Niels Koolen Bio
Niels Koolen (born 25 May 2001) is a Dutch racing driver from Vorden, Gelderland, Netherlands. He competes in the Indy NXT series, currently driving the No. 10 entry for Chip Ganassi Racing. Koolen is the son of rally raid driver and businessman Kees Koolen.
Early Life and Background
Koolen was born on 25 May 2001 and grew up in the small village of Vorden in the province of Gelderland, in the eastern Netherlands. His father, Kees Koolen, is a former rally raid competitor and entrepreneur, which gave the younger Koolen a direct connection to motorsport from an early age. Growing up around his father’s racing and business interests helped shape his ambition to pursue a professional driving career.
Koolen spent his early years in karting, the traditional starting point for many European single-seater hopefuls. His karting activity stretched into the period immediately prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, and he remained involved with the sport through 2022.
Path to NASCAR
Koolen did not follow the conventional NASCAR ladder. Instead, his development path moved through European single-seaters and prototype racing. He debuted in car racing in 2022 with Monlau Motorsport, entered the Formula Regional ranks in 2023, briefly sampled the FIA Formula 2 Championship in 2024, and then crossed the Atlantic to join Indy NXT, the official junior series beneath the NTT IndyCar Series. Because his verified career has been built outside the NASCAR national series structure, this page focuses on his progression to Indy NXT with Chip Ganassi Racing rather than a NASCAR pathway.
Niels Koolen Career
Early Career (2022)
Koolen made his car racing debut in 2022, entering the final rounds of both the F4 Spanish Championship and the Italian F4 Championship with Monlau Motorsport. He contested the last two rounds of the Italian F4 season under a Belgian license. These late-season appearances were valuable track time in junior single-seaters and laid the groundwork for his move into Formula Regional competition the following year.
Formula Regional Breakthrough (2023)
On 5 January 2023, it was announced that Koolen would join VAR-Pinnacle Motorsport for the 2023 Formula Regional Middle East Championship. He finished 31st in the final standings without scoring points. Later in 2023, Koolen signed with the Dutch squad Van Amersfoort Racing to compete in the Formula Regional European Championship alongside teammates Joshua Dufek and Kas Haverkort.
Koolen struggled throughout the European campaign, finishing 37th overall with a best result of 19th. He also contested two Eurocup-3 rounds at Jerez and Estoril in 2023 without scoring points. While the results were modest, the season provided important mileage at the Formula Regional level.
FIA Formula 2 Stint (2024)
In August 2024, Koolen received a late-season opportunity with AIX Racing in the FIA Formula 2 Championship. He was drafted in after Taylor Barnard vacated his seat and raced the Monza and Baku rounds alongside Joshua Dürksen. Koolen finished 19th in both the Monza sprint and feature race. AIX Racing later confirmed that he would not return for the final two weekends of the season.
Indy NXT Era (2024-Present)
Koolen moved to the United States in 2024, joining HMD Motorsports for his rookie Indy NXT campaign. His best result came in the first race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, where he finished tenth. In 2025, Chip Ganassi Racing signed Koolen for a full season, marking his second year in the category and giving him a seat in one of the series’ most prominent teams.
Koolen recorded a best finish of fifth at Iowa Speedway and ended the 2025 Indy NXT campaign eighth in the championship standings. Chip Ganassi Racing confirmed that he would continue with the team for the 2026 season.
Notable Races and Milestones
Key moments in Koolen’s career include his Formula 2 debut at Monza with AIX Racing in 2024, his first Indy NXT top-ten at Indianapolis Motor Speedway that same year, and his best Indy NXT result of fifth at Iowa Speedway in 2025.
Niels Koolen Career Wins
Across his single-seater and prototype racing career to date, Koolen has not recorded a victory. His verified results show 0 wins, 0 podiums, and 0 poles across his combined Indy NXT starts. He continues to build experience and consistency at the junior open-wheel level.
Other Wins and Performances
Koolen’s strongest verified performance outside Indy NXT came in the FIA Formula 2 Championship, where his best result was 19th at Monza in 2024. In the Formula Regional European Championship, his best finish was 19th, while in the Formula Regional Middle East Championship he finished 31st in the standings.
Niels Koolen Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Niels Koolen is the son of Kees Koolen, a Dutch rally raid driver and businessman. Kees Koolen’s background in rally raid competition introduced Niels to motorsport at a young age and provided a strong family connection to the racing world.
Personal Life
Koolen was born and raised in Vorden, Gelderland, in the eastern Netherlands, where his family remains based. He holds Dutch nationality and is classified as an FIA Silver-rated driver.
2025 Season Performance
Koolen’s 2025 season marked his first full year with Chip Ganassi Racing and his second campaign in Indy NXT. Driving the No. 10 entry, he adapted to a front-running team environment and steadily improved across the calendar. His standout moment came at Iowa Speedway, where he produced a fifth-place finish, the best result of his American open-wheel career to that point.
Koolen closed the 2025 Indy NXT season eighth in the overall championship standings, a clear step forward from his rookie year. The campaign also included endurance racing commitments, with Koolen contesting the 2024 European Le Mans Series with the Duqueine Team alongside his stateside program.
Looking ahead, Chip Ganassi Racing has confirmed that Koolen will return with the team for the 2026 season. With another year of Indy NXT experience, continued factory-level support, and a stable team environment, he is positioned to push toward his first podiums and victories in the series.
