Lochie Hughes’ racing journey continues to build momentum, and Indianapolis Motor Speedway remains central to his story.

On Oct. 25, 2024, the Australian talent got his first taste of INDY NXT by Firestone machinery, testing with Andretti Global on the 14-turn, 2.439-mile IMS road course. Just over six months later, on May 9, he returned to that track and dominated the first race of the INDY NXT doubleheader, leading all 35 laps to secure his maiden series win.

Fast-forward to this week and Hughes was back at it again -- same track, same team, but this time in a bigger, more powerful machine.

Lochie Hughes

On Monday, Oct. 13, Hughes turned laps in the No. 98 Andretti Global Honda (photo, above) during his first NTT INDYCAR SERIES test, marking another major step forward in his open-wheel career.

Hughes joined Ed Carpenter Racing drivers Alexander Rossi and Christian Rasmussen, former INDY NXT by Firestone teammate Dennis Hauger, who is competing with Dale Coyne Racing in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES in 2026, along with Mick Schumacher, who tested with Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, and James Roe with Juncos Hollinger Racing that same day.

“This track is the most important racetrack in the world, if you ask me,” Hughes said. “I hope to be doing a lot more firsts around this joint in the near future.”

While the outing won’t immediately translate into a 2026 NTT INDYCAR SERIES seat, it’s a significant indicator of Andretti Global’s investment in the 22-year-old – and a possible precursor to a 2027 opportunity.

Hughes was named Oct. 7 to return for his sophomore INDY NXT season with Andretti Global. Along with that, he was named as a reserve driver for the team’s INDYCAR SERIES program.

Andretti has built a dominant INDY NXT pipeline in recent years, winning back-to-back titles with Louis Foster and Dennis Hauger. Hughes could be next in line.

“The goal for 2026 is very clear: We expect Lochie to challenge for the INDY NXT championship,” Andretti Global Team Principal Rob Edwards said.

Hughes' racing résumé proves he has the pedigree to deliver.

After a two-year hiatus from racing, Hughes returned in 2022 and won the F4 United States Championship powered by Honda with six wins, seven poles, four additional podiums and five fastest laps. In 2023, he moved up to the USF2000 Championship and claimed Rookie of the Year honors with four wins, eight podium finishes and two pole positions. In 2024, he captured the USF Pro 2000 Championship title, adding five wins, four poles, six more podiums and another Rookie of the Year award to his résumé.

Hughes didn’t step into INDY NXT this season just hoping to be noticed – he came to contend.

He opened his 2025 rookie campaign with seven podium finishes in the first eight races. That run included a dominant win in May on the IMS road course and another in June on the oval at World Wide Technology Raceway.

Hughes’ debut INDY NXT race in St. Petersburg saw him qualify and finish second. By mid-July, Hughes was second in the championship. However, a stretch of adversity, including a penalty at Iowa, a front wing problem in Detroit and contact at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, dropped him to third in the standings behind Hauger and Caio Collet of HMD Motorsports.

He wrapped up the season with a third-place finish at Milwaukee Mile and a fifth-place result in Nashville to seal third overall in the championship.

“We were fighting for a while,” Hughes said. “But I was happy to finally end the season with some good results after a challenging summer.”

Finishing third in the standings as a rookie is no small feat, but Hughes isn’t entirely satisfied.

“Yes and no,” he said when asked if he would’ve taken third at the start of the season. “I think we should definitely be second. If it wasn't for the penalty at Iowa, the front wing problem at Detroit, the incident at Laguna … we should really be second in the championship. I feel like that's where we deserve to be.

“I’m looking forward to building on that success next year with a team I know well now.”