Dennis Hauger Wins WWTR Pole in Oval Debut
INDYCAR
If anyone thought Dennis Hauger might struggle to find speed in the first oval race of his life, think again.
INDY NXT by Firestone championship leader Hauger won the pole Saturday for his oval racing debut, taking the top spot for the INDYCAR development series race at World Wide Technology with a two-lap average speed of 166.162 mph in the No. 26 Nammo car fielded by Andretti Global. Hauger's run to his fourth pole of the season was a track record, breaking the previous two-lap average mark of 164.242 set last year by series champion Louis Foster.
SEE: Qualifying Results
The pole performance for rookie Hauger, who has won four of the first five races this season, came after he looked mortal for nearly the first time this season in the opening practice earlier today on the 1.25-mile oval. He was fifth in that session, more than 1.6 mph slower than leader Caio Collet, as he learned the intricacies of this unique, egg-shaped oval.
'First time on an oval, and we got the pole,' Hauger said. 'Super happy about that. Didn't really know what to expect, but we got up to speed in practice, and we really made improvements for qualifying.
'Looking forward to seeing how we get on tomorrow. It's going to be a bit of a different game.'
The 75-lap race starts at 4:30 p.m. ET Sunday (FS1, FOX Sports app, INDYCAR Radio Network). It's the first oval race of the season.
2024 series Rookie of the Year Collet qualified second at 165.735 in the No. 76 HMD Motorsports car. His second lap of 166.341 is the one-lap record for INDY NXT at WWTR.
Salvador de Alba will start third after his qualifying performance of 165.223 in the No. 27 Grupo Indi machine of Andretti Global, joined in Row 2 by fellow veteran Myles Rowe, who qualified fourth at 165.082 in the No. 99 Abel/Force Indy car.
Rookie Lochie Hughes, the only race winner this season besides Hauger, qualified fifth at 164.350 in the No. 26 McGinley Clinic/USF Pro Championship car of Andretti Global. Josh Pierson will fill out Row 3 after qualifying sixth at 163.993 in the No. 14 HMD Motorsports car.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CBS News
4 hours ago
- CBS News
Chasing the checkered flag: The allure of Indy Car racing
It's billed as the fastest racing on earth. Indy Cars, as they're called, can hit 240 miles an hour on an oval track – that's more than a football field every second. And a second is about all it takes to end someone's day. In this sport, not all the big names are drivers. David Letterman has co-owned an Indy Car team since 1996, and in that time, Rahal-Letterman-Lanigan Racing has won the Indy 500 twice. David Letterman prior to the 106th Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on May 29, asked Letterman himself what made Indy Car racing so appealing. "When I was a kid, my family (and every family on our block) would have it on the radio. And it would be Memorial Day, and Dad would be home from work, and we'd be having a cookout. And I can remember listening to the broadcast sitting in a tree. So, that was my first memory of it. It wasn't an option; it was mandatory. It was part of the culture of living in Indianapolis." I asked, "And now that you're a co-owner, which you've been for almost three decades now –" "Isn't that crazy?" he laughed. "What's your role on race day?" "On race day? Listen to the race, sitting in a tree," Letterman replied. "That's what they want me to do." Josef Newgarden (2) driving for Team Penske during the 108th Indianapolis 500, May 26, 2024, at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Indiana. Michael Allio/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images There are now 17 race days every year, at tracks from coast to coast, and the sport is promoting a new crop of heroes, like Team Penske driver Josef Newgarden. He's won the Indy 500 (still considered the granddaddy of the Indy series) back-to-back, in 2023 and 2024. By tradition, the winning driver celebrates with a big swig of milk, and in 2024, Newgarden's wife and son joined him in another Indy tradition: kissing the speedway track. We caught up with Newgarden a few weeks ago before the Long Beach Grand Prix. I asked him, "Do you have a mantra that you say? Anything you tell yourself?" "I don't know that I have a specific mantra, but I try not to be superstitious," he replied. "I just try to be positive more than anything. If that's my mantra, it's positivity." Team McLaren driver Pato O'Ward has just about everything a race car driver needs; the only thing he's missing is an Indy 500 win. He's come agonizingly close, and in 2024 O'Ward just about had it won, but Newgarden passed him in the final lap. "I know I'm going to get my Indy 500 win, because I've been damn good there every single year," O'Ward said. "So, I know the more I put myself in that position, I'm going to get at least one." What is it like to win one of these races? According to Letterman, "It's a jolt of adrenaline I have never experienced in my life. There was a crush of people around me. And suddenly I'm not just Dumbbell Dave, the talk show host. I'm the owner of the Indianapolis 500 winner. And that euphoria stays with you, well, you may be able to tell, I still have a touch of that in me." For more than a century, speed demons have been chasing Indy Car trophies. The first Indianapolis 500 dates back to 1911, and it quickly became one of the premier sporting spectacles of the year, drawing huge crowds attracted by the sound and the speed. In 1926, racers sped better than 90 miles an hour! In the last century, Indy Car racing has changed: it's much faster, and recently more popular. The Indy Car brand withered for a few years under an internal re-organization, but now the crowds are coming back. This year's Indy 500 grandstand was sold out for the first time in nearly a decade, and the place is starting to look like it did back in 1969, when Mario Andretti took the checkered flag. Asked how sweet that milk tastes, Andretti said, "Honey cannot compare!" At 85, Andretti's still in the game as a team owner. "I think the ability of the drivers that you have in place [today], the talent is unprecedented," he said. "It's unbelievable, yeah." I asked, "Are you saying those guys are more talented than you were?" Well, he didn't go that far. Race car safety has come a long way since Andretti's day; the track walls are now padded, the drivers are more protected. But while it's safer, it not safe, and the worst can still happen, says AP motorsports reporter Jenna Fryer. "It'll never be safe; you can never call racing safe," she said. "They can be idiots. And if they get upset with each other and one wants to retaliate against the other, you know, people do stupid stuff. They see red, they kind of forget what they're doing for a second. There's no way to ever say, 'Racing is safe.'" But for drivers, it really is just part of the game. Asked if he ever thinks of the danger while driving, O'Ward replied, "No. You think of winning. You think of winning when you're in that car. At least I do. That's all I think of." This year's Indy 500 winner wasn't O'Ward or Newgarden, or anyone from Letterman's team. It was Spanish driver Alex Palou. But there are nine more races this season, and on an oval track, you never know what's around the bend. Letterman said, "What I love about it is the romance of it. And the sound is unlike anything you've ever heard. The sound is something humans were not meant to hear." I asked, "What does that sound do to you?" "This is a good measure for my heart; if it doesn't accelerate my heart beyond what human's hearts should be accelerated, then there's something wrong," he said. When asked what he would say to someone who has never seen an Indy Car race, Letterman said, "Oh, for God sakes, it doesn't even pertain to motor sports fans, just go. I mean, one day. It's unimaginable. And you may not go back, but you'll talk about it the rest of your life." WEB EXCLUSIVE: Extended interview with David Letterman For more info: Story produced by John D'Amelio. Editor: Steven Tyler.
Indianapolis Star
5 hours ago
- Indianapolis Star
IndyCar Series races at World Wide Technology Raceway near St. Louis
IndyCar Series driver Will Power at World Wide Technology Raceway in Madison, Ill., on June 14, 2025 IndyCar Photo IndyCar Series driver Will Power at World Wide Technology Raceway in Madison, Ill., on June 14, 2025 IndyCar Photo IndyCar Series driver Josef Newgarden at World Wide Technology Raceway in Madison, Ill., on June 14, 2025 IndyCar Photo IndyCar Series driver Scott McLaughlin at World Wide Technology Raceway in Madison, Ill., on June 14, 2025 IndyCar Photo IndyCar Series driver Conor Daly at World Wide Technology Raceway in Madison, Ill., on June 14, 2025 IndyCar Photo IndyCar Series driver David Malukas at World Wide Technology Raceway in Madison, Ill., on June 14, 2025 IndyCar Photo IndyCar Series driver Scott McLaughlin at World Wide Technology Raceway in Madison, Ill., on June 14, 2025 IndyCar Photo IndyCar Series driver Will Power at World Wide Technology Raceway in Madison, Ill., on June 14, 2025 IndyCar Photo IndyCar Series driver Will Power at World Wide Technology Raceway in Madison, Ill., on June 14, 2025 IndyCar Photo IndyCar Series driver Pato O'Ward at World Wide Technology Raceway in Madison, Ill., on June 14, 2025 IndyCar Photo
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Yahoo
Pat McAfee Had One Word for Caitlin Clark on Saturday
Pat McAfee Had One Word for Caitlin Clark on Saturday originally appeared on Athlon Sports. To say that Caitlin Clark came back with a bang on Saturday would be a major understatement. The 23-year-old played in her first game for the Indiana Fever on Saturday after missing five straight contests due to a quad injury. It was a big game, too, as the Fever hosted the defending champions, the New York Liberty, in a marquee matchup at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Advertisement Clark understood the gravity of the moment, and she stepped up to the plate in a major way. The reigning WNBA Rookie of the Year went off in her return, dropping a season-high 32 points on 11-of-20 shooting, eight rebounds, nine assists, a steal, two blocks and seven triples in 31 minutes of action. More importantly, Clark was able to lead the Fever to a 102-88 statement win, handing the Liberty their first loss of the season. Clark took it to Instagram shortly after the win, where she posted some of her favorite photos from her big night. "good to be back🫶🏻💫" Clark wrote. View the original article to see embedded media. The post quickly drew all sorts of reactions from fans and sports personalities alike. This included a one-word message from ESPN sportscaster Pat McAfee. Advertisement "#DAWG" McAfee replied. McAfee is a celebrated sports figure in Indianapolis. The former All-Pro kicker spent his entire eight-year career in the NFL with the Indianapolis Colts, and he has since made Indianapolis his home. Pat McAfee at the NFL Scouting Combine.© Kirby Lee-Imagn Images McAfee has been a vocal supporter of Clark and the Fever, and he's made his opinion of the former Iowa superstar clear yet again with his comment here. McAfee will likely be cheering for Clark and Co. again when they return to action on Tuesday against the Connecticut Sun. Related: Indiana Fever Coach Stephanie White Issues Exciting Message on Thursday Related: Caitlin Clark Post Triggers Negative Reactions After Paige Bueckers' Historic Game Related: Pacers Get Unfortunate Caitlin Clark News on Friday This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 15, 2025, where it first appeared.
