Dennis Hauger heads to Iowa Speedway with momentum in his favor.

The Andretti Global rookie returned to victory lane July 6 at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, securing his series-leading fifth win of the 2025 INDY NXT by Firestone season.

SEE: Event Details

The victory gave Hauger a 47-point advantage over teammate Lochie Hughes entering Saturday’s race at Iowa Speedway.

Here’s some storylines ahead of the 75-lap race airing at 1:30 p.m. ET Saturday on FS1, FOX Sports app and INDYCAR Radio Network.

Championship Battle Likely Narrows to Three

While Myles Rowe sits fourth in points, a 166-point deficit likely leaves the championship chase to three contenders with six races remaining: Hauger, Hughes, and 2024 Rookie of the Year Caio Collet.

The trio has won the last three races, Hauger on the streets of Detroit on June 1, Hughes at World Wide Technology Raceway on June 15 and Hauger at Mid-Ohio last Sunday.

Collet, who trails Hauger by 83 points, was runner-up to Hauger last weekend and has five podium finishes in the last six races. The HMD Motorsports driver is capable of making a thrilling run to a potential championship.

Collet’s edge? Oval experience. Unlike rookies Hauger and Hughes, Collet logged laps across all four ovals in 2024 and hopes to use that knowledge to close the gap – especially with three of the final six races coming on oval tracks.

Can Andretti Global Continue Oval Win Streak?

The detriment to Collet’s potential run is that Andretti Global has dominated ovals lately.

Last year’s INDY NXT by Firestone champion, Louis Foster, swept the four oval rounds on his path to the title for Andretti Global.

Also, try this on for size: the last two INDY NXT champions swept the ovals. Christian Rasmussen, driving for HMD Motorsports in 2023, won the pair of circle tracks on that year’s schedule, Iowa and WWTR.

Rasmussen is the lone exception to the Andretti Global oval domination that’s seen the team win seven of the last nine circle-track events, including five in a row when factoring in Hughes’ climb from fifth to the win June 15 at WWTR.

Can Hughes remain undefeated and close the gap to secure the championship Aug. 31 at Nashville Superspeedway?

He led the final 14 laps at WWTR, was third quickest in all three oval tests, April 1 at Nashville Superspeedway, June 9 at Iowa Speedway and June 24 at Milwaukee Mile.

Hauger aims to be in hot pursuit. He earned the pole at WWTR but slid to fifth in the race. Hauger, though, was second fastest in both the Iowa test and Milwaukee test, in addition to being fastest in the Nashville test.

Teammate Salvador de Alba finished third here last year, fourth (WWTR), third (Milwaukee) and fifth (Nashville) while driving for Andretti Cape. He joined Andretti Global this season and qualified third and finished fourth at WWTR. He was fourth fastest in all three oval test sessions this season and finished fourth last Sunday at Mid-Ohio.

What about the fourth Andretti Global driver James Roe? He earned his maiden pole during this race weekend last year and finished second in the race. He’s not flashed the speed this season with an 18th-place finish in WWTR and eighth in the Iowa test and seventh at the Nashville and Milwaukee tests. However, he returns to the track where he had a career weekend last season.

Drivers Who Could Halt Andretti Global

Collet headlines this list. He led a race-high 58 of 75 laps at WWTR last month but finished third. He was also sixth fastest in the Iowa test, fifth at the Nashville Superspeedway test and 10th at the Milwaukee Mile test.

His teammate Josh Pierson could factor into things, too. He was quickest in the Iowa Speedway test and finished sixth at WWTR.

Myles Rowe stamps his name as one to watch in the ABEL Motorsports with Force Indy entry. Rowe was fastest in the Milwaukee Mile test June 24, second in Nashville Superspeedway’s test and fifth at the Iowa test.

Another Speed Record?

After undergoing a partial repave last year, Iowa Speedway was left untouched ahead of this weekend’s action. The track repaved all four corners in May 2024 but left the straightaways on the front stretch and backstretch untouched from the original pavement from 2006.

With the Firestone Firehawk tires gripping the track better in the turns last season, the 2017 track record set by Colton Herta in 2017 was shattered, both single lap and two-lap, which determines the starting lineup.

Andretti Global driver Roe went 171.088 mph on a single lap and earned the pole via a two-lap average of 170.625. Herta’s bests were 163.835 mph and 163.670 mph, respectively.

Normally, as track surfaces age, the speed backs off as the years go on. But the test speed chart June 9 displayed faster speeds. In total, 11 cars beat Roe’s fastest lap last season, led by Pierson who topped the session with a speed of 176.109.

More Experienced Field

Last year, 11 of the 18 starters had never raced on an oval. That was partially because Iowa Speedway was the first circle track on the schedule, and the USF junior category series doesn’t race here.

That played a role with then-rookies Collet and Rowe crashing and finishing 17th and 18th, respectively. Veteran Jacob Abel had a messy race and finished 15th.

But, with World Wide Technology Raceway moving up to June 15 this season, the entire field has oval experience entering Saturday’s race. In addition, 21 drivers tested on this track June 9.

Seventeen of the 21 drivers turned over 100 laps during that test, including 12 going over 160 laps. Jordan Missig (228 laps), and Roe (207) laps exceeded 200 laps.

Track Specs: .894-mile oval

Qualifying Record (One Lap): James Roe, 18.8114 (171.088 mph), July 12, 2024

Qualifying Record (Two Laps): James Roe, 37.7248 (170.625 mph), July 12, 2024