Dennis Hauger Hangs On To Win Tight Rookie of the Year Race

Being eliminated from Sunday’s season-ending NTT INDYCAR SERIES race on the first lap at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca left Dennis Hauger in an excruciating position as he watched the rest of the Mission Foods Grand Prix of Monterey.

Hauger (photo, top) was running deep in the 25-car pack as the field bunched approaching Turn 6 when the trailing car of Sting Ray Robb slammed into the back of his, sending the No. 19 Ault Block Chain Honda through the dirt and hard into the tire barrier. The damage proved to be too extensive to repair to continue.

So, Hauger did what he could to pass the time with so much on the line.

“Such a shame,” Hauger said of the early exit and having to wait out the big prizes that stood to elude him. “Obviously, fighting for the (Rookie of the Year) title and the top 22 (in the final standings), and we got taken out after a decent start.

“I don’t know. I think everyone (slowed up) into Turn 6 as they always do (at this track) … I think the guy behind me, I don’t know, closed his eyes for a minute there and went right into the back of me. It’s just such a shame, a bit annoying.”

Forced to accept last place and the five points that go with it, Hauger said he could only “hope for the best.”

That best came – eventually.

Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing’s Mick Schumacher was in 14th position at the time of Hauger’s misfortune, and he needed to get to eighth place to take the spoils from Hauger: the Rookie of the Year Award and next year’s seven-figure Leaders Circle bonus that goes to each of the top 22 finishers from the 2026 season. Schumacher ran as high as 10th position, but he finished 22nd.

Hauger held off Schumacher by 15 points, but he had to sweat it out.

“It's obviously been a bit of a roller coaster this year as a rookie,” Hauger said. “Yeah, to become the Rookie of the Year and get that title is pretty special to me. It can only happen once. To be able to get it, yeah, it's pretty special.”

The 23-year-old Norwegian became the second consecutive INDY NXT by Firestone champion to earn the INDYCAR SERIES rookie award the next year, following Louis Foster of Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing. Prior to Foster, Ed Jones was the last driver to complete the coveted double, in 2017. Linus Lundqvist was Rookie of the Year in 2024, but that was two years after he captured the INDY NXT season title.

Hauger became the third of team owner Dale Coyne’s drivers to win the award, following Alex Lloyd (2010) and Jones. AJ Foyt Racing’s Caio Collet was the third driver in this year’s rookie competition, and he finished 20th in this race.

Hauger, Schumacher (photo, above) and Collet finished the season 22nd, 23rd and 24th in the standings, respectively, evident how competitive they were with one another. They ended up with 25 points from first to third in the rookie category.

Hauger got this season off to a strong start, qualifying in the third position for the opening race in St. Petersburg. That was one of two occasions when he advanced to the Firestone Fast Six, the other coming with a fifth-place effort in Markham, Ontario. He reached the second round of qualifying on road courses or street circuits two other times, giving him four for the season.

“Getting (fourth) in qualifying at Milwaukee was a big surprise,” he said of that oval race. “Did not think that would happen. But overall, there's been some good moments.

“I wouldn't say there's been like any super big surprises, but there's definitely been some good moments and bad moments to take with me from this season. I feel like there was still a lot of points left at the table at times, which is probably one of the things if I went again next year, that would be a big thing to have a look at and think about.

“Coming from P24 to (finish eighth) on the Indy road course was a pretty good moment. That was kind of a surprising moment. Yeah, again, just trying to make the most of every situation we end up in. We've definitely had a few that I guess saved our rookie title in the end.”

Collet (photo, above), a 24-year-old Brazilian, reached the second round of qualifying five times (12th at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, eighth at Road America, 11th each at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course and in Washington, and 12th again in this weekend’s session). Schumacher, the 27-year-old son of seven-time Formula One World Champion Michael Schumacher, did so once, in Markham.

Collet led the most laps among this season’s rookies with 16, nine of those earned in the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge where many thought he should have been named Rookie of the Year. Instead, Schumacher received that designation.

Hauger led five laps this season, Schumacher none.

While Hauger’s best qualifying effort was starting third in St. Petersburg, Schumacher’s best was fourth on two occasions (Phoenix Raceway and the second Milwaukee Mile race). Collet’s best was ninth at Road America.

Interestingly, all three rookies had a similar best race result. Hauger and Schumacher each finished eighth – Hauger on the IMS road course, Schumacher at Nashville Superspeedway – while Collet finished ninth in Washington.

The last rookie to win a race was Alexander Rossi in the 2016 Indianapolis 500, but several current drivers, including Graham Rahal, Felix Rosenqvist, Rinus VeeKay, Scott McLaughlin, Christian Lundgaard, Kyle Kirkwood and Christian Rasmussen, won a race in their second year, and Pato O’Ward won a race in his second full season.

While Hauger hopes to return to DCR, Schumacher has been confirmed to join Meyer Shank Racing w/ Curb Agajanian next season, where he will partner with Marcus Armstrong. They were teammates in 2018 at PREMA Racing in the Formula 3 European Championship, with Schumacher taking the title and Armstrong finishing fifth, two positions ahead of Alex Palou, who Sunday capped his fourth consecutive NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship and fifth in six years. Hauger won the FIA F3 European title in 2021, also with PREMA.

Like Hauger, Collet’s plans for 2027 have not yet been confirmed.