The 2027 grid for the NTT INDYCAR SERIES continues to fall into place. In 2026, Nikita Johnson became the youngest ever champion in INDY NXT‘s history as a rookie. Now, he is joining Dale Coyne Racing and stepping up into INDYCAR for the 2027 season. Following the announcement of his seat, Johnson participated in a press conference, and here’s what he had to say.
Reflecting on his INDY NXT Campaign
Initially, he reflected on his INDY NXT campaign, explaining how “I definitely did work very hard for it. I’m happy that I was able to win at a really young age and be able to move on.” While he hoped that he could do a ‘one-and-done’ championship, Johnson remained humble throughout the year.
Johnson’s INDY NXT title win was characterised by consistency over dominance. He was the only driver to complete every lap and finished all 17 races in the top eight. However, he didn’t have a single pole position throughout the year. The driver admitted that they “had problems in qualifying”, sharing how the two-car outfit made it “a lot harder to find the setup” compared to other teams. Despite this, Johnson commended Cape Motorsports for figuring it out so they could “make sure we were going to go forward and get the best points that we could on Sunday.”
As a result of his hard work and consistency, the young driver made history in the series. At only 18 years, 3 months, and 12 days old, Johnson became the youngest-ever champion in INDY NXT. This saw him take that accolade from A. J. Foyt IV by just eight days. Speaking to The Girls Who – Motorsports, Johnson shared how “it was very fun to be the youngest” to win, especially as a rookie.
“I was very thankful to have such an amazing team behind me: Cape Motorsports and Cape brothers. Everyone there are pretty much family at this point. Even though we were the smallest team, we showed what we can do. I was just very thankful to be with them. It was just the first step, right? Now we’re on to another adventure. We just got to keep moving forward, right?”
~ Johnson to The Girls Who – Motorsport on his time with Cape Motorsports.
Joining Dale Coyne Racing
After participating in select rounds of the series in 2025 with HMD Motorsports, Johnson became a rookie for a full campaign in 2026. This year, he competed with Cape Motorsports powered by ECR. The Floridian spoke about his team, saying that “they’re obviously a very strong team but also a small team”, but went on to explain how he prefers working with the smaller teams.
After a successful team test with Dale Coyne Racing, it is now confirmed that Johnson will race for the team in 2027. For him, DCR represents an environment he thrives in. “I feel very comfortable after the test,” he shared. Recognising the success and passion that his new team has, the rookie stated, “I think we’re going to have a really good bond. I’m just excited to start working with them.”
With a reputation for developing young talent, DCR is a team known for taking on rookie drivers. In the conference, Johnson shared that Coyne was one of the first to congratulate him following his title win. A welcoming space, a passionate team, and a supportive leader all “led me to choosing them and them choosing me.”
“Dale Coyne is probably the best place you can go for your rookie season. Everyone there is very welcoming. A lot of rookies have gone there. Just completely enjoyed the space; love the team.”
A Successful INDYCAR Rookie Campaign
Although Johnson has high hopes of achieving a podium as a rookie in INDYCAR, his overall goals for his debut year are more grounded. The rookie looked at other rookie campaigns, like five-time champion Álex Palou who also started with Dale Coyne Racing, to set his expectations.
“How I really look at it is I believe Álex Palou finished 16th in the championship. A lot of rookies have a tough time in their first year. They finish like 18th to 20 something. My main goal is to be Rookie of the Year and top 15 or 16 in the championship my first year.”
Although he has realistic expectations, The Girls Who – Motorsport asked him how he’d go about achieving that. “I’m just going to prioritise keeping the car in one piece” is his plan. However, he also stressed the importance of having hobbies. Johnson plans to go “fishing every once in a while”. The explanation of it was simple: “People think it might not help, but it’s a good mental break and also kind of physical being in the sun all day.”
“Any point[s] is better than no point[s]. I think when you look at INDYCAR racing, sometimes it gets pretty crazy, right? Sometimes as long as you finish, you’re going to pick off a few positions. [It’s] just going to be all about bringing the car home, not making any of the boys in the shop work too hard. I’ll also be working very hard off track in the Honda sim; the sim sat my house, working out as much as I can.”
~ Johnson outlined his plan to The Girls Who – Motorsports.
Ultimately, Nikita Johnson is very grateful for the opportunity to step up into INDYCAR. He looks forward to his debut with Dale Coyne Racing and will take what he’s learnt in INDY NXT to continue his development. For now, he starts preparing and waits to find out who his teammate will be.
“I’m going to do the best I can to prepare myself and keep the car in one piece on the race weekends.”