All 24 INDY NXT by Firestone drivers made a preseason stop at Miami International Autodrome on Sunday, Feb. 22, and Monday, Feb. 23, for a series group test ahead of the 2026 season opener Sunday, March 1 on the Streets of St. Petersburg.

The Miami Gardens, Florida, circuit is the same facility used by Formula One for the Miami Grand Prix, though multiple layouts are available. INDY NXT used the 1.81-mile configuration, while F1 competes on the 3.363-mile layout.

It’s time for some itemized deductions.

Escotto Leads Strong Juncos Hollinger Showing

Ricardo Escotto (photo, top) was quickest among the 24 drivers in the No. 76 Juncos Hollinger Racing entry. The lap of 1 minute, .3559 of a second came on his 141st and final circuit of the two-day test. Escotto was 16th best Sunday.

Escotto, 21, rejoined Juncos Hollinger Racing after competing in five races with the team in 2024. He made nine starts last season with Andretti Cape. The Mexican driver’s best finish in 14 career INDY NXT starts is ninth, achieved last year at Barber Motorsports Park.

Teammate Alexander Koreiba also cracked the top five of the overall speed chart, posting the fourth-fastest lap of the test.

New Names at the Top – With Context

Andretti Global and HMD Motorsports have combined to win the last seven series championships, and their drivers have regularly controlled offseason speed charts.

Miami offered a different look. Along with both Juncos Hollinger Racing cars, Cusick Morgan Motorsports driver Juan Manuel Correa, Matteo Nannini of Cape Motorsports Powered by ECR and AJ Foyt Racing’s Alessandro de Tullio landed inside the overall top five.

But there is context to consider. All those laps occurred in the final session, when only 19 of 24 cars participated. All four Andretti Global entries, along with Nannini’s rookie teammate, Nikita Johnson, sat out.

In the penultimate session -- with all 24 cars on track – Miami native de Tullio led the way, followed by two Andretti Global drivers and three HMD Motorsports entries.

Taylor Sets Pace for Andretti Global

If Andretti Global had participated in the final session, Max Taylor likely would have been featured near the top.

Sunday’s opening session marked the first time in eight offseason test sessions spanning the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course, Barber Motorsports Park and Sebring International Raceway, that Taylor’s No. 28 entry was not first or second on the speed chart. He was 11th in that session but rebounded to third in Session 2.

On Monday, Taylor, an 18-year-old New Jersey resident, was first in the opening session and 19th in the second session of the day. He ended the test sixth overall.

Teammate Lochie Hughes was 14th in Monday’s first session while his teammates ran 1-2-3. He climbed to second in the next session, a lap that ranked eighth overall for the test.

Hughes said during INDY NXT Content Days that the new gearbox introduced to the cars this season has required adjustments to his driving style. The top returning points scorer from 2025 entered the offseason as a championship favorite after winning two races last year.

The transition appeared to cost some early pace. Across prior tests on the IMS road course, Sebring and Barber, Hughes’ best session result was fourth. In Miami, he ended Sunday second quickest overall.

Despite skipping the final session, Hughes logged 162 laps, third most in the field behind de Tullio (173) and Cusick Morgan Motorsports rookie Nicolas Stati (168).

Andretti Global teammate Sebastian Murray was second and third, respectively, in the two sessions in which he participated, placing him 10th on the combined chart after 146 laps. Oregon native Josh Pierson was third and 12th on Monday, ending 16th overall with 153 laps completed.

Andretti Global has won seven INDY NXT championships, including two in a row.

Enzo Fittipaldi

Fittipaldi Flashes Speed

Miami-born rookie Enzo Fittipaldi (photo, above) ranked 12th on the overall chart, but session results suggest top-five pace.

Fittipaldi, 24, was second and fourth, respectively, in Sunday’s sessions and fourth in the first two Miami sessions before slipping to 11th in the final offering.

Strong testing form in his No. 67 HMD Motorsports entry has been consistent. He was third fastest at Barber and first or second in all four sessions at Sebring.

Up Next

The series opens this weekend on the 1.8-mile Streets of St. Petersburg.

Practice begins at 12:30 p.m. ET Friday on FS2. Saturday features practice at 8:35 a.m. ET on FS1 and qualifying at 3:45 p.m. ET on FS2.

Coverage of Sunday’s 45-lap race begins at 10 a.m. ET on FS1. All sessions air on the INDYCAR Radio Network.