Callum Hedge Bio
Callum Rennie Allan Hedge, born on 17 November 2003 in Auckland, New Zealand, is a New Zealand racing driver competing at the junior levels of international motorsport. He races in the 2025 Indy NXT season with Abel Motorsports, carrying car number 17. A graduate of New Zealand’s karting and single-seater ladder, Hedge has built a résumé that includes national karting titles, a Toyota Finance 86 Championship, a Porsche Carrera Cup Australia crown, and a Formula Regional Americas title.
Across his early career, Hedge has shown a steady climb from domestic New Zealand competition to international open-wheel racing in the United States. His progression through Formula 1600, Toyota 86, and Porsche Carrera Cup machinery reflects a versatile driver comfortable in both single-seaters and sports cars.
Early Life and Background
Callum Rennie Allan Hedge was born and raised in Auckland, New Zealand, where he was introduced to motorsport at a young age. Growing up in a country with a deep grassroots racing culture, Hedge began his competitive career in karting, where he developed the race craft that would later define his single-seater results. He attended St Kentigern College in Pakuranga, Auckland, balancing his early education with an increasingly demanding racing schedule.
His karting years produced multiple New Zealand national titles, establishing him as one of the country’s most promising junior talents. The discipline and consistency required by karting gave Hedge a strong technical foundation, including precise race starts, wheel-to-wheel race craft, and an understanding of tire management that he would carry into his car-racing career.
Path to Open-Wheel Racing
Hedge transitioned from karts to cars by winning the 2017–18 NZ Formula 1600 Championship, a popular entry-level single-seater series in New Zealand. The following season, he added the 2018–19 Toyota Finance 86 Championship to his résumé, demonstrating his ability to adapt quickly to a rear-wheel-drive touring car platform.
In 2020, Hedge shifted toward sports car racing, joining the Porsche junior pyramid and competing in Porsche Carrera Cup machinery. The Porsche program gave him exposure to professional team environments, longer race distances, and pit-stop strategy, all of which broadened his skill set. By 2023, he was ready to commit fully to a single-seater campaign abroad.
Callum Hedge Career
Early Career (2017–2022)
Hedge’s car-racing career began in earnest with his 2017–18 NZ Formula 1600 Championship title, a series widely regarded as a proving ground for young New Zealand drivers. He backed that up the next year with the Toyota Finance 86 Championship, a one-make series that emphasizes close, production-based racing.
From 2020 onward, Hedge raced Porsche machinery, working his way through the Porsche Carrera Cup Australia paddock. Those seasons gave him race-by-race experience with a manufacturer team, professional coaching, and the kind of endurance-style formats that differ from sprint kart and Formula 1600 events. The period laid the groundwork for his later international move.
Formula Regional Breakthrough (2023)
In 2023, Hedge split his season between two major campaigns. He first contested the Formula Regional Oceania Championship with M2 Competition, engaging in a season-long title fight with teammate Charlie Wurz. Hedge won the opening race at Highlands Motorsport Park and traded the championship lead with Wurz throughout the year, ultimately finishing second in the standings after the Taupo finale.
After the Oceania championship, Hedge traveled to the United States and joined Crosslink Kiwi Motorsports for the 2023 Formula Regional Americas Championship. That move paid off with the series title, a major North American junior open-wheel crown and a clear statement of his readiness for the next level of the sport.
Porsche Carrera Cup Australia (2023)
Alongside his Formula Regional Americas title, Hedge also won the 2023 Porsche Carrera Cup Australia championship, completing a remarkable double championship year. The Porsche program, supported by the brand’s global one-make infrastructure, showcased his adaptability across very different car types in the same season.
Indy NXT with HMD Motorsports (2024)
For 2024, Hedge stepped up to Indy NXT, the development series for the NTT IndyCar Series, signing with HMD Motorsports. The move marked his first full season in a U.S.-based, road-course and oval-style open-wheel championship, a significant step up in car performance, race weekends, and competition depth.
Abel Motorsports Era (2025–Present)
Hedge remained in Indy NXT for 2025 and switched to Abel Motorsports for his sophomore season, continuing his development on the IndyCar ladder. With car number 17, he is part of a team focused on preparing young drivers for the top level of American open-wheel racing.
Driving Style and Strengths
Hedge is known for a calm, measured approach behind the wheel, with particular strength in wheel-to-wheel combat and consistent race-long pace. His time in Porsche Carrera Cup machinery sharpened his race-craft in traffic, while his Formula Regional titles highlight his qualifying speed and ability to manage tire degradation across a stint.
Notable Races and Milestones
Signature moments include his opening-race victory at Highlands in the 2023 Formula Regional Oceania Championship and his championship-winning campaign in the 2023 Formula Regional Americas Championship with Crosslink Kiwi Motorsports. His 2023 Porsche Carrera Cup Australia title stands as another milestone in a year defined by success across two continents.
Callum Hedge Career Wins
Callum Hedge has compiled championship-winning results across karting, single-seaters, and sports cars. His verified senior titles include the 2017–18 NZ Formula 1600 Championship, the 2018–19 Toyota Finance 86 Championship, the 2023 Porsche Carrera Cup Australia championship, and the 2023 Formula Regional Americas Championship.
Formula Regional Highlights
Hedge’s 2023 Formula Regional Americas Championship title with Crosslink Kiwi Motorsports is his highest-profile open-wheel result to date. Earlier that same year, he finished second overall in the Formula Regional Oceania Championship with M2 Competition, closing the season just behind teammate Charlie Wurz after a tight battle that went down to the Taupo finale.
Other Wins and Performances
In Porsche Carrera Cup Australia, Hedge added a 2023 championship to go with his earlier New Zealand single-make and Formula 1600 titles. He has also claimed multiple New Zealand national karting championships, the foundation of his early career in motorsport.
Callum Hedge Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Public information about Hedge’s family and racing lineage is limited. He grew up in Auckland and developed through New Zealand’s karting and junior car-racing scene, a path shared by many of the country’s top single-seater talents.
Personal Life
Hedge continues to focus on his racing career, balancing his Indy NXT commitments with his New Zealand roots. Further public details about his personal life have not been widely reported.
2025 Season Performance
Callum Hedge is contesting the 2025 Indy NXT season with Abel Motorsports, his sophomore year in the series and first campaign with the team. The season marks a continuation of his progression along the IndyCar ladder, building on the experience gained with HMD Motorsports in 2024.
With car number 17, Hedge is part of an Abel Motorsports program focused on developing young drivers for the NTT IndyCar Series. His prior titles in Formula Regional Americas and Porsche Carrera Cup Australia suggest he arrives with strong race-craft credentials, and the 2025 season is positioned as a key step toward a potential future in IndyCar.
Outlook for the year centers on consistent results, oval-track mileage, and continued adaptation to Indy NXT’s demanding mix of road courses, street circuits, and ovals. Hedge’s combination of international experience and proven championship pedigree makes him a notable name to watch across the Indy NXT paddock in 2025.
