Note: This continues a series of 2026 INDY NXT by Firestone team previews on INDYNXT.com. The season starts Sunday, March 1 on the streets of St. Petersburg, Florida (10 a.m. ET, FS1, FOX One, FOX One, FOX Sports app, INDYCAR Radio Network).

Starting Lineup: Salvador de Alba (No. 17 HMD Motorsports), Jack Beeton (No. 45 HMD Motorsports), Enzo Fittipaldi (No. 67 HMD Motorsports), Tymek Kucharczyk (No. 71 HMD Motorsports)

2025 in Review: HMD Motorsports endured an uncharacteristically uneven 2025 season. Despite Caio Collet’s championship challenge -- highlighted by three wins, four runner-up finishes and nine podiums -- Josh Pierson was the team’s only other top-10 finisher in the standings, placing sixth. Additional podium results came from Juan Manuel Correa (third at Detroit) and Evagoras Papasavvas (second at Barber). The team cycled through a wide range of drivers, with only Hailie Deegan and Tommy Smith joining Collet and Pierson as full-time competitors. By comparison, HMD recorded two victories and 10 podium finishes among 13 drivers in 2024. Last season, the team improved to three wins and 13 podiums, spread across 14 different drivers.

New for ’26: Almost everything. The results and statistics from 2025 depart with Collet moving to the NTT INDYCAR SERIES with AJ Foyt Racing and Pierson joining Andretti Global in INDY NXT by Firestone. The remainder of the lineup also turns over, as HMD introduces an entirely new driver roster while forming technical alliances with Cusick Motorsports and AJ Foyt Racing. Leading the group is Enzo Fittipaldi, 24, the grandson of two-time Formula One World Champion and two-time Indianapolis 500 winner Emerson Fittipaldi. Enzo earned Formula 2 victories in both 2023 and 2024 and competed in the European Le Mans Series last season. He was third quickest at the Barber Motorsports Park test and ranked among the top two on all four timing charts at Sebring International Raceway. Joining him is Jack Beeton, a 17-year-old from Australia who won the 2023 Formula 4 South East Asia Championship and spent 2025 competing in Formula Regional Europe. Tymek Kucharczyk, 19, of Poland, arrives as the reigning Euroformula Open champion. Salvador de Alba rounds out the lineup after two seasons with Andretti Global, including one with Andretti Cape. A two-time NASCAR Mexico Series champion, de Alba earned his first INDY NXT victory at Milwaukee Mile last season and closed 2025 with a pair of runner-up finishes. He has placed fifth in the standings in both of his INDY NXT campaigns.

Keep an Eye on This: HMD appears to be mirroring the strategy that helped Andretti Global secure Dennis Hauger’s 2025 championship by recruiting heavily from the European development ladder. Three of the team’s four drivers bring extensive European experience, though none have previously raced on these circuits. HMD has fully committed to this approach to try and end Andretti Global’s two-year title reign -- even pulling de Alba away from Andretti. With 28 INDY NXT starts and proven oval success, including his Milwaukee Mile victory, de Alba provides a valuable blend of experience and versatility.

Little-Known Fact: Kucharczyk (photo, below) grew up in Poland and aims to become the country’s next standout driver since Robert Kubica, who made 99 FIA Formula One starts and won the 2008 Canadian Grand Prix. While Kucharczyk hopes to carve his path in American open-wheel racing and eventually reach the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, his inspiration is personal. “My hero is me in five years,” he said. “I’m trying to be as close to what I want to become as possible.”

Tymek Kucharczyk