Josh Pierson clinched his maiden Indy NXT victory at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Sea, controlling all 35 laps from pole position.
Dominance from Start to Finish
Behind the wheel of the Andretti Global #29, Pierson maintained a lead that never faltered, edging Nikita Johnson by 2.6294 seconds in the 11‑turn, 2.238‑mile natural‑terrain circuit.
“Getting the pole helped boost my confidence,” Pierson said, adding that the transition from the World Endurance Championship had been mentally taxing. “The crew at Andretti Global kept believing in me even when I doubted myself.”
Key Moments & Championship Implications
The race opened with a clean start until third‑placed Tymek Kucharczyk was spun in a contact with Myles Rowe, earning Rowe an avoidable‑contact drive‑through penalty. Johnson, who began fifth, fought his way into second by lap 5 despite a spin that dropped him to 24th.
After successive cautions on laps 13, 17, and 22, Pierson refreshed his advantage, which fluctuated from a 2.7‑second gap on lap 3 to over 4.4 seconds by lap 10. Max Garcia, fresh off a win in Milwaukee, finished third, while Enzo Fittipaldi slipped to eighth, diminishing his championship potential by 19 points.
Race Flow & Final Standings
Pisner’s control through the difficult “Zanardi Corkscrew” and all restarts kept the field behind him. Johnson remained the closest challenger, with Garcia a clear third. The victory leaves Pierson with 19 points to close the season, while Johnson extends his proximity to the championship lead.
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