Reigning INDY NXT champion Nikita Johnson will make his NTT INDYCAR SERIES debut with Dale Coyne Racing in 2027, becoming one of the youngest drivers on the grid after a record-breaking season in INDYCAR’s development series.
The 18-year-old St. Petersburg, Florida, native will drive a Honda-powered entry with support from ENVE and Only Bulls. He is set to make his series debut in his hometown at the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg in March.
“Every interview people were asking, ‘When is [the signing] going to be done?’” Johnson said. “We were trying to put all the pieces of the puzzle together. We finally got it all together. Now we’re ready to go racing.”
The announcement comes just weeks after Johnson completed his first INDYCAR test with Dale Coyne Racing at Barber Motorsports Park in late October, giving the young driver an opportunity to get comfortable with the team and its equipment before officially securing the seat.
Johnson said that the test gave him a chance to learn the machinery and that the transition to INDYCAR from INDY NXT was less challenging than he initially expected.
“It wasn’t too big of a jump,” Johnson said. “I think it was a natural progression how it should be.”
The biggest adjustment, Johnson said, was learning to use the carbon brakes, something he had never experienced before the Barber test. He plans to spend the offseason training, working in the simulator and preparing for the physical demands of a full INDYCAR season.
The test also gave Johnson an early look at Dale Coyne Racing’s operations, leaving him confident in the team’s ability to compete despite its smaller size.
“I think we worked really good together at the test,” Johnson said. “I’m very happy with everyone in the team.”
Dale Coyne Racing has developed several successful drivers throughout its history, including five-time INDYCAR champion Alex Palou, who made his series debut with the organization in 2020. Johnson hopes to follow a similar path while continuing his preference for competing with smaller teams.
“I’ve always liked smaller teams. That’s how my whole career has been,” Johnson said. “I think we proved a lot of people wrong last year with Cape [Motorsports].”
Johnson joins Dale Coyne Racing following a championship-winning season with Cape Motorsports Powered by ECR. He became the youngest champion in INDY NXT history at 18 years, three months and 12 days old, breaking the previous record held by A.J. Foyt IV by just eight days.
Throughout the 2026 season, Johnson earned 585 championship points, two victories, nine podium finishes and 10 top-five finishes. He also became the first INDY NXT champion to secure the title without a pole position, finishing inside the top 10 in all 17 races and completing every lap of the season.
Johnson brings plenty of experience racing in Wisconsin. During his 2026 INDY NXT championship campaign, he finished sixth and third in the Road America doubleheader in June before earning a fifth-place finish at the Milwaukee Mile in August. He previously competed at Road America in USF Pro 2000 in 2024, recording finishes of sixth, 13th and seventh across three races. Johnson will return to both Wisconsin tracks in 2027.
Johnson’s path to INDYCAR has taken him through several racing series across three continents. After beginning his formula-car development with Velocity Racing Development, he finished runner-up in the 2023 USF2000 championship and 2024 USF Pro 2000 championship, earning eight victories in the latter.
His international experience includes competing in British GB3, FIA Formula 3 and Formula Regional Oceania. Johnson became the youngest race winner in GB3 history at 16 years old in 2024, adding another record to his growing résumé before returning to the American open-wheel ladder.
Despite his success in the junior ranks, Johnson recognizes that winning immediately in INDYCAR will be difficult. He hopes to earn a few podium finishes during his rookie season, but his primary goals are securing Rookie of the Year honors and finishing inside the top 15 or 16 in the championship standings.
Johnson plans to carry over the consistency that helped secure his INDY NXT championship, prioritizing smart decisions and limiting damage rather than taking unnecessary risks.
“Racing is expensive. INDYCAR is expensive,” Johnson said. “I do everything to keep them in one piece, make smart decisions.”
Johnson will begin his rookie campaign on familiar ground in St. Petersburg, where he previously earned victories across multiple levels of the American open-wheel ladder. With experience at several INDYCAR venues, including Road America and the Milwaukee Mile, Johnson hopes that familiarity will help ease his transition into the series.
“It’s very special,” Johnson said. “Made my debut in pretty much every series at St. Pete. It’s very cool to kind of have this tradition keep going, right?”