weekend. On Thursday, teams logged 1,353 combined laps over the course of the day at Iowa Speedway.
Series championship leader Christian Rasmussen of HMD Motorsports topped the testing speed chart with a fast lap of 20.4319 (157.518 mph) in the morning session.
“It’s always good when we roll off the gate this strong,” said Rasmussen, who finished second in last year’s series race at Iowa Speedway. “Obviously, it’s going to be quite a bit different race weekend with temperatures and all this and that, but it’s definitely confidence inducing. We want to be quick every time we’re on track and we seem to be. Whether we’re on street circuits, when we’re on road courses and even on the ovals now, so it was a good day. I’m very happy. P1 in both sessions today and we gained a lot of experience. We’ll come back for the race and try to do the same thing.”
For the second consecutive year, INDY NXT by Firestone will compete alongside the NTT INDYCAR SERIES during Hy-Vee INDYCAR Race Weekend. The next generation of INDYCAR stars will qualify on Friday, July 21 before hosting Round 8 of the 2023 INDY NXT by Firestone season on Saturday, July 22 (11 am ET on Peacock).
To purchase 2023 Hy-Vee INDYCAR Race Weekend tickets and to learn more about the event, visit https://www.hyveeindycarweekend.com/.
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INDYCAR is the Indianapolis-based governing body for North America's premier open-wheel auto racing series, the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, and its developmental series, INDY NXT by Firestone. The NTT INDYCAR SERIES features an international field of the world's most versatile drivers – including two-time and reigning series champion Will Power, six-time series champion Scott Dixon, two-time series champion Josef Newgarden, four-time Indianapolis 500 winner Helio Castroneves and reigning Indy 500 winner Marcus Ericsson – who compete on superspeedways, short ovals, street circuits and permanent road courses. The 2023 season consists of 17 races in the United States and Canada and is highlighted by the historic Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge. The NTT INDYCAR SERIES, INDY NXT by Firestone, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and IMS Productions are owned by Penske Corporation, a global transportation, automotive and motorsports leader. For more information on INDYCAR and the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, please visit www.indycar.com. For more information on INDY NXT by Firestone , please visit www.indynxt.com.