April 27, 2025

Indy Lights drivers take test laps around Iowa Speedway

Points leader Christian Rasmussen leads 17-car testing day at Newton’s 7/8-mile track

By Troy Hyde

Indy Lights driver Christian Rasmussen is the current series points leader and had the fastest car at a testing session at Iowa Speedway on Thursday. The Indy Lights series returns to the Newton track in late July. (Troy Hyde/Newton News)

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 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.

Hunter McElrea and his team get ready for a testing session at Iowa Speedway on Thursday. McElrea and the Indy Lights drivers return to the Newton track as part of the IndyCar Series Race Weekend in late July. (Troy Hyde/Newton News)

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 a 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.”

Indy Lights drivers Jamie Chadwick, left, and Ernie Francis Jr. take laps around Iowa Speedway on Thursday during a testing session. The series returns to the Newton track as part of IndyCar Series Race Weekend in late July. (Troy Hyde/Newton News)

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 July 21 before hosting Round 8 of the 2023 INDY NXT by Firestone season on July 22 at 10 a.m. on Peacock.

To purchase 2023 Hy-Vee INDYCAR Race Weekend tickets and to learn more about the event, visit https://www.hyveeindycarweekend.com/.