Caio Collet Stays Fast, Sweeps Both Poles at Laguna Seca
9 HOURS AGO
Caio Collet pulled off a two-for-one deal Saturday, sweeping the poles for both races in the INDY NXT by Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.
Collet drove to his first and second poles of the season – and second and third in his career – in the INDYCAR development series, edging championship leader Dennis Hauger for the top spot in both 35-lap races. Race 1 starts at 4:30 p.m. ET today, with Race 2 taking the green flag at 1 p.m. ET Sunday (Both races FS1, FOX Sports app, INDYCAR Radio Network).
SEE: Race 1 Qualifying Results | Race 2 Qualifying Results
The pole winner has won the last 10 INDY NXT races at this picturesque 11-turn, 2.238-mile permanent road course adjacent to the Pacific Ocean, which bodes well for Collet. His first career victory, in July 2024 at Mid-Ohio, came from his only other career pole. He also won this season at Road America from the second starting spot.
“Very fortunate,” Collet said. “It was a little too late in the championship, to be honest, to get our first pole, but better late than never. The team did a phenomenal job since yesterday.
“The car was quite tricky. I made a couple of little mistakes, but I was glad I could pull both laps together. It was a tough session, to be honest. I’m just happy to start on pole for both races.”
Collet, who led practice Friday, earned the top spot for the first race with his top lap of 1 minute, 13.2566 seconds in the No. 76 HMD Motorsports car. His second-best lap of 1:13.3283 was good enough for pole for Race 2.
Hauger recovered from a rare crash in practice Friday to qualify second for both races in the No. 28 Nammo car of Andretti Global with his top two laps of 1:13.3275 and 1:13.3585.
Josh Pierson will start third in both races in the No. 14 HMD Motorsports car after his best laps of 1:13.4363 and 1:13.4499.
The mirror-image starting lineups for both races ended starting with the fourth spot. Myles Rowe, winner of the most-recent race at Iowa Speedway, will start fourth in Race 1 after his best lap of 1:13.6423 in the No. 99 Abel Motorsports/Force Indy car. Lochie Hughes, second in championship points, will start fourth in Race 2 with his lap of 1:13.7569 in the No. 26 McGinley Clinic/USF Pro Championships machine of Andretti Global.
The third row in both races also featured a mixture of drivers. Callum Hedge will start fifth in both races after his best times of 1:13.5210 and 1:13.7659. Hughes will join Hedge in Row 3 for Race 1, while Rowe will start sixth in Race 2.
This is the second and final doubleheader of 2025. Hauger leads teammate Hughes by 76 points with five races remaining this season.