UPDATE: Taylor finished P11 in today’s test. Full results are available here.

Reigning USF Juniors champion Max Taylor is the youngest driver in the Indy NXT testing field today at Barber Motorsports Park making his debut for Juncos Hollinger Racing.

While the test opportunity was last-minute and unannounced, Taylor alluded to the news last night in a comment under USOpenWheelNation’s announcement of the currently confirmed test field yesterday evening.

Additionally, he’s the first driver ever to test in Indy NXT who has competed in USF Juniors, a series established in 2022 as the lowest rung of the USF Pro Championships.

Taylor, 17, had a summer to remember in USF Juniors and USF2000. Between May 1st and August 15th, the Connecticut native won seven of the nineteen races he contested.

Additionally, Taylor finished on the podium 13 times in what was hailed as a breakout year for the VRD Racing driver, who was in contention to win the title in both levels throughout most of the year. Taylor’s average finish and podium percentage in 2024 were within the top ten of all junior series drivers in America.

He also has four races under his belt at Barber. He has four top-10s and two top-5s in USF Juniors with his last race there being a fifth place in April.

Taylor tested in USF Pro 2000 with VRD Racing during the Indianapolis test last weekend. While Indy NXT ran on the Friday session, the USF Pro Championships ran on Saturday and Sunday. Taylor was the fourth-fastest driver in USF Pro 2000, trailing USF2000 championship rival Max Garcia, who topped the charts. If Taylor chooses to run USF Pro 2000 in 2024, it is likely that him and Garcia would be among the top title contenders.

The Indy NXT test today in Barber contains a wide variety of drivers ranging from established series returners like Myles Rowe and Callum Hedge to newcomers like former NASCAR truck series driver Hailie Deegan and reigning New Zealand Grand Prix winner Liam Sceats. A full breakdown of the field can be found here.