The history of motorsports has shown that it’s never easy for a driver from India. Indian drivers have always found it hard to establish themselves in the high-adrenaline sport due to many factors, from lack of sponsors to barely any interest from fans in the country. Yuven Sundaramoorthy is the latest in the line, and the Indian-origin American racing driver had a sensational 2024 Indy NXT season.
Driving full-time for Abel Motorsports, he became the first Indian-origin racing driver to grab a podium finish at the Indy NXT series last season. During the 2024 season, the 21-year-old had two podium finishes, coming third at Gateway Motorsports Park and second at the Music City Grand Prix. Sundaramoorthy had a slow start, and it was only in the second half of the season that he raised his level and began to challenge competitors higher up in the pack.
Speaking to Hindustan Times in an exclusive interview, he looked back at his 2024 season and revealed that he was ‘really happy with how’ it turned out. “I was really happy with how the season turned out. It was definitely a slower start than I wanted, but I really think I picked it up in the second half of the year with a number of podiums. I was really happy with my first year in a car that big. Definitely think the car came to me pretty well through the second-half of the year, I am really excited with how it turned out”, he said.
He ended his season with a second-place podium finish, which saw him finish eighth in the driver standings. Meanwhile, his teammate Jacob Abel came second behind Andretti Global’s Louis Foster. Due to his gritty turnaround in the second half, Sundamoorthy was expected to be one of the underdogs challenging for the championship title in the 2025 season, which begins on March 2.
However, due to budgetary issues, he won’t be participating at all this season. Explaining his situation, he said, “Yes, I was definitely looking good for this championship, but unfortunately, that is racing. It is a super expensive sport, you can’t get everything together sometimes, but that is not going to stop me from keep pushing and doing what I do.”
In the past, he has revealed that he plans to make a comeback in 2026, and is currently working as a test engineer for Tesla, where his work pertains around in-vehicle validation of controls regarding traction, ABS and stability control. He also works in the development department of new features, across all surface types and tire variants. He revealed that his comeback is ‘ideally’ expected to be with his former team but is still uncertain about it.
“I plan to make a comeback, hopefully, sooner than later. Ideally, it will be with Abel Motorsports, but again, it is the racing industry, and nothing is for certain. My greatest hope is that it will be back with Abel Motorsports,” he said.
Racing in an Indy NXT car is an expensive investment. It takes approximately 1 million dollars to run a competitive season, and that is why teams have more than two drivers. “Racing is a super expensive sport, no matter what. I think the price that it takes to go to F1 is even more than it takes to get to an Indy car. Once you finally get there, you can start getting a return on your investment. But just getting there is super expensive, especially if you are having trouble looking for sponsors or anything like that. That’s why it is super important to network, super important to know people that can help you on your way in, and people that can help you find sponsors,” said Sundaramoorthy.
Born in Wisconsin, Sundaramoorthy has also been to India and even won a race. “I have been to India and I even won a race in Chennai at the Madras Motor Sports Club,” he revealed.
In the past, Sundaramoorthy has also participated at the US F2000 National Championship, MRF Challenge series, Formula F and F1600 Championship Series. When asked if he had Formula One ambitions, he had a diplomatic answer, considering that he wants to make a comeback at the Indy NXT series as soon as possible.
“Formula One is always the goal for any young driver, but to be honest, I am actually more excited to race in an Indy car. F1 is the pinnacle but Indy car is what I have gotten used to and what I have gotten to know. I really like how everything is set up. I really like that culture and everything like that in Indy car and you know obviously if a F1 opportunity arises I am not going to miss it,” he said.
Just like every racing driver, Sundaramoorthy began his motorsport education with go-karting. He stated that he went to a race when he was only 10 or nine-years-old and fell for the sport. He began with go-karts and got addicted.
Finally in a message to aspiring Indian motorsport drivers and fans, he said, “It is important to keep pushing when you are in adversity like I am in right now. If you end up giving up, that is going to be the end of it. If you give up, its going to be the end of it. But if you continue, there is a chance that you will achieve your goals.”
