Nicolas Stati (left) battles with Jack Beeton during the Indy NXT race at Portland. Image: Travis Hinkle
Following the 35-lap race, Beeton was captured on the broadcast running towards Stati.
Beeton grabbed him before HMD Motorsports members split the drivers.
Stati’s team Cusick Morgan Motorsports has a technical alliance with Beeton’s team HMD Motorsports.
Beeton alluded to the cause of the fracas on social media, citing an incident late in the race.
Replays showed Stati baulk Beeton at the final corner, which caused the #45 to go wide.
Stati was a lap down at the time of the incident.
“Bumpy ride this race. Taken out lap one and got severe damage,” Beeton wrote.
“Recovered from P24 [to] P12. Then hit by a car that was a lap down. Cheers for that mate.
“Anyway, finished P13. Eventful one, pace was good even with a damaged car. Sh*t happens.”
Tempers flare at Portland after the @INDYNXT race. pic.twitter.com/fnxBIAv0lZ
— INDYCAR on FOX (@IndyCarOnFOX) August 9, 2026
The race was won by AJ Foyt Racing’s Alessandro de Tullio ahead of another Australian, Lochie Hughes, for Andretti Global.
De Tullio led all 35 laps, which began in chaotic fashion with Beeton spinning at the chicane thanks to a hit from Matteo Nanini.
Hughes challenged de Tullio for the lead into the first turn but copped a whack from teammate Max Taylor instead.
“The start was pretty hectic,” said Hughes.
“It’s kind of a lottery here in turn one. It’s kind of like 60 percent of the time it works every time.
“Just tried out-braking Ale on the outside. Didn’t really work, which I expected, just the inside being so strong here.
“Then I expected there to be some kind of carnage coming. Left the door a bit open thankfully ’cause got a pretty big hit in the side pod. After that was a pretty boring race.”
Hughes said he might have had a shot at the win if not for lapped traffic playing a part.
“We came across a back marker, which was Ale’s teammate,” said Hughes.
“He got out of the way pretty nicely for [de Tullio]. Blue flags, but wasn’t getting out of the way, whatever. I don’t know what the issue was there. That kind of ruined our race a little bit.
“Happy to be back on the podium.”
Hughes sits fifth in the standings with three races remaining. The series returns on August 31 (AEST) at the Milwaukee Mile.