James Roe Bio
James Roe Jr. (born 11 October 1998) is an Irish racing driver from Naas, County Kildare, Ireland. He competes in Indy NXT with Andretti Autosport, piloting the No. 29 Honda, while also racing in the IMSA SportsCar Championship with Pratt Miller Motorsports. Roe is a nephew of former racing driver Michael Roe, and he relocated from Ireland to the United States in 2018 to further his motorsport career. He is a graduate of the open-wheel ladder system and remains one of Ireland’s most promising export talents.
Early Life and Background
James Roe Jr. was born on 11 October 1998 in Naas, County Kildare, Ireland. Growing up in a family with a clear connection to motorsport, he is the nephew of former racing driver Michael Roe, an early influence that helped shape his interest in the sport. Although his family did not come from a deep professional racing background, the environment around him provided a natural introduction to competitive driving.
Roe did not begin racing until the age of fifteen, which is later than many of his peers. To support his early career, he and his family saved funds and purchased a Ginetta G20, the car that would launch his competitive career. That decision marked the start of a journey that would eventually carry him across the Atlantic.
Path to NASCAR
Roe’s career has followed the open-wheel and sports car ladder rather than the stock car ranks, and he has not competed in NASCAR national series events. His development path moved from Irish Ginetta Junior racing to the Indy Pro 2000 Championship, then to Indy NXT and the IMSA SportsCar Championship. While his route differs from a traditional NASCAR ladder, his progression reflects a similar pattern of building experience in entry-level machinery, earning opportunities with established teams, and advancing to professional competition in the United States.
James Roe Career
Early Career (2014–2017)
Roe entered competitive motorsport in 2014, contesting the Ginetta Junior Ireland series in a Ginetta G20 that his family helped purchase. The following year, in 2015, he returned to the same series and delivered a stronger campaign, claiming five race wins and ten podium finishes on his way to second place in the overall standings. These results established him as one of the leading young Irish drivers of his generation and set the stage for a move to the United States.
Between 2016 and 2017, Roe continued developing his craft before making a decisive step in 2018, when he relocated from Ireland to the United States to pursue a professional motorsport career. The transatlantic move shifted his focus toward the American open-wheel ladder and the opportunities it provided.
Indy Pro 2000 Breakthrough (2021)
On February 22, 2021, Roe was announced as a driver for Turn 3 Motorsport in the Indy Pro 2000 Championship. Driving for the team across the season, he gained valuable experience on iconic American road courses and ovals while adapting to a more competitive environment.
Roe’s breakthrough came at the final race of the season at Mid-Ohio, where he secured his first series victory. He finished ahead of Enaam Ahmed and 2021 series champion Christian Rasmussen, a result that confirmed his potential and helped earn him a promotion to the next rung of the Road to Indy ladder.
Indy NXT Breakthrough (2022–2025)
For the 2022 season, Roe moved to TJ Speed Motorsports to compete in the Indy Lights series. He recorded three top-ten finishes across nine races with the team and also contested two rounds with HMD Motorsports. After missing the final three races, he ended the season twelfth in the standings, gaining crucial experience at the higher level.
On January 4, 2023, Andretti Autosport announced that Roe would drive full-time in the 2023 Indy NXT season following a strong test at Barber Motorsports Park. He scored his first Indy NXT podium at the Indianapolis Road Course, finishing second, and ended the year seventh in the championship ahead of Jamie Chadwick. In 2024, Roe remained with Andretti, earning a podium at Barber and claiming his first NXT pole position at Iowa, where he set the series’ lap record before being passed late by teammate Louis Foster and finishing second. He continued with Andretti Autosport in 2025, finishing twelfth in the standings. Roe also joined the four Michelin Endurance Cup rounds of the 2025 IMSA SportsCar Championship, partnering Pietro Fittipaldi and Chris Cumming with Pratt Miller Motorsports, and recorded a season-best seventh at Petit Le Mans. At year’s end, he signed with TF Sport to race a Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R in the 2025–26 Asian Le Mans Series alongside Matt Bell and Blake McDonald.
Driving Style and Strengths
Roe has shown a particular strength on road and street circuits, with his first Indy NXT podium coming at the Indianapolis Road Course and additional strong runs at Barber Motorsports Park. He has demonstrated pace and consistency in qualifying, evidenced by his maiden pole at Iowa where he set the series’ lap record. Working alongside experienced teammates such as Louis Foster and Jamie Chadwick, and with the established engineering resources of Andretti Autosport, he has continued to develop his race craft and strategic awareness across both open-wheel and sports car formats.
Notable Races and Milestones
Roe’s first major milestone came with his victory at Mid-Ohio in the 2021 Indy Pro 2000 finale. He followed that with his first Indy NXT podium at the Indianapolis Road Course in 2023, his first pole position at Iowa in 2024, and a top-seven finish in the prestigious Petit Le Mans endurance classic in 2025. Together, these results highlight a career built on steady progression through North America’s open-wheel and sports car ladder.
James Roe Career Wins
James Roe Jr. has built a record of selective but meaningful victories since beginning his racing career in 2014. His wins span the Ginetta Junior Ireland series, the Indy Pro 2000 Championship, and competitive finishes in Indy NXT, IMSA, and the Asian Le Mans Series.
Indy Pro 2000 and Indy NXT Highlights
Roe’s first major single-seater victory came at the 2021 Mid-Ohio finale, where he beat Enaam Ahmed and champion Christian Rasmussen. In Indy NXT, his breakthrough podium was a runner-up finish at the Indianapolis Road Course in 2023, and he added a third-place result at Barber Motorsports Park in 2024. That same year, he scored his first NXT pole at Iowa before being passed for the win late in the race.
Other Wins and Performances
In the 2015 Ginetta Junior Ireland series, Roe won five races and finished second overall. In the IMSA SportsCar Championship, his standout result was seventh place at the 2025 Petit Le Mans with Pratt Miller Motorsports, and he closed the year by joining TF Sport for the 2025–26 Asian Le Mans Series in a Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R.
James Roe Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
James Roe Jr. is the nephew of former racing driver Michael Roe, whose career helped introduce him to motorsport at an early age. While his family supported his ambition by saving to purchase his first Ginetta G20, they are not a multi-generational professional racing dynasty, and Roe’s progression has largely been self-driven.
Personal Life
Roe has been based in the United States since 2018, where he continues to live while competing in American series. He maintains a public presence on social media under the handle @jamesroe_ie, reflecting his Irish roots and his career abroad.
2025 Season Performance
James Roe Jr.’s 2025 campaign split between two championships. In Indy NXT, he remained with Andretti Autosport driving the No. 29 Honda, but a difficult season saw him finish twelfth in the standings, with a best result of seventh at Iowa.
He simultaneously contested the four Michelin Endurance Cup rounds of the 2025 IMSA SportsCar Championship with Pratt Miller Motorsports, sharing the car with Pietro Fittipaldi and gentleman driver Chris Cumming. The partnership produced a season-best seventh at Petit Le Mans, a strong result in one of North America’s premier endurance events. Looking ahead, Roe has signed with TF Sport to race a Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R in the 2025–26 Asian Le Mans Series alongside Matt Bell and Blake McDonald, adding a new international chapter to his 2025–26 schedule.
