Motosport: Callum Hedge cutting it fine after appendicitis setback in Indy NXT

Kiwi driver Callum Hedge. Photo / Getty Images

New Zealand rookie Callum Hedge is making his mark in Indy NXT after appendicitis left him at an early-season disadvantage.

This season has been a steep learning curve for the former Porsche racer.

The positive is that each race weekend, Hedge is getting more accustomed to the nuances of the team and car, and will continue to improve.

“I’d say the season so far has been a bit rocky,” Hedge said. “It has been challenging, that’s for sure.

“It’s really been the last two race weekends when things have started to click with me how I have to drive the car, how I need to set up my car, how I need to work with the team and all that stuff.

“I never doubted we’d get the results and some momentum, and now it’s starting to happen.”

This weekend, Hedge gets another chance to improve further and challenge for wins, with two races at Laguna Seca, California.

The 20-year-old has been far from outclassed in his rookie season and sits fifth in the championship, tied on 156 points with Reece Gold.

He will need a good weekend if he and the team want to challenge for the series title. After six of 14 races, leader Jacob Abel is 100 points ahead of the Kiwi.

“Heading into this weekend, we have a good package. My driving is getting better and I’m getting fitter. I’m ready to keep pushing.

“We went to Laguna Seca at the beginning of the year but the first day was rained off and I could only manage about 15 laps the next day.

“The track is awesome and Monterey is a lovely area and I’m looking forward to getting out there and having a crack.

“The track has a very similar flow to Road America [in Wisconsin] and the track service is also similar. I feel if we can build on what we’ve achieved so far this season and the speed we had at Road America, along with some luck for the first time this year, it will be a good weekend.”

Hedge had a fractured start to the season, missing a chunk of testing practice due to appendicitis at the start of the year.

Leading contenders Abel and Louis Foster are in at least their second season in the feeder category to IndyCar but Hedge has been part of the chasing pack consistently inside the top 10. His best result was a podium finish at Detroit.

“My worst result this season has been 11th and we’ve been close in other races. Detroit was a good result and I overtook the championship leader and other contenders.

“Everyone from third to about seventh are very tight on points [179 to 151]. The leading two have had a couple of seasons, and as the category is so tight, you really do need the experience to rely on at the beginning of the year.

“Missing all the testing at the beginning of the year really put us on the back foot. It’s just about learning, learning, learning all the time, and every race weekend, we get a bit better and it’s starting to show.”

Abel leads the series on 256 points, followed by Foster (237), Caio Collet (179), Nolan Siegel (177) and Hedge and Gold (156).