Clarios, owner of OPTIMA Batteries, has announced a new collaboration with INDY NXT driver Yuven Sundaramoorthy. With the next round of the INDY NXT series near Clarios’ and OPTIMA Batteries’ headquarters, the team looks to debut a new look for hometown hero Sundaramoorthy’s car on the starting grid at the Hy-Vee Milwaukee 100 race on Aug. 31.
INDY NXT, formerly known as Indy Lites, is an open-wheel racing series that feeds directly into INDYCAR. Featuring a lineup of 16 or more cars, INDY NXT is part of the Road to Indy developmental program. It is the final step for drivers before joining the elite ranks of INDYCAR, with 14 races on America’s most challenging raceways.
Yuven Sundaramoorthy rose through the ranks of USF Pro 2000, USF2000, F1600 and karting to become the first Indian-American driver to win an INDYCAR-sanctioned event at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 2021 and again in 2022 as part of the USF2000 Championship.
In 2024, Sundaramoorthy continues his INDY NXT push as a full-time driver for Abel Motorsports, now with support from Clarios and OPTIMA Batteries. Most recently, he claimed his first-ever podium finish in INDY NXT at Worldwide Technology Raceway in St. Louis, Missouri, on Aug. 18.
The upcoming Hy-Vee Milwaukee 100 race on Aug. 31 will showcase the debut of the Clarios-Optima Batteries-backed Abel Motorsports car.
“The heart of OPTIMA Batteries is with motorsports and enthusiasts,” said marketing director of OPTIMA Batteries Cameron Douglass. “We are constantly looking for new ways to align with drivers and race teams to help take our products to the next level.”
Fans can see the INDY NXT race car in person at the Milwaukee 100 in West Allis, Wisconsin, or live exclusively on Peacock starting at 2:50 p.m. CT on Saturday, Aug. 31.
For more information on how to see Sundaramoorthy and the Clarios–OPTIMA Batteries INDY NXT car in action, click here.
