Andretti Global is gearing up for a highly competitive 2026 season in the Indy NXT series, following a dynamic offseason that saw significant driver changes paralleling the headline IndyCar driver swap involving Will Power replacing Colton Herta. While Power’s arrival has attracted much attention, Andretti Global’s preparations for Indy NXT include a revamped driver roster, almost entirely new except for one returning competitor, aiming to build on their recent championship successes with Louis Foster and Dennis Hauger.
The team has welcomed three new drivers alongside returning Lochie Hughes, who impressed with a third-place finish in the 2025 standings, the highest returnee position among all Indy NXT drivers this year. Josh Pierson, entering his third full season, joins after stints with HMD Motorsports, alongside rookie Sebastian Murray, who raced full-time last year with Andretti Cape. Most notably, Max Taylor is set to make his first full-season run in the series, taking over the No. 28 car previously driven by Hauger during his championship-winning season.
Max Taylor’s Strong Testing Performance Signals a Breakout Season Ahead
Max Taylor’s ascent to a full-time Indy NXT seat comes after a partial 2025 season with HMD Motorsports, where he made his debut in the series just beneath IndyCar. His background includes full seasons in the USF2000 Championship in 2024 and the USF Pro 2000 Championship the previous year with Velocity Racing Development (VRD), highlighted by his 2024 USF Juniors championship win. Taylor’s testing results have shown promising speed and consistency, sparking optimism around his potential impact in 2026.
“I had a really good partial season last year with HMD,”
Taylor shared with FanSided’s Beyond the Flag.
“It was very beneficial for sure. I’m very thankful for the opportunity that they gave me. And then we started to seriously look into options for next year after the partial season started off pretty well, and Andretti basically approached me.”
He also reflected on existing connections that helped smooth his transition to Andretti Global:
“I kind of knew some of them, like J.F. Thormann from my past racing in USF Juniors, where I was racing against Sebastian Wheldon, and he’s an Andretti junior. We already had a bit of a relationship and they sort of reached out to me and we got into talks throughout the season.”
In testing sessions at major circuits, Taylor’s pace was impressive. He placed second on the speed charts at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course in October, topped the charts at Barber Motorsports Park in November, and was second again at Sebring International Raceway in January. These performances have built confidence but also a sober perspective.
“That is the right way to look at it, where it is nice to have these results and get some confidence up, but at the end of the day, there are just tests,”
he noted.
“A lot of guys are trying out different things and on different run plans and stuff, but I definitely still think it is representative of our pace. I think we do have pretty strong pace going into the season.”
Taylor emphasized the importance of ongoing teamwork and effort, explaining,
“A lot of confidence for sure, but we’re still working really hard, all of us together, and doing all the right things. [We’re] still doing the same things to get the results starting the season next week.”
Excitement and Focus as the Season Approaches
Approaching the start of the Indy NXT season, Taylor expressed both eagerness and a grounded mindset toward the challenges ahead. “I’m incredibly excited,” he said.
“Honestly, I cannot wait. I’m just honestly counting down the days. I love St. Pete. It’s such a great weekend and great way to start the season. It’s a really great race weekend.”
Despite the enthusiasm, he acknowledged natural first-race nerves but trust in his team’s work ethic.
“But yeah, a lot of confidence going into it. Definitely a little bit nervous just because it’s the first race. But I think as long as we stay how we’ve been going, all the guys and girls at Andretti working really hard together, we should be good. We should be good for a good weekend.”
In 2025, Taylor competed at five venues with a top finish of fourth place at Laguna Seca, where he raced twice. This year, he is set to contest the complete 17-race schedule across 12 different circuits, eager to tackle the variety and demands of a full season.
When asked about the tracks he anticipates the most, he responded enthusiastically:
“Honestly, all of them. I think Arlington is going to be really cool. That’s going to be a really interesting race, new track for everyone, so very unique situation. But yeah, that one I’m definitely excited for, for sure.”
He continued,
“And then, honestly, all of them. I love them. Road America, Mid-Ohio, some of the ovals. Just excited to get after it.”
Thriving in a Highly Competitive Environment
Taylor acknowledges that the competition in Indy NXT has intensified, making this season one of the most challenging yet.
“The field this year is really stacked,”
he said.
“I think especially in recent years, it just has gotten more competitive each year. So I think this is probably the most stacked Indy NXT field that we’ve seen.”
He believes his prior partial season experiences will be highly advantageous, adding,
“Those past experiences in the partial season are going to help me so much, just the experience in this car, at the [existing] tracks, with a longer race, new tracks, managing push-to-pass. There’s a lot more at this level compared to USF Pro and past levels that I’ve done. So definitely going to be an important role going into this season to hunt for the championship.”
Building a Championship-Caliber Team at Andretti
As a member of Andretti Global, Taylor benefits from a team culture that expects championship victories. The organization boasts five Indy NXT championships over the past seven seasons, and this tradition sets a high standard.
“Absolutely, we all push each other,”
Taylor explained.
“All four of us are really very talented drivers. Lochie’s really quick, Pierson’s really quick, Seb’s really quick as well. We’re all at the top of our game for sure.”
He continued,
“And we’re on a very good team. Andretti have finished first or second in the Indy NXT championship with a driver in the past seven seasons with five championships. So definitely the right place to be, and it’s been really great to work with my teammates. They’ve been really good building a relationship there and, yeah, we all push each other so hard for sure.”
The group of drivers is hungry to secure their first individual wins, and for Taylor, that milestone would mark a significant step in an unconventional career path.
Max Taylor’s Unconventional Journey into Racing
Max Taylor’s entry into motorsport is distinct from many of his competitors. Unlike drivers who grow up immersed in racing, Taylor only discovered the world of motorsport around age 11 or 12, sparked mainly by curiosity during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown. That unexpected start laid the foundation for his swift rise.
“I honestly had a very different start to racing, where I honestly didn’t know what racing was – Formula 1, IndyCar, motorsport as a whole – until I was about 12, maybe 11 years old. It started mostly during the pandemic; I was just bored at home,”
Taylor recalled.
His fascination with cars had early roots, but motorsport itself was a later discovery. “I had always loved cars,” he said.
“I had watched the Cars movie with Lightning McQueen dozens and dozens of times! I was obsessed. So I got into racing really during the pandemic with Drive to Survive and then fell in love with it completely; Formula 1, IndyCar, all of it.”
His entry point was sheer passion and family support rather than a structured racing background.
“I started just doing go-karting for my birthdays. I had all of my birthdays at a go-kart track. And I even made my sister do one of her birthdays at a go-kart track! I just fell in love with it, absolutely, because I hadn’t really been able to put everything into racing.”
Taylor’s natural talent showed through quickly.
“I started off in go-karting and then I found out I was pretty good,”
he explained.
“So I went to national events in go-karting, won nationals, then started testing in cars, just kind of the natural progression. And yeah, very thankful for my family supporting me 110% the whole way.”
He credits his passion as a driving force:
“It started just with my love for the sport. I think that’s still what fuels me today, my passion for the sport and just the thrill of going fast. I love it. But it really is pretty incredible that I was able to get to my level from not having a racing background or anything like that. And it kind of shows with the right circumstances, the right people around you, that some kid watching Drive to Survive right now, it is possible. So it’s pretty cool.”
Sim Racing as a Complement to Real-World Competition
The pandemic also introduced Taylor to sim racing, an essential component of modern driver development.
“I’m pretty big into sim racing now and I was then,”
he said.
“I play iRacing all the time and it’s a very important part of being a racing driver now. Like I’ll race against Will Power all the time on iRacing. Definitely really important in the sim.”
He described the delicate balance between training and relaxation:
“It does have to be a balance. But honestly, my pleasure time and my time away is still on the sim or at a race track. I’ve been coaching a lot at race tracks, so I get away, but I really don’t get away, because that’s just how much I love it, honestly. You do have to balance it out, having some time for yourself, having fun. But still, I love being at a race track, and that sometimes is my vacation.”
Looking Ahead: Ambitions and Reflections on the Road to Indy
As Taylor prepares for his rookie full season in Indy NXT, he reflects positively on his progression through the Road to Indy ladder and the support he has received along the way.
“My experience in the Road to Indy has been really great,”
he said.
“They do an amazing job, really great championship with the scholarship as well. It’s been really great the past few years working with VRD. They’ve helped me so much to make me the driver and the person I am today. Jacob Loomis and Dan Mitchell are some of the main guys there who have really shaped me.”
Taylor cherishes his earlier racing experiences.
“I think back on those times like really, really happy memories, where, now we’re at a level in Indy NXT, right below IndyCar, where it really, really starts to get serious and it turns into more of a job. I still obviously love it so much, but it turns into more of a job. And I look back on those days in the Road to Indy and karting as well with like really fond memories, just where I could have a bit more fun sometimes! But yeah, it’s been really great.”
Dreaming Big: Eyeing the Indy 500
The ultimate goal remains clear in Taylor’s mind, as he frequently imagines competing in the iconic Indianapolis 500, a pinnacle of American motorsport.
“I think about it probably almost every day,”
he shared.
“Last year was my first year actually going to the Indy 500, and it really blows your mind how incredible it is. Such a spectacle; it’s like a religion out there, you know? It’s absolutely insane. To think that I could be there in a year or two is really pretty damn incredible.”
With a smile, he concluded,
“I’m smiling right now for sure, thinking about it.”
Season Opener Set to Ignite Max Taylor’s Indy NXT Campaign
The 2026 Indy NXT season begins on Sunday, March 1, on the streets of St. Petersburg, Florida, just ahead of the NTT IndyCar Series opener held at the same venue. As Max Taylor and his Andretti teammates prepare to tackle a full schedule across renowned circuits such as Road America, Mid-Ohio, and new additions like Arlington, anticipation builds for what could be a defining year in Taylor’s promising young career.
