Hauger drawing hope from solid Portland run

Dennis Hauger’s IndyCar rookiew season started with immense promise as the reigning Indy NXT champion qualified third on debut at St Petersburg for Dale Coyne Racing.

The Norwegian went on to finish 10th, and added an eighth-place run to his record two months later at the Indianapolis Grand Prix. But since then, hardship became the norm until Hauger rebounded last weekend in Portland.

Making his first visit to the Firestone Fast 12 in qualifying since St. Petersburg was the first indicator of Hauger’s potential in the No. 19 Honda, and after securing ninth, he spent Sunday fighting to regain multiple positions, leaving the pits after his final stop in 16th and motoring to 13th at the checkered flag.

A run to 13th isn’t normally a cause for celebration, but with his last four finishes of 25th, 20th, 25th, and 21st in mind, Portland offered a welcome reprieve from nearly two months of constant disappointment.

"That was a nice result, good for our points and good to get the momentum swinging in the right direction,” said Hauger, who leads IndyCar’s Rookie of the Year standings and sits 20th in the Drivers’ championship, one position ahead of teammate Romain Grosjean.

“The team really showed some fight to get a good result after losing our first practice session because of technical issues. To come back and get into the Firestone Fast 12 and finish in 13th is a successful weekend for us. We can build off of this and finish the year strong."