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Sophia Floersch debuts in first Indy NXT series race as 1 of 2 women racing in St. Pete

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Published  March 2, 2025 4:12pm EST
Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg
FOX 13 News

Sophia Floersch debuts in St. Pete

FOX 13's Kailey Tracy introduces us to one of the two female drivers at this year's Indy NXT race.

The Brief

    • Sophia Floersch debuts in her first Indy NXT series race as 1 of 2 women racing in St. Pete.
    • The Indy NXT series is the developmental auto racing series that leads drivers to the IndyCar Series.
    • Floersch said it’s amazing to see more women getting involved in the sport, and she wants to be a role model for young girls looking to get involved.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla - Sophia Floersch has been in racecars for as long as she can remember.

"I started carting with my dad," she said. "He did motorsports, and then I joined him in carting. He put me in the cart and then, at some point, I never stopped."

Floersch, who’s from Germany, has raced all over the world. 

Courtesy: HMD Motorsports.

This year's Grand Prix of St. Petersburg is her first time racing in the Indy NXT series, the developmental auto racing series that leads drivers to the IndyCar Series.

"The end of last year, we were just like, ‘okay, are we going to do Formula Two or are we actually going to America to see that huge market, that great racing which is happening here in the Indy NXT," she said. "I'm super happy that we actually made the decision."

READ: Gulfport's Nikita Johnson accelerates on his hometown track at Firestone Grand Prix

Big picture view:

Her teammate, Hailie Deegan, is the other female driver in the series. She said they support each other, but when everyone is in the car, everyone is an athlete.

"That's also why I kind of do this, because it's one of the only sports where men can fight against women and women can fight against men. And that's why I love it," she said. "It doesn't matter if you're male or female."

Courtesy: HMD Motorsports.

Floersch said it’s amazing to see more women getting involved in the sport, and she wants to be a role model for young girls looking to get involved.

Racing with HMD Motorsports, she placed 12th out of 21 drivers on Sunday.

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The Source: Information for this story was gathered by FOX 13's Kailey Tracy.

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