Reece Gold maintains a busy lifestyle. Between taking aviation lessons to studying pre-law at Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, spare time is scarce for the 19-year-old second-year INDY NXT by Firestone driver competing in the No. 10 HMD Motorsports entry.
But that busy lifestyle doesn’t distract Gold from the ultimate prize of vying for the 2024 championship in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES development series.
“Racing is still the number one priority, my main focus is on that,” he said.
Miami native Gold had a stellar debut INDY NXT by Firestone season as a rookie in 2023. Just four races into the season, he earned his maiden INDY NXT victory in dramatic fashion over Nolan Siegel, taking the checkered flag first in the Detroit Grand Prix. That was the highlight of a season that saw Gold come away with four top-five finishes and eight top 10s in 14 starts.
Gold expects further improvement this season.
“Always nice to be in your second year,” he said. “My second year in all my categories have been the best. So, just a lot to build on from last year.”
Gold improved from 10th in points as a rookie in USF2000 in 2019 to third in points in 2020. He also improved from his rookie year recording no top-three finishes to 10 podium results as a sophomore, including two victories.
In 2021, Gold climbed the ladder to Indy Pro 2000, where he maintained the same second year trajectory in that series improving from fifth in points as a rookie in 2021, with one victory, to second in 2022, with four wins.
To continue similar second-year growth in INDY NXT by Firestone, Gold said he must improve his race pace from his rookie season.
Gold started sixth and gained one spot in last month’s season-opening INDY NXT Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, finishing fifth. He enters the next race, Sunday, April 28 at Barber Motorsports Park (11:05 a.m. ET, Peacock, INDYCAR LIVE, INDYCAR Radio Network), 24 points out of the championship lead.
“Being my first year in the car, it was hard,” Gold said. “I struggled finding the limits in terms of the race and how hard I can push in the race without making errors.”
Part of his budding confidence comes from familiarity. He is racing this season with the same team with which he ended last season – HMD Motorsports.
Gold began last season with Juncos Hollinger Racing, remaining with the team that he competed with in both seasons in Indy Pro 2000. Following the second race of the season at Barber Motorsports Park, Gold moved to HMD.
“Just coming back knowing I have a year under my belt, just a lot more confidence, I know what to do,” he said. “I know what to expect. So, it helps a lot.”
The last two INDY NXT by Firestone champions, Linus Lundqvist and Christian Rasmussen, were each sophomores in the series, both driving for HMD Motorsports. Can Gold continue that trend to three-in-a-row?
“I think the returning (drivers), at least from the get-go, are going to be the ones with the targets and I think are going to be the strongest people,” he said.
The 2024 INDY NXT by Firestone season resumes Sunday, April 28 at Barber Motorsports Park (11:05 a.m. ET, Peacock, INDYCAR LIVE, INDYCAR Radio Network).