The 2027 INDY NXT by Firestone season is still more than four months away, but a group test Nov. 9 at Barber Motorsports Park gave a glimpse into next year’s possible driver lineup and an early speed ranking.

Twenty drivers from seven teams in the INDYCAR development series participated in the all-day session on the 17-turn, 2.3-mile road course in Birmingham, Alabama. It’s time for some itemized deductions from Barber, a regular stop on the INDY NXT by Firestone schedule.

Big Dogs Bark Loudest

The top two names on the time sheets after the test should surprise no one, as 2026 race winners and title contenders Max Taylor and Tymek Kucharczyk ended up 1-2.

Taylor led with a best lap of 1 minute, 10.7037 seconds in the No. 28 Andretti Global machine that he drove in 2026 and is expected to continue to drive in 2027. Taylor won one race and finished fourth in the 2026 standings.

Kucharczyk was right behind Taylor on Monday at Barber with his best lap of 1:10.7067 in the No. 71 HMD Motorsports car that he drove to two victories and third in the series standings as a rookie in 2026. The Polish driver has not yet announced his plans for 2027.

Leonardo Escorpioni

Escorpioni Quickest Among Newcomers

HMD Moorsports already has signed 16-year-old Brazilian Leonardo Escorpioni (photo, above) to drive one of its machines in the 2027 season, and the Barber test results showed why.

Escorpioni, who turns 17 in January, was the quickest among the seven rookies participating in the test, fourth overall at 1:10.7253 in the No. 55 HMD Motorsports entry.

The performance established Escorpioni as the leader of the newcomer pack for 2027. He was three-tenths of a second quicker than his closest rookie competitor, Jose Garfias of Cape Motorsports Powered by ECR. Garfias, 22, from Mexico, was ninth overall at 1:11.0254 in the No. 20 entry.

Tight at Top

OK, OK: It’s only testing, but Monday’s results show the ultra-competitive, tight nature the series showed in 2026 could continue next season.

A scant .0393 of a second separated leader Taylor from fifth-place Alessandro De Tullio in the No. 10 Chip Ganassi Racing entry. Less than one second separated the top 17 drivers overall, impressive considering the varied experience the field has with INDY NXT machinery and the Barber circuit.

Who’s That in No. 76?

An interesting name showed up on the entry list for this test, assigned to the No. 76 Juncos Hollinger Racing car – NTT INDYCAR SERIES race winner and INDY NXT by Firestone veteran Rinus VeeKay.

The Dutchman helped JHR with setups, ending up 10th at 1:11.1698 in the team’s No. 76 entry. His teammate for the day, Antonio Serravalle, was 20th.

VeeKay’s participation continued a trend that started with five-time and reigning NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion Alex Palou helping Chip Ganassi Racing shake down its INDY NXT machinery during the Chris Griffis Memorial Test on Oct. 16 on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course. Palou led all drivers that day.

Jack Beeton

Beeton Stays On It

Australian driver Jack Beeton (photo, above) found his footing in his first season of INDY NXT competition during the second half of the 2026 schedule, earning all three of his podium finishes in the final seven races of the season with HMD Motorsports.

Beeton tested with Andretti Global at this test and didn’t miss a beat. He ended up third at 1:10.7143 in the No. 29 entry that Josh Pierson drove last season en route to a promotion to the NTT INDYCAR SERIES with AJ Foyt Racing.

No 2027 destination has been announced yet for Beeton, but his skills should be in demand.