"Nice to finally get a win": Lochie Hughes savors first Indy NXT victory at IMS

Andretti driver Lochie Hughes clinched his first victory in the 2025 INDY NXT by Firestone. His defence of his pole position presented him with his first opportunity to kiss the bricks at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Friday, May 9.

The Australian rookie bagged two back-to-back poles for the two-race showdown at the most iconic circuit of the Series. In Race 1, he led the entirety of 35 laps, scoring 54 points at the Indianapolis Grand Prix.

In the post-race interview with FOX reporter Georgia Henneberry, Hughes expressed his ecstasy on securing this win. She asked him if this is what dreams are made of, to which he replied in the affirmative.

"This is an awesome win and an awesome weekend so far. I can't thank the whole team enough, my sponsors, Andretti, my engineer Doug, and my mechanics. It has been a tough jump to this car...I have been playing catch-up for a while. It is nice to finally get a win, especially around here. What a day! Can't that everyone enough. My parents are also here this weekend, they are not usually here. This is the first time they've seen me win... Pretty cool day," said Hughes

He further explained how he managed his restarts, stating he tried to get a good jump off the last corner and pressed the brakes lightly into turn one.

Lochie Hughes has raced in the 2024 USF2000 Championship with Jay Howard Driver Development, where he emerged as the series champion. Additionally, he also won the Formula 4 United States Championship in 2022 and later secured the USF Pro 2000 Championship title in 2024.

Lochie Hughes earned the first two poles in Indy NXT for the Indianapolis Grand Prix doubleheader

INDYCAR Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg - Day 2 - Source: Getty

Andretti's Lochie Hughes held off threats from his teammate, Dennis Hauger, to secure two back-to-back pole positions at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The duo is the top two drivers of the Indy NXT Championship, with only three points separating them. Hughes inched closer to Hauger's lead after securing his first win of the series.

“Super excited to get my first pole of the year,” Hughes said. “Got two in one go, which is pretty cool. Starting in the best spot to have a chance to win these races, so excited to get going and see what we can do from pole. It’s going to be interesting going into Turn 1. Hopefully we can come out with the lead and push on from there.”

While Lochie Hughes has taken the first chequered flag of the double header, he remains hopeful for the second. Race 2 is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET Saturday, May 10, and will be aired on FS1, FOX Sports app, and INDYCAR Radio Network.