Abel Appreciating Every Aspect of First Indy 500 Start
Chris Jones/Penske Entertainment
By Dennis Krause
Less than two months ago, Jacob Abel didn’t know if his dream of racing in the Indianapolis 500 would ever come true.
Sunday, that dream will finally be realized.
That dream nearly come true a year ago, only for Abel to be bumped in qualifying for the 2025 Indy 500. The runner-up in the 2024 INDY NXT by Firestone Series, Abel stepped into a full-time ride with Dale Coyne Racing in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, only to endure a difficult season and was dropped at the end of the year.
Since then, Abel has competed in IMSA’s WeatherTech SportsCar Championship driving for Era Motorsports in endurance events in the Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2) category.
Fast forward to April 20th, when it was announced that Abel would attempt to qualify for this year’s 500 in a car entered by Abel Motorsports.
After last year’s heartbreak, the driver of the No. 51 Texas Roadhouse Chevrolet is taking in every aspect of the Greatest Spectacle in Racing and what he missed out on a year ago.
“Yeah, it's still surreal. Last year was surreal, to be honest, getting up to that point, and then obviously I wasn't able to take part of it,” admitted the 25-year-old Louisville native.
“So I've been trying to really enjoy every single step of the week and really soak it all in. I'm excited for everything. I wish the weather was a little bit better, a little bit warmer, but yes, this is stuff I've been looking forward to my entire life. Still doesn't feel real at all. I don't know when it will.
“Sunday morning is still going to be pretty emotional, but I'm excited and full focus on the task at hand.”
With what happened a year ago, and now coming back to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Abel’s appreciation for the 500 has only deepened.
"Yeah, it's humbling for sure,” said Abel. “Just when I thought I didn't need to appreciate it any more, I've been a huge fan of this event my whole, entire life. My first race was the 98th running back in, I think it was 2014 then. So I've been to pretty much every single one since as a fan and then slowly working more and more closer to being a driver.
“Then obviously last year getting super close, basically as close as you can possibly get to it. Yeah, it's made me respect it even more.
“Like I said, I've always looked up to this race,” Abel continued, “but you don't truly understand it until it gets so close and then you can't have it. Yeah, it's just making me enjoy everything that much more, just getting here at the start of practice the beginning of last week, it's so exciting.
“As a young driver, you never know how many chances you're going to have at this. I don't know how many chances I'm going to have at this. I would love to do this race every year for the rest of my life, but the reality of that is tough, and up until about a month and a half ago or maybe close to two months ago, I didn't know if I was ever going to get to experience it again.
"Just to be here and enjoy it, I think is probably the biggest thing. Sunday is certainly going to be pretty special.”
Travis Hinkle/Penske Entertainment
Not only is Abel’s dream being realized on Sunday, so is that of the Abel Motorsports INDY NXT team which built the car.
“Yeah, I think it speaks so much to our INDY NXT team's skill set and experience because it basically is our whole, entire INDY NXT program has kind of gathered around this one car and building it and making it as fast as possible.
“On a personal note, it's also just super special to me because these are people that they were all a part of my INDY NXT career, and basically every step of the ladder up until that point. So it's very rewarding as just an overall experience for me to be able to share that with them.
“We're all new to it. It's kind of new to all of us, but it's cool because we're not new to each other at all. So we don't have to build those levels of communication or anything like that or trust. I know my engineer trusts my feedback, and I trust that he is going to make good changes. That's, I think, one of the biggest parts about that relationship in the first place.
“It's been more just about implementing it into an INDYCAR at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway -- because that's not a super big deal or anything.
“Yeah, it's been super fun, super special, super rewarding experience, and it makes it all that much more emotional for sure.”
Joe Skibinski/Penske Entertainment
As one of four drivers in this year’s field making their first Indy 500 start, Abel has been taking part in rookie ritual activities connected to the 500 such as milking a cow and visiting local schools — and loving every bit of it.
“It's all work, right? For me having to do this last year, I basically did the whole, entire month through Sunday, and then I was pretty much cut off. So to milk the cow and do all that stuff, I'm just having a great time with it.
“Visiting the schools yesterday was super cool. We've been doing a bunch of activation for our personal partners, which has been really fun as well. Honestly just enjoying it. I'm also not a full-time INDYCAR driver, so I don't get to do this stuff all year long. I don't get to be a race car driver all the time. I'm racing in IMSA, but it's not the same. So just trying to soak it all up and just enjoy it."
Abel will start from the outside of Row 10 having qualified with a speed of 228.169 mph.
Dennis Krause has spent decades covering all forms of motorsports, including over 40 Indianapolis 500s, with stints at WIBA Radio, PIT PASS - Radio’s Premier Motorsports Magazine and Motorsports Minute. Follow him on X @DennisKrause500 or motorsportsminute.bluesky.social or motorsportsminute on Threads or MotorsportsMinute+ on Facebook.