AJ Foyt Racing Launches Official Return to INDY NXT in St. Petersburg

ST. PETERSBURG (Feb. 24, 2026) — AJ Foyt Racing’s INDY NXT by Firestone program heads to the season-opening race weekend on the Streets of St. Petersburg, marking the team’s return to the INDYCAR development series. The two-car effort joins AJ Foyt Racing’s NTT INDYCAR SERIES program on track as the organization expands its focus to include the popular and growing ladder series.

The team enters the season with two promising rookies, Nicholas Monteiro (No. 4) and Alessandro De Tullio (No. 14), both of whom have experience in the American open-wheel ladder, making the move up from the USF Pro 2000 ranks to take the next step in their careers.

De Tullio enters his series debut weekend following an encouraging pre-season campaign. The Italian-American driver posted the third-fastest overall time during the official January test at Sebring International Raceway, signaling a strong pace ahead of his first INDY NXT race start.

Monteiro, meanwhile, brings valuable experience despite his rookie status in the series. The Brazilian driver made his INDY NXT by Firestone debut at Portland in 2025 with HMD Motorsports, AJ Foyt Racing’s INDY NXT strategic ally. With one race weekend and a full pre-season test program already completed, Monteiro enters 2026 prepared to transition into a full-time campaign.

“We are thrilled to have the opportunity to support drivers at an earlier stage,” explained AJ Foyt Racing Team President Larry Foyt. “Both Nicholas and Alessandro have shown strong potential in pre-season testing, and we’re excited to see that progress translate into race performance as we kick off our return to the INDY NXT field. This program is about building for the future, and St. Petersburg is the first step in that process.”

The team will compete on the Streets of St. Petersburg, a 1.8-mile street circuit featuring 14 turns that wind through downtown and across sections of airport runway along the waterfront. Track activity begins Friday with Practice 1, followed by Practice 2 and qualifying on Saturday. The 2026 INDY NXT by Firestone season officially goes green Sunday at 10:00 AM ET, live on FS1.