Rowe Climbing to INDY NXT by Firestone in 2024 with HMD with Force Indy
September 06, 2023 | By Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Newly crowned 2023 USF Pro 2000 champion Myles Rowe will join HMD Motorsports for the 2024 INDY NXT by Firestone season as he continues his climb toward the NTT INDYCAR SERIES.
Rowe, 23, from Brooklyn, N.Y., was the first African American to win a race in the USF Pro 2000 Championship’s history and the first African American driver to win a North American open-wheel championship.
Rowe will drive the No. 99 Force Indy entry with continued support from Penske Entertainment’s Race for Equality & Change initiative, an ongoing effort to support, grow and sustain diverse representation in motorsports. Race for Equality & Change was launched in summer 2020 with a focus on generating impactful programming and opportunities across both the INDYCAR and Indianapolis Motor Speedway ecosystems. Next season will be Rowe’s fourth as part of the Force Indy program and the second year Force Indy has partnered with HMD Motorsports in INDY NXT by Firestone.
“I’m super excited to announce my next step to HMD Motorsports with Force Indy and be part of their family,” Rowe said. “I am extremely excited to grow and progress with them as a team and fight for many more race wins.”
Moving up through the ranks over the past three seasons, Rowe quickly became a standout talent in the junior series. In the 2023 season, Rowe earned five wins and four additional podium results on his way to a title in the USF Pro 2000 Championship in his rookie season. In 2022, Rowe just missed the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship by six points after earning five wins and five additional podium results.
“We are excited to continue our partnership with Force Indy and have Myles as part of the HMD Motorsports program in 2024,” HMD Motorsports General Manager Mike Maurini said. “He has been a treat to follow through the ladder programs, and we are anxious to help him continue his goals to ascend to the NTT INDYCAR SERIES.
“Myles is a great talent, and we have had our eye on him for quite some time and are confident that he will have success not only in 2024 but for years to come.”
With just three seasons of INDY NXT by Firestone competition since the team's inception, HMD Motorsports has accumulated 25 wins and earned consecutive team championships and the 2022 driver championship. This weekend, the team will look to continue its championship streak as the season concludes at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca as Christian Rasmussen enters the doubleheader with a 65-point lead while teammate Nolan Siegel leads the Rookie of the Year standings.
“Force Indy is really looking forward to continuing the relationship with HMD Motorsports,” Force Indy’s Rod Reid said. “We have a season working together under our belt, and our goals in and out of the pits align.”