The last step before IndyCar
The top rung of the Road to Indy and IndyCar's primary support series, racing on the same weekends as the cars its drivers are trying to reach.
The last step on the Road to Indy
Indy NXT
IndyCar's own feeder series — one Dallara chassis, 450 hp and a 50 hp push-to-pass button, raced on ovals, road courses and city streets, with an $850,000 scholarship waiting for whoever wins it.
1986First season, as the American Racing Series
500hp with push-to-pass engaged
17Races on the 2026 calendar
TeamsDriversOvals & street circuitsPush-to-passEngineering
What is Indy NXT?
Indy NXT — officially INDY NXT by Firestone — is the development series sanctioned by IndyCar and the top step of the Road to Indy ladder. It is a spec championship: every team runs a Dallara IL-15 with an AER-built Mazda MZR-R 2.0-litre turbo producing 450 hp, plus 50 hp of push-to-pass, on Firestone control tyres. The series was called Indy Lights for most of its history and was renamed Indy NXT in 2023, after IndyCar's owner Penske Entertainment bought it in 2022. Its champion receives an $850,000 scholarship toward an IndyCar programme.
- First season
- 1986, as the American Racing Series
- Sanctioned by
- IndyCar, owned by Penske Entertainment
- Ladder position
- Top step of the Road to Indy
- 2026 season
- 9 teams · 17 races · 12 events
01 — How it began
How Indy NXT began.
American open-wheel racing has had a top-level feeder category since the USAC Mini-Indy Series of the late 1970s. The modern lineage starts in 1986 with the American Racing Series, CART’s development championship, which took the Indy Lights name in 1991.
When American open-wheel racing split, IndyCar founded its own ladder series in 2002 as the Infiniti Pro Series, later the Indy Pro Series. The Indy Lights name returned in 2008 once CART and IndyCar reunified, and stayed until 2022.
Penske Entertainment, which owns the IndyCar Series, bought the championship in 2022 and rebranded it INDY NXT by Firestone for 2023, bringing Firestone back as sole tyre supplier. The 2026 season was its fortieth, and the twenty-fourth run under IndyCar sanction.
- Sanctioned by
- IndyCar; owned by Penske Entertainment since 2022
- Ladder position
- Top step of the Road to Indy
- First season
- 1986, as the American Racing Series
- Renamed
- 1991 Indy Lights, 2002 Infiniti Pro Series, 2006 Indy Pro Series, 2008 Firestone Indy Lights, 2023 Indy NXT
- Car
- Dallara IL-15, AER-built Mazda MZR-R 2.0-litre turbo, 450 hp
- Tyres
- Firestone, contracted as sole supplier to at least 2030
- Champion's prize
- An $850,000 scholarship toward an IndyCar programme
02 — The essentials
What makes Indy NXT different?
A spec series whose job is to hand its champion the money and the mileage to reach IndyCar.
A calendar built like IndyCar's
Ovals, permanent road courses and street circuits in one season. 2026 ran three ovals, three street races and six road-course weekends — a mix almost no other feeder series asks of its drivers.
An $850,000 scholarship, not a trophy
The prize is spelled out: a rookie oval test, entry to the Indy 500 Open Test and Rookie Orientation Program, an entry to the following year's Indianapolis 500, and one further IndyCar race.
Push-to-pass and IndyCar scoring
A 50 hp boost on top of 450 hp, and a points scale lifted from IndyCar itself — 50 for a win and something for everyone down to 24th.
03 — Race weekend format
A race weekend, decoded.
Qualifying
A single session sets the grid, and the fastest driver in it takes a bonus championship point.
Race
One race at most events, run as a support race on an IndyCar weekend. Five 2026 weekends went double-header.
Push-to-pass
Every car carries a 50 hp overtake boost on top of the 450 hp the AER engine is built to make for a whole season.
Barber, the Indianapolis road course, Road America, Mid-Ohio and Laguna Seca all ran two races in 2026 — the first time four of those had done so since 2021 — which is how twelve events produced seventeen races.
04 — How points are scored
Indy NXT points system.
| Pos | Points | Pos | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 50 | 13th | 17 |
| 2nd | 40 | 14th | 16 |
| 3rd | 35 | 15th | 15 |
| 4th | 32 | 16th | 14 |
| 5th | 30 | 17th | 13 |
| 6th | 28 | 18th | 12 |
| 7th | 26 | 19th | 11 |
| 8th | 24 | 20th | 10 |
| 9th | 22 | 21st | 9 |
| 10th | 20 | 22nd | 8 |
| 11th | 19 | 23rd | 7 |
| 12th | 18 | 24th | 6 |
Bonus points
- +1 point for the fastest driver in each qualifying session.
- +1 point for leading at least one lap of a race.
- +2 points for leading the most laps.
The shape is IndyCar's own: a win pays 50, and every classified finisher down to 24th scores, so a bad afternoon still pays something and a title fight rarely turns on a single race.
05 — Race calendar
Season complete · Nikita Johnson champion 2026 Indy NXT calendar.
| Rounds | Event | Circuit | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Grand Prix of St. Petersburg | Streets of St. Petersburg, Florida | 1 March |
| 02 | Grand Prix of Arlington | Streets of Arlington, Texas | 15 March |
| 03–04 | Grand Prix of Alabama | Barber Motorsports Park, Alabama | 28–29 March |
| 05–06 | Grand Prix of Indianapolis | Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course | 8–9 May |
| 07 | Detroit Grand Prix | Streets of Detroit, Michigan | 31 May |
| 08 | World Wide Technology Raceway | WWT Raceway, Illinois — oval | 7 June |
| 09–10 | Grand Prix at Road America | Road America, Wisconsin | 20–21 June |
| 11–12 | Grand Prix at Mid-Ohio | Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course | 4–5 July |
| 13 | Music City Grand Prix | Nashville Superspeedway, Tennessee — oval | 19 July |
| 14 | Grand Prix of Portland | Portland International Raceway, Oregon | 9 August |
| 15 | Milwaukee Mile | Milwaukee Mile, Wisconsin — oval | 30 August |
| 16–17 | Grand Prix of Monterey — finale | WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, California | 5–6 September |
Last updated: 7 September 2026. The season closed at Laguna Seca on 6 September with Nikita Johnson taking the title. New for 2026: the Streets of Arlington debuted, Indy NXT's first race in Texas since Circuit of the Americas in 2019; Nashville moved from the finale to round 13; Monterey became the season closer; and the series did not return to Iowa Speedway.
06 — From 1986 to today
Indy NXT timeline.
1986
American Racing Series
CART establishes a national development championship for its ladder.
1991
Indy Lights
The series takes the name it would be known by for most of the next three decades.
2002
Infiniti Pro Series
After American open-wheel racing splits, IndyCar founds its own feeder series to bring new talent through.
2008
Firestone Indy Lights
CART and IndyCar reunify, and the Indy Lights name returns to the IndyCar-sanctioned series.
2015
The Dallara IL-15
The current car arrives: 450 hp from an AER-built Mazda 2.0-litre turbo, with 50 hp of push-to-pass.
2020
A season lost
The championship is cancelled outright by the COVID-19 pandemic.
2022
Penske Entertainment buys in
IndyCar's owner takes over the series outright, aligning the ladder with the championship it feeds.
2023
INDY NXT by Firestone
The rebrand lands, with Firestone returning as sole tyre supplier and Christian Rasmussen the first champion under the new name.
2026
A fortieth season and a record
Nikita Johnson wins the title in the finale at 18, the youngest champion the series has had, and as a rookie.
07 — How the series changed
Four decades, four identities.
The CART era
Run as the American Racing Series and then Indy Lights, feeding drivers into CART.
Infiniti and Indy Pro Series
IndyCar builds its own ladder after the split in American open-wheel racing.
Firestone Indy Lights
Reunification brings the Indy Lights name back to the IndyCar-sanctioned championship.
The Dallara IL-15 arrives
A new spec car with an AER-built Mazda MZR-R turbo, engineered to run a full season on one engine.
INDY NXT by Firestone
Penske Entertainment's rebrand, Firestone back on every car, and a scholarship written in terms of Indy 500 mileage.
08 — Champions and icons
Racers who defined their eras.
Current Champion
Nikita Johnson
2026 Indy NXT Champion · Cape Motorsports Powered by ECR · youngest champion in the series' history at 18, and Rookie of the Year
Enzo Fittipaldi
Runner-up in 2026 by 29 points in his first Indy NXT season, with HMD Motorsports, carrying one of racing's great surnames.
2026 runner-up
Dennis Hauger
2025 champion with Andretti Global, a Formula 3 title winner and Formula 2 race winner before crossing the Atlantic.
2025 champion
Louis Foster
2024 champion with Andretti Global, the second Briton to take the title in the Indy NXT era.
2024 champion
Christian Rasmussen
The first champion under the Indy NXT name, taking the 2023 title with HMD Motorsports.
2023 champion
Kyle Kirkwood
2021 champion with Andretti, and since an IndyCar race winner.
2021 champion
Pato O'Ward
2018 champion with Andretti Autosport, now one of IndyCar's biggest draws.
2018 champion
Indy Lights Josef Newgarden
2011 champion, later an IndyCar champion and an Indianapolis 500 winner.
2011 champion
Indy Lights Scott Dixon
2000 champion, and since then one of the most decorated drivers in IndyCar history.
2000 champion
09 — Defining events
Crises, controversies and turning points.
The season that never happened
COVID-19 cancels the championship outright, costing a generation of drivers a year of their ladder.
Penske Entertainment takes over
IndyCar's owner buys the top rung of its own ladder, ending years of separate ownership.
The Indy NXT rebrand
A new name, and Firestone returns as the sole tyre supplier after years away.
Fox buys into IndyCar
Fox Corporation takes a one-third stake in Penske Entertainment and extends its television deal to 2030.
Independent officiating
IndyCar Officiating Inc. is created for IndyCar and Indy NXT, with two members voted in by team owners and a third appointed by the FIA.
The youngest champion
Nikita Johnson clinches at Laguna Seca aged 18 years, 3 months and 12 days, 29 points clear of Enzo Fittipaldi, and takes Rookie of the Year with it.
10 — Meet the grid
Explore Indy NXT teams.
2026 Champion Team
Cape Motorsports Powered by ECR
Nikita Johnson's title is the team's first in Indy NXT, and it ended back-to-back championships for Andretti Global
#1
CAP
Cape Motorsports Powered by ECRNikita Johnson, champion · 585 pts
#2
HMD
HMD MotorsportsEnzo Fittipaldi, 2nd · 556 pts
#3
AND
Andretti GlobalMax Taylor, 4th · 470 pts
#4
FOY
A. J. Foyt RacingAlessandro de Tullio, 6th · 442 pts
#5
CUS
Cusick Morgan MotorsportsJuan Manuel Correa, 7th · 389 pts · new for 2026, allied with HMD
#6
FOR
Abel Motorsports with Force IndyMyles Rowe, 8th · 388 pts
#7
ABE
Abel MotorsportsMax Garcia, 10th · 381 pts
#8
CGR
Chip Ganassi RacingBryce Aron, 14th · 298 pts · expanded from two cars to four
#9
JHR
Juncos Hollinger RacingAlexander Koreiba, 21st · 207 pts
11 — Frequently asked
Indy NXT FAQ.
What is Indy NXT?
The development series sanctioned by IndyCar and the top step of the Road to Indy ladder, officially INDY NXT by Firestone. It is a spec championship racing as IndyCar's primary support series.
Is Indy NXT the same as Indy Lights?
Yes, it is the same championship. Indy Lights was the name used from 1991 to 2001 and again from 2008 to 2022; Penske Entertainment rebranded it Indy NXT for 2023 after buying the series in 2022.
What car does Indy NXT use?
A spec Dallara IL-15, introduced in 2015, with an AER-built Mazda MZR-R 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder making 450 hp and engineered to last a full season, on Firestone control tyres.
What is push-to-pass in Indy NXT?
An overtaking boost worth an extra 50 hp on top of the engine's 450, taking the car to roughly 500 hp when engaged.
What does the Indy NXT champion win?
An $850,000 scholarship. It funds a rookie oval test, entry to the Indianapolis 500 Open Test and Rookie Orientation Program, an entry to the following year's Indianapolis 500, and one further NTT INDYCAR SERIES event.
Who won the 2026 Indy NXT championship?
Nikita Johnson, driving for Cape Motorsports Powered by ECR. He clinched it in the season finale at Laguna Seca on 6 September 2026, 29 points clear of Enzo Fittipaldi, and became Rookie of the Year as well as the youngest champion in series history at 18 years, 3 months and 12 days.
Who has won Indy NXT recently?
Christian Rasmussen (2023, HMD Motorsports), Louis Foster (2024, Andretti Global), Dennis Hauger (2025, Andretti Global) and Nikita Johnson (2026, Cape Motorsports Powered by ECR).
How does Indy NXT scoring work?
IndyCar's own shape: 50 points for a win, then 40-35-32-30-28-26-24-22-20 to tenth and down to 6 points for 24th. A bonus point goes to the fastest qualifier and to any driver who leads a lap, with two for leading the most.
How many races does an Indy NXT season have?
Seventeen in 2026, across twelve events, with five weekends running double-headers.
Does Indy NXT race on ovals?
Yes — one of very few feeder series that does. The 2026 season ran ovals at World Wide Technology Raceway, Nashville Superspeedway and the Milwaukee Mile alongside road courses and street circuits.
Which IndyCar drivers came through Indy Lights or Indy NXT?
Scott Dixon (2000 champion), Josef Newgarden (2011), Pato O'Ward (2018), Kyle Kirkwood (2021) and many more. The series has been American open-wheel racing's main pipeline for four decades.
What happened to the 2020 season?
It was cancelled outright because of the COVID-19 pandemic — the only season lost in the series' history.
Who owns Indy NXT?
Penske Entertainment, which also owns the IndyCar Series and Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Fox Corporation acquired a one-third stake in Penske Entertainment in July 2025.
Is Kozmozracing affiliated with Indy NXT or its teams?
No. Unless a product page explicitly states otherwise, Kozmozracing is an independent store and is not affiliated with or endorsed by IndyCar, Penske Entertainment, Indy NXT, any team or driver.
Sources
- Official INDY NXT by Firestone website · IndyNXT.com (official)
- 2026 INDY NXT by Firestone standings · IndyNXT.com (official)
- Indy NXT: history, lineage, specifications and champions · Wikipedia
- 2026 Indy NXT: entries, schedule, scoring and final standings · Wikipedia
- Nikita Johnson crowned 2026 Indy NXT champion · GT Report
- Juan Manuel Correa signs with Cusick Morgan for 2026 · IndyCar (official)
- Photo: Indy NXT at the Milwaukee Mile, 2025, by Michael Barera · Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Independent fan guide: Formats, teams and calendars can change. Verify current sporting information with IndyCar and the official INDY NXT website directly. Championship, team and driver names belong to their respective rights holders.
12 — The collection
Indy NXT-inspired collection.
No products are assigned to Indy NXT yet. Add products to this series in the product editor.