Nikita Johnson celebrated his first-ever INDY NXT win on Sunday at the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, his hometown race, edging out strong competition in a battle among promising young drivers. The 17-year-old secured the victory driving for Cape Motorsports Powered by ECR, marking a significant milestone in just his fourth start in the INDY NXT series.
Breakthrough Performance for Johnson and Cape Motorsports
After joining Cape Motorsports this offseason following a part-time season with HMD Motorsports, Johnson brought the team its inaugural victory in INDY NXT. His success came in a closely contested race with fellow rookies and talented drivers, underscoring the competitive depth of the field. Johnson’s win cements his rising profile in the INDYCAR development ladder and delivers a major boost to a team eager for success.
I can’t thank the boys from Cape Motorsports enough and everyone from ECR who has been helping us,
Johnson said.
It’s a pretty amazing feeling to get my first win in INDY NXT and Cape’s first win in INDY NXT. I can’t wait to see all my friends and family.
– Nikita Johnson, Driver
Race Details and Podium Finishers
Johnson captured the checkered flag by a slim margin of 0.6990 seconds over Max Taylor, who started from pole position in the No. 28 Susan G. Komen entry for Andretti Global. Taylor, 18, pushed hard throughout the race but was unable to make a successful pass for the lead. Tymek Kucharczyk, another rookie making his INDY NXT debut, completed the podium, finishing third for HMD Motorsports, trailing Johnson by just over five seconds.
Andretti Global claimed strong results overall, placing three drivers in the top five: Seb Murray finished fourth in the No. 27 car while Lochie Hughes came in fifth in the No. 26 entry. The race tested the drivers with several caution periods and multiple restarts, demanding focus and strategic driving.
Johnson’s Dominant Start and Tactical Race Management
Starting second on the grid, Johnson wasted no time in asserting control. On the opening lap, he executed a daring overtaking move on the outside of Taylor at Turn 1, taking the lead he would maintain until the end of the timed 55-minute race, which was scheduled for 45 laps but was stopped on time. His early command of the race, bolstered by solid racecraft in the face of intense pressure, proved decisive.
I reviewed some video from previous years on YouTube, the INDY NXT channel. I knew I wanted to get up front quickly, and I did just that. I went into Turn 1 and knew what he (Taylor) was going to do before he did it and just went around the outside. After that, I kept it pretty simple, tried to keep a nice gap.
– Nikita Johnson, Driver
Challenges from Max Taylor and Race Strategy Battles
The race’s biggest challenge to Johnson came from Taylor, whose persistent pressure forced the leader to adjust his tactics repeatedly, particularly during four full-course caution restarts. Taylor attempted a similar outside pass on Lap 20 to the one Johnson used to seize the lead, but was unsuccessful in overtaking.
All the restarts were pretty difficult,
Johnson explained.
He (Taylor) caught on at one point, and I had throw in a little curve ball and change it up.
– Nikita Johnson, Driver
Throughout the race, Taylor remained close, never falling more than a second behind, while Johnson skillfully kept the lead. The two teenagers continuously exchanged lap times in the closing stages, with Johnson recording his fastest on Lap 38 and Taylor responding with the quickest overall lap on Lap 39.
Good race overall, good points,
Taylor reflected.
Showed a lot of pace but just messed up on the start. The restarts were very difficult to get right. Just kept trying to apply the pressure, trying different things. Probably could have had an opportunity to pass him there, but you live and you learn.
– Max Taylor, Driver
Looking Ahead: Next INDY NXT Race in Arlington
The INDY NXT series will return to street circuit action on March 15 with the Grand Prix of Arlington in Texas. Following this hard-fought contest in St. Petersburg, all eyes will be on Johnson to see if he can build on his momentum and continue challenging for wins in what promises to be an intense competition among the sport’s top emerging talents.
