INDYCAR’s development ladder continues to be shaped by silly season; Drivers react to guidelines
- Jeffrey Hrunka
- 8 hours ago
- 3 min read
Jeffrey Hrunka - INDYCAR Contributor
Monterey, CA - Building a better foundation.
After rumors circulated that Josh Pierson may have been one of the sole INDY NXT SERIES prospects to be promoted to the NTT INDYCAR SERIES in 2027, it was announced earlier this week that an approval process will be put in place to determine the drivers who will move up to the next level.
While the announcement wasn't directly related to the rumor, it was a reminder that the INDYCAR development ladder needs to be re-evaluated. With the INDY NXT championship being the tightest it's been since 2023, many drivers believe statistics, rather than extensive funding, need to be the factor that moves prospects to the next level.
"I think Enzo, Timek and I should be able to move up, right? I think we all three have shown enough this year that we should be in an INDYCAR,” Nikita Johnson, driver of the Cape Motorsports No.21, said. “Unfortunately, there might be only one or two of us that move up. But this rule for sure helps us and young and upcoming drivers in the future find their place and get a seat.”
However, the reality for emerging talents in INDYCAR is that you need funding for a long-term career in the sport. Sometimes that means placing funding at a higher premium than driver talent.
“It just doesn't make sense if you know next year the only guy that would have a shot is outside of the Top-10 (in the standings) in Indy NXT, and the leaders, let's say, wouldn't have a shot,” Enzo Fittipaldi, driver of the HMD Motorsports No. 67, said.
The NTT INDYCAR SERIES has announced three levels of qualifications in which drivers will be defined: Competitively Qualified, Evaluation Eligible and Resume Review Required.
The INDY NXT champion, multi-time winners (within 24 months), or any driver in the top three in the championship will be completely qualified. As for one-off winners, they will need to show significant performance in the INDYCAR driver evaluation test before being promoted. The final requirement is that drivers must have at least 12 INDY NXT starts to be considered.
“I think it's positive. It's just trying to encourage the best drivers to move up, ones that are qualified and ready to move up,” Max Taylor, driver of the Andretti Global No.28. “It puts more talent into Indy NXT. They're encouraging more of that.”
In the case of talent from outside the INDYCAR ladder wanting to make a splash in America’s top echelon of open-wheel racing, INDYCAR will review their racing background to see if they are comparable to the aforementioned guidelines.
Once a driver has been evaluated at one of the qualification levels, that evaluation will remain valid for 24 months.
“IndyCar is the top level, and I think you need to deserve your way to get there, and yeah, I think for sure the top runners in INDY NXT deserve a shot,” Fittipaldi said. “The whole purpose of INDY NXT is preparing the future for the series and making sure that the drivers are good enough to step up.”
These rules aren't meant to be a knock at Pierson’s talents, but to provide a more in-depth ladder for INDY NXT’s dominant talents to make a splash in INDYCAR.
As reported by RACER.com, and alluded to by many fellow competitors in INDYNXT’s available session on Friday morning, he was rumored to be in negotiations to take over A.J. Foyt’s No.4 Chevrolet for 2027, providing significant funding for that ride.
Pierson has been on a recent run of success, earning pole position for last weekend’s race in Milwaukee and back-to-back podiums at World Wide Technology Raceway and Road America with a third- and second-place finish, respectively. The issue is that mistakes and a lack of consistency have him mired down in the standings.
He eyes continued success at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, ending Friday’s practice sessions as the fastest driver on track with a 1:14.222s.
“All in all, I feel like we’re pretty strong,” Pierson said in the second practice INDY NXT news release. “I feel like there’s some stuff I can still clean up driving-wise, and I think there’s a little bit we can find.”
INDY NXT rounds out its season with a doubleheader weekend at Laguna Seca in Monterey, California. Fans can tune into the action starting with the Grand Prix of Monterey Race 1 on FS2 or the FOX One App at 6:30 pm EST.
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