Abel Motorsports has confirmed that Niels Koolen will pilot one of its entries for the 2027 Indy NXT campaign. The 25-year-old Dutch driver joins the squad after two seasons competing in IndyCar’s premier development series with Chip Ganassi Racing.
Preparations for the upcoming season commence with the annual Chris Griffis Memorial Test at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on October 16, followed by an additional session at Barber Motorsports Park on November 9.
“I’m very happy to join Abel Motorsports for 2027,” said Koolen, who secured two top-five finishes during the previous campaign, highlighted by a career-best fourth place at World Wide Technology Raceway. “I have spent time with Bill [Abel, team owner], John [Brunner, team manager] and the people at Abel Motorsports and I’m looking forward to working with the team. We start at Indianapolis on October 16 and from there the focus will be on preparing as well as possible for the new season.”
In addition to his U.S. testing commitments, Koolen will undertake an extensive winter program overseas to maximize track time before the season opener. His schedule includes an entry in the Asian Le Mans Series, where he will compete in the LMP2 class across a slate of European rounds.
The signing underscores Abel Motorsports’ confidence in Koolen’s continued development. “We’re very excited to have Niels join our team here at Abel Motorsports for the 2027 season,” said team manager John Brunner. “We have been watching Niels continue to mature and grow behind the wheel and think there are some areas where we can help, so we are looking forward to what we can do together next season.”
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