Michael d’Orlando showcased resilience and determination at The Milwaukee Mile this past weekend, achieving an eighth-place finish in the INDY NXT by Firestone race. This performance, only his second start of the 2025 season, demonstrates his focus on ending the Indy NXT season finale Nashville event on a strong note as the series concludes this weekend at the Nashville Superspeedway.
Returning with Confidence After Limited Season Participation
Facing budget-related interruptions earlier in the year, d’Orlando made a notable comeback by joining the Andretti Cape INDY NXT team for his second race of the year at Milwaukee. Just weeks before, he had delivered a top-7 finish at Portland International Raceway. Despite limited practice and competing on the Milwaukee Mile oval for the first time, the 23-year-old New Yorker showed poise on this historic one-mile track. This outing marked just his second oval race in the INDY NXT by Firestone series.
He qualified eighth after a single practice session and maintained that position throughout the 90-lap event, earning back-to-back top-10 finishes in his starts this season. These results underline his ability to remain competitive at the highest level of the INDYCAR development ladder, even with restricted track time.
Milwaukee was an amazing experience, said Michael d’Orlando.
This was a new track for me and only my second oval in the two partial seasons I have had so far in INDY NXT, so to bring home another top-10 is something I’m really proud of. I can’t thank the team enough at Andretti Cape INDY NXT, and our partners at Rising Star Racing and Priority, for the opportunity, and I’m excited to finish the season strong and to be able to go back to Nashville with some experience from last year.
—Michael d’Orlando, Driver
Preparing for a Thrilling Season-Ending Race in Nashville
The 2021 USF2000 Champion will wrap up his condensed 2025 campaign with the INDY NXT season finale at Nashville Superspeedway this weekend. d’Orlando aims to improve on his previous sixth-place finish at the same track last September. Nashville Superspeedway, a 1.33-mile D-shaped concrete oval with 14 degrees of banking, is known for intense, close racing that promises excitement for fans and competitors alike.
The final INDY NXT by Firestone race of the season at Milwaukee was scheduled for August 22–23, 2025, leading into the culminating weekend in Nashville.
Broadcast Schedule for the INDY NXT Nashville Finale
Fans can follow all the action live on the Fox Sports network. Coverage details for the Nashville Superspeedway event are as follows:
Saturday, August 30: 9:00am ET – Practice (FS1)
Saturday, August 30: 12:30pm ET – Qualifying (FS2)
Sunday, August 31: 11:30am ET – Race (FS1)
With his recent performances and growing experience on ovals, Michael d’Orlando enters the final Indy NXT season finale Nashville race motivated to deliver a standout result, closing out his comeback season on a high.
