The New Zealander will this year embark on his rookie season in Indy NXT, the direct feeder series to IndyCar, after winning titles on both sides of the Pacific Ocean in 2023.
Hedge dominated Formula Regional Americas (FRA), with 13 wins out of a possible 18, before also taking out the Porsche Carrera Cup Australia championship in a dramatic final race in Adelaide.
He pulled off the latter feat despite missing the Bathurst round due to a clash with FRA, but is now honing in on a particular career.
Asked on the KTM Summer Grill if the move into Indy NXT is a sign that preferred career is IndyCar, Hedge replied, “Yeah, for sure, that’s the goal now.
“It’s a bit of a direction shift but Steve said to me a few years ago to aim a bit higher than what I was aiming for.”
The 20-year-old confirmed that he previously had aspirations for Supercars, of which Horne was formerly Commission chairman after winning the Indianapolis 500 as a team owner, and GT racing.
“Yeah, that and some stuff with just being a GT driver around the world,” he recalled.
“[Horne] said that I should be aiming higher than that, so I picked something and had a go at it.”
Hedge explains in the KTM Summer Grill that the cars in Carrera Cup and FRA are not as dissimilar as one might think, given both are rear-engined and have a not insignificant level of aerodynamic grip.
However, he still thinks that concentrating on a single car in 2024 will be beneficial.
“Obviously, each car is slightly different and I feel sometimes I didn’t quite get 110 percent out of each car, just because I was used to driving something a bit different from the weekend before,” he admitted.
“Most of the time, you sort of jump in and just have to drag a lap time out of it.
“So, it’ll be cool to drive the same car for an entire championship and a bunch of testing in that same car, and actually really knuckle down.
“I feel the level of the field is even higher again than what I’m used to racing [last] year, so I’m looking forward to really getting pushed and trying to bring the best out of me.”
The 2024 Indy NXT season starts on the weekend of Sunday, March 10 (local time).
For more from Callum Hedge, check out the full episode of the KTM Summer Grill.
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