Jacob Abel is one of three rookies in IndyCar this season, and is hopeful that he has more chances to show what he’s capable of.
The 24-year-old has had a rough season so far in his Dale Coyne Racing seat, only finishing in the top half of the field on one occasion and being bumped out of the Indianapolis 500.
Abel’s results this season do not reflect his performance last season in IndyNXT, where he took three wins and finished second in the championship to Louis Foster.
Motorsportweek.com talked with Abel ahead of the Portland race weekend to find out what next season looks like for him at this stage.
“It’s a bit open at the moment,” said Abel. “I’m open to anything.
“Obviously, I want to be back in IndyCar. This year hasn’t really gone to plan at all, and I would hate if this was my only opportunity to show what I was capable of.
“We’re going to do whatever we can to be back here. Hopefully that comes together.
“Whether [uncertainty about other race seats] directly affects me or not, who knows. I think everyone is a bit gun-shy until those things fall into place.”
Abel referred to the delay in other drivers’ signing contracts for next season, including the ongoing uncertainty around Will Power’s future at Team Penske.
A few teams are known to be waiting on the veteran to get his 2026 situation confirmed before making their own decisions about next year.
“Absolutely,” continued Abel when pressed about needing a standout result this season. “We had an 11th at Iowa, which was really good for us. I think a top 10 would be fantastic. That’s going to be the goal.
“The last three races, we have a bigger chance to do that more than throughout the entire season.
“Me personally, I’ve improved a ton throughout the year. It’s been hard to really show it because of the bad luck that we’ve had.”
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