Mia Lovell put on a show with remarkable recovery drives in both races of the Toyota GR Cup North America finale at Indianapolis, while Miki Koyama impressed on her series debut, and Maddie Aust delivered a strong performance to close out the series with a strong final race.
The Toyota GR Cup North America season came to a close at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, with yet another action-packed weekend and four female drivers on the grid.
Alongside series regulars Mia Lovell—who has been consistently running in the top ten all season in a remarkable sophomore campaign that saw the young American score a personal best of P6—were Jade Avedisian, Maddie Aust, and Japanese racing star Miki Koyama, who joined the field for the first time.
At the seventh and final round of the series' second-ever season, Lovell enjoyed another extremely solid weekend, displaying some of her best driving to date. Despite being pushed off track in both races while battling among the front-runners, Lovell put on a show and charged through the field from the back of a 35-car grid to finish on the doorstep of the top ten. While the end results weren't what she deserved, her pace and racecraft once again demonstrated her talent in a series that has featured some of the most exciting up-and-coming sports car racers in North America.
Jade Avedisian also showed good pace, especially in a strong first qualifying session, but was unlucky to get caught in an accident early in Race 1, while an issue in the second qualifying session halted her progress.
Maddie Aust, on the other hand, was forced to sit out Race 1, but recovered brilliantly in Race 2 with a stellar drive, steadily battling in the midfield and not far away from the top-15.
Former W Series racer, 2022 Formula Regional Japan champion, and current Super GT and Lamborghini Super Trofeo Asia driver Miki Koyama made her first-ever start in the Toyota GR Cup North America, competing for the second time in her career in the US after her W Series outings. Koyama, running the #72 Hattori Motorsports machine, showcased her talent with a spectacular pair of races, narrowly missing out on a top-15 finish due to a penalty but nearly securing the Highest Finishing Female award in her first series participation.
After a ninth-place finish at Barber Motorsports Park, Lovell aimed to finish the season on a high, and she picked up where she left off for the final round, running sixth fastest in the opening practice session, six-tenths from the overall leader. Jade Avedisian was also not far off the top ten in P13, while Aust and Koyama built their speed and gained experience.
In the second practice, Lovell and Avedisian again proved they would be in contention for the top-10, with the Toyota Development Driver making significant progress in P10. Koyama preceded Aust by a little over two-tenths in P25.
In the first qualifying session of the weekend, Mia Lovell delivered another strong performance, securing the seventh-fastest time. Avedisian narrowly missed out on the top ten, placing P11. Maddie Aust lined up in P24, while Miki Koyama was unable to set a lap due to a technical issue and would have to recover from the back of the field starting from P34.
As the lights went out for the start of Race 1, Mia Lovell had a great launch, quickly moving up to P6 by gaining a position right off the line. A chaotic opening lap ensued with multiple cars spinning and making contact in the midfield, leading to a chain reaction of incidents.
Unfortunately, Jade Avedisian got caught in the melee, suffering damage to her car that forced her into the pits. Despite her efforts to rejoin the race, Avedisian was unable to continue.
Miki Koyama, making her debut in the series, showed her racecraft by skillfully navigating through the carnage to climb up to P22. She continued to gain positions, reaching P20 as the race was neutralized by a safety car deployed to manage the chaos on track. Meanwhile, Lovell's impressive start saw her climb to fourth position before the safety car came out.
After a brief delay, the race resumed with 28 minutes to go, and Lovell once again showed her determination, closely following the leaders. However, she suffered an unfortunate setback when Rumburg made contact with her under braking, sending her into the wall. The impact caused her to drop down to P20. Despite this setback, Lovell quickly regained her composure and embarked on a thrilling recovery drive.
Lovell’s pace was outstanding as she carved her way through the field, executing a series of impressive overtakes to claw her way back to P13 by the end of the race, having set competitive lap times that matched the pace of the leaders.
On the other hand, Miki Koyama's excellent run saw her advance to as high as P15, gaining nearly 20 positions from her starting spot. Unfortunately, a technical issue in the closing laps slowed her car significantly, and she dropped to P19 but managed to hold on to finish the race despite losing considerable time.
With the grid shaped by the second qualifying session on Sunday morning, Mia Lovell started from P13, looking to maximize her speed after a challenging first race. Miki Koyama lined up in P17, Maddie Aust took the start from P24, and Jade Avedisian was unfortunately unable to participate due to issues from qualifying.
At lights out, Lovell gained a position immediately, moving up to P12. Koyama also had a strong start, advancing to P16, while Aust held her position as the field settled into its early rhythm. However, the action intensified on lap 2 with multiple collisions, including a dramatic incident at turn 4 where Lovell got squeezed between cars in a tight battle, narrowly avoiding more significant damage. This clash saw Koch’s car almost flip and come to a stop in the gravel, prompting another safety car period.
Lovell found herself at the back of the field in P28 after the incident but quickly set her sights on another charge through the pack. Meanwhile, Koyama skillfully avoided the trouble to move up to P19, showcasing good racecraft. Maddie Aust also made gains, reaching P17, as the race was neutralized.
On the restart, the race came alive with intense midfield battles, with drivers going five-wide on the main straight. Lovell began her recovery drive with a series of overtakes, quickly moving past several rivals including Rumburg and Llano to climb up to P25. She showed again blistering pace, setting lap times that rivaled the front-runners, making her way steadily up to P20.
Koyama, locked in a fierce battle with Sofronas for P16, executing bold moves to gain track positions. Although she managed to break into the top-15, she was later handed a 5-second penalty for exceeding track limits at turn 6.
In the closing stages, Lovell’s relentless push saw her overtake multiple cars, including Aust and eventually climbing up to P16. She recorded a personal best lap time of 1:41.7, a pace that was competitive with the leaders despite the traffic. Aust, having one of her best performances of the year, however, continued to battle fiercely and finished in P18, proving her fighting spirit in a tough field.
Koyama, despite her penalty, put on a great show and crossed the line in P15. Unfortunately, the penalty dropped her back to P18 in the final standings.
Lovell, after another incredible recovery drive, finished P16, securing yet another Highest Finishing Female Award for her efforts, narrowly ahead of Aust in P18.
Mia Lovell’s performance throughout the weekend, especially her ability to fight back through the field in both races, underscored her potential as one of the most promising drivers in the series. Miki Koyama’s debut was equally impressive, displaying quick adaptability to the car and to a new track she had never visited before.
Meanwhile, Maddie Aust’s steady improvement in Race 2 was certainly a step forward for the BSI Racing driver, and highlighted her growth as a driver in her rookie season.
The Toyota GR Cup North America once again provided thrilling racing and a valuable platform for female drivers, with the series' commitment to recognizing their achievements through the Highest Finishing Female Award of $5,000 at each race.
Looking ahead to the 2025 season, Mia Lovell has already announced her plans to step up to the TA2 class of TransAm with Nitro Motorsports, marking an exciting new chapter in her racing career.
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