Note: This continues a series of 2025 INDY NXT by Firestone team previews on INDYNXT.com. The season starts Sunday, March 2 on the streets of St. Petersburg, Florida.
Starting Lineup: Sebastian Murray (No. 2 Andretti Cape INDY NXT), Ricardo Escotto (No. 3 Andretti Cape INDY NXT)
2024 in Review: Cape Motorsports thrived in its first season aligned with Andretti Global. Rookie Salvador de Alba finished an impressive fifth in points, netting five top-five finishes with a best result of third at Iowa Speedway and Milwaukee Mile. He had a 6.8 average finish in the final seven races of his rookie season compared to an 11.1 average in the first seven. Michael d’Orlando competed in the second car that was on track for seven of the 14 races. He finished with five top-10 finishes, including a career-best fourth in the season opener at St. Petersburg.
New for ’25: The Brownsburg, Indiana-based racing team founded by brothers Dominic and Nicholas Cape in 2001 will have two full-time cars on the grid. Sebastian Murray replaces de Alba in the No. 2 while Ricardo Escotto, who made five starts as a rookie last season with Juncos Hollinger Racing, will drive the No. 3 entry full time. Escotto had a best finish of 13th at both WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca and Milwaukee Mile.
Keep an Eye on This: The relationship with Andretti Global grows further in 2025. The drivers spoke at length during INDY NXT by Firestone Content Days in Indianapolis how the two organizations will spend more time and resources to align even closer, which could allow for strong seasons for both Murray and Escotto. Cape Motorsports boasts a rich history, winning 14 USF2000 Championship titles, and has also seen success in sports car racing, earning the IMSA Prototype Challenge championship title in 2006. Andretti Global won last year’s INDY NXT championship with Louis Foster and fielded cars for five of the top nine drivers in points last season.
Little-Known Fact: This could be one of the youngest teams on the grid. Escotto turned 20 on Dec. 15 while Murray turns 18 on April 2. Murray is a high school senior and on pace to graduate in mid-April. Should he stay on that trajectory, he would graduate before the second race of the season May 4 at Barber Motorsports Park, which ironically enough is the first spot he visited when he came to America.