Reigning IndyNXT champion Dennis Hauger impressed everyone with his debut IndyCar race. Qualifying third for the Firestone Grand Prix in St. Petersburg, Hauger lined up ahead of the current IndyCar champion, Álex Palou. Throughout the race, he stayed steady and ultimately finished 10th.
This year, there’s no rest, and the drivers head straight to Avondale, Arizona, for Good Ranchers 250 at the Phoenix Raceway. Ahead of the race, The Girls Who – Motorsport spoke to Hauger about the step up to the series and his focus as a rookie.
Stepping Into IndyCar
After only a year in IndyNXT, Hauger has jumped into the IndyCar championship with Dale Coyne Racing. Before switching to the American scene, he spent time in the FIA Formula Ladder, becoming the 2023 Formula 3 champion. So, Hauger is no stranger to change.
Reflecting on the step into the top category, Hauger shared that American motorsports is “a bit of a different environment, different setting”. Consequently, he’s focused on “learning the tracks [and] how the American teams work”.
For him, adjusting to IndyCar is similar to adjusting to IndyNXT; it’s about keeping “the same hard work mentality“. Reflecting on his debut year, he feels as though he “did a really good job”, so he will continue to “take the good with the bad [and] maximise my own stuff”.
Last year, the Norwegian “kept working hard, kept trying to improve on the things I had to, and prepare as much as possible for every single race weekend“. This mentality led to six wins and the championship, so he will continue with it going forward.
Attempting Ovals
2025 saw Hauger’s first time at oval racing. Now, with some experience behind him, he’s hoping that he can “just keep progressing and keep improving this season on them”. With Phoenix Raceway up next, he doesn’t have long to wait to progress this skill.
But it isn’t just Hauger who is new to the track this weekend. Last seen in 2018, only five of the grid have raced here previously. With the majority of the grid facing an unknown track, the rookie acknowledged how “maybe that levels it out“. But the unknown aspect isn’t a factor for him.
“At the end of the day, we have to nail the balance. It’s as simple as that on ovals.” He explained to us. The Dale Coyne Racing driver went on to share how, despite racing ovals last year, there are some new aspects for him: “There’s going to be more pit stops, and many different factors that go into ovals that I’m not used to from IndyNXT.”
The ‘Rookie’ Mindset
Hauger doesn’t “think too much about the rookie stuff”. Instead, he focuses on doing the best job that he can. This year, his top priority lies in “working with the team and making sure we’re on top of things”.
The young driver shared how “small things can make the big differences”, and consequently, he is “just trying to gain experience every race”. It comes down to learning from his mistakes and improving each race. Instead of letting the ‘rookie’ mantle hold him back, he is aiming to keep progressing.
“I just want to maximise the performance at the time. If that’s a P1, it’s a P1. If it’s a P10, it’s a P10.”
He may be a rookie, but he’s already turning heads. Hauger impressed in his debut race, and with a focus on improving each time he hits the track, can he continue to shine?