IndyCar driver Jacob Abel performs special MLS tradition for Columbus Crew ahead of Mid-Ohio race weekend

Dale Coyne Racing's Jacob Abel was recently seen taking part in Major League Soccer side Columbus Crew's special tradition ahead of the upcoming Mid-Ohio IndyCar race. It is popularly known as the 'Match Ignitor'.

The Columbus Crew is an American professional soccer club based in Columbus, Ohio. It is part of the Eastern Conference and began playing in 1996 as one of the league's 10 charter clubs.

Ahead of the recent Columbus Crew and Philadelphia game, Jacob Abel, in line with the Match Ignitor tradition, broke through a makeshift wall and activated a detonator to trigger pyrotechnics, that is intended to energize the crowd before kickoff.

At the Lower.com field, Abel even came up with a message and said:

"What's up, guys? Jacob Abel here at the Columbus Crew game, super excited to be out here hyping things up and getting everything ready to go for the Mid-Ohio race coming up next weekend, super excited for it."

Columbus Crew won their MLS meeting against Philadelphia 1-0. The former took seven shots with three on target, whereas the latter took six, but none were on target.

Coming to IndyCar's last race, the XPEL Grand Prix at Road America, Jacob Abel managed a 23rd-place finish behind Juncos Hollinger Racing's Conor Daly. During the 55-lap race, #51 Dale Coyne Racing driver was unable to make much of an impression. His teammate Rinus Veekay ended his outing in P10.

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Jacob Abel's take on P23 finish in Road America race

Jacob Abel has not had the best of times in the ongoing 2025 campaign of America's highest class of open-wheel racing. In eight appearances, he has so far managed only 56 points and is thus way down in P27 in the drivers' standings.

He once again had a tough time behind the wheel of his #51 Dale Coyne Racing car in the XPEL Grand Prix at Road America (as mentioned above), and in line with this, he added the following via a post-race interview.

"One of these days we will get the result we deserve. We were running great, in the top 5 even at points and we were on the road for at least a top 15 but unfortunalty we had a loss of power that made me fall through the field. Im disapointed because a P23 finish isnt where my team and partners should be after such a great day, but thats racing at the end of the day. This team is building, I can feel it I know the results will come soon," Abel said via Dale Coyne Racing.

The 2025 IndyCar season is nine rounds down, and there are only eight Grand Prix events remaining in the season. Abel's teammate Rinus Veekay has performed exceptionally well and is currently in P14 in the standings with 157 points.

Taking this into consideration, the 24-year-old driver has a lot of work ahead of him from the Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio onwards.