Fuel Pressure Issue Pushes Brabham to the Indy Lights Win in Florida

The 2022 Indy Lights season is the 36th season of the Indy Lights open wheel motor racing series and the 20th sanctioned by IndyCar, being the primary support series for the IndyCar Series.

After polesitter Hunter McElrea held the lead at the beginning of the race, Sting Ray Robb and Linus Lundqvist hit each other at Turn 1. Andretti Autosport drivers Matthew Brabham and Christian Rasmussen took advantage and went up second and third.

Hunter seemed comfortable with the lead until Lap 11, when he hit the wall hard on the final corner. After two safety car periods, second place Rasmussen built up an excellent three-second lead over his teammate Brabham, and it looked like he would win this season opener. However, destiny had other thoughts because his fuel pressure dropped on the penultimate lap as his car came to a stop on the back straight.

As a result, Matt Brabham (the grandson of legendary Australian racing driver and team owner Jack Brabham, a three-time Formula 1 World Champion) swept past Rasmussen to clinch an unexpected win in his first race back. Benjamin Pedersen came in second for Global Racing Group w/ HMD Motorsports, with Linus Lundqvist completing the podium. "I was lucky to win, but I'll take it where I can get it. It's so refreshing and good to be back, unbelievable. Couldn't have seen it happening like that from sixth place, for sure," said Matthew after the race.

With a crazy start of the season, it's hard to say who is this year's favorite to win it all. The field was more balanced than before, making us only more excited for what it's ahead.

The next race will be on May 1 at the Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Alabama, where Linus Lundqvist and David Malukas came on top last year for HMD Motorsports.