Source: Team PR

Andretti INDY NXT will kick off the 2024 INDY NXT by Firestone season on the Streets of St. Petersburg this weekend. Returning Andretti INDY NXT drivers Louis Foster, Jamie Chadwick and James Roe will join newcomer Bryce Aron and newly-formed Andretti Cape INDY NXT rookies Salvador de Alba and Michael d’Orlando on the famed Florida street circuit for the season opener.

Weekend Notes

In 18 appearances on the Streets of St. Petersburg dating back to 2005, Andretti INDY NXT has recorded seven wins (Marco Andretti – 2005, Matos – 2008, Veach – 2014, C. Herta – 2017, O’Ward – 2018, Kirkwood – 2021, Brabham – 2022), 11 pole positions, 17 podiums, 26 top-five finishes and has led a total of 346 laps. 

Andretti INDY NXT has started on the pole three out of the last four races on the Streets of St. Petersburg (Kirkwood – 2021 Race 1, McElrea – 2022, Foster – 2023).

This weekend’s INDY NXT season opener will be Louis Foster’s second start at the INDY NXT by Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg after a strong 2023 debut saw the Brit capture the pole before slight contact in the race with the Turn 3 wall resulted in a P14 finish.  

INDY NXT rookie Bryce Aron will race on a street circuit for the first time this weekend in St. Petersburg. The 2022 British F3 Champion spent last season contending for the Euroformula Open F3 Championship title before foregoing the final round of the season to attend INDY NXT’s Chris Griffis Memorial Test.

Jamie Chadwick will make her second start in St. Petersburg this weekend after last year’s race saw INDY NXT newcomer recover from multiple front-wing changes to move up five spaces from where she started, ending her American open-wheel debut in P13. 

Returning Andretti INDY NXT driver James Roe will make his third INDY NXT start on the famed street circuit. After a 13th-place finish in 2022, the Irish driver faced mechanical issues halfway through the 2023 race forcing him to retire early.  

Salvador de Alba is set to make his INDY NXT debut in St. Petersburg this weekend with Andretti Cape INDY NXT. De Alba joins the team after a successful 2023 season saw the Mexico native secure championship titles in the NASCAR Peak Mexico Series and Super Copa GTM, as well as third in the USF Pro 2000 Drivers Championship. 

Rounding out the Andretti Cape INDY NXT lineup, Michael d’Orlando will also make his INDY NXT debut this weekend in St. Petersburg. D’Orlando joins the team after back-to-back successful open-wheel seasons that saw the American win the USF 2000 Championship with four wins, five poles, eight podiums, most laps led during the season (138) and tied for most races led (six) in 2022 and place fourth in the 2023 USF Pro 2000 Championship.  

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Louis Foster No. 26 Copart / Novara Technologies Dallara

“I’m ready to get back on track for a full INDY NXT race weekend on the streets of St. Petersburg – it’s such a fun circuit to compete on. This weekend’s race will be my second start on the street course, and I’m looking forward to the action on and off the track. St. Pete is a lively city with beautiful weather, which is great for the racing and the fans, so it’s an ideal season opener for everyone.” 

Bryce Aron No. 27 Jaguar Land Rover Chesterfield Dallara

“St. Pete is going to be the first street circuit I’ve ever done in my racing career, so it’ll be a bit of a learning curve. Thankfully, I think we have a lot of good momentum from testing that we can bring into the race. This weekend is definitely going to be a fun and unique experience for my first INDY NXT race, and I’m eager to get the season started.”  

Jamie Chadwick No. 28 VEXT Dallara

“I’m so excited to go back to St. Petersburg. Last year, this track was where I had my first INDY NXT race, so coming back with a season under my belt is a full circle moment. St. Pete offers an enjoyable track with a dynamic layout that promotes good racing, so I can’t wait to get the No. 28 car out there again and focus on getting a good result.” 

James Roe No. 29 Topcon Dallara

“I can’t wait to kick off the season in St. Pete this weekend. We’ve all been working hard as a team in the off-season, so it’s exciting to finally get back on track and utilize what we’ve been training for. This is going to be our first opportunity of the season to get some points on the board, so let’s get this Championship going!” 

Salvador de Alba No. 2 Grupo Indi Dallara

“Not only is St. Pete the first race of the season, but it’s also my first INDY NXT race, so this is a big moment in my racing career. I’m happy that we’re starting off in St. Pete with it being such a great city for a race weekend – should make things fun for us. Being here to compete at this level is a dream for me, and I’m ready to get started so that I can keep learning how to improve with every race.” 

Michael d’Orlando No. 3 Priority Dallara

“I’m extremely excited to be racing in the INDY NXT by Firestone Series in St. Petersburg this weekend with Andretti Cape INDY NXT. Although there is still a lot of uncertainty around the remainder of the 2024 season, I’m very thankful for all the work that Rising Star Racing, Priority Technology Holdings and Andretti Cape INDY NXT have put in to make this event happen for me. I know that everyone involved will continue to work together collectively to generate enough support to enable me to run the full season. Being able to work with Cape Motorsports, now with the additional support through their Andretti Global alliance, will be very helpful in our efforts to be competitive, and my previous experience with Dominic and Nicholas means there is less of a learning curve for me. I am confident that the Andretti Cape program will provide a very competitive package, and I’m stoked to hit the track in St. Petersburg this weekend and make the most of this opportunity.” 

Don Lambert Team Manager

“Our INDY NXT drivers and crew members have been putting in a lot of hard work during the off-season through testing, which is going to be important to pull knowledge from as we head into St. Pete. We have an impressive lineup of rookies and returning drivers this season, so it will be great to see how some of them build off their previous experience here and how others adapt to a new, dynamic street circuit. We’re happy to be back here as a team to start the season, and we hope that we can begin the year on a high note with some strong on-track performances.”