FROST WORKS LATE SHIFT TO WIN OPENER AT ST. PETERSBURG
Danial Frost took the lead on a late restart and powered away to win the season-opening INDY NXT by Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on Sunday, earning his second career victory in INDYCAR’s development series.
Frost, from Singapore, crossed the finish line in the No. 68 HMD Motorsports with DCR car 1.8038 seconds ahead of teammate and rookie Nolan Siegel in the No. 39 HMD Motorsports with DCR machine.
“I couldn’t believe it at the end. I was still driving until the checkered, and as soon as we passed the checkered, I was like, ‘OK, we won!’ So, it feels amazing.”
Danial Frost, #68
Frost earned his first win since last May at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course by squeezing past leader Siegel on the first full lap after a restart on Lap 38. Siegel ran wide in Turn 2, and Frost took advantage to grab the lead.
“I kind of planned it out that everyone else was shooting in (Turn 1) and going wide, so I tried to take a different approach and go inside and get a switchback. It’s been working for me all race, so I might as well do the same thing. It paid off, so No. 1 in the end. It’s perfect.”
Danial Frost, #68
Frost then pulled away over the last two laps. He started seventh, tying the record for the longest climb to victory in this race, as Felix Serralles also won from that spot on the starting grid in 2016.
The decisive move by Frost was one of 119 on-track passes in the frantic, 55-minute race on the 14-turn, 1.8-mile temporary street circuit that includes the downtown streets of St. Petersburg, Florida, and a runway at Albert Whitted Airport.
The next INDY NXT by Firestone race is the INDY NXT by Firestone Grand Prix of Alabama on Sunday, April 30 at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Alabama.
Credits: Paul Kelly