Who’s Ready to Step Up: An Optimist’s Argument

One of the discussions at the end of every Indy NXT by Firestone season is, of course, who is prepared to take the leap into the NTT Indycar series to race alongside legends like Scott Dixon and Will Power. Let’s already take a look into not necessarily everyone I personally think should or will get a spot on the grid next year, but every driver that I think you could make a reasonable argument for if they remain on the trajectory they’ve traveled on so far.

Dennis Hauger

Hauger could probably stop racing in IndyNXT right now and still be the top prospect entering 2026. He’s got nearly everything you’d want to see out of a future superstar. The raw pace is at a level perhaps unmatched by any other driver to make the journey from Formula 2 to Indycar, he’s surgical in every session, he’s really tidied up his racecraft over time, he can drive in all conditions, etc.  

He will even bring money. The assumption is that he will win the IndyNXT championship, taking the scholarship money with him, as well as hopefully some other sponsorship, likely in the form of longtime partner Rental Group. If Hauger can’t find a seat, nobody else on this list stands a chance.

Lochie Hughes

Hughes is having one of the most impressive rookie seasons for any driver in IndyNXT history. If it weren’t for Hauger, Hughes would be the man in victory lane more often than not. He is also, so far, the only winner besides Hauger at all.  

A lot of very talented rookies will show massive potential but crack under pressure or overstep and make big mistakes in their first season of IndyNXT competition (ie: Hunter McElrea, Nolan Siegel, Louis Foster, etc.). So far, that hasn’t been Hughes at all. Super young but super balanced in every race, Hughes has to be the next most enticing option for any team.

Myles Rowe

It’s no secret that Rowe’s rookie season turned into nothing short of a disaster. It felt like he couldn’t quite string together a complete race weekend, let alone a full season. The issues were largely out of his control, so with some better luck, a change of scenery at Abel Motorsports, and growth needed to improve where he could, Rowe has looked far better in 2025. He has scored multiple podiums early in the season, and joins Hughes to form the only pair without a finish lower than 4th.

Maybe Rowe’s biggest advantage is his connection at the top step of the Indycar mountain. Nobody has done more to launch Rowe’s career than 2 time Indycar champion Will Power. With rumors circulating that Indianapolis 500 runner-up David Malukas may replace Power if he is to retire after the 2025 season, a seat with a respectable AJ Foyt Racing team would be open for Rowe if he can keep up his elite pace.

Salvador de Alba

This one might be a tad more of a stretch. Though de Alba has been good since he first entered IndyNXT at the start of 2024, it’s hard to say he’s had his great moments the way Hauger or Hughes already have. Still, he pulled together the consistency to finish 5th in the championship as a rookie, and now is back in that same spot entering the Detroit weekend.

Though he is still winless in IndyNXT and isn’t a top prospect, it is his oval prowess that might be the most appealing to teams. I wouldn’t call de Alba’s chances at a full time Indycar seat great, but it isn’t hard to imagine a world where he gets to race on some ovals for a smaller team, or even as a sub. Maybe he becomes one of the drivers that an Indy 500 only team such as DRR finds interest in. Either way, I think the talent is already there for de Alba on ovals, and may yet be found on the circuits as well.

Caio Collet

Don’t worry, I didn’t forget about the driver who came into 2025 as the only guy in the field to have won a race. The young Brazilian is certainly one of the potential stars of tomorrow, having finished 3rd in the championship as a rookie, and currently sitting 4th despite a throttle issue taking him out of a chance to win at Barber. Though crashing out of his first 2 oval races last summer was far from ideal, he has made strides to improve at those. Now, Collet has a serious shot to drive his way into the highest level of American open wheel racing.

Callum Hedge

Sitting 8th in points as a 2nd year driver isn’t a great look, I’ll admit it.  However, when you look deeper, the pace has been there for Hedge. He is still running well at most races, some of his best tracks are still to come, and Barber resulted in an opening lap incident caused by another car. Hedge is the 2nd highest returning driver from the 2024 standings, and though that elusive 1st win hasn’t come yet, it’s sure to be on the horizon. I’m on the fence with him right now, but fully believe he has the ability and mentality to succeed in Indycar.

Others?

Of course, one could argue that almost any driver in this series has qualities making them deserving of an Indycar ride, but these are the 6 I see as possible options for next year. Others like Max Taylor, Evagoras Papasavvas, and Liam Sceats are great talents, but will need another year of experience before they can be considered. Bryce Aron and Josh Pierson are 2 that stick out to me as ones that, if they go on a big run during the summer stretch, could also have a chance.

In the end, it remains early in the season, and with much still to be decided, several names could be added to this list, and some may even be dropped off by the time September rolls around. Obviously, there is no chance all 6 drivers mentioned land full time or even one-off appearances in IndyCar for 2026, as there simply is not enough room. However, I think that you could place any of these drivers in a seat, and they would at least be remotely competitive enough to be worth noting each week.

written by Owen White / Media Credit: Penske Entertainment