Dale Coyne Racing (DCR) has announced the signing of 2026 Indy NXT champion Nikita Johnson for the 2027 IndyCar season.
The 18-year-old moves up to the premier single-seater category in North America following a hugely impressive season in Indy NXT. Johnson was unbelievably consistent as he claimed the title from Enzo Fittipaldi and Tymek Kucharczyk. While his two wins came in the first three rounds, he never finished outside the top 8 through all 17 rounds, displaying maturity, speed and excellent racecraft to take the crown in a stacked field.
Johnson has had a very busy few years. In 2022, he finished 2nd in USF Juniors, followed by the same result in the USF2000 Championship and the USF Pro 2000 Championship in 2023 and 2024 respectively.
He also raced in Europe, ending up in 11th in the GB3 standings in 2024. The American also competed in Formula 3 for eight races last year, failing to score a point.
Late last month at Barber, Nikita Johnson completed his first IndyCar test with Dale Coyne Racing, before ultimately signing for the team.
Nikita Johnson, IndyCar Driver, Dale Coyne Racing:
“I want to thank Dale Coyne and everyone on the team for this amazing opportunity, together with OnlyBulls and my partners PV3 Enterprises/ENVE. I would also like to thank my family for their unwavering support and my management team, for working with Dale Coyne to take the next step in my career.
“I am focused on working with the DCR team to maximize this opportunity at the top level of motorsports.”
Dale Coyne, Owner, Dale Coyne Racing:
“This is a great opportunity for DCR to sign a young and talented driver with an impressive résumé. Nikita has raced many types of cars and has gained great experience in the USA with INDY NXT, the USF series, Formula Regional in New Zealand, and GB3 and F3 in England and Europe.”
