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Jamie Chadwick Becomes the First Female IndyNXT Winner in 14 Years

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First Female Winner in Indy NXT Alex Pantling - Formula 1 - Getty Images

Jamie Chadwick, the three-time W Series champion, won her first race in IndyCar NXT this Sunday at Road America. Chadwick became the first woman since Pippa Mann to win in an IndyCar feeder series. Chadwick won the race after starting on the pole and leading every lap and surviving a two-lap shootout to the end set up by a late red flag.

Before the restart, Louis Foster had one look at Chadwick but ultimately couldn't make the move. His attempt brought JacobAbel into the fold and Foster felt the need to defend second more than go for his third win. Abel and Foster are two of the front runners for the IndyCar NXT championship.

Foster could be heard over his radio waiting for the restart, questioning his next move,"We don't have the speed to challenge Jamie; when Abel tries to overtake me, and he will, could Jamie give me slipstream if she's far enough ahead?"

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The race restarted after the red flag, and Jamie pulled out to two car lengths with Foster and Abel held behind. She would control the final two laps as she controlled the opening 16 before the red flag to lead wire to wire.

Back in 2010, when Mann won her only Indy Lights race at Kentucky Speedway, she started on the pole and led every lap. History repeats almost 14 years later.

This was the first road course win for a female in an IndyCar feeder series, not including the Atlantic series, which is not included in the same stat sheet as NXT and Lights but had female winners, including Kathrine Legge and Simona De Silvestro.

With seven laps of 20 remaining, Jacob Abel and Louis Foster began to swap positions for second, giving her the chance to extend her lead to more than a second.

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