Indy NXT
Indy NXT, previously Indy Lights, is an American developmental automobile racing series sanctioned by IndyCar, currently known as INDY NXT by Firestone for sponsorship reasons. Indy NXT is the highest step on the Road to Indy, a program of racing series leading up to the IndyCar Series.
| Category | Open wheel cars |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Inaugural season | 1977 (predecessor) 1986 (original) 2002 (IndyCar sanctioned) |
| Chassis suppliers | Dallara |
| Engine suppliers | Mazda–AER (2015–2018) AER (2019–present) |
| Tire suppliers | Firestone |
| Drivers' champion | Christian Rasmussen |
| Teams' champion | HMD Motorsports |
| Official website | Indycar.com/INDYNXT |
| Current season | |
A similar series named Indy Lights filled the developmental role for the CART series, and ran from 1986 to 1993 as the American Racing Series and Dayton Indy Lights from 1991 to 2001. The current IndyCar sanctioned series was founded in 2002 as the Infiniti Pro Series as a way to introduce new talent to IndyCar, with the moniker Indy Lights returning in 2008 when CART and IndyCar unified. The Indy Lights champion was awarded a $1M scholarship toward the IndyCar Series, and guaranteed three races including the Indianapolis 500 during this time. For 2023, Penske Entertainment announced a rebranding to the name Indy NXT.