ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026) – Max Taylor kept his season-opening weekend in INDY NXT by Firestone perfect by winning the pole Saturday for the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg.
Taylor’s first career pole was the exclamation point of an event in which he also has led both practice sessions on the 14-turn, 1.8-mile temporary street circuit at the start of his first full season in the INDYCAR development series. He claimed the pole at 1 minute, 4.8887 seconds on his final lap during the second group of qualifying in the No. 28 Susan G. Komen machine that Dennis Hauger drove to the 2025 INDY NXT by Firestone championship last season for Andretti.
Connecticut native Taylor, 18, joined Andretti Global full time this season after making six INDY NXT starts last season amid a full campaign in USF Pro 2000.
“First pole position, so I’m over the moon,” Taylor said. “P1 every session this weekend so far, so I’m just excited to keep attacking. I love this car, love this track, and I love my team.”
Up next is the 45-lap race at 10 a.m. ET Sunday (FS1, FOX One, FOX Sports app, INDYCAR Radio, powered by OnlyBulls).
Rookie Nikita Johnson will start on the front row at his hometown race. Johnson, from St. Petersburg, led the first qualifying group at 1:05.2148 in the No. 21 Cape Motorsports Powered by ECR entry.
Andretti Global dominated qualifying, taking three of the first four spots on the starting grid. Besides Taylor on pole, Seb Murray qualified third at 1:05.3912 in the team’s No. 27 Prosperity car, while Lochie Hughes qualified fourth at 1:05.3105 in the No. 26 Andretti Global machine.
Polish rookie Tymek Kucharczyk will start fifth after a top lap of 1:05.4028 in the No. 71 HMD Motorsports car, while Josh Pierson put four Andretti cars in the top six with his lap of 1:05.5975 in the No. 29 Starchive Andretti entry.
Accidents ended the sessions of two drivers who hoped to qualify near the front.
Enzo Fittipaldi, the grandson of two-time Indianapolis 500 winner Emerson Fittipaldi, clipped the wall with his No. 67 HMD Motorsports entry. He will start last in the 24-car field.
Toward the end of the second group, INDY NXT race winner Matteo Nannini hit the barrier twice in an accident that inflicted heavy damage to the front of his No. 20 Enve Motorsports car fielded by Cape Motorsports Powered by ECR. He will start 23rd.
