INDIANAPOLIS (Friday, May 8, 2026) – Enzo Fittipaldi charged from 10th on the starting grid and outdueled Lochie Hughes in changing weather conditions Friday afternoon at Indianapolis Motor Speedway to earn his first career INDY NXT by Firestone victory.
Fittipaldi, driving the No. 67 HMD Motorsports entry, became the fourth first-time winner in five races this season, joining fellow rookies Nikita Johnson, Max Taylor and Alessandro de Tullio as maiden winners in 2026 with his victory in Race 1 of the Indianapolis Grand Prix doubleheader.
“Honestly, that was probably one of the best drives of my career,” Fittipaldi said. “I just can’t thank my team enough. We had a tricky qualifying. We knew we had the pace. Just so happy with the race today. We were flying there in the dry and in the wet. We started P10 and won the race. I didn’t expect this but knew the win was coming.”
Fittipaldi also added another chapter to his family’s history at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. His grandfather Emerson Fittipaldi won the Indianapolis 500 in 1989 and 1993. His cousin Christian Fittipaldi teamed with Joao Barbosa to win the 2014 Brickyard Grand Prix sports car race at IMS, giving the family two wins on the iconic 2.5-mile oval and two on the 14-turn, 2.439-mile road course.
“It’s a huge amount of weight,” Fittipaldi said. “My family has a very successful history here in Indianapolis and the Indy 500. This legendary track, to get my first race win here in INDY NXT is very special. I’m just so happy and so stoked. I wouldn’t have been able to do this without my whole team supporting me. They did a great job.”
Johnson finished third in the No. 21 Cape Motorsports Powered by ECR entry after charging from 10th to fifth by Lap 19. He gained two more spots to earn his fourth podium finish in five starts this season, including two victories at St. Petersburg and Race 1 at Barber Motorsports Park.
HMD Motorsports rookie Tymek Kucharczyk finished fourth in the No. 71 entry, while Max Taylor finished fifth in the No. 28 Susan G. Komen Andretti Global car after slipping from third during the wet portion of the race.
The race turned on weather. Hughes led the opening 12 laps from pole before rain started and intensified, bringing out a caution on Lap 11. A lap later, the field was red-flagged to allow teams to switch to wet Firestone Firehawk tires and make adjustments, as the INDYCAR development series does not include scheduled pit stops.
Fittipaldi had climbed from 10th to third before the stoppage, then quickly closed on Hughes after racing resumed on Lap 16. Fittipaldi and the Andretti Global driver dueled for several laps before Fittipaldi made the winning pass on Lap 25 exiting Turn 9, one of a race-record 284 on-track passes.
A late caution on Lap 28 for Bryce Aron’s No. 9 Chip Ganassi Racing entry stopping in Turn 6 sealed the result, allowing Fittipaldi to cross the Yard of Bricks first on the next lap in the race that became a timed event because of the red flag.
Despite leading 25 of the 29 laps completed, Hughes settled for second in the No. 26 Andretti Global entry, a result he badly needed.
Hughes, a second-year driver, was the top returning points finisher after placing third as a rookie last year. He struggled at the start of this season, seventh in points entering this event with two fifth-place finishes as his best results.
“Considering the last few rounds that we had, this is a step in the right direction where we should be,” Hughes said. “When it really started raining, I had just a bit less grip than the cars around me. Nevertheless, a great result. A solid podium and a great start to the rest of the season.”
Pole sitter de Tullio endured a chaotic opening lap after locking his brakes entering Turn 1 and driving through the runoff area. Multiple incidents around the circuit shuffled the order further, including contact involving Myles Rowe, Salvador de Alba and Max Garcia in Turn 6, along with separate contact between Johnson and Kucharczyk in Turn 12.
De Tullio recovered to finish ninth in the No. 14 AJ Foyt Racing entry.
Fittipaldi’s win vaulted him from fourth to second in the standings, 23 points behind Johnson entering Saturday’s second race of the doubleheader. The 30-lap race is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. ET on FS1, FOX One and INDYCAR Radio powered by OnlyBulls.
Taylor and de Tullio again will share the front row for Race 2, this time with Taylor starting from pole position.
