Nearing the halfway point of the season, INDY NXT by Firestone headed to Road America this past weekend for round six of the 14-round championship. While Christian Bogle has raced on the famous circuit many times in his career, a new Firestone tire compound and a new track surface altered the course, track speeds, and driving style for each driver, creating an even playing field for the field of 19 drivers.
Returning to a single-race weekend format, the drivers’ weekend consisted of two practice sessions prior to qualifying for Sunday afternoon’s race. On Friday afternoon, as drivers adjusted to the newly modified 4-mile circuit, Bogle recorded a best time of 1:51.9922 and finished the session in 12th. The following day, after a handful of other series took to the track and rubbered it in, the INDY NXT field returned for their second practice and saw speeds increase by nearly two seconds over the previous practice session as the track began to improve. Setting up for Sunday’s race, Bogle qualified 16th on Saturday afternoon.
Preceding the NTT INDYCAR SERIES practice on Sunday, INDY NXT and Christian Bogle lined up on pit lane for the 20-lap INDY NXT by Firestone Grand Prix at Road America. Over the next 80 miles, Bogle held his own in multiple battles throughout the field. At the halfway point, a caution came out and Bogle had moved up four positions into 12th. For the remaining ten laps, Bogle continued to jockey for position and ultimately finished the race in 13th.
As the pace of the schedule begins to pick up for the remainder of the season, eight races remain as the field of drivers will continue to battle. With the next race just around the corner, INDY NXT by Firestone will return on the Fourth of July weekend at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.
Stay tuned to the Christian Bogle Racing social media pages for news, information, photos, and results from the 2023 season.
For more information on Christian Bogle, please visit him online at www.CBogleRacing.com or search Christian Bogle Racing on social media.
Photo: Penske Entertainment