Road less traveled: Jordan Missig's unusual career path paying dividends

Growing up in Joliet, Illinois, car culture was always a part of Jordan Missig’s life. 

Missig’s grandfather was a mechanic on a Formula 5000 team. His father and grandfather were both veterans of the auto body industry. 

At four years old, the racing bug bit Missig, sending him on a relatively unorthodox but rewarding journey that has taken him to the bright lights of the Indy NXT Series. 

“Around the ages of four and five is when I became an addict of racing,” Missig told Yardbarker. “I did try to get a go-kart at the age of five, but unfortunately, due to my dad being married to the business at the time, we could not afford the travel time and the cost for me to go racing.” 

In 2016, Missig’s father sold his business, giving a then-18-year-old Missig the opportunity he’d been dreaming of for years. 

“He bought me a go-kart. That was my first opportunity to go race,” Missig said. “Once we got that opportunity, my career took off from there.” 

In 2024, only eight years after his racing career officially started, Missig was standing on the grid at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for his Indy NXT debut with Abel Motorsports. Missig made five starts with Abel Motorsports in 2024, bringing home a best finish of ninth at Gateway. 

This season, Missig will make the jump to full-time Indy NXT competition with Abel Motorsports. 

“I didn’t start the conversation with (Abel Motorsports team manager) John Brunner until the end of the 2023 USF Pro season. I was looking for an opportunity to make the next jump. I formed that relationship towards the end of 2023 and used 2024 as a way to stay in contact with John. Every race weekend that I was at the track with them, I’d go bug them and talk to them. We did that first race at Indianapolis, and they could tell that (I) was good. It was up to us to put the budget together, which fortunately we were able to find a way to put that together and sign the deal.”