Chaos marked the opening round of the 2026 Indy NXT season at the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, as four cautions disrupted the 45-lap contest.
Before the race began, Jordan Missig and Niels Koolen were forced into the pit lane with steering wheel and radio issues respectively. Both drivers would take the start after addressing their problems.
When the green flag waved, Nikita Johnson made a decisive move around the outside of polesitter Max Taylor into Turn 1 to claim the early lead in the Indy NXT Race St. Pete.
Four Cautions Disrupt the Indy NXT Race
The opening lap did not remain clean. Jack Beeton spun and brought out the first caution of the afternoon.
A second yellow followed on lap 6 when Carson Etter crashed into the wall at Turn 8, ending his race. Contact between Max Garcia and Salvador de Alba further shuffled the midfield order.
The third caution arrived on lap 17 after Nicolas Monteiro clipped the wall at Turn 9 and retired from the race.
The defining incident came shortly after the lap 21 restart. Chip Ganassi Racing teammates James Roe and Niels Koolen made contact through Turn 9, with both drivers hitting the wall and retiring.
During the caution period, Alex Koreiba and Matteo Nannini were penalised for an incorrect restart procedure and sent to the rear of the field.
With repeated interruptions, race control converted the event to time remaining, setting up a 16-minute sprint to the finish for the Indy NXT Race St. Pete.
Johnson managed each restart effectively and maintained control at the front. Max Taylor remained within one second in the closing stages but was unable to mount a challenge. Clearly, the Indy NXT Race St. Pete showcased both drama and determination from all competitors.
Behind them, Tymek Kucharczyk ran consistently in third, while Seb Murray and Lochie Hughes completed the top five.
Johnson took the white flag with a 0.8-second advantage over Taylor. The gap remained steady through the final lap, and Johnson crossed the line to secure his first victory of the 2026 Indy NXT season at St. Petersburg.
Taylor finished second, with Kucharczyk completing the podium, a strong showing on his debut.
