After a series of mid-pack finishes since his lone INDY NXT by Firestone win at the start of the season, HMD Motorsports with Dale Coyne Racing’s Danial Frost proved he can still battle at the front this past weekend at World Wide Technology Raceway in St. Louis, Missouri in Round 11 of the 2023 championship. While he did not claim a podium in the final oval of the season, Frost earned his first top-five finish since Detroit in June.
After the weather derailed Saturday’s schedule and canceled the qualifying session, on-track activity finally commenced after nearly eight hours of delays with the lone practice session of the weekend. While Frost finished the session in tenth, he started the race in eighth after the grid was set by entrant points. Under the lights on Saturday night, INDY NXT by Firestone took the green flag. Immediately showing that he had found speed since the practice session, Frost drove his #68 DenJet entry up through the field, gaining two positions and slotting into third on the opening lap of the race. For the next 65 laps of the 75-lap race, Frost maintained his third-place position after going side-by-side with drivers throughout the field. With just 11 laps remaining, Frost began to battle for second, but after losing momentum after an attempted pass, minor contact and forced into the dirty part of the race track, Frost fell back two positions to finish the race in fifth.
Still eighth in the INDY NXT by Firestone championship, three races remain over the next two weekends as the series, teams, and drivers will head to the West Coast to finish out the season. Up first will be Round 12 at Portland International Raceway this upcoming weekend, September 1-3. Last season, Danial qualified second on the 12-turn road course, but unfortunately, his race ended early after he was battling three wide for third and was bumped off track and into the tire barriers. With the speed to win, Frost will be looking to return to the podium this weekend.
Racing alongside the NTT INDYCAR SERIES and the rest of the ladder-program series, the INDY NXT by Firestone race will begin on Sunday afternoon as the INDY NXT by Firestone field battles during the 35-lap race.
Weekend Schedule · Portland International Raceway *All times ET
Friday, September 1
4:55 PM – 7:15 PM Practice 1
Saturday, September 2
2:20 PM – 3:05 PM Practice 2
7:30 PM – 7:50 PM Qualifying
Sunday, September 3
1:10 PM – 2:20 PM Race, 35 Laps
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Photo Credit: Penske Entertainment