Max Taylor continued to showcase his potential in the 2026 INDY NXT by Firestone series by topping the first practice session Friday at the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, delivering a dominant performance that secured a 1-2-3 sweep for Andretti Global. The Connecticut driver set the fastest lap of 1 minute, 5.0852 seconds in the No. 28 Susan G. Komen car, marking a strong start to his rookie full season in the INDYCAR development league.
Strong Preparations Leading Into the Season
Taylor, who competed in six INDY NXT races last year alongside a full-time USF Pro 2000 campaign, had already impressed during preseason testing. He led the INDY NXT Group Test at Barber Motorsports Park last November, placed second at the Chris Griffis Memorial Test in October at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and consistently ranked in the top two across all sessions during recent testing at Sebring International Raceway. The No. 28 car he drives was last piloted by Dennis Hauger, the reigning INDY NXT champion who advanced to the top-tier NTT INDYCAR SERIES this year.
Taylor Reflects on Practice Session
“Always loved driving around this place. Missed it. It was a really good session working with team, developing the setup, fixing my driving, as well. A really good start to the weekend, and I’m excited to keep on attacking it,”
Taylor said following the session.
Andretti Global Completes Top Three with Pierson and Murray
Joining Taylor at the top of the timesheets was fellow Andretti newcomer Josh Pierson, who recorded a best lap of 1:05.5358 in the No. 29 Starchive Andretti machine to claim second place. Seb Murray, in his second INDY NXT season, rounded out the Andretti sweep by placing third at 1:05.5368 in the No. 27 Prosperity entry. This strong showing emphasized Andretti Global’s depth and competitive readiness heading into the new season.
Other Notable Performances and Incidents
Following the Andretti trio, Myles Rowe posted the fourth-fastest time of 1:05.5845 in the No. 99 Abel Motorsports car. Enzo Fittipaldi, grandson of two-time Indianapolis 500 winner Emerson Fittipaldi, secured fifth place in the No. 67 HMD Motorsports entry with a time of 1:05.7017. The session experienced interruptions due to two red flags: rookie Jack Beeton lightly collided with the wall in Turn 10, suffering rear damage but managing to return to the pits; later, Lochie Hughes, the leading returning driver in the series, hit the barrier at Turn 7 and required a front wing replacement.
Upcoming Sessions and Broadcast Information
Practice will resume at 8:35 a.m. ET on Saturday, followed by qualifying at 3:45 p.m. ET. Both sessions will be broadcast live on FS1 and FS2 respectively, with additional coverage available via FOX One, the FOX Sports app, and INDYCAR Radio powered by OnlyBulls. The first race of the season is scheduled for Sunday at 10 a.m. ET, set to run 45 laps around the St. Petersburg street circuit.
Implications for the 2026 INDY NXT Season
Max Taylor’s strong opening session indicates he is a serious contender as he begins his full-time INDY NXT ride, while Andretti Global’s top-three finish in practice highlights the team’s preparation and depth. As rookies and veterans like Pierson, Murray, Rowe, and Fittipaldi all find their pace, the season opener at St. Pete promises a competitive field. The practice incidents also remind teams how challenging the tight street circuit will be for drivers aiming to deliver consistent results over the weekend.
