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: Jonathan Browne (No. 9 Chip Ganassi Racing), Niels Koolen (No. 10 Chip Ganassi Racing)

2024 in Review: Chip Ganassi Racing didn’t compete in INDY NXT by Firestone last season. The storied organization last competed in the INDYCAR development series in 2007.

New for ’25: Chip Ganassi Racing will re-enter INDY NXT by Firestone with a two-car effort. Irishman Browne and Dutchman Koolen will drive the entries. In Browne’s rookie INDY NXT campaign last season, he scored eight top-10 finishes with HMD Motorsports. In 2024, Koolen had multiple starts across INDY NXT, Formula 2 and European Le Mans. He drove nine INDY NXT races for HMD, including the first eight. His best finish was 10th last May on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course.

Keep an Eye on This: CGR boasts a proud all-around history in motorsports. It has earned 23 drivers’ championships and more than 260 race victories spread across 10 different racing series. Among those wins are five Indianapolis 500 triumphs, the 2010 Daytona 500 and 2010 Brickyard 400, eight Rolex 24 At Daytona victories and wins in the 12 Hours of Sebring and the 24 Hours of Le Mans. What’s missing? An INDY NXT by Firestone victory. A win by Browne or Koolen in 2025 adds to the prestige of CGR.

Little-Known Fact: Browne began racing in America in 2022 competing in the USF Pro 2000 championship. While racing here, he also commuted between the United States and Ireland as a full-time college student. Despite earning a college degree last year, Browne isn’t giving up learning different trades. He has completed his personal training certification and is studying sports nutrition as his next goal. Browne’s engineering background, mixed with nutrition and fitness knowledge, could lead to an improved sophomore season.