Dennis hauger hangs on to win tight rookie of the year race
Here is the thing about getting dumped out of a race on the opening lap: it leaves you stranded in the paddock with nothing to do but watch your hard-earned season hang by a thread. That was the excruciating reality for at during the season-ending Mission Foods Grand Prix of Monterey. Running deep in the 25-car pack as the field compressed approaching Turn 6, the trailing machine of slammed squarely into the back of the Norwegian's No. 19 Ault Block Chain Honda. The impact pitched the car through the dirt and hard against the tire barrier, inflicting damage far too severe to repair.
“Such a shame,” Hauger said of his early elimination. “Obviously, fighting for the Rookie title and the top 22, and we got taken out after a decent start. I don’t know. I think everyone slowed up into Turn 6 as they always do at this track… I think the guy behind me, I don’t know, closed his eyes for a minute there and went right into the back of me. It’s just such a shame, a bit annoying.”
Forced to accept last place and the meager five points that accompany it, the 23-year-old could only cross his fingers and watch the chaos unfold. Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing’s was sitting 14th when disaster struck Hauger, needing to climb up to eighth place to steal the spoils. Those spoils were massive: the Rookie of the Year Award alongside next year’s lucrative seven-figure Leaders Circle bonus reserved for each of the top 22 finishers from the 2026 season. Schumacher charged as high as 10th position, but ultimately crossed the line 22nd. Hauger held him off by just 15 points after a truly brutal afternoon.
“It's obviously been a bit of a roller coaster this year as a rookie,” Hauger reflected. “Yeah, to become the Rookie of the Year and get that title is pretty special to me. It can only happen once. To be able to get it, yeah, it's pretty special.”
The Norwegian thus became the second consecutive INDY NXT by Firestone champion to claim the premier series rookie award the following year, following of Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing. Ed Jones was the last to complete that exact double back in 2017, while Linus Lundqvist took Rookie honors in 2024 two years after his own junior title. Hauger also writes his name into the history books as the third driver under team owner Dale Coyne to capture the award, following Alex Lloyd in 2010 and Jones. AJ Foyt Racing’s rounded out the three-way rookie battle, finishing 20th in the finale.
