Scott McLaughlin during the 2026 Firestone Grand Prix Qualification Round.
Photo by Makenna Wozniak | The Crow’s Nest
By Skye Smith and Dominic Feo
For the second consecutive season, the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg will begin with Scott McLaughlin at the front of the grid.
The Penske driver secured pole position on Feb. 28 in the qualifying round’s final minute. While McLaughlin had the same result in 2025, he looks to avoid a repeat of the final race’s outcome.
“We did this last year and proceeded to have the worst year of my life,” McLaughlin said during the post-qualifying press conference. “I’m just focused on execution tomorrow and the rest of the season.”
Photo by Irena Mesa | The Crow’s Nest
Finishing two hundredths of a second behind was Andretti driver Marcus Ericsson. The 2023 St. Petersburg Grand Prix winner, Ericsson, views the city as a perfect starting point for the IndyCar season.
“I think it’s a perfect place to start at,” Ericsson said during a Feb. 26 press conference. “I feel like every time I’ve been there its been a good track for me and for us as a group.”
The biggest surprise, however, was Dale Coyne Racing rookie Dennis Hauger.
The 2025 Indy NXT series champion ended his first NTT series qualifying drive in third place, earning an enthusiastic reaction from fans and family in the pit lane.
Photo by Kendall Bulkiewicz | The Crows Nest
2025 IndyCar champion Alex Palou began his 8-win season with a victory in St. Petersburg, but ended the qualifiers in fourth today. Rounding out the NTT Fast 6 were two drivers with new teams in David Malukas (Penske) and Romain Grosjean (Dale Coyne Racing).
Click here to see how the rest of the NTT IndyCar grid shaped out.
Andretti Global rookie, Max Taylor, dominated Indy NXT practice on Feb. 26, securing first place in Practice 1. His momentum continued on Feb. 27, placing first in Practice 2, earning the pole position for the Feb. 28 Indy NXT main race.
Photo by Irena Mesa | The Crows Nest
Gulfport native, Nikita Johnson, finished first place in group one’s qualifying, resulting in a second-place position — a surprise to fans as he ended both Practice 1 and 2 in tenth. Those fans congratulated his success in the pit lane and grandstands, many cheering for their hometown hero.
Taylor’s Andretti Global teammate, Seb Murray, secured position three.
Murray was outperformed by rookies despite 2026 being his second consecutive season with the team. The Indy NXT race will begin with Max Taylor, Nikita Johnson, Seb Murray, Lochie Hughes and Kymek Kucharczyk in the top six spots. Three of the top six, Max Taylor, Seb Murray and Lochie Hughes, include Andretti Global drivers, confirming their team as a powerhouse on the NXT grid.
Both NTT and NXT drivers will start their engines for the main races on March 1 at 10 a.m. and noon on Fox Sports.
