The 2026 INDY NXT season roared to life on the sun-drenched streets of St. Petersburg, Florida, with a dazzling display of speed, strategy, and nerves of steel during Saturday’s qualifying session. The spotlight was firmly on Andretti Global newcomer Max Taylor, who delivered a near-flawless weekend performance by clinching his first career pole position. The 18-year-old Connecticut native’s feat capped a sequence in which he led every on-track session, sending a clear message to the rest of the field that he means business in his first full season in the INDYCAR development series.
Qualifying for the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg unfolded with all the drama and unpredictability fans have come to expect from this iconic 14-turn, 1.8-mile temporary street circuit. The field was split into two groups for the session, a format that added an extra layer of tactical intrigue. Lochie Hughes and Josh Pierson represented Andretti Global in Group 1, while Taylor and Seb Murray took to the track in Group 2. The day was not without its challenges—track conditions were still slick following a heavy rainstorm the previous evening, forcing teams to bide their time during Practice 2 before laying down competitive laps.
When the green flag waved for qualifying, it was clear that the Andretti squad had found something special in their setups. Taylor, piloting the No. 28 Susan G. Komen Dallara—last year’s championship-winning chassis—set the fastest time of the day with a blistering 1 minute, 4.8887 seconds on his final lap. “This is my first pole position, and I am so over the moon. We’ve led every session this weekend so far, so I’m just excited to keep attacking. I love this car, I love this track and I love my team. They do a great job, they really do. The plan from here is to just win it. I mean, there’s nothing else to do but that. We’re working hard and keeping our heads down to get the car dialed in. I need to focus on preparing myself for tomorrow,” Taylor said after stepping out of the car, his excitement palpable.
Andretti Global’s dominance was evident throughout the session, with three of its drivers locking out the top four spots on the starting grid. Seb Murray, the Scottish charger in the No. 27 Prosperity Dallara, delivered his INDY NXT career-best qualifying performance, securing third overall with a 1:05.3912 lap. Murray’s improvement was striking; he will start 10 positions higher than he did at St. Pete in 2025. “We’ve got to be happy with that, honestly. Starting P3 tomorrow is really good. I can’t deny that I still wanted the pole position today. The team put together a really good car that could’ve been on the pole, so massive thank you to them and the Andretti team. They’ve done a great job. We worked really hard to address all the weaknesses from last year, and I think we definitely improved a lot since then. So, I’m really happy with where we’re starting tomorrow, and I think the plan is for Max and me to just pull away and see what we can do in the race,” Murray reflected, acknowledging both his progress and the team’s efforts.
Lochie Hughes also made his mark, qualifying fourth overall at 1:05.3105 after finishing second in his group. The Australian driver, returning for his second INDY NXT appearance at St. Petersburg, had started the day with the second-fastest time in Practice 2. “It was an interesting session. Unfortunately, I just missed out on P1 in practice, so I had to be in Group 2 for quali. Then, I got out there and just pushed too fast, too soon on the rubber that was already on the track. I wasn’t expecting that. But it is what it is, and we’ll take on the race from there,” Hughes shared, demonstrating a mix of competitive spirit and pragmatic optimism.
Josh Pierson, the most experienced Andretti INDY NXT driver, rounded out the team’s impressive showing by qualifying sixth with a lap of 1:05.5975. Pierson’s journey to the grid was not without its hurdles—he struggled to find a gap during Practice 2 and had to adapt to the evolving track conditions left behind by a preceding NASCAR event. “I would have liked a spot further up for tomorrow’s race, but overall, it’s not a bad start, especially here at St. Pete. For my first qualifying session with Andretti Global, I’m happy that it ended the way it did and that I didn’t make any super big mistakes. Qualifying was my struggle point from last year, so I know that I can keep improving. Max and Seb did a great job today and are proving that there’s still more out there, and that the young guns are coming through. I was unfortunately in Group 1, not really knowing what the rubber was going to do from the NASCAR race. So that was a bit tricky, but all in all, I have a pretty good spot for tomorrow, and we are looking strong as a team. So, I’m really happy with that, and I’m looking forward to the race tomorrow,” Pierson explained, his sights firmly set on race day.
The qualifying session was not without its share of incidents. A local yellow in Group 1 briefly interrupted the action, but it was Group 2 that saw the most dramatic moment. INDY NXT race winner Matteo Nannini’s day ended abruptly when he collided with the wall at Turn 3, triggering a red flag and inflicting heavy damage to his No. 20 Enve Motorsports car. Enzo Fittipaldi, grandson of two-time Indianapolis 500 winner Emerson Fittipaldi, also saw his qualifying hopes dashed after clipping the wall in his No. 67 HMD Motorsports entry, relegating him to the back of the 24-car field.
Amid the chaos, another young talent made headlines: rookie Nikita Johnson, competing in his hometown race, will start on the front row after leading Group 1 with a 1:05.2148 lap in the No. 21 Cape Motorsports entry. Polish rookie Tymek Kucharczyk also impressed, qualifying fifth for HMD Motorsports. The blend of seasoned campaigners and hungry newcomers is sure to make for an electric 45-lap race.
As the teams regroup and drivers prepare for Sunday morning’s main event, anticipation is at a fever pitch. With Andretti Global fielding four cars in the top six and Max Taylor carrying the momentum of a perfect weekend so far, all eyes will be on the green flag at 10:00 AM ET. The action will be broadcast live on FS1, FOX One, the FOX Sports app, and INDYCAR Radio, ensuring fans everywhere won’t miss a second of the drama. Will Taylor convert his pole into a maiden victory, or will one of the other rising stars steal the show? The stage is set for a thrilling start to the 2026 INDY NXT campaign on the streets of St. Petersburg.