Junior open-wheel standout Myles Rowe will join ABEL Motorsports with Force Indy to drive the legendary No. 99 for the full season in INDY NXT by Firestone in 2025.
Rowe will continue his climb toward the NTT INDYCAR SERIES with the continued support from Penske Entertainment's Race for Equality & Change initiative.
Georgia native Rowe finished 11th in the series standings as a rookie with HMD Motorsports in 2024, highlighted by seven top-10 finishes and two top-five finishes.
"I'm thrilled to be part of the ABEL Motorsports family with Force Indy for the 2025 season," Rowe said. "ABEL has not only shown great skill, but they have a great deal of respect among the INDYCAR community. It's a privilege to represent them and Force Indy on this journey. I want to thank HMD Motorsports and Henry Malukas for giving me a good start at this level of racing.”
Rowe's journey to INDY NXT has been filled with trophies, but none more important than his USF Pro 2000 championship in 2023 and becoming the first African American driver to win a North American open-wheel championship.
That winning and competitive spirit is exactly what team owner Bill Abel and team manager John Brunner sought for their 2025 driver lineup.
"When we first heard about the opportunity to bring Myles and Force Indy onboard, we were immensely excited," Abel said. "John and I have been watching Myles for a number of years, and to see his progression as a driver has been remarkable and something that we knew we wanted to be a part of.
"Not only do we look for competitive drivers on track, but we look for the right personality and off-track presence that will represent us well. Myles absolutely checks that box for us, too, so excited for 2025 is an understatement.”
Abel Motorsports placed two drivers in the top 10 of the INDY NXT by Firestone standings in 2024, with Jacob Abel placing second and Yuven Sundaramoorthy finishing eighth. Jacob Abel won three races.
"Our goal year in and year out is to put the most competitive program we can on track, and Myles will be a huge piece of that puzzle in 2025,” Brunner said. “2024 really showed what this organization is capable of, but we are always striving for more. Myles will bring a new perspective to the team, and I think pairing him with our staff and with Yuven (Sundaramoorthy) will make us that much more competitive in 2025.”
Established in October 2020, Force Indy is a change agent in the motorsports industry. The foundation of Force Indy is an alliance with of NXG Youth Motorsports founder Rod Reid and Roger Penske, owner of one of the most successful racing organizations in history. Their leadership brings years of experience from grassroots racing to the professional INDYCAR level. Force Indy’s priority is in finding skilled and talented individuals and mentoring them for success at the highest level. Its vision is to see motorsports grow ethnically and across gender.
A constant supporter of Rowe's career, Force Indy President Reid also looks forward to the continuation in 2025 and seeing what this pairing can accomplish together.
"It's so important to have an organization not only interested in driver development but understanding our mission of bringing an expanded audience to the sport,” Reid said. “ABEL has been a strong supporter of our effort since Force Indy opened its doors across the street from their shop back in 2020. We're looking forward to a successful season with them.”
Rowe begins his run with ABEL Motorsports with Force Indy on Oct. 18 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the annual Chris Griffis Memorial Test.