Myles Rowe Makes History as First Black Driver to Win INDYCAR Championship

Myles Rowe has etched his name in motorsports history as the first Black driver to win an INDYCAR-sanctioned championship, a milestone achievement that underscores the impact of groundbreaking diversity initiatives in professional racing.

On September 2, 2023, the 23-year-old Atlanta native clinched the 2023 Cooper Tires USF PRO 2000 title at Portland International Raceway in Portland, Oregon, driving the #99 car for Pabst Racing with Force Indy. Rowe entered the final race with a commanding 64-point series lead and sealed the championship with a performance that showcased his dominance throughout the season.

The championship victory marks a significant step in Rowe’s racing career, which began at age four. The young driver, who previously won the 2018 Lucas Oil Formula Car Race Series and finished as runner-up in the 2023 USF 2000 Series Championship — within just six points of the winner — will advance to the INDY NXT by Firestone series in 2024.

“This year was a test to see what I’ve got,” said Myles Rowe. “And luckily, I was able to pull it off.”

A Pipeline for Diversity in Motorsports

Rowe’s historic achievement is the direct result of Force Indy, a groundbreaking racing team founded as part of Penske Entertainment’s Race for Equality & Change diversity initiative, launched in July 2020. The team was announced on December 3, 2020, in a partnership between Rod Reid, a Black Indianapolis business leader and team co-owner, and Roger Penske, owner of the most successful racing organization in history.

“When I first envisioned the Force Indy team, I saw it as a pipeline to create opportunities for black and brown talent. An opportunity to change the face of motorsports.



I never imagined winning a championship nearly two years before we won our first race.” — Rod Reid, Force Indy Team Principal and Co-owner

Before his championship win, Rowe had already broken barriers. On August 29, 2021, he became the first Black driver to win an INDYCAR-sanctioned race at New Jersey Motorsports Park in the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship.

Honoring Black Excellence in Racing

The championship win in the No. 99 car continues Force Indy’s tribute to Dewey “Rajo Jack” Gatson, the Black racer who was denied entry to the Indy 500 in the 1930s and ’40s. Rowe drove the red rear-winged USFPro2000 car to victory in honor of the Red-Tailed 99th Squadron of the Tuskegee Airmen, connecting his achievement to a legacy of Black pioneers who overcame barriers in American history.

As the NTT INDYCAR SERIES prepares for The Freedom 250 Grand Prix of Washington, D.C. on August 22–23, 2026 — the first time the series will race on the National Mall against the backdrop of the U.S. Capitol and Washington Monument — Rowe’s ongoing legacy stands as a testament to what’s possible when corporations commit to diversity and inclusion with concrete action and resources.

Originally reported by Black Enterprise.