2026 Indy NXT Nashville | Qualifying results

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Qualifying for Round 13 of the 2026 Indy NXT by Firestone season at Nashville Superspeedway has been completed. View the full results here.

The drivers took to the 1.33-mile oval in reverse championship order, with the highest-ranked contenders running last. Each driver completed two timed laps, and the average speed across both laps determined their qualifying position.

This is the first impound race, meaning the cars must remain untouched between qualifying and the race. The drivers and teams must balance outright qualifying speed with tire degradation and the downforce needed for race trim.

Qualifying began in reverse-championship order

Nicolas Monteiro was the first driver to make a qualifying attempt. The São Paulo native, who lives in Florida, improved on his second lap and recorded an average speed of 171.384 mph.

Chip Ganassi Racing’s Carson Etter followed with an average speed of 173.796 mph, moving into provisional pole position. Etter reached 175 mph on his second lap to complete a significantly quicker run than Monteiro.

Alexander Koreiba, the sole Juncos Hollinger Racing entry competing this weekend, followed with an average speed of 172.834 mph. His first lap was the quicker of the two, placing him second behind Etter at the time.

Ireland’s James Roe moved Chip Ganassi Racing back to the top of the order with an average speed of 175.203 mph.

ABEL Motorsports’ Colin Kaminsky delivered two remarkably consistent laps of 176.224 mph and 176.227 mph. His average moved him into provisional pole position by more than 1 mph over Roe.

Nicolas Stati averaged 174.035 mph, slotting into third. This marked his first oval appearance of the season after he missed the previous oval round at Gateway due to prior commitments.

Chip Ganassi Racing’s Bryce Aron followed with a two-lap average of 175.979 mph, placing him second behind Kaminsky.

Koolen and Garcia challenge for the front row

Dutch driver Niels Koolen continued his strong weekend with an average of 176.816. His two-lap average moved him ahead of Kaminsky and into provisional pole position.

Illinois native Jordan Missig recorded a two-lap average of 175.414 mph for ABEL Motorsports slotting into 4th.

Mexico’s Salvador de Alba recorded a two-lap average of 174.659 mph for HMD Motorsports. De Alba entered the weekend after finishing second at Nashville Superspeedway in 2025.

Sebastian Murray recorded a two-lap average of 174.450 mph for Andretti Global, putting him 7th.

Seventeen-year-old Max Garcia, the reigning USF Pro 2000 champion, recorded an average speed of 176.275 mph for ABEL Motorsports. His run placed him second behind Koolen.

Nannini takes control at Nashville

Italian driver Matteo Nannini, winner at Road America, continued his strong form with a faster second lap. His two-lap average of 177.427 mph moved him into provisional pole position.

Josh Pierson made his 50th Indy NXT start for Andretti Global and recorded a two-lap average of 175.609 mph, placing him sixth at the time.

J.M. Correa qualified the black-and-gold No. 68 for Cusick Morgan Motorsports with a two-lap average of 174.092 mph, placing him 11th at the time.

Jack Beeton entered Nashville following a run of strong results, including a double podium at Mid-Ohio. His two-lap average of 175.686 mph placed him sixth at the time.

Myles Rowe returned to oval qualifying after winning at Gateway from the back of the field, where he started last following a disqualification for completing three laps instead of the permitted two. His average speed of 176.873 mph placed him second behind Nannini.

Championship contenders fall (well) short of the front row

Alessandro de Tullio entered qualifying with seven pole positions from the opening 12 races and targeted his eighth in the No. 14 A.J. Foyt Racing machine. His two-lap average of 177.114 mph placed him second behind Nannini.

Australian Lochie Hughes entered Nashville after claiming pole position at Gateway. His two-lap average of 175.852 mph placed the Andretti Global driver eighth.

Max Taylor entered Nashville looking to regain the from that marked his strong start to the season. His two-lap average of 175.434 mph placed him 11th, behind Andretti Global teammate Josh Pierson.

Florida native Nikita Johnson recorded a two-lap average of 177.030 mph for Cape Motorsports with ECR. The run placed him third behind de Tullio and teammate Nannini.

Tymek Kucharczyk, looked to rebound after finishing 22nd in practice. His two-lap average of 174.566 mph placed the No. 71 HMD Motorsports entry 16th.

Enzo Fittipaldi debuted a new black-and-red livery after sweeping both races at Mid-Ohio and entering Nashville with a 17-point championship lead. On his 25th birthday, his two-lap average of 175.398 mph placed him 14th.

With qualifying complete, Nannini secured pole position and will lead the field to green Sunday for the 65-lap INDY NXT by Firestone Music City Grand Prix at noon local time.