The upcoming Stadium Super Trucks weekend at the Big Machine Music City Grand Prix in Nashville will feature another new face. In a press release from last Friday, Crosley Brands announced Jacob Abel as one of six drivers who will drive a Crosley-sponsored truck. However, SST clarified in a Facebook comment that he is not a fourteenth entry and will presumably split a ride with Ricky Howerton, also a series newcomer.
Abel is in his first full-time season in Indy Pro 2000 after spending the last two years in limited competition. Driving for family-run Abel Motorsports, he sits seventh in points after seven races with two third-place finishes at Road America and Mid-Ohio; he also works as a driving instructor at the latter. Although the Music City Grand Prix will feature SST in support of the NTT IndyCar Series, Indy Pro 2000—the second-highest step in the Road to Indy—will not join them.
Other series that Abel has raced in include the Formula Regional Americas Championship (where he won at Mid-Ohio in June), the F3 Americas Championship (won two races in 2019), the F4 United States Championship, and USF2000. The 20-year-old Kentucky native also competes in sports cars, racing in the GT World Challenge America for Racers Edge Motorsports and scoring a podium at Virginia International Raceway. He became a Honda Performance Development junior driver in 2021.
“Kentucky native and Butler University Sophomore, Abel, will be making his foray into the action-packed world of Stadium SUPER Trucks in the upcoming round at the inaugural Music City Grand Prix in Nashville Tennessee,” read the Crosley statement. “Abel, who started his racing journey in 2015 with go karting quickly progressed up the racing ladder into the Road to Indy competing in two Cooper Tires USF2000 series events, and the F4 United States Championship Powered by Honda before jumping full time into the second rung of the Road to Indy ladder the Indy Pro 2000 Presented by Cooper Tires Series.”
Other Crosley drivers at Nashville include company CEO Bo LeMastus, Howerton, Ricky Johnson, Arie Luyendyk Jr., and Jeff Ward. Crosley will also serve as the SST title sponsor for the weekend, which will include promotions in the area. Thirteen trucks, the most since 2018 at Long Beach, make up the grid.
“Crosley Brands is the perfect fit for this first-time motorsports and music entertainment event,” LeMastus commented. “With Crosley Brands being an industry leading manufacturer of retro/vintage inspired electronics and dedicated supporter of the vinyl revival that has rerevolutionised how fans connect to artists, we couldn’t imagine a better event to partner with.”
Two races are scheduled with one apiece on Saturday (6:15 PM CDT) and Sunday (1:45 PM).
