2026 Indy NXT Gateway | Race Results

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The first oval race of the 2026 Indy NXT season went green at 4:30 p.m. local time at World Wide Technology Raceway with defending Gateway winner Lochie Hughes leading the field from pole. Hughes claimed the top spot with a 162.578 mph two-lap average, edging Alessandro de Tullio and Max Taylor in qualifying.

Practice pace-setter Enzo Fittipaldi started from the back after a mechanical issue prevented his car from completing technical inspection. Myles Rowe also started from the rear after his qualifying run was disqualified. With Fittipaldi and Rowe charging from behind, Gateway had the potential to deliver a major shakeup in the championship fight.

Before the pace lap, Enzo Fittipaldi and the HMD Motorsports crew pushed his car back to the garage with an issue similar to the one he experienced in qualifying. The problem was related to the fuel cell, leaving the championship leader in trouble before the race had even gone green.

Matteo Nannini also appeared to have a similar issue ahead of the start. His car was not on the grid when the field prepared to roll off, with the team still looking into the problem.

Hughes Leads the Field to Green at Gateway

Hughes got a strong launch from pole, holding onto the lead as the field took the green. Behind him, Joshua Pierson had a strong start from fourth, moving up to second by the end of lap 1.

Further back, Rowe quickly began his recovery drive, gaining seven positions by lap three. in P17

The first caution came on lap 6 when Alexander Koreiba hit the outside wall. Koreiba got loose on the oval after being passed by Rowe, running too high, and bringing out the yellow.

Bryce Aron’s race came to an early end after he experienced shifting issues, taking him out of contention.

Fittipaldi, meanwhile, was able to join the race after the pace laps once the HMD Motorsports crew resolved the fuel issue that had sent his car back to the garage before the start. After rejoining, he moved up to 21st as he began trying to recover from the early setback.

Pierson Takes Lead as Rowe Charges Through Field

Hughes led the field back to green and got another strong launch, though the restart was placed under review. Behind him, Max Taylor and Alessandro de Tullio ran side by side for third, with Taylor getting the move done. Nikita Johnson then joined the fight and also found a way past de Tullio.

Further back, Rowe continued his charge through the field. He battled with Max Garcia and Jordan Missig before coming out ahead, also getting by Seb Murray in the process to move up to 11th.

Pierson closed in on Hughes for the first time all race on lap 23, bringing the fight for the lead to the front of the field. The pair battled for first as Pierson began applying heavy pressure to the polesitter.

Further back, Rowe’s recovery drive continued. He moved up to seventh after getting past former oval winner Salvador de Alba. On lap 26, Rowe cleared de Tullio for sixth before quickly getting by Tymek Kucharczyk for fifth.

By lap 27, Pierson had finally found a way past Hughes for the lead. The two ran side by side for several laps before Pierson ultimately won the battle and moved into first.

Rowe Moves From Last to First at WWTR

Rowe’s charge continued on lap 32 as he got past Taylor for third, moving from the back of the pack into a podium position.

By lap 37, Rowe had caught the back of the leaders, bringing the top three within seven tenths of a second. Just a few laps later, the lead group reached the tail end of the field.

As traffic came into play on lap 41, Rowe found a way past Hughes for second. Pierson used the lapped traffic to his advantage, building a gap of around one second at the front.

Niels Koolen was also having a strong race, moving up to sixth after getting past Alessandro de Tullio.

At the front, Rowe had fully closed the gap to Pierson by lap 48. The pair began trading the lead back and forth before Rowe finally completed the move, taking over first after starting from the back of the field.

Late Cautions Shake Up Indy NXT Gateway Race

With 21 laps remaining, another caution came out for debris on track. Rowe had potentially made contact with the debris two laps earlier, but remained out front after building a gap of around one second over Pierson.

Rowe led the field back to green on the restart, while Taylor got past Hughes behind him. Further back, Kucharczyk fell to 11th, while Yuven Sundaramoorthy moved up to ninth.

With 16 laps to go, Pierson came under pressure from Taylor as the battle for second began to tighten.

Another caution came out with 15 laps remaining after a big moment between Salvador de Alba and Sundaramoorthy. Sundaramoorthy launched into the air after making contact with the rear tire of de Alba’s car, bringing out another yellow.

Rowe Makes History With Gateway Victory

Rowe led the field back to green, immediately coming under pressure from Pierson as the race entered its final stages.

Behind them, Koolen got past Hughes, while Johnson tried to join the fight. Kaminsky had a rough restart, falling back to 14th, while de Tullio began moving back through the order and climbed to third with four laps remaining.

With two laps to go, de Tullio and Pierson went side by side for second. The pair nearly made contact, but de Tullio completed the move to take the position.

Rowe went on to win by two seconds, becoming the first driver in Indy NXT/Indy Lights history to win from last on the grid.