Indy NXT

INDY NXT by Firestone is the top rung of the Road to Indy ladder and has evolved through several distinct eras since the 1970s, always serving as a feeder to top‑level American open‑wheel racing.

Roots and USAC Mini‑Indy (1970s–early 1980s)

After World War II, U.S. open‑wheel “ladder” racing relied on sprint cars and midgets, with no single formula‑car feeder to Indy. As top‑level cars switched to rear‑engined, formula‑style designs in the late 1960s, USAC launched the Mini‑Indy Series (1977–1980) using Super Vee machinery to create a more formal path toward Indy. Champions such as Tom Bagley, Bill Alsup, Dennis Firestone, and Peter Kuhn came from this series before it folded when USAC stopped sanctioning Indy car races outside the 500.

CART American Racing Series / original Indy Lights (1986–2001)

CART created the American Racing Series (ARS) in 1986 as a spec, rear‑engined formula series to be its official feeder. CART took over sanctioning in 1988, and in 1991 the series was rebranded as Indy Lights with Firestone title sponsorship, running as a regular undercard to CART events. It used March, then Lola F3000‑derived chassis with Buick V6 engines and produced future CART and IndyCar champions, Champ Car winners, and two future Formula 1 drivers. Financial trouble and the rise of the rival Indy Racing League led CART to cancel Indy Lights after the 2001 season, with Toyota Atlantic becoming Champ Car’s de facto main feeder.

IRL Infiniti Pro / Indy Pro Series (2002–2007)

To fill the development gap on the IRL side, the Infiniti Pro Series launched in 2002, using a Dallara chassis and a 3.5‑litre Infiniti‑based V8 tuned by TWR. Initially oval‑focused and lightly subscribed, it added road courses and more prize money from 2005, attracting higher‑profile prospects such as Marco Andretti and Phil Giebler. After Menards and Nissan ended sponsorship, it was renamed the Indy Pro Series but remained the primary IRL feeder up to the unified IndyCar era.

Firestone Indy Lights (2008–2022)

Following the unification of Champ Car and the IRL, the development series adopted the historic Indy Lights name in 2008, with Firestone as tyre and title sponsor. The Freedom 100 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway became its showpiece race, producing record‑close finishes like Logan Gomez’s 0.0005‑second win over Alex Lloyd in 2007 and Peter Dempsey’s four‑wide 0.0026‑second victory in 2013. In 2014 Andersen Promotions took over promotion and Cooper Tire replaced Firestone as tyre supplier, unifying the Road to Indy ladder under one promoter and brand.

In 2015 a new technical era began with the Dallara IL‑15 chassis and a 2.0‑litre turbocharged Mazda‑based MZR‑R engine producing 450 hp plus 50 hp push‑to‑pass, designed to last a full season without rebuilds. The 2020 season was cancelled due to low entries and the COVID‑19 pandemic, but from 2021 engines were prepared by AER and a halo device was added to the IL‑15 to modernise safety.

INDY NXT by Firestone (2023–present)

For 2023, Penske Entertainment rebranded the series as Indy NXT by Firestone, emphasising its role as the “next” step below the NTT INDYCAR SERIES. IndyCar took direct control of the series’ operation, while Andersen Promotions continued to run the lower‑tier USF Championships, and Firestone returned as tyre supplier to align with the top series. The Dallara IL‑15 chassis and AER‑prepared 2.0‑litre turbo engine remain in use with the halo, and recent champions such as Kyle Kirkwood (2021), Linus Lundqvist (2022), Christian Rasmussen (2023), Louis Foster (2024), and Dennis Hauger (2025) underline its continuing role as the final proving ground before full‑time IndyCar drives.

Across these eras—from USAC’s Mini‑Indy and CART’s American Racing Series through the IRL’s Infiniti Pro and today’s INDY NXT—the series has continuously adapted its branding, sanctioning, and technical package, but its core purpose has remained constant: to provide a structured, professional, formula‑car ladder that prepares drivers, teams, and engineers for full‑time competition in top‑tier IndyCar racing.

Safety, Race Control, and IndyCar Ladder Position

INDY NXT by Firestone incorporates IndyCar-derived safety standards and race management to mirror top-series conditions, preparing drivers for the ~230 mph ovals and hybrid-era demands of NTT INDYCAR SERIES while maintaining a spec-series cost ceiling. No fatalities recorded since 2002 re-launch, reflecting aeroscreen efficacy and medical response.​

Safety Systems and Standards

INDY NXT mandates IndyCar-aligned protections, audited pre-season for chassis integrity.

Core Safety Features Table

Oval-specific: Energy-absorbing SAFER barriers at IMS/Iowa; catch fencing upgrades. Road/street: Runoff expansions, TecPro barriers.

Race Control and Procedures

IndyCar Race Control (Niels Wittich or delegate) oversees from centralized hub, using 100+ cameras, telemetry (0.1s GPS), and spotters.

Key Procedures Table

Oval Nuances: ~Lap 20 “competition caution” bunches field for adjustments; lapped cars line up behind leaders on restart. Road/Street: Push-to-pass zones (DRS-like); no mandatory cautions.

Position in IndyCar Ladder

INDY NXT caps the Road to Indy pyramid, with ~75% graduation rate for top-5 finishers.

Road to Indy Ladder Table

Scholarships: $1M+ pool. Freedom 100: $150K IndyCar test; NXT champ: Full season scholarship (e.g., Rasmussen 2024 path). Top-5: Oval/road rides.

Graduation Stats: 2024 champ Louis Foster → Andretti IndyCar 2025; 2023 Rasmussen → Ed Carpenter; 80% podium drivers reach IndyCar within 2 years. Prepares for hybrid push-to-pass, aeroscreen traffic.​