ARLINGTON, Texas (Friday, March 13, 2026) – Max Taylor was the star student in the opening practice for the Grand Prix of Arlington, leading the field by more than a second Friday as 24 drivers in the INDYCAR development series learned the new circuit at this inaugural event.
Taylor set a high bar for his rivals to match with his top lap of 1 minute, 39.8262 seconds in the No. 28 Susan G. Komen car fielded by Andretti Global on the 14-turn, 2.7-mile temporary circuit that winds around AT&T Stadium, home of the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys, and Globe Life Field, home of MLB’s Texas Rangers.
That lap, Taylor’s last in the 45-minute session, was 1.1205 seconds clear of his closest pursuer, rookie Tymek Kucharczyk, who stopped the clocks at 1:40.9467 in the No. 71 HMD Motorsports car.
“The track is bumpy; it’s got a lot of different pavement changes and undulations, elevation changes,” Taylor said. “So, it’s a really intense track. But it’s also really a blast once you get into the rhythm of it. Definitely one of my favorite street courses.”
Taylor, 18, from Greenwich, Connecticut, will be one of the favorites to win the pole during qualifying at 4:30 p.m. ET Saturday (FS2, FOX One, FOX Sports app, INDYCAR Radio powered by OnlyBulls). He won the pole for the season-opening Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on Feb. 28 and finished second to Nikita Johnson in the race March 1.
A 45-minute practice at 11:15 a.m. ET Saturday will precede qualifying. The 27-lap race is scheduled for 11 a.m. ET Sunday. FS2 will televise the practice, with the race on FS1. Coverage of both sessions also will be available on FOX One, the FOX Sports app and INDYCAR Radio powered by OnlyBulls.
Rookie Jack Beeton rebounded from an 11th-place finish at St. Petersburg to end up third in this session at 1:40.9504 in the No. 45 HMD Motorsports car. Myles Rowe was fourth at 1:40.9981 in the No. 99 ABEL Motorsports with Force Indy entry.
Lochie Hughes rounded out the top five at 1:41.0420 in the No. 26 Andretti Global car, as Andretti Global and HMD Motorsports each put two drivers into the top five.
St. Petersburg race winner Johnson was 14th at 1:41.8598 in the No. 21 Cape Motorsports Powered by ECR car.
