HMD Motorsports closed out its final weekend of oval competition with a podium finish at the Milwaukee Mile, as Jack Beeton secured third place in Round 15 of the INDY NXT by Firestone championship. The penultimate round, held in West Allis, Wisconsin, carried significant weight for the team as the final oval race of the season and a crucial weekend in the championship fight.
Jack Beeton showed immense pace on the mile-long oval, fighting at the front of the field and coming within striking distance of the lead. Ultimately, the Australian rookie brought the #45 HMD Motorsports entry across the line in third to secure his third podium of the season and his first podium finish on an oval.
Championship contender Enzo Fittipaldi fought hard across the 90 laps to finish seventh. The result leaves the Brazilian just three points off the championship lead with two races remaining. The championship battle will now be decided at the WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca doubleheader.
Tymek Kucharczyk finished 12th and will be on an outright charge for the championship in the final event weekend of the season. Salvador de Alba wrapped up his 2026 campaign with HMD Motorsports in 19th after an on-track incident pushed him to the back of the field. Bart Harrison will take the wheel of the #17 entry when the team heads to California in just a few days.
“We fought hard in Milwaukee,” commented HMD Motorsports Team President Mike Maurini. “With the championship on the line, the team knew the importance of this weekend and were fully dialed in. Jack navigated the race well and delivered another strong result, including a great fight at the front. While we were reaching for greater results overall, it’s not surprising that the championship will come down to the final rounds at Laguna Seca given the history of this season. We are giving it everything we’ve got in the season finale and leaving nothing on the table. HMD Motorsports brings one goal: win.”
With an incredibly quick turnaround, the team will now flip the cars from oval to road course setups and make their way to California for the 2026 season finale at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, September 4–6. The road course, famous for its world-renowned “Corkscrew,” sits in the hills of Monterey, California and creates some of the most exciting racing of the season.
The 2.238-mile, 11-turn permanent road course will host the final two races of the INDY NXT by Firestone season, with the championship set to be decided across the doubleheader weekend. The Brownsburg-based team brings Fittipaldi, Kucharczyk, Beeton, and Harrison to the finale out west.
HMD Motorsports found success at Laguna Seca in 2025, sweeping the doubleheader with Caio Collet to win both races of the weekend. The team will look to build on that success and close out the 2026 season on the top step of the podium.
The season finale weekend gets underway Friday with Practice One at 4:00 PM ET, followed by Practice Two at 6:30 PM ET. Saturday brings Qualifying at 3:00 PM ET, followed by Race One at 6:30 PM ET. Friday and Saturday sessions will be available to watch live on FS2. The championship will be decided Sunday with Race Two at 12:30 PM ET, live on FS1, where the 2026 INDY NXT by Firestone champion will be crowned.
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Photo Credit: RTD Media