As the INDY NXT 2026 season approaches, the championship’s energy continues to surge, building on record-setting viewership and expanding team rosters, with emerging stars determined to make their mark on North America’s premier open-wheel development series. This year’s INDY NXT 2026 season preview highlights monumental growth, new milestone schedules, a deep reservoir of talent, and the return of powerhouse teams, all promising an intensely competitive year ahead.
Audience Growth and Unprecedented Momentum
INDY NXT by Firestone has established itself as a cornerstone of North American motorsport, with the 2025 season marking its dynamic debut on FOX Sports. The coverage attracted an average audience size more than five times greater than the previous year, with thirteen of the series’ fourteen races airing live on FS1 for the first time. This heightened exposure coincided with a rich competitive field, resulting in nine on-track passing records across five venues during the 2025 campaign.
As a result of this momentum, projections for the 2026 season indicate a full-time entry list of 24 teams—an expansion signaling unprecedented depth and setting the stage for further milestones and records.
Key Storylines Shaping the 2026 Season
Several compelling narratives frame this season’s excitement, with a blend of established contenders, promising rookies, and returning programs all vying for INDY NXT supremacy. The field remains vibrant despite the departure of prominent names like 2025 champion Dennis Hauger and runner-up Caio Collet, who both made the leap to the NTT INDYCAR SERIES.
Lochie Hughes and Myles Rowe: Leading the Charge
Lochie Hughes and Myles Rowe are returning as formidable title contenders after their combined tally of four victories on three of the championship’s challenging oval circuits in 2025. Hughes, who previously clinched the 2024 USF Pro 2000 championship, is poised to lead Andretti Global towards what could be its eighth INDY NXT title, and a historic third consecutive crown. Hughes scored victories at World Wide Technology Raceway and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course, underlining his versatility across different venues.
Rowe, a third-year driver, delivered Iowa Speedway and Nashville Superspeedway wins that powered him to a career-best fourth-place championship finish in his debut season with ABEL Motorsports. Having claimed the 2023 USF Pro 2000 championship, the Georgia native’s ambition now turns toward delivering ABEL Motorsports its inaugural INDY NXT title, supported by a roster that includes rookie Max Garcia and experienced hands like Jordan Missig and Colin Kaminsky.
Andretti Global continues its quest with a balanced lineup, deploying experienced campaigners alongside rookie Max Taylor, while sophomore Seb Murray impressed during offseason testing, notably at the Chris Griffis Memorial Test. Josh Pierson, entering his fourth full year in the series after a strong run with HMD Motorsports, fills the No. 29 entry, bringing fresh podium potential to the squad.
Fresh Faces: Rookie Class Headlined by American Teens
This season’s rookie lineup stands out as one of the deepest and most promising in years, featuring talents such as Jack Beeton and Enzo Fittipaldi (HMD Motorsports), Nicholas Stati (Cusick Morgan Motorsports), Nicholas Monteiro and Alessandro De Tullio (AJ Foyt Racing), Max Garcia (ABEL Motorsports), Max Taylor (Andretti Global), Carson Etter (Chip Ganassi Racing), and Nikita Johnson (Cape Motorsports powered by Ed Carpenter Racing).
Florida’s Nikita Johnson, at just 17 years old, arrives after finishing as the runner-up in both the 2023 USF2000 and 2024 USF Pro 2000 championships. New Jersey’s Max Taylor, 18, achieved impressive results across six INDY NXT starts last season and shone in offseason tests, including the Barber Motorsports Park Open Test. Miami’s Max Garcia, only 16, chases a unique opportunity to collect three consecutive junior open-wheel titles, having already captured the USF2000 and USF Pro 2000 championships in back-to-back years.
These rising stars are poised to challenge INDY NXT veterans, promising an unpredictable and thrilling championship battle, especially with the precedent set by rookies achieving success like Dennis Hauger did last year.
INDYCAR Series Teams and Entrant Expansion
This season signals a renewal of partnerships and participation from major NTT INDYCAR SERIES outfits. Ed Carpenter Racing aligns with Cape Motorsports, while AJ Foyt Racing returns to the development ladder through technical collaboration with HMD Motorsports. The new INDY NXT by Firestone program marks AJ Foyt Racing’s second foray in the division, having set early benchmarks with A.J. Foyt IV’s 2002 championship and Ed Carpenter’s 2003 triumph at the Freedom 100.
Juncos Hollinger Racing re-enters the arena after a brief pause, fielding a two-car slate. The team boasts a celebrated record, including titles in 2015 and 2017, eighteen victories, eighteen pole positions, and fifty-one podiums over a seven-year span. New contender Cusick Morgan Motorsports is poised to make its debut alongside HMD Motorsports and capitalizes on recent Indianapolis 500 experience with Dreyer & Reinbold Racing.
Chip Ganassi Racing, which returned last season, expands its program from two to four cars for 2026, intensifying its pursuit of maiden INDY NXT glory. As a result of team influx and developmental alliances, the series further cements its status as the primary springboard to the top tier of open-wheel competition in North America.
HMD Motorsports Resets for a Stronger Run
HMD Motorsports, a dominant force with thirty-two series wins and two recent INDY NXT titles, faced unexpected hurdles in 2025. Despite Caio Collet’s contention—with three wins, four second-place finishes, and nine podiums—only Josh Pierson joined him inside the top-10 in championship points. Standout podiums from Juan Manuel Correa in Detroit and Evagoras Papasavvas at Barber Motorsport Park momentarily buoyed results, but overall consistency eluded the team.
The organization now adopts a refined approach, consolidating from eight to four primary entries while continuing to support affiliated two-car squads via technical partnerships. HMD again draws from international pools, recruiting Jack Beeton, winner of the 2023 Formula 4 South East Asia title and recent Formula Regional Europe competitor, plus Enzo Fittipaldi—grandson of Emerson Fittipaldi, the double Formula One champion and two-time Indianapolis 500 winner—who brings experience from F2 and the European Le Mans Series. The lineup will be completed by two as-yet-unnamed drivers, with expectations high for a return to championship contention reminiscent of its triumphs with Linus Lundqvist and Christian Rasmussen in 2022 and 2023, respectively.
Revamped Race Calendar and Broadcast Advances
For a fifth consecutive year and sixteen times in series history, the season will commence on the vibrant Streets of St. Petersburg, Florida, with the green flag dropping on Sunday, March 1. The calendar expands to feature seventeen races, the most robust schedule since 2021, and each event is paired with NTT INDYCAR SERIES weekends to ensure high visibility. Highlights include the inaugural INDYCAR Grand Prix of Arlington on March 15, where drivers will test their skill on a demanding new 14-turn, 2.73-mile circuit.
Five weekends feature doubleheader races, concluding with the climactic finale at the historic WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca—a venue hosting the season’s last contest for the fifteenth time in series annals. Other back-to-back race weekends will unfold at Barber Motorsports Park, Road America, Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course. Oval fixtures at World Wide Technology Raceway, Nashville Superspeedway, and the Milwaukee Mile all promise excitement after each set a series record for overtaking in 2025.
In a sign of continued media partnership success, every practice, qualifying session, and race will once again air live across FOX Sports, with most events shown on FS1 or FS2, further enhancing audience access and engagement.
2026 INDY NXT Schedule
Below is the complete 2026 INDY NXT race calendar, with doubleheader weekends and key events:
Sunday, March 1 – Streets of St. Petersburg
Sunday, March 15 – Streets of Arlington
Saturday, March 28 – Barber Motorsports Park Race 1
Sunday, March 29 – Barber Motorsports Park Race 2
Friday, May 8 – Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course Race 1
Saturday, May 9 – Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course Race 2
Sunday, May 31 – Streets of Detroit
Sunday, June 7 – World Wide Technology Raceway
Saturday, June 20 – Road America Race 1
Sunday, June 21 – Road America Race 2
Saturday, July 4 – Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course Race 1
Sunday, July 5 – Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course Race 2
Sunday, July 19 – Nashville Superspeedway
Sunday, Aug. 9 – Portland International Raceway
Sunday, Aug. 30 – Milwaukee Mile
Saturday, Sept. 5 – WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca Race 1
Sunday, Sept. 6 – WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca Race 2
Looking Ahead: Championship Prospects and Legacy
The INDY NXT 2026 season stands poised to be one of the most energetic and closely contested yet, propelled by expanded media coverage, a diverse field of proven veterans and ambitious newcomers, and a wave of returning and debuting teams. The pathway to INDYCAR glory has never been more competitive, as budding stars like Lochie Hughes, Myles Rowe, and lightning-fast rookies challenge established names under the intense spotlight of a record-setting schedule. The season promises an exhilarating journey for teams, drivers, and fans on North America’s fastest road to open-wheel racing’s top echelon.
