Nearly two months since the last INDY NXT by Firestone race, HMD Motorsports returned to the paddock with a few changes to their driver lineup this past weekend at Barber Motorsports Park. Down to eight cars for the weekend after the departure of Rasmus Lindh, HMD Motorsports also brought in returning driver Toby Sowery as a replacement for Josh Pierson who was racing in the World Endurance Championship in Belgium.
After bringing home one win, two podiums, and seven top-ten results from the Streets of St. Petersburg, HMD was eager to return to the top step of the podium and continue their excellence in Birmingham. As the team to beat, HMD had won the past three races at Barber Motorsports Park.
Starting the weekend off strong, HMD finished both practice sessions with drivers in the top-four positions with Christian Rasmussen and Nolan Siegel each leading a practice. In qualifying, Christian Rasmussen again topped the charts and broke the track record that was previously held by Linus Lundqvist with HMD Motorsports in 2022. Locking out the front row, Nolan Siegel qualified in second.
INDY NXT by Firestone Qualifying Results:
- 1 – Christian Rasmussen
- 2 – Nolan Siegel
- 5 – Toby Sowery
- 6 – Kyffin Simpson
- 8 – Danial Frost
- 11 – Josh Green
- 16 – Christian Bogle
- 18 – Ernie Francis, Jr.
Leading the field to green on Sunday afternoon, Christian Rasmussen was able to get a jump on the lead and Nolan Siegel followed in second. Toby Sowery worked his way forward after slight contact between HMD Motorsports teammate Kyffin Simpson and a fellow competitor as both were forced to pull into pit lane for repairs. In the opening two laps, while drivers made minor mistakes battling for positions, Danial Frost moved up from eighth and to fifth while Josh Green advanced from 11th to sixth. Ernie Francis, Jr. gained four positions and Christian Bogle gained one. On lap seven, Toby Sowery took a trip through the grass, but quickly rejoined the field in sixth and made quick work to get back to fighting for position.
Nearing the halfway point, two non-HMD drivers made contact and brought out a caution period. During the caution period, HMD Motorsports drivers were situated comfortably in the front of the field with Rasmussen and Siegel maintaining the lead while Frost, Green, and Sowery filed in fourth through sixth.
On the restart, with half of the race remaining, Frost began to challenge for third while Sowery made a pass on Green for fifth. One lap later, Frost drove off track moving Sowery and Green up to fourth and fifth while he fell back to seventh. For the next three laps, Frost put the pressure on another driver but was continually blocked. Race Control eventually penalized that driver for blocking and Frost was given a wave-around into sixth. With less than ten laps remaining, the race was halted for a crash that eventually brought a red flag for an extended cleanup. On the restart, with four laps to go, HMD Motorsports covered the top-five positions (Rasmussen, Siegel, Sowery, Green, Frost) and had all seven remaining drivers in the top-ten. For the remaining laps, Frost fought Green for fourth, but with less than four turns remaining on the final lap, the pair made contact and both drivers fell to the back of the field.
HMD Motorsports finished the weekend at Barber Motorsports Park in dominating fashion after leading every session and sweeping the podium with a 1-2-3 finish and seven drivers in the top-ten.
INDY NXT by Firestone Race Results:
- 1 – Christian Rasmussen
- 2 – Nolan Siegel
- 3 – Toby Sowery
- 7 – Christian Bogle
- 8 – Ernie Francis, Jr.
- 9 – Josh Green
- 10 – Danial Frost
- 18 – Kyffin Simpson
Both INDY NXT by Firestone and the NTT INDYCAR SERIES will return in two weeks at Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the Grand Prix Weekend, May 12-13.
Photo: RTD Media
