INDIANAPOLIS – Lindsay Brewer has 2.8 million followers on Instagram and another million people watching her on TikTok and X where she posts swimsuit pics, videos of her hair extensions, photos of her workouts and shots of her in a racing suit and helmet sponsored by C4 Energy drink inside a car ready to go 140 miles per hour around a track.
When Brewer tells people she races cars for a career, she gets a lot of shock and disbelief in response. Sometimes when she shows up to whatever track she's at for an Indy NXT race, and has forgotten her credential, she has to show the gate keepers her Instagram racing photos for them to believe she actually drives so they will let her in.
"They're like, 'Oh my gosh.' It definitely surprises people when they see me for sure," said Brewer, 27, a model who drives for Juncos Hollinger Racing. "They will say, 'Wow, I didn't think that you'd be a driver.'"
Brewer doesn't take offense. She gets it. She gets that auto racing has not historically been a woman's sport, that it has not traditionally been a demographically, culturally, ethnically diverse sport. She gets that it has mostly been white men driving inside Indianapolis Motor Speedway and all those other racetracks. IndyCar stats show its average starting grid is 86% white drivers and 99% of those are men.
But the year is 2024 and Brewer is part of a shift – finally – toward diversity on the track. She is a driver in Indy NXT, the feeder series of IndyCar, that is cultivating a diverse roster that could soon lead to a starting grid with as many Black and women and Asian and Hispanic drivers as there are white male drivers.
There has been no time in the history of IndyCar where so many athletes representing so many journeys with so many backgrounds and ethnicities are on deck to move up to the series – Black driver Myles Rowe, Indian American driver Yuven Sundaramoorthy, two full-time women drivers, Brewer and Jamie Chadwick, Mexican driver Salvador De Alba, Jr., and Joshua Mason Akinwunmi, whose mother is third-generation Trinidadian and Grenadian of Indian descent and father is first-generation British of Nigerian descent.
Rowe, who drives for HMD Motorsports, has been the most successful of these drivers. Ranked fifth in the series, he was the first Black driver to win an IndyCar-sanctioned event in 2021 with a victory in the USF2000 series. He knows he is in the spotlight and he feels the pressure, but instead of caving into it, he embraces it.
"There's definitely a lot on my shoulders. My friend has this saying that I say all the time now. 'Pressure makes diamonds.'" said Rowe. "And so, I kind of welcome it because the more pressure I have now, it's just a better excuse to perform even better. Honestly, more eyes watching, why not just do even better?"
Lindsay Brewer: 'It's almost like an alter ego when I'm racing.'
Being a woman driver isn't new at IMS, but it is a rarity. In more than a century of Indy 500s, nine women have started the race, making up 0.3% of all drivers.Janet Guthrie was the first woman to compete in 1977 and Sarah Fisher has the most starts with nine.Danica Patrick is the most successful woman, finishing third in 2009 and in the top 10 five other times.
Brewer doesn't come from a racing family, but she is from Colorado where she grew up snowmobiling, four-wheeling and doing outdoorsy sports. When she was 11, she went to a birthday party at a go-kart track and ended up beating all the adults and all the boys.
The owner of the track was quickly impressed and put Brewer in a more competitive go-kart which belonged to another boy. Brewer ended up beating that boy's time in his own kart.
"And I just fell in love with it. I absolutely just loved the feeling of it," said Brewer. "The owner convinced my dad to buy me a go-kart, and it kind of just started from there."
On the track: In her rookie Indy NXT season, Brewer is ranked 19th with 45 points. She moved up to the series after becoming the 2015 and 2016 Legends Car Racing National Champion. Before that, she raced in the USF Pro 2000 championship series and was part of the Skip Barber Racing School.
"I only have had a year and a half in open wheel experience and now I'm in Indy NXT, so I definitely still have a lot of catching up to do," said Brewer. "I know the talent's there. That's not my concern. It's more the physical strength and just the experience."
Role models: "Danica Patrick for sure. I mean, come on. She's for sure a role model because it's cool, I think she also embraces her feminine side as well. I looked up to her not only for that but for her talent as well. She's such a badass on the track. Also (seven-time Formula One World Champion) Lewis Hamilton has always been a pretty big inspiration just because of the advocacy he has on and off the track for diversity in racing. And Katherine Legge is of course an inspiration. I'm excited to see her back for the 500."
All those followers: During college at San Diego State where she earned a bachelor’s degree in business management, Brewer began working to grow her social media following, posting with friends, doing lifestyle content and then integrating more car content. "And that just helped my social media following like exponentially grow with that niche." And that eventually led to sponsors which led to getting in a seat.
Being a woman in the sport: Even from a young age, Brewer raced mostly against boys and typically only against boys. "There's a few women that I've raced against throughout the years, but the last two years, I was the only woman on the grid. So, it's great now I think that we're seeing more representation."
Why racing? "I guess the feeling of when I'm in the car driving at the maximum limit, this is so cheesy, but it's this euphoric sensation. I guess it's just adrenaline, like an addictive thing, like adrenaline junkie. I don't even feel like myself. It's almost like an alter ego. When I'm off the track, I'm very bubbly and nice and outgoing and then once I put the helmet on, I'm a completely different person. I'm aggressive when I'm out there. This is my passion. This is what I love."
Embracing her feminine side: "Just because you're in a man's sport doesn't mean you have to conform to being a certain look. I have gotten some hate from other female drivers before because of the way I've looked. I'm never going to change that. I'll still post a couple swimwear photos on my Instagram. I do want to keep that fun, feminine side. Of course, racing's No. 1, but I still cannot lose myself to the process. I'll have my (hair) extensions and fake nails and my makeup. I still will always be feminine."
What's the ultimate goal? "Racing the Indy 500 has been my ultimate dream and it still is, just racing at the top levels of motorsport in general. I'm never going to say never to other series, but IndyCar for sure is my sights right now. I never say never to even NASCAR or sports cars because I love racing in general. Of course, open wheel is my favorite, but competing in anything is my favorite. I told people I could race jet skis if I wanted to."
Myles Rowe: Chasing a spot as third Black driver in Indy 500
Two Black drivers have competed in the Indianapolis 500 -- Willy T. Ribbs in 1991 and George Mack in 2002. Myles Rowe has been touted as a talented up and coming driver who could possibly be the third.
IndyCar describes Rowe on its web site as "stylish and speedy." He's also one of Indy NXT's most successful drivers. He debuted in the series this season as the 2023 USF Pro 2000 champion driving for HMD Motorsports with Force Indy, a pilot program of Penske Entertainment’s Race for Equality and Change.
His start: Rowe was born in Powder Springs, Georgia. His first and only exposure to racing as a kid was on television and he liked what he saw. Rowe started doing research -- at 10 years old -- and found an indoor go karting league 45 minutes away.
"And it was only about $300 to do, legitimately, a full season. You could become a champion for $300," he said. "There was nothing else you had to do. You didn't need to buy equipment. They had equipment there. So, it was one of those right time, right place things."
On the track: After a successful karting debut, Rowe continued to add to his resume as the Lucas Oil School Formula Racecar Winter Series champion and two successful seasons in USF2000 (2021-22). In August 2021, Rowe became the first Black driver to win an IndyCar-sanctioned race at New Jersey Motorsports Park. That next season, Rowe earned five victories and two poles, 10 podium finishes, 13 top-five finishes and ended six points shy of the championship.
Mentor: Team Penske driver and two-time IndyCar champion Will Power noticed Rowe as a 14-year-old in a kart. He noticed his impressive lap speeds and took him on as a protege. "I am so grateful for the foundational start with Will and he has continued to push me." Power recently said he believes Rowe could be alongside him in an IndyCar by the 2025 season.
Love of the arts: It hasn't been an easy ride from start to finish for Rowe. Like many young drivers, money, sponsors and funding are the toughest opponent in the sport. "It was one of those things where it's like, 'I'm talented. Why can't I drive a car?'"
When funding fell through for Rowe as a driver, he dove into photography and film. In 2018, Rowe moved to New York City to major in film and screen studies at Pace University in Manhattan.
"I really found my interest in fashion photography and fashion filmmaking and so that lack of great timing in racing, as bad as it was, I'm really so grateful for it because there's so much more to the world that I was introduced to and able to absorb and appreciate that I don't think I would have been able to if I kept racing at that time. I had that time to discover other sides of myself and other passions. Now I think it's something that helps me on and off the track."
The big break: In late 2020, peak COVID, Rowe was in his girlfriend's apartment in New York City when he got a call from Rod Reid (founder of NXG Youth Motorsports and team principal of Force Indy) about Penske's Race for Equality and Change. Rowe couldn't believe it; he had almost given up on his dreams of racing.
"I basically couldn't watch racing anymore because I would essentially just get seriously depressed because I just couldn't understand why I literally was not able to do it, like the world would not allow me to do it. So I stopped watching racing completely."
But Reid wanted Rowe to test at IMS and that test went "extremely well," Rowe said. "After that, dominoes just fell."
Off the track: Rowe enjoys playing guitar, skateboarding, hiking, photography and keeping up with latest fashion trends. He also likes books.
"Not that I've completed a lot of books, but I'm one of those, I like to like flip through as many books as I can. I'm big on mythology and so I read a lot about gods and goddesses, successes, mistakes, and kind of like action reaction on a higher level because I'm very spiritual myself. And learning a lot from things like that has helped me just be more self-aware. I try to meditate as often as I can and just be as grounded as I can."
Jamie Chadwick: 'People say, 'Oh, I didn't realize women could race.'
Jamie Chadwick, the first full-time woman to race in Indy NXT in 13 years, secured a podium at IMS last weekend and is ranked 13th in the series with 69 points. She is a three-time W Series champion who races for Andretti Global.
How people react: "I try to avoid telling people what I do, avoid the questions. But initially, it's a lot of shock. To be honest, a lot of people say, 'Oh, I didn't realize women could race.' Yeah, which blows my mind because it's like, of course we can. But now a lot more women are watching the sport and there are a lot more women starting the sport. It's less of a surprise, which is nice."
Her start: Chadwick, 26, grew up in the United Kingdom on the Isle of Man, which has a rich history of motorsports. But racing was a novelty for her family. Both her parents work in finance, which she calls "very different worlds."
"I had no experience of the sport. I just fell into it by accident. I started go-karting because my older brother was doing it and just fell in love with the sport and it was a hobby initially, just something I did for fun on the weekends, but then it kind of grew into something more serious."
Her parents may not have been into racing, but they saw their daughter's love. "I was lucky enough I had them, their full support of anything I felt like I wanted to do. And when racing came along, they were very supportive." Even when Chadwick decided to move thousands of miles away to pursue her dream.
Track success: Chadwick already had an impressive resume when she moved to the United States in 2023. That included W Series’ records for most wins, podiums, pole positions and points over her three-year career. She was also the youngest driver – and first woman – to win a British GT Championship, BRDC British Formula 3 race and 2018-19 MRF Challenge Championship.
"As I sort of progressed, more and more opportunities came about," she said. "And I'm lucky enough now to do it a lot more seriously and as a profession."
Who she looked up to: "I didn't come from a racing background so I didn't follow racing loads when I was younger. And then as I got into it more and more, I became, I guess, more a fan of the sport. From the UK, I'm obviously a big Lewis Hamilton fan. I think everything he's achieved on and off the track is pretty inspirational." She also considers Billie Jean King a sports hero.
Being a role model: When she was driving the W Series, Chadwick was asked by a lot of little girls for autographs. "I felt like I saw a lot of young girls watching it and it is that, 'If you see it, you can be it culture,' and I think that's what that series did so well. It provided a huge amount of visibility to the world stage to women in the sport, which is incredible. It's cool to see the amount of young girls that are starting to follow the sport, but for them to also want to get into the sport, not just as drivers, but mechanics, engineers, you know, they want to be involved in this sport, which is awesome."
The goal: "IndyCar. Also the dream is still ultimately Formula One. I have been involved with Williams' Formula One team since 2019 on their Young Driver program."
The motivation: "It is quite simple. It is that feeling of success, whatever that success looks like. You have so many more low days than you do high in the sport. There are so many variables, so many things that have to go right to get results. Those days when everything goes right, the teams do their job, I do my job, the car works, everything goes to plan. Yeah, that feeling is what you are motivated by and you reach for every time."
Away from the track: Chadwick likes cycling, golf, cooking, and gourmet coffees. She continues to serve as a development driver for the Williams Formula One team, a role she’s held since 2019.
Yuven Sundaramoorthy: 'Other Indians want to try racing now, too.'
Yuven Sundaramoorthy, 21, is the first Indian American to win an IndyCar sanctioned event at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 2021 and 2022 in the USF2000 Championship. He is ranked 20th in the Indy NXT series.
His start: "I used to live in Shanghai, China, and obviously Formula One is pretty big there. My family has absolutely no racing experience or anything like that, but one day my dad was like, 'Do you want to go to a rally race, a MotoGP race or a Formula One race?' And I picked Formula One. It was just definitely something that I was super passionate about from the start and kept it going."
From there, the 10-year-old Sundaramoorthy started go-karting and, when he moved to the United States at 11, the racing became much more serious.
Your role model: "I was a massive Nico Rosberg fan. I just kind of picked him on a whim in 2011 when we went to my first race and then I supported him that whole year. And in 2012, I went to my second Formula One race, also at Shanghai, and that was his first ever pole position, first ever race win. So it was kind of a cool thing to have supported him before all of that."
On the track: After making a few appearances toward the end of the 2023 Indy NXT season, Sundaramoorthy returned full-time for the 2024 season with Abel Motorsports. He was a full-time driver in USFPRO 2000 in 2023, while completing his bachelor's degree in computer science at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Sundaramoorthy climbed the ranks to Indy NXT after racing in US Pro 2000, USF2000, F1600 and karting.
Is there pressure? "It's less of a pressure. I think it's more so something that I didn't really look into when I first started. And then once I got people, like Indian Americans and Indians reaching out to me and saying they see me doing this and they want to try and do it now too, that kind of jump started a thought that I hadn't really thought of before and kind of made it a lot bigger of a thing I had thought it was initially."
The goal: "Right now, obviously, the Indy NXT series is a great steppingstone. It's a great spot to be in. Obviously, the goal is to get to the IndyCar series and compete in the Indy 500. So I just kind of have to take small steps from now to there and kind of improve as we go. It's my rookie year in the series, so definitely a learning year and I just want to keep working on that and hopefully, eventually, we can get a seat in an IndyCar."
Formula One as well? "I mean that's always an option, but honestly I think IndyCar racing is more fun, more entertaining, and it's actually more of a driver event, whereas Formula One's more of an engineering event. That's kind of how I describe it."
Off the track: Racing isn't Sundaramoorthy's only sport. He also loves volleyball, basketball, golf, snowboarding and soccer. Growing up in Wisconsin, he is a huge Green Bay Packers and Milwaukee Bucks fan. He likes robotics and is fluent in Mandarin.
Follow IndyStar sports reporter Dana Benbow on X:@DanaBenbow. Reach her via email:dbenbow@indystar.com.
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