Rowe tests MKR Panoz DP01

Myles Rowe’s first experience in an Indy car took place this week across two half-day runs at the Putnam Park road course outside of Indianapolis with the MKR Racing team in a 2007 Panoz DP01-Cosworth Champ Car.

The 2023 USF Pro 2000 champion, who’s won three Indy NXT races since joining the Indy NXT series in 2024, says the DP01 felt like something he’d been driving for years.

“I love everything about this car; it's everything that I've known the feeling of a race car to be,” Rowe told RACER. “I acclimated to the car within two or three laps. Every single part of the car from the suspension, the power, the brakes, it's just so smooth. I've been feeling really natural in the car; I feel like I could go out and do well in a qualifying session right now with the car. I think the more downforce and the more power, it's very clear to me that these cars play into my strengths so well. I didn't have to get used to anything.”

Beyond getting a feel for the DP01’s raw speed, the MKR team led by veteran IndyCar crew chief and team manager Steve Moore put Rowe through an array of educational items that will be useful in the future.

“I’ve been learning the track at this test and I did a 53.9s (lap) yesterday, which was pretty good,” he said. “Today, I did a 52.9s, and I think I think I left maybe a 10th or two on the table in a perfect lap. I think if (Kyle) Kirkwood or somebody like that was here, I think they might put a few more tenths on me, but I’m feeling really good for where we are.

“I did fuel saving for the first time today. Just finished two fuel-saving runs, and that went actually really good. They had me hit a number, then they had me hit a bigger number, and I was keeping the lap times down pretty well. That was a really cool experience, to figure out how that actually plays out and not just a simulator, and how to enter pit lane the right way and all of those important things.

Rowe, who has raced with the support of Roger Penske through the Force Indy program led by Rod Reid, is hoping to turn his DP01 experience into something that will pique the interest of other IndyCar team owners once he completes the NXT season and looks to find a seat in the big series.

“The preparation that this has given me for whatever’s next, hopefully an IndyCar test in the off-season, is just incredible,” Rowe added. “I'll be ready for the speed. I'll be ready for the downforce, the power. My inner confidence, in getting ready for that first test with whatever team, is completely changed. I'm ready for whatever's coming now. It's a completely different feeling than before this test happened.

“There’s a lot of momentum I'm gonna channel towards the future and ride this momentum through the end of the season. In all my dialogue with sponsors and companies and teams, there’s so much good positive energy from this and it was a great success these last two days. The plan is to get teams to resonate with that and actually make things happen, no doubt. I've been dreaming of this for a long time.”