Foyt to become regional Feeder Series powerhouse?

Although letting others do the Heavy lifting…

 

Indy NXT competitors return to action with a Double Header weekend at Mother Speedway beginning today, after a month’s hiatus. Which currently is a battle of the “Young guns”, with Cape Motorsports Powered by ECR’s rookie Nikita Johnson leading the championship ahead of Andretti global rookie Max Taylr.

 

AJ Foyt Enterprises rookie driver Alessandro de Tullio is making some noise Himself. Having finally “Broke His Duck”  last time out at thee Oh, so Beautiful Barbers’, nee Barber Motorsports Park, scoring His maiden Indy NXT win. Currently fifth overall, de Tullio’s been quick, having scored three poles in the first four races, albeit currently 60 markers adrift of Johnson.

 

Interestingly, Foyt has decided to beef-up its Junior Open Wheel Racing involvement with the decision to partner with Crosslink Motorsports in Formula four U.S. and Formula regional(FR) Americas Championship feeder series, to strengthen its driver development ladder.

 

Crosslink Motorsports, a Dallas, Texas racing organization is a “Powerhouse” itself. Claiming to have won the most F4 U.S. races, plus two F4 U.S. titles. Since the team’s official website mentions their known as Crosslink Kiwi Motorsports. Whilst I’ve also seen this written as Crosslink with Kiwi Motorsports and Crosslink/Kiwi Motorsports, Corfuzed?

 

Having won the U.S. formula 4 title in 2019 and 2023. While Kiwi Motorsports won last year’s championship.

 

Crosslin Kiwi Motorsports won the2023-2024 FR Americas titles with drivers Callum Hedge and Patrick Woods-Toth respectively.

 

Crosslink Motorsports won a third consecutive FR Americas Championship with Titus Sherlock last year. Although I’m still not sure how the FR Americas Championship fits into the grand scheme of Feeder Series?

 

Since I’m Arse-suming nobody’s heard of either Woods-Toth or Sherlock, and I cannot find what they’re currently doing? With Sherlock garnering a measly $100,000 cash prize for winning the championship, Youch!

 

SCCA Pro Racing’s Alternate Single Seaters Feeder series

 

By my rudimentary records, Kiwi’ Hedge is the latest FR Americas driver to graduate to Indy NXT, having raced two years for HMD Motorsports and Abel Motorsports between 2024-2025, with a best finish of fourth overall in 2024.

 

Although the Road to Indy and now USF Pro championships run by Anderson Promotions still seemingly is the preferred pathway to Indy NXT.

 

America’s preferred Open wheel Racing ladder system

 

Currently four FR Americas Alumni; Kyle Kirkwood, David Malukas, Kyffin Simpson and Jacob Abel are IndyCar drivers. Kirkwood and Simpson are past champions, with Malukas finishing runner-up. While Abel will race in His first Indy 500 this year, after failing to qualify in 2025.

 

Yet being a champion of both series doesn’t guarantee a long term IndyCar career. As just ask Linus Lundqvist about that! Having won the 2020 FR Americas and 2022 Indy NXT Championships, who's still trying to return to IndyCar…

 

Crosslink appears to be mimicking Indy NXT juggernaut HMD Motorsports by having the most cars on the grid with six. With rookies Alejandro Bobadilla, (#8) Kekai Hauanio, (#29( Evagoras Papasavvas (#71) and Aidan Schuh driving the storied No. 14. Plus Barrett Wolfe (#13) and Kevin Janzen. (#24)

 

While Kiwi Motorsports has just two entries for rookies Harbir Dass and Cooper Shipman.

 

Papasavvas briefly made waves in Indy NXT last year upon debut driving for HMD Motorsports. Qualifying third and finishing runner-up to Dennis Hauger at Barber in the vacated No. 24 seat Sophia

Florsch occupied for one round. Having signed for a partial season, before finishing P21 overall after five races.

 

Perusing the entry list for drivers, another Indy NXT Journeyman’s name jumped out to Mwah. Noticing that Christian Bogle is driving for Toney Driver Development this year. Having raced four seasons in Indy NXT, beginning with Carlin, remember them Y’all? And then a further three seasons with HMD Motorsports, but I digress…

 

Crosslink’s drivers will be welcomed into the Foyt program to interact with Engineers and other team personnel to help them advance their careers, while giving Foyt access to more talented, potential future drivers…

 

Further muddying the waters, when trying to find out more about Kiwi Motorsports, I learned that Chip Ganassi Racing (CGR) formed the same “strategic” partnership alliance with New Zealand Kiwi Motorsports them late 2024. Seeing Kiwi Motorsports and Crosslink become fully separate entities for 2025.

 

Along with learning that Kiwi Motorsports are Toyota’s entry in the Formula Oceania series.

 

Thus giving us two FR Americas operations with clearly defined links to Indy NXT, and possibly IndyCar. 

Next Time, Bing A Shovel!

    A Winch, or a Second Tow Truck!

 

Listened to my first Indy Lights, Err NXT race Sunday at Ye Barbers’. Where the Indy NXT Boyz’ and Girl had been waiting an excruciating two months to go racing again! Having been 56 Days since their Season Opener at St Pete!

 

And it was a calamitous race, with the Red Mist firmly gripping some Half of the Field! With All sorts of Mayhem happening!

 

Yet the most bizarre part of the race had to be the scantly used Red Flag during Indy NXT competition. As then third place Lous foster had apparently lost it in turn-9 and when the Tow Truck came to remove the stricken racecar, Shuhzamm!

 

Due to the Rainstorm overnight, the Tow Truck inexplicably got Stuck in the Soft Grass! Hence a Red Flag needed to be thrown in order to remove the Stricken Tow Truck sent to remove Foster’s parked racing car!

 

With a second Tow Truck being dispatched to remove the Offending Tow Truck! Before the race went Green with four laps remaining, albeit No Divits were replaced!

 

As Pole Sitter Christian Rasmussen effectively led Wire-to-wire. Leading All 35 laps including two restarts. As Rasmussen became the 15^th Pole Sitter from the last 18 events to win at Barber Motorsports Park! 

A Pleasant IndyCar Surprise from Ye Barbers’

Nah, No May the 4^th be With You Jokes Here, Hya!

 

Every time that I listen to an IndyCar race via the “Radio,” Err Indycar Radio Network via Zed Intrawoods’, (Internet) I always think of ‘Ol R’, thee Curmudgeon ‘O Indy Cars Robin Miller telling me: why would Anybody wanna listen to an IndyCar race?

 

That said, being Blind, have I reminded Y’all lately? For Mwah this is far superior for describing the race action vs. NBC’s capable Booth trio of Leigh Diffey, Townsend Bell and James Hinchcliffe, whom I All like. But I also enjoy the timbre ‘O IndyCar Radio’s Mark Gravelly’ James, Davey Hamilton, Jake The Riddler’ Query and Nicky Salt’ Yeoman. Hell, even Michael Screech’ Young’s growing on me…

 

As I accidentally learned that I could listen to Indy Lights, remember them Y’all? Not having raced for some Gory Nine weeks now at St Pete via IndyCar Radio! When learning who owns TS Speed Motorsports.

 

Hence I got up Justin-time’ for the 8AM Pacific Lights Broadcast, Err, Uhm apparently it got moved up? Since It actually began at 7:35AM Pacific? Nope, Joke’s on Mwah, that was the supposed Pre-race time as my Confuzer Speaker said we’re live in five minute, which I partook since I haven’t heard a Lights race in several years now, But I digress…

 

And with this new found ability to easily have my Screen Reader read and enable Indycar.com’s Click to Play link, just for Humour I decided to See’ if I could “Pull Up” the live Qualie’ session from Ye Barbers also on IndyCar Radio? And was absolutely Estatic when the Canned Highlight Drivers Quips was interrupted by a voice saying Live in One minute! Doing a Countdown to when the live Barber Motorsports Park’s Indy Cars Qualifying session began, Friggin Sweet, Eureka!

 

As I hadn’t listened to an IndyCar Qualie’ session since late last year via NBC Sports Late Night 43 Glows in Duh Dark Heli’ Commercials replay. As Good riddance NBC Sports! Which strangely on my Spectrum Cable TV has now morphed into another Gawd channel, Barf!

 

Thus it was absolutely Fantastic being able to listen to an entire Qualifying session Uninterrupted during the Uber Quick 10mins Qualie’ sessions!

 

So Kudos to IndyCar Radio Network for Broadcasting Saturday’s action

As I chose IndyCar Radio for both events since Big NBC was giving IndyCar the ABC Stick ‘N Ball Sports treatment with a Svelte 2 Hours Broadcast window Sunday, immediately following an Hour of Gulp, Swimming. As Heavens Forbid that Mother Nature Deluges Barbers Motorsports Park and the race takes more than the Allotted two Hours TV Window. Not to mention Thar being No Post race coverage…

 

And speaking of Allotted, How ‘bout that Callum Ilott and the Minnowesqe Juncos Hollinger Racing Team! As this had to be the Feel Good story so far thru Qualifying. As the only single car team on the Grid with a Rookie Driver made Thar Debutante Fast 12 appearance, ultimately winding up P11! Not to mention running as High as 7^th during the race before that unfortunate Spin…

 

Meanwhile, I was totally unawares’ until Qualie started that Alexander Rossi had center punched the Wall Bass Ackwards with his #27 Andretti Autosport ride, causing All four of Mikey A’s Squads to pitch in order to rebuild the car in 90mins, having to replace the engine, Gearbox and several other major Bits, Aye Karumba!

 

As Rossi rewarded the team by being the Only Andretti driver to make the Fast Six Shootout, ultimately finishing fifth. With Rossi telling one of IndyCar Radio’s Pit Reporters that it wouldn’t Rain Sunday. Which turned out to be Ryan Marin, who reminded us of this Quip during Sunday’s Pre-race…

 

And may be it’s just Mwah, but it seemed like Nary a Peep was made about the two Arrow McLaren SP drivers advancing to the Fast Six Shootout until the session actually began. As AMSP was the only team with two cars in the Pole Shootout, which as we All know. As Pato O’Ward sat on Pitlane thinking He’d secured his second Pole in a row at Barber, Rinus VeeKay in his No. 21 Ed Carpenter Racing entry Stole Pole away on the very final lap!

 

Gorging Thyself upon the IndyCar Radio Broadcast, I next listened to the Indy Lights 30mins Qualie’ session before deciding to do the triple, rounding out the day with the final IndyCar practice, for which I’m really Not certain how much it means?

 

Hey, I’m very Happy for Callum Ilott to be P1, with only four of the Top 10 Qualifiers remaining Thar. As the two most notable have to be Alex Palou, last year’s winner finishing second after qualifying third; where He won last year’s race from. Rossi maintained his fifth place with ScottyMac’, aka Scott McLaughlin dropping to sixth from his P4 Qualie result, whilst Colton Herta remained P10.

 

But I say does it really mean anything? Since Pole sitter VeeKay was 20^th whilst Outside Row 1 finisher O’Ward was P13 and AMSP teammate Felix Rosenqvist who starts sixth Sunday, was P23!

 

Sunday’s Indy Lights race was entertaining in the aspect that it began as a Wet race with the 14 entrants throwing Roostertails at race’s start, which was 8AM (Pacific) after all. And although the front row’s HMD Motorsports with Dale Coyne Racing’s duo of Linus Lundqvist, who started from Pole and led Flag to Flag, barely ahead of teammate Benjamin Peterson who finished an eye blinking P2! It was the problems of the entire field having to nurse Thar wet weather Cooper Rain tyres home on a completely Dry racing line track, with the tyres quickly degrading enroute to turning into Gunked up Slicks that made it entertaining!

 

Andretti Autosport’s Mattie B’, aka Mathew Brabham got my nod for Driver of the Race, emulating Colton Herta’s panache, driving from a lowly ninth up to fourth, before getting a little too Aggressive trying to pass teammate Sting Ray Rob for the final podium position, spinning backwards and having to try again, before ultimately getting taken out by teammate Hunter McElrea when running fifth!

 

The Big Boyz’ IndyCar race looked like it was gonna be another Snoozer, with Rinus VeeKay seemingly leading Wire-to-Wire, which we know Didn’t happen, thanks to my Numero Uno IndyCar Driver Pato O’Ward’s excellent final Pit Stop sequence and subsequent pass for the lead at Charlotte’s Web (Turn 5) on lap 62!

 

Whilst Ganassi’s Alex Palou starting third used the Overcut on that final Pit Stop to also leapfrog VeeKay, finishing runner-up with the Dutchman a Dejected third.

 

Although I cannot say it was a truly mesmerizing race, it was fairly entertaining with All of the Mid-pack Dicking’ as ‘Ol Hobbo’, nee HobbsCapps’, aka David Hobbs would say…

 

And although I truly thought Alexander Rossi’s Dreaded luck had finally turned, apparently not, since reportedly another Slow Pit Stop left him finishing a listless ninth, Sigh!

 

And while I’ll give DJWillyP’, nee Will Power the Drive of the Race for going from a lowly P19 to fourth, have to say I was more impressed with Colton Herta’s race. Even if like Racer’s Marshall Pruett said afterwards: “Brother you Drove a Helluva lot just to Finish where you Started!”

 

Whilst I’ll Arse-sume that Romain Grosjean will be the winner of Marshall’s Golden Bowling Ball award this week! But then again like Rossi’s said multiple times previously: “I’m Not Here to Make Friends!”

 

And now it’s on to Nonstop Wall to Wall Disco Ball Eye Popping 24/7 Month ‘O May Mania! As the Crowd goes Wild…