Weather Hands Hauger Iowa Pole as HAILIE DEEGAN Starts Deep in Indy NXT Field

July 12, 2025

• When Mother Nature decided to crash the Indy NXT party at Iowa, we got a perfect example of how the points system can work against drivers still fighting to establish themselves. HAILIE DEEGAN, running with HMD Motorsports, finds herself starting from the back of the 19-car field after qualifying was scrapped due to weather.
• The grid order defaulted to championship standings rather than practice times, meaning Dennis Hauger inherited pole position as the points leader. While that’s standard procedure, it essentially penalized drivers like DEEGAN who’ve had fewer opportunities to rack up consistent points finishes this season.
• Practice had shown promise for several teams before rain moved in, with Salvador de Alba topping the shortened session for Andretti Global. The weather washout means we’ll see how DEEGAN and the other back-row starters can work their way forward in what should be an action-packed 75-lap race at the Iowa short oval.

andretti global, hmd motorsports, indy nxt, iowa speedway