Photo: Penske Entertainment / Chris Jones

Indy Nxt will have a 24-car grid for this weekend’s season-opening round on the streets of St. Petersburg, as Juncos Hollinger Racing has signed Alexander Koreiba.

The late addition to the field is making a big change in career direction by heading to Indy Nxt, having previously raced prototype sportscars.

Koreiba does have single-seater experience, but only through races in the entry-level Lucas Oil Formula Car Race Series back in 2018 and then a United States Formula 4 cameo three years. Since then, he has been busy in LMP3 machinery.

In 2022 he was runner-up in the IMSA Prototype Challenge, he made his IMSA debut in 2023, and two years ago he won Historic Sportscar Racing’s IMSA-affiliated Prototype Challenge in the pro-am class.

“This is a dream come true, and to do it with an organisation of this calibre makes it even more meaningful,” the 28-year-old American said of his Indy Nxt move.

Team co-owner Ricardo Juncos said Koreiba “brings a championship mindset and a relentless work ethic that aligns with our goals as an organisation”.

A few days ago the driver and team got to work with each other on-track in a two-day test that took place on the Miami track that Formula 1 races on. A shortened layout was used, and Koreiba’s team-mate Ricardo Escotto set the pace with his very last lap of the test.

Koreiba was fourth fastest, and Andretti Global’s Lochie Hughes in eighth place commented that the new gearbox being used this season has required him to adjust his driving style. He is the highest placed returnee, having come third in the 2025 standings as a rookie.

The post Alexander Koreiba joins Juncos to complete Indy Nxt’s 2026 grid appeared first on Formula Scout.

Photo: James Black

Indy Nxt race-winner Matteo Nannini will make a comeback to the championship this year with Cape Motorsports powered by Ed Carpenter Racing.

When Nannini was last on the grid in 2023, aged 19, he only contested the first half of the season with Juncos Hollinger Racing and his sole top-10 finish was victory with fastest lap from pole position on Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s road course. He came 19th in the standings.

Now 22 and owning his own team, Nannini has committed to contesting the full 2026 season with Cape as it begins its alliance with IndyCar team ECR. He recently tested with Cape at Sebring.

“I’m very happy to be back in Indy Nxt with Cape by ECR,” said Nannini. “I’m grateful to the team for this great opportunity and for the trust they’ve shown in me. Our first test together was very positive; we worked well as a group and built a strong foundation from the start. I’m looking forward to the season ahead and to enjoying every moment on track.”

During his single-seater career, Nannini won the UAE4 title, came 15th in the Formula Regional European Championship, 14th in the FIA Formula 3 Championship and raced part-time in Formula 2 where he scored one point.

He will be team-mate in Indy Nxt to rookie Nikita Johnson, who did two rounds last year but primarily raced in Formula Regional Oceania, GB3 and then the FIA Formula 3 Championship.

Enve Motorsports, the team co-founded by Matteo Nannini, is competing full-time this year in USF2000 which is two steps below Indy Nxt on the Road to Indy. It is Nannini’s long-term target to get Enve onto the Indy Nxt grid and even more ambitiously top-tier single-seaters by acquiring a charter that would enable it to race in IndyCar.

Juncos is one of IndyCar’s full-time entrants, and that led to it withdrawing from Indy Nxt last year to focus its efforts on its more resource-heavy programme. It should be back on the Indy Nxt grid in 2026, having signed Ricardo Escotto. However it will be without its founder and co-owner Ricardo Juncos’s father Ricardo Arturo Juncos, who recently passed away.

The post Matteo Nannini makes Indy Nxt comeback with Cape by ECR appeared first on Formula Scout.

Photo: Chris Jones

Juncos Hollinger Racing will be back on Indy Nxt’s grid this year, and has reunited with its former driver Ricardo Escotto.

The Indianapolis-based Argentine-American team last raced in the championship in 2024, as it paused its Indy Nxt operations in February 2025 to focus on its two-car IndyCar squad. At that point it had already signed a driver for the season ahead, Paraguayan rookie MiguelMa Garcia, and they did not find a seat elsewhere.

Escotto meanwhile comes from Mexico and already knows Juncos well. Through 2023 and ’24 his main focus was the rung below, USF Pro 2000, and he claimed one and win and two other podiums. During his sophomore campaign he also made a Euroformula cameo, and stepped up to Indy Nxt with Juncos for four events.

The 21-year-old’s best qualifying result was 12th, and his best finishes were two 13th places. He remained on the grid for 2025 by joining Andretti Cape, an alliance between Andretti Global and Cape Motorsports, and came 19th in the standings after missing the last third of the season. He started the campaign by qualifying eighth, and his best race result was ninth.

“I’m super excited to be back with Juncos Hollinger Racing for the 2026 Indy Nxt season,” said Escotto. “I have a great relationship with everyone in the team and full trust that they will make this season one to remember.

“Indy Nxt offers the most competitive and direct pathway to the top level, and I’m proud to represent both JHR and Mexico on this stage. I feel more prepared and motivated than ever, and ready to make the most of this opportunity as I continue building toward my ultimate goal of racing full-time in IndyCar. I can’t wait to get started at the first test in Sebring.”

There will be a major change for IndyCar and Indy Nxt this year, as an independent officiating system is introduced through a new not-for-profit organisation called IndyCar Officiating.

It is being governed by a three-person board, which will select a managing director of officiating who will set the business’s annual budget. This figure will act with no oversight from IndyCar or parent company Penske Entertainment, and will be responsible for hiring race control and technical personnel and therefore enforcing IndyCar and Indy Nxt’s rulebooks.

“We have remained committed to independent officiating for 2026, and we are pleased to announce this next step,” said IndyCar’s president J. Douglas Boles.

“The IndyCar team owners and the FIA have selected a world-class board with high character, incredible knowledge and an intense passion for motorsports and IndyCar racing.”

While IndyCar is not an FIA-organised championship, the co-operation between motorsport’s global governing body and Penske Entertainment going forward is with the aiming of utilising the FIA’s expansive knowledge base.

“The FIA’s independent expertise in delivering consistent officiating oversight across our world championships, combined with IndyCar’s innovation and competitive spirit, will support the continued growth of the series,” commented FIA president Mohammed ben Sulayem.

The post Juncos returns to Indy Nxt with Ricardo Escotto in the driver’s seat appeared first on Formula Scout.

Photo: James Black

Lochie Hughes will remain in Andretti Global’s Indy Nxt line-up in 2026, and will also be a reserve driver for the team in IndyCar.

The 23-year-old Australian came third in Indy Nxt this year as a rookie, taking two victories, six other podiums and two poles.

He stepped up to IndyCar’s primary feeder series after plenty of success lower down the USA’s single-seater ladder, having won the 2022 United States Formula 4 title, come third in USF2000 in 2023 and been USF Pro 2000 champion last year.

“I’m really excited to be returning to Andretti Global for the 2026 Indy Nxt season,” said Hughes.

“It was a dream to drive for this team this past season, and I’m proud that we finished third in the championship. I’m looking forward to building on that success next year with a team I know well now.”

Preparations for his IndyCar reserve role will begin with a test on October 13 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, where he will get his first mileage in a top-tier single-seater on the famous circuit’s road course.

“I am also beyond excited to be doing my first IndyCar test. It’s something I’ve looked forward to for a long time and doing it in Indy makes it even more special. It will be a great experience to work closely with the team as an IndyCar reserve driver in 2026.”

Andretti’s team principal Rob Edwards said: “Coming off a successful rookie year with two wins and six podium finishes, the goal for 2026 is very clear: We expect Lochie to challenge for the Indy Nxt championship. Both Christian Rasmussen and Louis Foster have shown the growth and maturity that a second season in Indy Nxt brings, and I am confident we will see more of the same with Lochie.”

Several of Hughes’ Indy Nxt rivals made their IndyCar test debuts on October 1 at Mid-Ohio, including champion Dennis Hauger who will be racing at the top level with Dale Coyne Racing next year.

Also on track was 2025 runner-up Caio Collet, who tested with AJ Foyt Racing and is targeting a race seat with the team, and Chip Ganassi Racing’s Niels Koolen. He came eighth in this year’s standings.

In next week’s test at IMS, Hauger, Collet, Hughes and James Roe Jr will be driving. Roe, 26, has been racing in Indy Nxt since 2022 and for Andretti Global for the last three seasons. After coming sixth in 2024 with two podiums and a pole, Roe dropped to 12th in the standings this season with a best finish of seventh place.

His IndyCar test debut will come with Juncos Hollinger Racing. Its team principal Dave O’Neill said Roe “has shown strong progression through the junior ranks, and his recent experience in both Indy Indy Nxt and LMP2 makes this a natural next step”. He added that “the test will give us a chance to evaluate his potential in the IndyCar environment”.

The post Andretti keeps Lochie Hughes in Indy Nxt seat, adds IndyCar reserve role appeared first on Formula Scout.

Photo: Penske Entertainment/Chris Jones

Juncos Hollinger Racing will not be on the Indy Nxt grid this year, having decided to halt the running of its squad in the second tier series.

The Argentine-American team is based in Indianapolis, and the primary programme run out of its headquarters is a two-car IndyCar squad. Its drivers this year are Conor Daly and Sting Ray Robb, with the former earning the team its first ever podium last season on its 68th start in the top tier of American single-seaters.

Like many drivers on the grid, Juncos made its way up the Road to Indy to get to where it is today and was active in the third-tier USF Pro 2000 championship from 2009 to 2022. In that time it won the teams’ title six times, ran five champions and won 61 races.

It expanded into Indy Nxt in 2012 for a handful of races, then competed in the series full-time for 2015 to 2021. After a year’s absence, it has been back in the paddock for the past two seasons but in a disjointed manner. There were six drivers racing its two cars in 2023, and last year it reduced to being a part-time one-car entry mid-season after dropping Lindsay Brewer.

For 2025, Juncos had signed Paraguayan driver MiguelMa Garcia. He raced in Italian GT last year, and before that made two starts in Argentina’s premier TC2000 touring car series as well as trying out rallying in his home country. To get open-wheel experience he had done single-seater testing in Europe.

During its time in Indy Nxt, Juncos has run two champions and won 19 races. Its statement announcing the change in its 2025 plans read:

“Juncos Hollinger Racing announced today the pause of its Indy Nxt programme. Our commitment to excellence in motorsport requires us to make strategic decisions that align with our brand values. While we have made the difficult choice to pause our Indy Nxt programme, this decision allows us to concentrate our resources where they can be most effective.

“While stepping back from the Indy Nxt series temporarily, the team will continue to evaluate opportunities for future participation in the series. Juncos Hollinger Racing remains committed to its IndyCar programme and will announce future developments as they emerge.”

The post Juncos Hollinger Racing pauses Indy Nxt operations appeared first on Formula Scout.

Photo: Formula Motorsport Ltd

McLaren has announced it will run Formula 2 racer Enzo Fittipaldi in an IndyCar test on November 19.

He will drive at The Thermal Club, a private circuit in California which held a non-championship IndyCar race this year and will join the calendar as a points-paying round in 2025.

Fittipaldi’s day in the car comes under the remit of an evaluation test, and it will mark his second running in an Indy car. The 23-year-old Brazilian previously tested for Dale Coyne Racing late last year.

From 2017 to 2020, Fittipaldi was a junior driver of McLaren’s Formula 1 rival Ferrari, then he spent last year as a Red Bull Junior Team member. In May of this year he drove for Jaguar in Formula E’s rookie test in Berlin.

Fittipaldi is currently 12th in the F2 standings, with the majority of his points coming from round two of the season in Jeddah when he finished third in the sprint race and took the fastest lap en route to victory in the feature race.

Last year he came seventh in the standings with 124 points, winning the Spa-Francorchamps sprint race and making the podium four other times. That was one position higher but two points less than in 2022, when he collected six podiums.

Fittipaldi is the grandson of Emerson, who won the 1974 F1 world championship with McLaren, and the brother of Pietro who contested his first full season in IndyCar this year.

A step below IndyCar, Juncos Hollinger Racing has signed Paraguayan driver MiguelMa Garcia to its Indy Nxt line-up for 2025.

Garcia raced in Italian GT last year, and before that made two starts in Argentina’s premier TC2000 touring car series as well as trying out rallying in his home country. He has done single-seater testing in Europe to get open-wheel experience.

The post McLaren hands IndyCar test to F2 racer Enzo Fittipaldi appeared first on Formula Scout.

Photo: Chris Jones

Juncos Hollinger Racing has announced it has temporarily dropped Lindsay Brewer from its Indy Nxt line-up over unfulfilled contract obligations.

The 27-year-old is currently 20th in the standings halfway through the season, with a best finish of 15th achieved twice and a personal best starting position of 19th.

“Lindsay Brewer has been a valued member throughout her time at Juncos Hollinger Racing, and it has been a privilege to have her on the the team,” said Juncos in a team statement.

“However, due to contractual obligations being unfulfilled, Lindsay will not be driving for the JHR Indy Nxt programme for the time being. We wish her the best and hope she can return when able.”

Juncos is now without a driver for the next race at Mid-Ohio, with its other signing Ricardo Escotto competing part-time and not set to race again until the penultimate round.

Brewer karted as a youngster before moving into car racing in 2015 in the United States’ Legends championship, but she then left motorsport to go to university. She returned to action in sportscars, and after that joined Skip Barber Racing School. In 2021 she came sixth in the school’s own single-seater series, and raced in TC America in a Honda Civic.

Two years ago she jumped up the open-wheel ladder to join Exclusive Autosport in USF Pro 2000. She finished eighth on her debut but only got one other top-10 finish from her part-time campaign (due to being a late signing) and came 15th in the standings. For 2023 she contested every race but never finished higher than 11th, a result she achieved twice, and was 18th in the points table.

The post Juncos temporarily drops Lindsay Brewer from Indy Nxt line-up appeared first on Formula Scout.

Photo: Chris Owens

Louis Foster was fastest by 0.2031 seconds in Indy Nxt’s opening practice session at Road America on Friday, as rival Nolan Siegel got called up to race in IndyCar.

There were four Andretti Global drivers in the top six, with HMD Motorsports’ Caio Collet and Abel Motorsports’ Jacob Abel being the exceptions in second and third. Championship leader Abel was over half a second slower than title rival Foster.

“The car was good,” said Foster afterwards. “We struggled here a bit last year, especially with front [tyre] degradation. So, it’s nice to start on the right foot. Made some good changes during that session. We’ve still got to do it tomorrow, haven’t we? It’s only practice, so let’s not get too excited.”

James Roe Jr was 0.6418s behind in fourth, and had an off during FP1, with Bryce Aron and Jamie Chadwick the only other two drivers within a second of the pace.

In 10th place and 1.3332s off the top was HMD’s title contender Siegel, who while out on track was announced as replacing Augustin Canapino at Juncos Hollinger Racing for IndyCar’s Grand Prix of Road America this weekend.

Siegel will replace full-time driver Agustin Canapino in the No. 78 Juncos Hollinger Racing Chevrolet in the aftermath of online abuse directed toward Theo Pourchaire of Arrow McLaren after he made contact with Canapino’s car Sunday, June 7 during the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix presented by Lear.

The Canapino-driven car had been run in a commercial alliance with McLaren, which ended this week following death threats made to McLaren driver Theo Pourchaire online by a section of Canapino’s fanbase. The subsequent fallout of that has been Canapino stepping back from IndyCar, for at least one event, and Siegel being called up for a weekend of double duty.

Siegel is currently third in the Indy Nxt standings with one win, and the 19-year-old American is signed to Dale Coyne Racing on a four-event IndyCar deal which does not clash with his commitments in its support series.

He started off with the non-championship $1 Million Challenge at The Thermal Club, was a lapped 20th in the Long Beach Grand Prix then failed to qualify for the Indianapolis 500. His next and final outing with DCR will be in Toronto next month.

Propping up Indy Nxt’s FP1 timesheet was Yuven Sundaramoothy (Abel Motorsports), who managed to go into the tyre barriers at turn 12 a quarter of the way into the 45-minute session. He had only completed three laps before his day ended.

Free practice 1 results

The post Foster tops Indy Nxt FP1 at Road America as Siegel gets IndyCar call-up appeared first on Formula Scout.

Photo: IndyCar

Louis Foster was fastest in Indy Nxt’s opening practice session in Detroit, as Ricardo Escotto joined the field.

Juncos Hollinger Racing has signed Escotto for five races, starting with this weekend. He will also contest the Laguna Seca double-header and the final two races at the Milwaukee Mile and Nashville Superspeedway.

The 19-year-old Mexican was 13th in USF Pro 2000 last year with one win and is currently in the same position in the 2024 standings halfway through the season.

While Escotto has joined the Indy Nxt grid, Abel Motorsports’ Jordan Missig has left it after debuting in the previous round.

The 45-minute Friday practice session began with Jacob Abel (Abel) setting the pace, a 1m16.5492s putting him 1.3276 seconds ahead of Reece Gold (HMD Motorsports).

On his second lap he improved to 1m13.3971s, with Myles Rowe (HMD) 0.1414s and Gold 0.1895s behind.

Gold lowered the pace to 1m11.9848s on the third laps, leading Rowe by 0.0423s and with Andretti Global’s Bryce Aron 0.5307s behind in third. Aron then moved to the top on his next lap, setting a 1m10.8873s. Jamie Chadwick made it an Andretti one-two, Rowe was third fastest and HMD’s Callum Hedge rose to fourth.

Foster was yet to set a flying lap, and when the Andretti driver eventually did he went fourth fastest. Gold improved on his sixth lap to 1m10.2589s, topping the times by 0.1086s over Abel and 0.5632s over Siegel. HMD’s Caio Collet got into third place with his fourth lap, then was demoted to sixth as Foster, Abel and Gold broke into the 1m09s.

Chadwick got within 0.3651s of Foster with her seventh lap, but her team-mate responded with a 1m08.6636s. Abel then got between them, but was 0.7861s off Foster’s benchmark a quarter of the way into the session.

Siegel cut Foster’s advantage to 0.4275s, only for Foster to lower the pace further to 1m07.9150s. Chadwick returned to second place with a 1m08.5587s, then Abel and James Roe Jr knocked her down to fourth.

Eventually Fosyer was rivalled by Andretti Cape’s Michael d’Orlando, who was 0.0519s slower than him, then others were denied a chance to improve as red flags waved briefly.

After the restart there were no changes in the top positions before another stoppage caused by Juncos’s Lindsay Brewer locking up and crashing at turn one.

On his third lap after the second restart, Foster set a new 1m07.7337s benchmark. D’Orlando impoved to 1m07.7603s, but then Foster did even better with a 1m07.4846s.

With 12-and-a-half minutes remaining, Roe beat Foster’s best by 0.0026s. Siegel then went 0.2018s faster than him, and with nine minutes to go Collet reduced Siegel’s advantage to 0.1993s.

Abel’s Yuven Sundaramoorthy caused the next red flag period by stopping late in the lap, and in the final portion of track action Foster posted an unbeatable 1m06.8356s. Siegel improved, but trailed by 0.4157s and Abel was 0.5253s back in third when FP1 ended with Aron crashing.

HMD’s Josh Pierson only did 14 laps due to suspension issues.

Free practice 1 results

The post Louis Foster tops FP1 in Detroit as Ricardo Escotto joins Indy Nxt grid appeared first on Formula Scout.

Photo: Penske Entertainment/Chris Jones

Indy Nxt teams were back in action this week for two days of semi-private pre-season testing at Sebring.

Last year ended in similar fashion, with teams convening at Barber Motorsports Park on November 13 to test. Although it is a series test in which all teams are invited, and the series’ official photographers are on-site, the test is not run by Indy Nxt so laptimes are not shared by a public timing system.

The Sebring test attracted all 17 of the drivers that have signed up to race this season, but their first day of running on track in 2024 was heavily restricted due to wet weather that became so extreme that the track was almost flooded at one point. Some teams engaged in team-building activities during the lull in proceedings, while others withdrew to their trucks to stay dry.

There were some drivers who did not actually register any laptimes due to the rain, so they had to make the most of the dry period on day two before the wet weather returned.

Juncos Hollinger Racing’s line-up included Michael d’Orlando, who has previously tested with HMD Motorsports but not announced any Indy Nxt plans yet for 2024. The 21-year-old won the USF2000 title in his fourth season in the series back in 2022, then last year took four wins and six poles en route to fourth in the USF Pro 2000 standings.

HMD meanwhile had extra cars out for Nolan Allaer and former Alpine junior Caio Collet.

Allaer was the SCCA National Runoff winner in Formula Continental and Formula F last year but primarily raced wingless cars in the UK as he came sixth in BRSCC National FF1600 and 16th in the Formula Ford Festival.

Collet, who was Formula Renault Eurocup runner-up back in 2020, has spent the last three years racing in the FIA Formula 3 Championship and came ninth in the 2023 standings with one win and three other podiums.

The 2024 Indy Nxt season begins in St. Petersburg on March 8-10, with the 14-race season’s double-header rounds taking place at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in May and at Laguna Seca in June.

The post Rain restricts running in Indy Nxt pre-season testing at Sebring appeared first on Formula Scout.