ABEL Motorsports looks to close the INDY NXT season strong on Nashville oval

Plenty to play for at the season-ending event close to home

SPEEDWAY, IND. (September 10, 2024) – The INDY NXT by Firestone championship may be wrapped up – with ABEL Motorsports’ Jacob Abel securing second position in the title chase – but the team’s trio of drivers are hungry for more, ready to finish strong in the Nashville Speedway season finale and take the first step toward setting up their 2025 seasons.

Abel (No. 51 ABEL Construction) earned a hard-fought second place finish two weeks ago at the Milwaukee Mile for his 11th podium in 14 races (including three victories). Yuven Sundaramoorthy (No. 22 OPTIMA Batteries/ABEL Motorsports) looks to capitalize on his first series podium at World Wide Technology Raceway and a solid eighth place in his home race at Milwaukee. And for Taylor Ferns (No. 55 Bradford Allen/ABEL Motorsports), it’s all about adding to the information database as she ramps up her knowledge in the INDY NXT car.

The NTT INDYCAR SERIES and INDY NXT last raced on the 1.33-mile D-shaped Nashville Superspeedway in 2008. INDY NXT conducted a series test at the track in August, and though 90 minutes were lost due to weather, all three drivers felt they’d come to grips with Nashville’s unique concrete surface – and acknowledged that job one this weekend would be to find the best balance between a good car for qualifying and a solid car for the race.

“We had a good test last month, it was a good chance to really see what the track looks like and feels like,” said Abel. “It’s pretty flat out, which is a different experience for all of us. This weekend will be a good learning experience for us for when we get to superspeedways – hopefully next year – in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES.

“Because of the track surface, it requires a bit of a different driving style,” continued Abel. “You have to change your perception a little bit. But we were quick in testing, and I’m looking forward to the race weekend. I think it’s going to be something none of us in the INDY NXT field have ever experienced before, so it should be an exciting way to end the season. This is my third and final season in the INDY NXT series so I’m hoping to finish my career here with a win.”

“Despite the delay at the test, I think we got everything we could out of it,” said Sundaramoorthy. “It’s a different racing surface than we’re used to and it’s a lot bumpier than most ovals, but it rubbered in pretty well. It was super slick in the morning but by the end of the day it was really, really grippy. So I think it will be the kind of track that changes a great deal through the day, which will put a premium on who pivots the best. The key is going to be figuring out where we need to go with the setup for qualifying, and hope that the high line practice opens up another passing lane. I’ve gained a good deal of confidence on the ovals this year so I’m hoping to end this season well – which will set us up for 2025.”

Silver crown and sprint car veteran Ferns continues to make history, having captured her first 500 Sprint Car Tour victory last Saturday night, in the 65th running of the Joe James/Pat O’Connor Memorial at Salem Speedway – the first woman to win the event. Racing with the ABEL Motorsports team for the fourth time this season, Ferns looks to carry that momentum into the season finale.

“It’s been great to work with the Abel team this year,” said Ferns. “They’ve been amazing throughout this process for me. We were able to log a lot of laps at the Nashville test to build my confidence in the car and hopefully that will show on race weekend.”

ABEL Motorsports thanks partners ABEL Construction Company, Advance Ready Mix, Boyd Cat®, OPTIMA Batteries, S Team Motorsports, Quest Global and OMP for their continued support.

The INDY NXT by Firestone Music City Grand Prix takes the green flag Sunday, September 15 at 11:50 a.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.