In his rookie season, Hughes sealed the USF Pro 2000 title with a race to spare for Turn 3 Motorsport.
The 22-year-old is in just his third year of racing in the United States and with his latest win is one step closer to reaching IndyCar.
With the USF Pro 2000 title comes a $1 million cheque to go towards an Indy NXT campaign. As yet, Hughes hasn’t confirmed his plans for 2025 but he has the support of two-time IndyCar champion Power in any case.
“I really want to help him get to IndyCar. I think he’s very good. He’s very focused, determined,” said Power.
“We spoke I think at Iowa. He didn’t have many races after that. He asked me how to approach a championship.
“The long or short of it is, man, all you can focus on is what you can control, nothing else. Forget about the rest. Focus in.
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“It’s your ticket to ultimately IndyCar, but definitely Indy Lights.”
Beyond Power, there have only been a handful of Australians to contest IndyCar in the last decade.
Ryan Briscoe was a stalwart of the series and was the next-best Australian behind Power throughout the 2000s and 2010s.
James Davison made eight IndyCar starts, including six in the Indianapolis 500 between 2014 and 2020.
Matthew Brabham, grandson of F1 champion Jack Brabham, made two IndyCar starts in 2016, including the Indianapolis 500 that year.
Could Hughes be the next? The last to contest Indy NXT full-time was Brabham and before him, Alex Peroni raced half a season.
“I want to see another Australian get a good seat and succeed here in America,” added Power. “He’s good. He deserves it.”
Power is also helping another USF Pro 2000 winner Myles Rowe, who has support from Team Penske.
“I want to see them both succeed,” said Power.
“I think Miles will be fine. I think ultimately he’s got Penske’s help. He’s pretty good. Lochie needs more help. It’s very tough from where he is.”
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