THE MODERATOR: The 2024 INDY NXT champion, Louis Foster, driving for Andretti Global. His eighth win of the season, eight of the last 11 races, 10 career wins, wrapping up the championship.
This is it. Seems like you savored that a little bit more than maybe usual.
LOUIS FOSTER: Yeah, I mean, we're done now. It's been a great two years, especially this year, last year. Yeah, it was nice to finish off with a win. That was the aim this weekend.
But yeah, super happy with the last two weeks, everything that's gone on. Got my whole family here. My sponsor's here. Great to partner with them as well.
Yeah, just super happy.
THE MODERATOR: You got off to a great start in the race, then deal with the restart. Nervous about that?
LOUIS FOSTER: A little bit. I knew Yuven had driven up through the field because I knew he was in second place. Wasn't super nervous about it. I knew as long as I could keep it flat, there was little way he could get past. Then, yeah, on the restart I had a few moments of oversteer. Kept it flat. But wasn't fun.
Just using the tools in the car trying to adjust it, making sure we finished up the race strong, and we did.
THE MODERATOR: We'll open it up to questions.
Q. You win the championship. The next step is to try to get an INDYCAR ride. With the charter system coming into play, does that make it more difficult for an INDY NXT champion to get a ride or easier?
LOUIS FOSTER: Ask me in six months. I don't know. We'll see.
Q. As far as the prospects, have you gotten a lot of talk from people?
LOUIS FOSTER: Yeah, it's hard. In the end, INDYCAR is the top series in America. Some of the best drivers in the world. No matter whether there is a charter system, there isn't, everyone wants to be there. There's more drivers than cars. It's hard either way.
We're working flat out to try to get a deal done. No news yet. I can't tell you anything 'cause there isn't anything yet, at the end of the day.
Like I say, we're working really, really hard. I'm hoping it will come together, but I just don't know.
Q. Used to be INDY NXT maybe only had one oval on the schedule for years. Some years no ovals on it. This year there was several times to run on an oval. How valuable was that in your driver development?
LOUIS FOSTER: Massive. When I first came to INDY NXT, I had only done two oval races in my life. Yeah, now that I've come out running superspeedway, a few different ovals like Milwaukee, Iowa, stuff like that, it really prepares drivers.
I like the ovals. I've got used to them in America. When I first came here, I was a little bit timid. I love them now. We've won every oval this year, so it's gone well.
Q. When you came to the United States to race, could you picture being here now? Were you coming hoping to extend your career? Were you thinking this is my path to INDYCAR? Could you imagine sitting here today? Was that a dream or the plan?
LOUIS FOSTER: It's obviously the dream, 100%. The plan, the dream... I believed in myself. I think every driver obviously does. I knew we had the pace to come over here and perform at a high level. I knew that was our aspiration. Our aspiration wasn't to run around in the middle of the pack, see what we could do. It was always to go in and win immediately.
Obviously it is a dream come true. The last two years has been working up to this moment for me. I'm over the moon to finally get it done. Hopefully that will help me get to the next step of the eventual dream of getting to INDYCAR. INDYCAR. When you get to INDYCAR, day one, cool we're here, what's next? Getting in is one thing, but it's like now I want to win a race, now I want to win a championship, win the 500. It's never ending.
I'm always thinking about the next thing. For me, it's like we had good celebrations with this championship, it was amazing. Now I'm fully focused on trying to get into INDYCAR and being best prepared possible for it if I get the opportunity.
Q. How will you reflect on these two years with Andretti and INDY NXT?
LOUIS FOSTER: Yeah, I've thoroughly enjoyed it. It's been obviously different moving to a different country working with an American race team. Big organization as well. But they've become a family to me. They've been behind me since day one in the Chris Griffith test back in '22.
Yeah, we've just put our heart and soul into this program. It's really paid off this year. So yeah, we'll look back at it very fondly.
Q. A lot of wins this season. As you kind of look at the landscape of how this season has transpired, what is maybe your proudest race this year?
LOUIS FOSTER: I think two come to mind. I think firstly obviously Milwaukee where we won the championship. Obviously that was awesome. Also to win with a win is quite rare to be able to do that. That was super nice.
Then probably Barber. It's not often that you get to start far back. I really enjoy the overtaking aspect of the races. That's kind of my favorite part. That race, we battled through adversity the entire weekend. Rolled out with a car that we had no idea what it would do. Just made it work. Drove up to fifth.
That was probably my favorite race I've had in a very long time.
Q. Being a larger, longer track, how is the challenge of Nashville compared to the other ovals you've driven on?
LOUIS FOSTER: I think this track forms in my mind quite similarly to Iowa. If you just expand Iowa quite a bit, then flatten the banking slightly, put it on concrete, that's kind of what Nashville is.
We're flat out there. With no traffic, you'd be flat the entire race for our cars. It does play into it with tire wear, as well. I think there was definitely some tire saving during that race for us.
But yeah, the bump is not fun. I think usually issues arise in the bump from driver error or car setup error. I haven't particularly showed it this weekend as much as other drivers have.
But yeah, if we were to come back here, it would be lovely to get that flattened.
Q. Wrapping up the championship was an inevitability. It seemed at the time a release of emotions for you. Can you reflect on that feeling, getting over the line, was for you?
LOUIS FOSTER: In Milwaukee, yeah?
Q. Yes.
LOUIS FOSTER: Yeah, I mean, like I said before, it was a dream come true for me. I guess to finish it off with a win, as well, it was pretty special.
But yeah, I mean, we've been working at it for two years. It's early mornings, late nights, training, everything that goes into it that no one else sees is what adds up on the track.
Yeah, I mean, I was quite emotional then. As emotional as I get (smiling). Yeah, it was a great weekend. I enjoyed that week off. Then, yeah, this weekend was just come in, hope for the best, see what we can do. Thankfully we got a win.
Q. This is it for your junior development series career. After all the work through the years to get to this point, have you let that feeling sink in?
LOUIS FOSTER: I think it will sink in over the coming weeks, I imagine, as we go back to Indy and start the training for 2025.
At the moment it's just excitement, just for the future, for what's in store for me, for any opportunities that we get.
But yeah, I'm just ready to hit the ground running in 2025 with whatever we can do. Yeah, I hope for the best.
THE MODERATOR: It's been a tremendous season for you. Congratulations. We know there are many more special moments ahead.
LOUIS FOSTER: Thank you.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports