ROAD AMERICA READY
Callum Hedge heads back to the track this weekend for Round 6 on the INDYNXT championship at the Road America circuit in Wisconsin.
Round 6 marks the first track on the INDYNXT schedule that Callum has previously competed at. In 2023, Callum took pole positions and a clean sweep of race wins during Round 2 of the Formula Regional Americas championship at the Road America circuit.
Heading into this weekend, Hedge says that having the previous track knowledge simply accelerates his learning and testing schedule.
“On a new circuit, it takes both practice sessions to really find the limits of the track. This weekend, I’ll be able to use the practice sessions to test and try things that we haven’t been able to do at other events” said Hedge.
With five of the 14 rounds completed, Hedge currently sits 6th in the outright standings, and 3rd in the rookie championship.
“I still feel like I have so much to learn - like I’ve barely scratched the surface on what we can do with this car. Coming off the podium in Detroit, I know that when things are good, I can run at the front. I finally feel comfortable in the car, so now we can start to tune it to my specific needs, and build a solid back half of the season” Hedge continued.
The jam-paced INDYNXT schedule has seen 4 rounds completed in under a month, Callum Hedge is enjoying the consistent seat time and is using the momentum to build his knowledge of the INDYNXT machinery.
“I’m absolutely loving the frequency of the racing. I just want to be in the car as much as possible. We also have a found oval rounds in the back half of the season which is a completely new disciple for me. I’ve got a few oval tests over the next few weeks which will be a really fun challenge and I can’t wait to get stuck in.”
Reflecting on the season so far, Callum admits it hasn’t been an easy ride.
“It’s been really tough. Moving away from home and taking on a huge challenge in moving from Porsche Carrera Cup racing to full-time in single seaters has been a steep learning curve. After the setbacks we had at the start of the year, I’m only now starting to feel comfortable with the car. I think the most encourage thing has been the steady progress we’ve made - from qualifying 17th and finishing 11th at Round 1, to qualifying 6th and being on the podium at Round 5. I know I still have a lot to learn, and I’m certain that the bumps in the road aren’t done with me yet - so I just need to keep my head high, and stay focused on the end goal.”
