In recent seasons, the feeder series to the NTT IndyCar Series has seen great change. Looking back to 2022, Indy NXT was known as Indy Lights and only had eleven full-time teams and drivers. Now, in 2026, 20 drivers ran the full schedule with a further three making over ten starts.
2026 was the first season of a new era for the highest step on the ladder to IndyCar. A combination of near-full live coverage on FS1, an influx of IndyCar teams joining the series, and encouragement from Penske Entertainment to see 24 car fields led to considerable growth in the series. Additionally, Marshall Pruett reports that there will be a licensing system that heavily encourages success in IndyNXT in order to be approved for IndyCar competition.
Due to this, the Road to Indy ladder has never looked stronger. 18-year-old Nikita Johnson secured the first NXT championship in this new era, but plenty of other drivers turned heads and took victories throughout the season. This article features ten of the drivers in various rungs of the ladder that have the potential to be the next stars of IndyCar.
10. Max Taylor
Max Taylor had a respectable first NXT season for Andretti Global in 2026. While he did not enter the doubleheader weekend at Laguna Seca in contention for the championship, the 18-year old secured a victory at Arlington and a fourth place points position. With teammate Lochie Hughes not returning to the organization, Taylor is primed to be the lead Andretti driver in 2027 and contend for the championship.
9. Sebastián Garzón
The first step on the ladder is the USF 2000 Championship. With one weekend and three races to go, Sebastián Garzón leads that championship. A season with four victories and ten podiums puts him on this list over championship rival Brad Majman. 2027 will likely see a USF Pro 2000 campaign, with 2028 or 2029 seeing an Indy NXT campaign if he continues his success. Notably, Deforce Racing, the team Garzon drives for in USF 2000, did not enter USF Pro 2000 in 2026.
8. Jack Jeffers
In between USF 2000 and Indy NXT is USF Pro 2000. Similar to USF 2000, there is one weekend and three races left until its championship is decided. Jack Jeffers, driving for Turn 3 Motorsport, is the championship leader with three victories this season, but he is ranked below his two rivals for one reason: age.
USF 2000 is typically run by younger drivers, while the Texan is 20. If Jeffers secures the title, the USF Pro 2000 champion would be older than the Indy NXT champion.
While 20 is on the older end of the second rung on the development ladder, it is by no means old for an IndyCar driver. If Jeffers moves to NXT, contends for the championship there and starts in IndyCar in 2028, he would be 22 years old. That would still make him younger than all three 2026 IndyCar Rookie of the Year contenders were this past season.
Jeffers certainly has the talent to advance up the ladder, but the four-year age difference between him and his title rivals places him eighth for now.
7. George Leon Argyros III
George Leon Argyros III, known as G3 Argyros, sits third in the USF Pro 2000 championship. The Pabst Racing driver sits 35 points below Jeffers, but will have a strong chance at the title. The final weekend is held at Road America, which saw the American sweep the venue’s doubleheader earlier in the season. If the 16-year-old can continue his success at Road America and exit the season as the champion, the sky is the limit for him.
On top of this, Argyros comes from money as he is the grandson of real estate agent and former diplomat George Argyros. The combination of talent and funding is not the easiest to find, but it appears the American has it. A move to NXT is possible for 2027 with a move to the top possible by the end of the decade if he succeeds there.
6. Leonardo Escorpioni
The winningest driver of the season, Leonardo Escorpioni, rounds out the championship fight. Despite missing two races, the Brazilian sits only seventeen points behind Jeffers. The 16-year-old won USF Juniors, skipped USF 2000 entirely, and is in championship contention for USF Pro 2000. If he secures an Indy NXT seat for 2027, he might need a season to get there, but has certainly shown the ability to be a contender in that series.
The Zanella Racing driver may not be in IndyCar for 2027 or 2028, but at his current trajectory, could be dangerous as the series enters the 2030s decade.
5. Max Garcia
Max Garcia tore up the lower rungs of the ladder, securing dominant titles in USF Pro 2000 and USF2000 before moving up to Indy NXT in 2026 for Abel Motorsports. The 17-year-old’s youth showed in the early races, with only one finish above twelfth place in the opening six races. In the final eleven races, he earned nine top-10s, two podiums, and a first victory at the Milwaukee Mile.
Garcia proved in the lower series and in the second half of his NXT campaign that he has the talent to make it in IndyCar. If he returns to the series next year, which all signs say he will, the Floridian driver would be a championship favorite. If he is as successful in NXT as he was in the USF ranks, he will undoubtedly secure an IndyCar seat as a rising star at the top level. But for now, he ranks fifth because of his somewhat underwhelming rookie NXT season
4. Alessandro de Tullio
Nobody was faster over a NXT lap in 2026 than Alessandro de Tullio, who secured seven poles in seventeen races. The races itself were a struggle for the Argentinian driver, who saw two victories but only four podiums.
De Tullio undoubtedly has speed, but will need at least one more year in IndyNXT to be truly worthy of an IndyCar seat. If the 20-year-old returns to A.J. Foyt Racing’s NXT team for 2027 and is able to turn more poles into podiums, then an IndyCar seat in 2028 for the organization is in the Argentinian’s future.
3. Tymek Kucharczyk
Like in USF Pro 2000, the final IndyNXT weekend saw a three driver championship fight. Tymek Kucharczyk secured two victories and eight podiums in a season that saw him finish third in points. Primarily due to poor results on the ovals, the Polish driver needed to win both races at Laguna Seca to have a shot at the championship. He responded by putting his car on the front row for both races, but early contact with Myles Rowe in the first race ultimately ended Kucharczyk’s championship quest.
If the 20-year old returns to IndyNXT in 2027, he would undoubtedly be a championship favorite and could secure an IndyCar ride in 2028. However, the one thing going against him is a lack of budget. The Polish driver has historically struggled for financial backing. The talent is there, but it is more and more difficult for talent to be the sole reason for opportunities in modern racing.
2. Enzo Fittipaldi
Nobody won more IndyNXT races in 2026 then Enzo Fittipaldi. The Brazilian Formula 2 veteran secured four victories and seven podiums on his way to second in points. He entered the Laguna Seca double header only one point off the lead, but finishes of eighth and 5th-place were not enough to secure the championship.
Fittipaldi is the complete package for IndyCar prospects. He has speed, talent, plenty of experience for a 25-year-old, and he brings money from Med-Stop. A 25 year old driver in IndyNXT is expected to win multiple races and contend for the championship, and Fittipaldi did exactly that.
For 2027, Dale Coyne Racing or A.J. Foyt Racing are the most likely opportunities, but plenty of rides could open up for 2028. Alternatively, remaining with HMD Motorsports in NXT and chasing redemption in the championship would likely be a successful option. In the last two seasons, both first and second in NXT standings have moved up to IndyCar.
1. Nikita Johnson
Nikita Johnson secured two victories and no finishes below eighth on his way to the NXT championship. A season this consistent is expected from a veteran, but Johnson is just 18 years old.
The American was in talks with IndyCar teams as early as July, but it is unclear where he could land for 2027. It is unlikely that he will return to NXT. Four of the last five NXT champions have secured a full-time seat the following season, so the odds are in Johnson’s favor. Like Fittipaldi, he will have his eyes on opportunities at A.J. Foyt Racing and Dale Coyne Racing, both of which historically have at least one younger driver on their rosters. Due to his speed and consistency, and having both at such a young age, Johnson is the most likely driver to become the next IndyCar star.
