Hedge and Sceats get their Indy NXT season underway this weekend

Kiwi drivers Callum Hedge and Liam Sceats will take to the grid for this weekend’s opening round of the 2025 INDY NXT by Firestone as St Petersburg in Florida host the series for the 13th time.

“It’s a big one: my Indy NXT debut, racing as the curtain-raiser to INDYCAR in front of the teams and people I aspire to be among,” commented Sceats. “We have only one race, that is one hour, so it is quite a different format from the sprint races I’m used to! I feel well-prepared and focused, and having my performance coach, Shane McConigly, trackside is a huge plus.”

Representing Florida in this weekend’s field is series debutant Nikita Johnson of HMD Motorsports. The 16-year-old from St. Petersburg recently competed in the 2025 Castrol Toyota Formula Regional Oceania Championship and is making the first of four INDY NXT by Firestone, starting this season in his hometown event. Johnson finished second in the USF Pro 2000 championship in 2024 and won races at St. Petersburg in the series that feed INDY NXT.

***Callum Hedge during the 2025 INDY NXT Test Weathertech Raceway Laguna Seca (Photo by Travis Hinkle | IMS Photo)***

The 14-race 2025 INDY NXT by Firestone calendar brings the series to many of North America’s most revered tracks joining the NTT INDYCAR SERIES at the streets of St. Petersburg, Barber Motorsports Park, Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course, streets of Detroit, World Wide Technology Raceway, Road America, Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, Iowa Speedway, WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, Portland International Raceway, Milwaukee Mile and Nashville Superspeedway.

This weekend’s race will feature drivers representing 10 countries. The United States is best represented by a total of eight drivers. There are two drivers each from Australia, Ireland, Mexico, New Zealand and one each from Brazil, Germany, Norway, the Netherlands and Scotland.

Since 2005, a driver who won at least one of the races at St. Petersburg has gone on to win the INDY NXT by Firestone title six times, the most recent being Kyle Kirkwood, who won the first race of the doubleheader in 2021.

Saturday, March 1
1:30-2 p.m. – INDY NXT by Firestone qualifying (Two groups, 12-minute session with green flag of one timed lap)
(7:30am Sunday NZ Time)

Sunday, March 2
10:10 a.m. – INDY NXT by Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg (45 laps/81 miles/55 minutes)
(4:10am Mon NZ Time)