Foyt Racing adding Indy NXT developmental program to its 2026 work load
By John Sturbin, Raceday San Antonio
A.J. Foyt Racing will field a two-car team in the INDY NXT by Firestone championship beginning in 2026 in a strategic alliance with HMD Motorsports.
Announced in Indianapolis, the collaboration between Foyt Racing and HMD Motorsports will strengthen the connection for open-wheel driver and team crew personnel looking to advance from the developmental INDY NXT series into the premier NTT IndyCar Series.
While Foyt Racing will maintain its brand and identity, the new program emphasizes the team’s commitment to the next generation of INDYCAR talent. The organization aims to provide a more integrated and structured approach to preparing candidates for the top level of American open-wheel racing.
“This has been a long time coming,” said Foyt Racing Team President Larry Foyt, son of team-founder and open-wheel legend A.J. Foyt Jr. “We’ve played a significant role in developing drivers who have gone on to compete at the top level of INDYCAR. We felt it was time to get involved in the INDY NXT by Firestone program again. Forming a technical and strategic alliance with HMD Motorsports provides the experience and technical support to make our INDY NXT program as strong and effective as possible.”
Foyt Racing was founded in 1965 by Houston native Foyt, first four-time winner of the Indianapolis 500. With multiple championships across INDYCAR’s various sanctioning bodies over the years, Foyt’s Waller, Texas-based organization has maintained a legacy rooted in excellence, perseverance and innovation.
The new program marks Foyt Racing’s second foray into the INDY NXT by Firestone ranks. In 2002, A.J. Foyt IV _ the elder Foyt’s grandson _ won the first INDY NXT by Firestone championship. Current INDYCAR team-owner/driver Ed Carpenter competed for the team in 2003 and won the Freedom 100, the series’ inaugural race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Based in Brownsburg, Ind., HMD Motorsports brings extensive experience in INDY NXT to the new alliance. Since joining the series in 2019 and competing fulltime from 2021 onward, the organization has earned both a team title and two driver championships and multiple rookie of the year honors.
In 2025, HMD Motorsports fielded a roster of international talent and seasoned competitors. Returning talent Caio Collet of Brazil _ the series’ Rookie of the Year in 2024 _ led the effort with three victories. In addition, six HMD Motorsports drivers have advanced to rides in the NTT IndyCar Series _ David Malukas, Benjamin Pedersen, Linus Lundqvist, Kyffin Simpson, Christian Rasmussen and Nolan Siegel.
HMD will provide technical support and insight to Foyt Racing’s INDY NXT program. “We are thrilled to announce this strategic alliance with A.J. Foyt Racing,” HMD Motorsports Team President Mike Maurini said. “This is the next step in making the pathway to INDYCAR more accessible to talented drivers throughout the INDY NXT paddock. Together, our teams will combine experience and resources to help develop the next generation of competitive drivers.”
The Foyt/HMD partnership will announce its 2026 driver lineup and program updates during the coming months.
Juncos Hollinger Racing has signed Rinus VeeKay as its new lead driver for the 2026 NTT IndyCar Series season.
A 25-year-old native of The Netherlands, VeeKay brings six seasons of INDYCAR experience and one series victory to JHR. The 2020 series Rookie of the Year scored his victory in the 2021 Sonsio Grand Prix on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road-Course.
“I’m excited to officially announce my move to Juncos Hollinger Racing,” said VeeKay, who drove for Dale Coyne Racing in 2025. “This is a team with real momentum, high ambitions and a clear vision for the future. There’s a shared determination to compete at the highest level, and I’m confident that together we can achieve great things.
“Signing with Juncos Hollinger Racing also feels like a return home _ Juncos Racing gave me my start in the Pro Mazda Championship (now USF Pro 2000) in 2018, and we continued together in Indy Lights (now INDY NXT by Firestone) in 2019, winning 13 races and a championship title together. I believe this is the right environment for me to continue growing as a driver.”
VeeKay posted a solid season in 2025, finishing 14th in the standings with DCR and its Honda-powered team. VeeKay earned the fifth podium finish of his career on the Streets of Toronto, placing second to native Mexican Pato O’Ward of Arrow McLaren.
VeeKay’s INDYCAR resume includes two NTT P1 Awards, 33 top-10 finishes in 97 career starts and the distinction of being the youngest front-row starter in Indianapolis 500 history.
“At Juncos Hollinger Racing, we’re fully focused on building a program capable of sustained high performance in the years ahead,” said Dave O’Neill, JHR team principal. “We have exciting plans across every area of the team _ on and off the track _ and bringing Rinus onboard is a major step in that direction.
“Reuniting with Rinus feels like a natural continuation of the success we’ve shared in the past. As Juncos Hollinger Racing enters its fifth full INDYCAR season and with Rinus bringing six seasons of INDYCAR experience at just 25 years of age, we believe this reunion will deliver results quickly. He brings the ideal combination of speed, consistency, race craft and experience that we’re looking for.
“Rinus will be a key part of a refreshed driver lineup that reflects our ambitions and long-term vision. We’re working hard to assemble the right mix of talent to elevate our competitiveness, and we’re confident that Rinus will play a central role in that progress.”
Mick Schumacher has added a possible INDYCAR ride to his list of career options following an initial test in an NTT IndyCar Series car fielded by Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing.
Schumacher, the 26-year-old son of seven-time Formula One World Driving Champion Michael Schumacher of Germany, wheeled RLLR’s No. 75 Honda around the 2.439-mile/14-turn Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road-Course on Oct. 13.
Schumacher _ who has professed his preference for single-seat racing cars _ logged 43 F1 starts between 2021 and 2022. Schumacher’s most recent outing in an open-wheel car was nearly five months ago with the McLaren F1 team and its TPC (testing of previous car) program. Since then, he has been competing in the FIA World Endurance Championship with the Alpine factory team.
“INDYCAR comes the closest to what I can still race,” Schumacher told Curt Cavin of indycar.com during a break in testing. “I can’t go back to (Formula 2) because I won a championship (in 2020). INDYCAR might be a good option.
“Obviously, my target the past couple of years has been to go back to Formula One, but that option hasn’t quite opened up this year or the years previous to that. So, at some point I want to race again in single-seaters, and therefore (this) option is a good one.”
Schumacher got a taste of the sport’s history and pageantry when he attended the 108th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge in May.
“Frankly, it’s a great championship (with) 17 races,” Schumacher said. “I’m still young, so I do want to race as much as I can, and I think the people here really live motorsports. I also like the mentality of the driver being the main part of the team and (him) driving the team forward.”
RLLR fielded fulltime Honda-powered cars in 2024 for Graham Rahal, son of team founder and 1986 Indy 500 champion Bobby Rahal; Devlin DeFrancesco of Canada and Rookie of the Year Louis Foster of Great Britain. Schumacher acknowledged he must decide where he wants to race in 2026.
“It’s a decision that lies with both sides, and I think obviously in this moment, I guess it’s mostly on my end because I have to figure out if I want to do (INDYCAR) or not,” Mick said. “We all have a couple of days and weeks to think about it and see what opportunities there are for the future. But so far, so good.”
While Schumacher has no plans to test on an oval track, he would be open to exclusively turning left at-speed. “For sure,” Schumacher said. “I’m interested to try it and see what it’s all about.”
Final 2025 NTT IndyCar Series Point Standings _ 1, Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing, 711; 2, Pato O’Ward, Arrow McLaren, 515; 3, Scott Dixon, Chip Ganassi Racing, 452; 4, Kyle Kirkwood, Andretti Global, 433; 5, Christian Lundgaard, Arrow McLaren, 431; 6, Felix Rosenqvist, Meyer Shank Racing, 372; 7, Colton Herta, Andretti Global, 372; 8, Marcus Armstrong, Meyer Shank Racing, 364; 9, Will Power, Team Penske, 357; 10, Scott McLaughlin, Team Penske, 356;
11, David Malukas, A.J. Foyt Racing, 318; 12, Josef Newgarden, Team Penske, 316; 13, Christian Rasmussen, Ed Carpenter Racing, 313; 14, Rinus VeeKay, Dale Coyne Racing, 305; 15, Alexander Rossi, Ed Carpenter Racing, 297; 16, Santino Ferrucci, A.J. Foyt Racing, 293; 17, Kyffin Simpson, Chip Ganassi Racing, 282; 18, Conor Daly, Juncos Hollinger Racing, 268; 19, Graham Rahal, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, 260; 20, Marcus Ericsson, Andretti Global, 234;
21, Callum Ilott, PREMA Racing, 218; 22, Nolan Siegel, Arrow McLaren, 213; 23, Louis Foster, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, 213; 24, Robert Shwartzman, PREMA Racing, 211; 25, Sting Ray Robb, Juncos Hollinger Racing, 181; 26, Devlin DeFrancesco, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, 171; 27, Jacob Abel, Dale Coyne Racing, 123; 28, Takuma Sato, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, 36; 29, Helio Castroneves, Meyer Shank Racing, 20; 30, Ed Carpenter, Ed Carpenter Racing, 16;
31, Jack Harvey, Dreyer & Reinbold Racing/Cusick Motorsports, 12; 32, Ryan Hunter-Reay, Dreyer & Reinbold Racing/Cusick Motorsports, 10; 33, Kyle Larson, Arrow McLaren with Henrick Motorsports, 6; 34, Marco Andretti, Andretti Herta with Marco & Curb-Agajanian, 5.
2025 NTT INDYCAR SERIES RACE WINNERS
Sunday, March 2 _ Streets of St. Petersburg, Fla. (Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing)
Sunday, March 23 _The Thermal Club, Thermal, Calif. (Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing)
Sunday, April 13 _ Streets of Long Beach, Calif. (Kyle Kirkwood, Andretti Global)
Sunday, May 4 _ Barber Motorsports Park, Birmingham, Ala. (Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing)
Saturday, May 10 _ Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road-Course (Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing)
Sunday, May 25 _ Indianapolis Motor Speedway Oval (Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing)
Sunday, June 1 _ Streets of Detroit (Kyle Kirkwood, Andretti Global)
Sunday, June 15 _ World Wide Technology Raceway, Madison, Ill. (Kyle Kirkwood, Andretti Global)
Sunday, June 22 _ Road America, Elkhart Lake, Wis. (Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing)
Sunday, July 6 _ Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, Lexington (Scott Dixon, Chip Ganassi Racing)
Saturday, July 12 _ Iowa Speedway, Newton, Race 1 (Pato O’Ward, Arrow McLaren)
Sunday, July 13 _ Iowa Speedway, Newton, Race 2 (Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing)
Sunday, July 20 _ Streets of Toronto, Canada (Pato O’Ward, Arrow McLaren)
Sunday, July 27 _ WeatherTech Raceway, Laguna Seca, Monterey, Calif. (Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing)
Sunday, Aug. 10 _ Portland (Ore.) International Raceway (Will Power, Team Penske)
Sunday, Aug. 24 _ The Milwaukee Mile, West Allis, Wis. (Christian Rasmussen, Ed Carpenter Racing)
Sunday, Aug. 31 _ Nashville Superspeedway, Lebanon, Tenn. (Josef Newgarden, Team Penske)
2026 NTT INDYCAR SERIES SCHEDULE
Sunday, March 1 _ Streets of St. Petersburg, Fla.
Saturday, March 7 _ Phoenix Raceway, Avondale, Ariz.
Sunday, March 15 _ Streets of Arlington, Texas
Sunday, March 29 _ Barber Motorsports Park, Birmingham, Ala.
Sunday, April 19 _ Streets of Long Beach, Calif.
Saturday, May 9 _ Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road-Course
Sunday, May 24 _ 110th Indianapolis 500, Indianapolis Motor Speedway Oval
Sunday, May 31 _ Streets of Detroit
Sunday, June 7 _ World Wide Technology Raceway, Madison, Ill.
Sunday, June 21 _ Road America, Elkhart Lake, Wis.
Sunday, July 5 _ Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, Lexington, Ohio
Sunday, July 19 _ Nashville Superspeedway, Lebanon, Tenn.
Sunday, Aug. 9 _ Portland (Ore.) International Raceway
Sunday, Aug. 16 _ Streets of Markham, Canada
Saturday, Aug. 29 _ The Milwaukee Mile Race 1, West Allis, Wis.
Sunday, Aug. 30 _ The Milwaukee Mile Race 2, West Allis, Wis.
Sunday, Sept. 6 _ WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, Monterey, Calif.
Note _ All races to be televised by FOX Sports
2026 INDYCAR NXT BY FIRESTONE SCHEDULE
Sunday, March 1 _ Streets of St. Petersburg, Fla.
Sunday, March 15 _ Streets of Arlington, Texas
Saturday, March 28 _ Barber Motorsports Park, Birmingham, Ala., Race 1
Sunday, March 29 _ Barber Motorsports Park, Birmingham, Ala., Race 2
Friday, May 8 _ Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road-Course Race 1
Saturday, May 9 _ Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road-Course Race 2
Sunday, May 31 _ Streets of Detroit
Sunday, June 7 _ World Wide Technology Raceway, Madison, Ill.
Saturday, June 20 _ Road America, Elkhart Lake, Wis., Race 1
Sunday, June 21 _ Road America, Elkhart Lake, Wis., Race 2
Saturday, July 4 _ Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, Lexington, Ohio, Race 1
Sunday, July 5 _ Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, Lexington, Ohio, Race 2
Sunday, July 19 _ Nashville Superspeedway, Lebanon, Tenn.
Sunday, Aug. 9 _ Portland (Ore.) International Raceway
Sunday, Aug. 30 _ The Milwaukee Mile, West Allis, Wis.
Saturday, Sept. 5 _ Weather Tech Raceway Laguna Seca, Monterey, Calif., Race 1
Sunday, Sept. 6 _ Weather Tech Raceway Laguna Seca, Monterey, Calif., Race 2
