Abel Motorsports has signed veteran Niels Koolen to drive for the team in the 2027 INDY NXT season.

Koolen, 25, from the Netherlands, joins Abel after spending the last two seasons with Chip Ganassi Racing in the INDYCAR development series.

“I’m very happy to join Abel Motorsports for 2027,” Koolen said. “I have spent time with Bill (Abel), John (Brunner) and the people at Abel Motorsports, and I’m looking forward to working with the team.

Koolen produced two top-five finishes in 2026, including a career-best fourth on the World Wide Technology Raceway oval. The Dutchman will begin his preparations with Abel at the Chris Griffis Memorial Test on Friday, Oct. 16 on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course.

“We’re very excited to have Niels join our team here at Abel Motorsports for the 2027 season,” Team Manager John Brunner said. “We have been watching Niels continue to mature and grow behind the wheel and think there are some areas where we can help, so we are looking forward to what we can do together next season.”

Alongside his INDY NXT testing program in the United States, Koolen will continue racing during the winter. His program will include races in Europe, including an LMP2 campaign in the Asian Le Mans Series, which will be held entirely in Europe this season.