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Hauger Returns to Winning Ways in Indianapolis GP Race 2 – Speedway Digest – Home for NASCAR News

Published

7 months ago

May 10, 2025

Hauger Returns to Winning Ways in Indianapolis GP Race 2 – Speedway Digest – Home for NASCAR News

Dennis Hauger earned his third victory in four INDY NXT by Firestone races this season, passing Andretti Global teammate Lochie Hughes early and powering to victory in the second race of the Indianapolis Grand Prix doubleheader Saturday on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course.

Hauger drove his No. 28 Rental Group car to a 4.7739-second victory over the No. 26 McGinley Clinic/USF Pro Championship machine of pole sitter Hughes, who earned his first career victory in the INDYCAR development series Friday evening in Race 1. Myles Rowe finished a career-best third for the second consecutive race in the No. 99 Abel/Force Indy entry.

SEE: Race Results

“It’s been a great start to the season,” Hauger said. “Yesterday wasn’t great, but we were able to come back and get a win today. Super-happy about that, and in a place like this, it’s awesome.”

Salvador de Alba climbed one spot from his Friday finish to place fourth in the No. 27 Grupo Indi car as the third Andretti Global entry to finish in the top four today on the 14-turn, 2.439-mile circuit. Caio Collet rounded out the top five in the No. 76 HMD Motorsports car.

Norwegian driver Hauger became the first driver to win three of the first four INDY NXT by Firestone races of the season since current NTT INDYCAR SERIES star Pato O’Ward achieved the feat in 2018.

Hauger’s path to victory was created when he survived the first turn of the 35-lap race without contact, unlike Race 1. He was bumped off track in Turn 1 on the first lap Friday, falling to last in the 21-car field before recovering to finish eighth.

Hughes once again led into Turn 1 today, this time with fellow rookie teammate Hauger in pursuit. Hughes built a gap of 1.7 seconds by Lap 3 when the only caution period of the race was triggered when Jack William Miller in the No. 40 Abel/Miller/Vinatieri Motorsports car and Nolan Allaer in the No. 11 HMD Motorsports machine made side-by-side contact in Turn 1, forcing both cars to a stop in the grass.

On the restart at the end of Lap 5, Hughes and Hauger raced side by side toward Turn 1, with Hauger on the left and Hughes on the right at the start of Lap 6. Hauger edged ahead approaching Turn 2, with his left wheels on the dirt adjacent to the asphalt, and completed the pass for the lead in that corner.

Hauger never trailed thereafter, but Hughes stayed close for a while. Hauger’s lead stayed around one second until about 10 laps to go, when he started to pull away. He padded his gap to 2.6718 seconds by Lap 29 and continued to drive away until the checkered flag.

“Yesterday was tough,” Hauger said. “I think we really didn’t have the balance, either, going through the field. But today we really nailed it. It was a warm day, and you had to judge it nicely with the rear tires.

“We managed well, and we had really good pace today. That’s a good way to bounce back.”

Hauger took a 15-point lead over Hughes in the series standings after four of 14 races this season. The next race is the INDY NXT by Firestone Detroit Grand Prix on Sunday, June 1 on the streets of downtown Detroit (10:30 a.m. ET, FS1, FOX Sports app, INDYCAR Radio Network).

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Philip Rivers fell one throw short of storybook ending in his couch-to-Colts return

Published

9 hours ago

December 15, 2025

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Philip Rivers fell one throw short of storybook ending in his couch-to-Colts return

He had one last throw left in that 44-year-old wing of his. For most of the afternoon, he’d been able to fool Father Time and frighten 68,771 Seattle Seahawks fans inside Lumen Field who’d come to bury Philip Rivers and, instead, watched him push their football team to the very brink of an impossible upset.

There had been a moment when it seemed Rivers might actually pull off the damn thing, too. That was with 1 minute and 55 seconds left in the game. The Colts led for so much of the game and were behind Seattle 15-13, but the ball was in the old man’s hands now. All day, he’d been careful and efficient. It got him a 13-3 lead at one point. Now, he needed to make a play.

And damned if he didn’t make a play.

Damned if he didn’t throw a 16-yard back-shoulder special to wide receiver Alec Pierce. Damned if that ball didn’t mean the Seahawks were now going to burn all of their timeouts because, in the NFL in 2025, just making it past midfield — as that throw did — means you’re in field goal range.

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Philip Rivers comes out of retirement for Indianapolis Colts: NFL world reacts

Published

21 hours ago

December 14, 2025

Press Room

Philip Rivers comes out of retirement for Indianapolis Colts: NFL world reacts

The Indianapolis Colts have cooled considerably as the season has progressed, going from the NFL’s best record to out of the playoff picture entering Week 15 action.

But one of today’s notable storylines is the return of quarterback Philip Rivers after five years away from the NFL. He’s on the Colts’ active roster as they prepare to play the Seattle Seahawks.

The 44-year-old was on Lumen Field hours before kickoff, taking mental reps.

Colts QB Daniel Jones suffered a season-ending injury last week, and backup Riley Leonard suffered a knee injury, though he remains on the active roster. With Brett Rypien the only other QB on their roster and list of available QBs lacking, the Colts called the last signal-caller to lead them in a playoff game (after the 2020 season).

His comeback has piqued the interest of a former Colts coach and players, his former teammates on the Chargers, former NFL quarterbacks and even those from outside football.