ELKHART LAKE, Wis. — Lochie Hughes may have reignited his championship hopes with a much-needed victory in Race 1 of the INDY NXT by Firestone doubleheader at Road America on Saturday.
The Andretti Global driver earned his first win of the 2026 season after taking the lead on Lap 9 and never looking back, crossing the finish line 0.7827 seconds ahead of teammate Josh Pierson. The victory also marked the 100th INDY NXT win for Andretti Global.
“Just so happy right now,” Hughes said after the race. “It’s possibly been the worst season of my life so far. That was great.”
After entering the weekend seventh in the championship standings, Hughes climbed to fifth and moved within 55 points of series leader Nikita Johnson.
The 20-lap race featured multiple caution periods, with eight of the first 10 laps run under yellow. Once Hughes grabbed the lead from pole sitter Alessandro de Tullio on a restart, however, he remained in control for the remainder of the race.
Pierson finished second after making a last-lap pass on de Tullio, who completed the podium in third. Rookie Jack Beeton earned a career-best fourth-place finish, while Matteo Nannini rounded out the top five.
With the championship battle tightening and Race 2 still to come at Road America, Hughes has officially put himself back into the title conversation.
Top 5 Finishers
1.- Lochie Hughes
2.- Josh Pierson
3.- Alessandro de Tullio
4.- Jack Beeton
5.- Matteo Nannini
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