Jacob Abel was a rookie in the 2025 NTT INDYCAR SERIES. In 2024, he finished as champion runner-up with three race wins in the INDY NXT by Firestone Series. At the Thermal Grand Prix weekend, we got to sit down with Abel and ask him how the transition into the Indy car has been, what it’s like working with veteran driver/teammate Rinus VeeKay, and what the challenges are to wearing glasses under the helmet. He talks further about his goals for the season including the Indianapolis 500. As of this writing, we don’t know if he’ll be back with Dale Coyne Racing, or with another team. This young man definitely has the drive to succeed and time will tell how far that takes him. Enjoy!
NOTE: Jacob Abel had a best starting position of 20th at the Detroit Grand Prix and a best finish of 11th at one of the Iowa short oval races. He was bumped out of the field at Indianapolis by his teammate who qualified 33rd. . . Abel missed qualifying for the race by a mere 0.089 seconds over the course of a 10-mile run. There are a lot of people (especially himself) hoping that he has a more competitive season in 2026.
