Race 1 recovered from last after a Turn 2 incident  •  Weekend winner: Enzo Fittipaldi, HMD Motorsports (Race 1 & Race 2 sweep)

The INDY NXT field converged on Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio for a Fourth of July doubleheader weekend — two races in two days on one of the most demanding and difficult-to-pass road courses on the schedule. Max Taylor of the No. 28 Susan G. Komen car with Andretti Global tackled both races with the same competitive resolve that has defined his 2026 campaign.

Race 1 — July 4, 2026

Max lined up tenth for the Independence Day opener. In the opening moments of the race, an incident in Turn 2 sent the No. 28 off course, dropping him to the rear of the field. What followed was one of the most impressive drives of his 2026 season: starting from last, Max worked his way methodically through traffic and the tight confines of the Mid-Ohio road course in some of the hottest race-day temperatures of his career, recovering 14 positions across 35 laps to finish P10 his 11th career INDY NXT top-10.

Enzo Fittipaldi set a new track record on a newly-paved course and led an HMD Motorsports 1-2-3-4 finish, a sweep that marked a historic moment in series history. Despite the difficult opening lap, Max's recovery drive demonstrated the pace, racecraft, and composure that has characterized his season.

Race 2 — July 5, 2026

Starting tenth again for Race 2, Max settled in for a more measured approach in what proved to be a difficult passing environment. He gave back a position at the start, but the Andretti Global team made key setup adjustments overnight, and the improved balance showed: Max was back inside the top 10 by Lap 8 before executing a clean pass for ninth place in the closing stages of the 30-lap race.

The P9 result gave Max his 12th career INDY NXT top-10 in back-to-back races, consistent, points-paying finishes in a weekend where qualifying position made passing extremely difficult. Fittipaldi's weekend sweep, the first Mid-Ohio double-win since Kyle Kirkwood in 2021, vaulted Fittipaldi to the championship lead with 108 points scored across the two races.

Max's Takeaways

Championship Standings

100 points behind the lead through 12 rounds. Standings approximate pending official confirmation.

To Our Sponsors and Partners —

Mid-Ohio was a weekend that tested us in more ways than one. I made a mistake in Race 1 that put me in last place on the first lap of a race where passing is incredibly difficult. The easy thing to do is to manage from there and bring the car home in one piece. We didn't do the easy thing, we went racing, made 14 passes, and came back tenth. That's the kind of team, the kind of car, and the kind of mindset we have.

Race 2 was cleaner. The improvements the crew made overnight showed on track. Ninth place in a race where you can barely breathe side by side on a road course takes a ton of patience and precision. We're building toward something. Every finish, every data point, every race makes this program stronger and contributes to how polished of a driver I can become.

The championship is tight and the second half of the season is where it gets decided. Nashville is next, an oval where we know we can run up front. Your support keeps this entire program going, and I want you to know that it means everything to me and to everyone on this team. I feel lucky to be working towards my dreams. We are not done. Not even close.

Max Taylor