By Noah Poser, Staff Writer
Dennis Hauger secured the 2025 INDY NXT championship before the green flag even waved in the season finale, but the celebration truly began when the Norwegian rookie crossed the finish line third in Nashville – capping a dominant debut campaign in the United States with another podium.
A former Formula 2 standout, Hauger transitioned seamlessly from Europe’s renowned road and street circuits to the American racing scene, quickly establishing himself as a title contender in his first year.
He opened the season with back-to-back victories, leading every lap in both races. Hauger went on to win four of the first five races, building a commanding points lead he never relinquished.
And how did the 22-year-old celebrate?
With a full slate of media appearances less than 24 hours after being crowned champion – which is when I caught up with Hauger to reflect on his whirlwind rookie season, what it means to be an INDY NXT champion and what’s next as he eyes a potential INDYCAR debut.
KICKIN’ THE TIRES: Congrats on the title. How are you feeling, and has the magnitude of the accomplishment sunk in yet?
DENNIS HAUGER: Thank you. It’s been an unreal season, and I’m super happy with the progress we made. Coming in as a rookie, I didn’t really know what to expect, but after the first race weekend, the goal was clear: win the championship. I’m just over the moon.
Any notable congratulatory texts?
Honestly, I haven’t looked at my phone much. A few Norwegian athletes and some F1 guys reached out. I’m not sure who’s the most famous, to be honest, but there’s been a lot of support. I’m just trying to appreciate it all and enjoy the fact that we ended the season in the way we did.
What are your plans to unwind during the offseason?
I’m heading back to Norway to disconnect a bit. I haven’t been home in seven or eight months, so I’m excited to see my family, girlfriend and friends. It’ll be nice to be in the countryside and take my mind off things. It’s been an intense year, so it will be good to be able to reset.
You said it’s been an intense year. How did the season compare to your expectations?
I think I got everything I could out of it. It was an incredible rookie season. Obviously, the goal was to win the championship but saying it and doing it are two different things. So, I’m happy we were able to execute and get the job done. It’s probably been the most important year of my career, and it’s been an incredible experience.
Learning the racing here – especially the ovals – has been very new for me. There’s a lot I can take with me moving forward into the future to better my career. Hopefully that future will be in INDYCAR, but we’ll see.
What was your favorite moment from the season, on and off the track?
On track, probably going from P3 to P1 at Portland into Turn 1. It was an important part of the weekend in terms of the championship. Points-wise, I think it was a crucial moment. And winning at Indianapolis was obviously quite a unique experience and really cool too.
Off track, every race weekend was a new place for me, so there were a lot of new life experiences. I went to Buc-ees – that was pretty cool. Honestly, there are so many moments to choose from that I don’t really have one that stands out.
You dominated road and street circuits, but also had three podiums and led laps on ovals. How would you assess your transition to that style of racing?
It’s such a different way of driving, especially racing with others. Qualifying felt quite natural to me. I love qualifying on the ovals because it’s short and intense. You have to nail it right away. You don’t have time to adapt and learn the track and how it feels. You just have to get out there and send it, which is really cool.
I think the racing, though, has been a work in progress. We had the first race weekend where I finished fifth and didn’t race well, but in the next three oval races we got three podiums. At Nashville, I learned a lot in terms of managing traffic and using the high line, such as when to use it and how to move within the flow of the course. It’s been a cool experience, and hopefully I can do more of it in the future.
You raced with plenty of new faces this year. Give me your rapid-fire thoughts on your championship rivals.
Starting with Caio Collet.
Fast.
Lochie Hughes.
Talented.
Myles Rowe.
Fighter.
Salvador de Alba.
Oval king.
Josef Newgarden, Kyle Kirkwood, Christian Rasmussen – all former INDY NXT champions turned INDYCAR winners. What would it mean to join that list?
It would be a dream come true. At the moment, the goal is to get on the grid and take it from there. But I feel like winning in INDYCAR is a realistic goal and it would be amazing. Especially the Indy 500 – that’s probably the biggest thing you can win in racing – so I’m going to work hard to achieve that.
Nothing’s set in stone, but we’re working on being on the INDYCAR grid next year. We’re having discussions and trying to see what the best options are and what opportunities are out there. There’s not a lot of contracts going out for next year, so seats are limited. It’ll all come down to making the most of the momentum we have now.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.