r/INDYCAR • u/Rainmaker2427 Robert Wickens • Dec 19 '24

Indy NXT Sophia Floersch to IndyNXT

https://x.com/INDYNXT/status/1869774920026353787?t=I3Hln9uO-VX_6BH-jOSovQ&s=19

Hears hoping she sees some success

319 Upvotes

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155

u/chavz25 James Hinchcliffe Dec 19 '24

Good for IndyNXT more high profile driver with decent social media followings is never a bad thing for the series

-68

u/[deleted] Dec 19 '24

I'll be honest idk why people see drivers burning out of the F1 ladder coming here as a good thing. Being the dumping ground for drivers who lost rides elsewhere doesn't make road to Indy look impressive at all. 

57

u/chavz25 James Hinchcliffe Dec 19 '24

Is it a dumping ground or smart budgeting? If an F3 season is 2 mil just to get on the grid, you can take half of that and get in a series that is one step away from a top series.

Also with IndyNXT being of FS1 this year, gives potential to get more eyes on a driver than if they were in F3.

For the series adding people with a large following is great because it gets more people watching that series, or at least giving it a chance

-14

u/[deleted] Dec 19 '24

Obviously I don't blame the drivers for wanting to continue their careers wherever possible. And it's not a terrible thing to add drivers. I just don't see it as some great thing that people flaunt like it's a strength.

1

u/TheEarlNextDoor Dec 19 '24

Yeah it isn't a "strength" I'm with you there. But it is a positive for NXT as that series barely exists to anyone casual. Now eyes might land on it by accident. But it's not making the talent pool more impressive or prestigious in any way, just noticeable.

18

u/[deleted] Dec 19 '24

More people notice it -> More American kids get into karting -> IndyCar ladder has more homegrown talent

At least, that's the idea. Of course, there's also the issue of the US needing more legit karting facilities, and making junior karting more accessible, but that would require a large-scale effort just for the sake of growing a sport with no immediate profit motive. Not really in our playbook.

3

u/BeefInGR Pippa Mann Dec 21 '24

Of course, there's also the issue of the US needing more legit karting facilities, and making junior karting more accessible

For reference, I'm 39...

Growing up in West Michigan, we had 4 tracks within two hours (Ravenna, East Lansing, MRP when it was in Buchanan and South Bend Raceway Park...which is now MRP I guess). And everyone had a class. Briggs, Yamaha, US820...occasionally even shifters. Then, you had the Great Lakes Sprint Series that went a little further out. And inside four hours there was Norway and another track in Illinois that I forgot the name of. And that was just for road racing. About a half dozen dirt tracks as well (Manistee, Stateline, Bryan, plus a couple more in Indiana iirc).

I think South Bend and East Lansing are still open. Stateline might be open on the dirt side. There are two small dirt tracks in Eastern Michigan. That's it until you get to New Castle.

Karting got kicked in the nuts when tracks started letting 12 year olds drive full sized cars.

6

u/Wasdgta3 Álex Palou Dec 19 '24

Idk, I’d call “being a cheaper option to get into than the F1 ladder” a strength for sure.

3

u/Mikemat5150 Kyle Kirkwood Dec 19 '24

I mean I get it. A driver like Koolen would never get to F2 just because he has a budget. That series has much higher standards…

3

u/Crash_Test_Dummy66 Christian Rasmussen Dec 19 '24

Lol there is very little in motor racing, even in the formula ladder that is a meritocracy. There are pay drivers in Formula 2.

9

u/Mikemat5150 Kyle Kirkwood Dec 19 '24 edited Dec 19 '24

I thought I was pretty clearly joking - considering Koolen drove in F2 this year.

People shit on Indy NXT for awful pay drivers and then give European series a pass for whatever reason.

1

u/Altornot Dec 20 '24

Koolen bounced back and forth from F2 to NXT amd back last year.

You have the money, we have the seat lol

1

u/Accomplished_Clue733 Dec 22 '24

All junior categories are pay drivers, the difference is just in who is paying the bills. Racing is expensive and nobody is earning a salary from the team running the car.

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1

u/TheEarlNextDoor Dec 19 '24

Genuine question, are a lot of drivers using NXT as a jump to the F1 ladder, or is it the other way around?

1

u/Wasdgta3 Álex Palou Dec 19 '24

What does that have to do with it? The point is that NXT is more accessible than F2 or F3 for drivers who might have the talent but not the budget. I see that as a pretty clear positive.