Louis Foster showed his blistering Indy NXT pace by taking not one but two pole positions for Andretti Autosport at Detroit's new Downtown street track.
It was the first double-header of the year for the 19-year-old Brit, and at the first opportunity, he rose to the challenge proving he was the fastest driver over one lap, twice.
Unfortunately in the first race, reigning Indy Pro 2000 champion Foster was hit from behind by his team-mate on the run to the first corner of the race while leading. He didn’t even make it through the first corner of the race as he was spun into the wall.
In race two, Foster had a whole race distance less experience than his rivals and was jumped at the first turn, and was then bumped wide again at Turn 3 as he was demoted to third.
He was able to hold that position for a second podium in as many race weekends, although it’s clear the event was a missed opportunity for Foster and his Andretti team.
“The positive from this weekend is that another two poles proves the pace we have as a team, so thanks to Andretti Autosport for giving me a great #26 car," said Foster, who is backed by Copart, a global leader in online auto auctions.
“Obviously the ending to race one wasn’t ideal, there’s nothing I could have done to avoid that as I was leading heading into Turn 1.
“We definitely missed the experience of our rivals in the second race, but I’m pleased to bag another podium and the points that come with it.
“It’s just a shame that a single podium is what we have to show for a weekend where we started on pole, twice.”
The result was excellent damage limitation where Foster is up to sixth in the points standings now and within striking distance of the drivers ahead, even after all of the issues he’s faced so far this year. There’s at least two races per month for the rest of the season now, so Foster is hoping to build momentum. The series has a weekend off and then joins IndyCar at the famous Road America circuit where Foster won in Indy Pro 2000 last year.
Notes to editors
Louis Foster
Louis Foster is a 19-year-old British racing driver from Hampshire aiming to take the racing world by storm. He’s a member of the BRDC SuperStars and races for the Andretti Autosport team in Indy NXT by Firestone. Son of British Touring Car and GT racer Nick Foster, Louis has been around motorsport for the majority of his life. Foster had a successful karting career before making his debut in Ginetta Juniors where he won nine races and scored 19 podiums in his first season. A step up to the British F4 championship delivered six wins and 13 podiums in his first season of single-seater racing, while his debut BRDC British F3 campaign kept up a 100% winning record in his car racing career with three victories and six podiums. In 2021 Foster stepped up to racing in Europe and added three wins in Euroformula Open, took a further 10 podiums and two pole positions in a series which raced in front of Formula 1 on occasion this year. His performances led to a nomination for the prestigious Aston Martin Autosport BRDC Young Driver of the Year Award, an honour which was repeated a year later. The following year he made his debut in America and won half of the races on the way to the 2022 Indy Pro 2000 championship. He won on all three types of tracks, including on street courses and ovals which he hadn’t raced on before. Outside of motorsport Louis is a keen rugby and hockey player as well as enjoying off-road mountain biking and training in the gym. Foster is sponsored by auction giant Copart, which sells more than 300,000 cars per years in the UK and more than 3M cars per year worldwide. He is also backed by Chambers Recycling Solutions, Novara Technologies, One Sports Management Group and Poggesi. For media inquiries and interview requests, please contact barry@onesmgroup.com Indy NXT by Firestone
Indy NXT (formerly Indy Lights before a major rebrand for 2023) is the top level of junior racing in the United States. It is organised and promoted by Penske Entertainment - which also owns NTT INDYCAR SERIES and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway - and is the premier route for drivers hoping to reach INDYCAR. It races on road courses, street circuits and ovals, just like the stars of INDYCAR. The series races with cars made by Dallara, with the distinctive Halo device used to help protect the drivers. The cars feature turbocharged, 2-litre engines producing 450bhp, and are tricky to control which gives drivers a good learning curve ahead of reaching IndyCar. Winning the series awards a prize fund worth a reported $1.4 million, and includes tests at Texas and Indianapolis, an Indy 500 start and an entry into one additional IndyCar race. Past champions of the series include Scott Dixon, Josef Newgarden and Pato O’Ward. Indy NXT by Firestone calendar
March 5 St Petersburg April 30 Barber May 13 Indianapolis road course June 3-4 Detroit (doubleheader) June 18 Road America July 2 Mid-Ohio July 22 Iowa Aug 6 Nashville Aug 11 Indianapolis road course Aug 26 Gateway September 3 Portland September 9-10 Laguna Seca (double header)