Myles Rowe is a rising star with Indy NXT, the developmental racing series that often produces the newest IndyCar competitors.
Rowe took a major step toward becoming the third Black driver to compete the Indianapolis 500 when he finished second in the St. Louis Grand Prix on Sunday at World Wide Technology Raceway.
Rowe’s driving skills and intelligence were essential as he maneuvered his No. 99 car from fourth on the grid at the race’s start to a second-place finish. It was Rowe’s best Indy NXT performance and marked his third podium appearance of the 2025 season.
“You had to have your thinking cap on. It was a bit of a chess game out there,” Rowe said of his run toward second with just five laps left in race.
“I wish we could have come away with a first. I think we could have done a little bit more. But it’s great to be on the podium on Father’s Day. I’m really blessed.”
Rowe’s father, Wayne, was in attendance, and Rowe acknowledged the sacrifices his family made for his career. This includes his parents selling their wine store to help finance their son’s dream.
Rowe drives for the African American-owned Force Indy team. It was founded by former advertising executive Rod Reid in 2020 as part of the Race for Equality & Change diversity initiative by IndyCar and Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
IndyCar CEO Roger Penske selected Reid to assist with the development of young Black drivers, and he has become a mentor and strategist for Rowe.
Rowe became the first Black driver to win an IndyCar-sanctioned race on August 29, 2021, when he took the checkered flag of the second leg of the Cooper Tires USF2000 Grand Prix tripleheader in New Jersey Motorsports Park.
A move up from USF2000 to Indy NXT meant Rowe needed considerably more money to compete at a level two steps higher – and one step from IndyCar.
Rowe raised $250,000 through a GoFundMe campaign, and Reid convinced Penske to kick in a few hundred thousand dollars. It only covered Rowe for three Indy NXT (formerly Indy Lights) races.
Rowe had to show he had the right stuff for the tougher racing, which he did.
His drive on Sunday in St. Louis led Reid to call Rowe “a super smart driver.”
“Myles was very fantastic today. We could not ask him to do better,” said Reid.
Reid also touched on the importance of “representation” by Rowe, a young Black driver, in IndyCar racing.
“We know a lot of people are watching us as to what we’re trying to accomplish. We gotta win races. We know that our representation is very important.”
Rowe, 24, missed three seasons of racing leading up to his USF2000 berth. During his hiatus, Rowe began working towards the degree in film and screen studies he earned from Pace University in New York.
The second-place finish was Rowe’s best performance of the season and left him with 186 driver’s points, 87 behind Indy NXT points leader Dennis Hauger.
Australian Lochie Hughes won the St. Louis event, and Caio Collett was third.
After trophy presentations, the three celebrated by wildly spraying champagne. It’s a taste that Rowe enjoyed, as he flashed his winning smile and gave a thumbs up gesture to the St. Louis crowd.
The Reid Roundup
Myles Rowe is driving to join Willy T. Ribbs (1991) and George Mack (2002) as Black drivers to compete in the Indianapolis 500…The St. Louis Cardinals will celebrate Black Heritage Day on Sunday, June 22. Fans who purchase a special theme ticket for the game against Cincinnati will receive a St. Louis Stars replica jersey… According to nbadraftroom.com, St. Louis native and former Arizona star Caleb Love will go 54th overall to the Indiana Pacers in the second round of the NBA Draft…DC Defenders head coach Shannon Harris became the first HBCU alumnus to win a professional football championship in the U.S after leading DC to a 58-34 win over the Michigan Panthers in the UFL Championship game last Saturday in St. Louis…Angel Reese, 23, became the second-youngest WNBA player to tally a triple double last Saturday. Caitlin Clark did it twice last year at 22.