Each sport has its ‘stars of tomorrow’ for everybody to get hyped about, and the identical is true within the IndyCar Sequence.
The standards for this checklist is a bit totally different than our NASCAR counterpart in that we’re not dipping down into the decrease classes, which might have been Indy NXT, to showcase prospects with potential to be a contender on the grid of North America’s premier open-wheel championship. As an alternative, we appeared on the present grid and ranked younger skills aged 25 and below with out victories more likely to make an affect within the short- and long-term. Some names you would possibly already know, as for the others, you’ll.
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1. Dennis Hauger (22) – #18 Dale Coyne RacingDennis Hauger, Dale Coyne Racing Honda
Dennis Hauger, Dale Coyne Racing Honda
A multi-time race winner in System 2, Hauger made the change to Indy NXT final yr with Andretti World and thumped the sector with six wins, 11 podiums and eight poles en path to the championship.
The Norwegian already got here into the paddock with a big quantity of hype off his success within the junior components ranks in Europe, which included an F3 title and being a part of the Purple Bull Junior Workforce. Now, although, having confirmed that thunderous tempo additionally labored in IndyCar’s developmental class, he’s poised to do it on the subsequent stage.
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With no seat out there at Andretti World’s IndyCar program within the step up, Hauger was loaned out to Dale Coyne Racing for this yr. Set to stay concerned, Andretti World entered a technical partnership with Coyne to help Hauger’s maiden season. There are items in place for him to make an on the spot affect with Coyne, who impressed final yr with Rinus VeeKay – together with veteran engineer Michael Cannon. And with Hauger in place to ultimately transfer to Andretti completely within the close to future, he is also a big drawback for the sector for years to come back.
2. Marcus Armstrong (25) – #66 Meyer Shank RacingMarcus Armstrong, Meyer Shank Racing
Marcus Armstrong, Meyer Shank Racing
It’s wild to suppose final yr was solely the second full-time season for Armstrong in IndyCar, particularly contemplating he has 46 begins. Nonetheless, for a man that claimed high rookie honors in 2023 regardless of not making a single oval begin, he continues to inch nearer to the entrance of the sector.
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Identified for stout tempo on highway and road circuits (and being a four-time F2 winner in his personal proper), the New Zealand native is beginning to additionally determine ovals, as acknowledged together with his third-place run final season within the second act of a doubleheader weekend at Iowa Speedway. It proved to be the most effective lead to a yr the place he snagged 11 high 10s throughout 17 races and completed eighth within the championship.
Contemplating Meyer Shank Racing’s technical alliance with Chip Ganassi Racing, the staff that Armstrong drove for in 2023-24 and has gained 4 of the final 5 IndyCar titles with Alex Palou, the momentum will seemingly solely ramp up.
3. David Malukas (24) – #12 Workforce PenskeDavid Malukas, A. J. Foyt Enterprises, Will Energy, Workforce Penske
David Malukas, A. J. Foyt Enterprises, Will Energy, Workforce Penske
If it appears like Lil’ Dave has been round eternally, effectively, it’s as a result of he has. Nobody on this checklist, although, has seemingly undergone the identical quantity of drama as Malukas.
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A runner-up for the Indy NXT title in 2021 to Kyle Kirkwood, now a five-time IndyCar race winner with Andretti World, Malukas has proven flashes of being a firestarter since stepping as much as North America’s premier open-wheel champion the next yr. A two-year run with Dale Coyne Racing to begin his IndyCar journey delivered memorable podium runs in every go to at Gateway, in addition to a powerful fourth-place displaying at Texas Motor Speedway (in ‘23).
The optimism of what may very well be upon becoming a member of Arrow McLaren forward of the 2024 season rapidly became a nightmare after Malukas suffered vital accidents in a mountain biking accident only a few weeks earlier than the marketing campaign was set to begin. Finally, he missed too many races and was launched by the staff on the finish of April. He managed to claw again right into a journey with Meyer Shank Racing by June and completed out the final 10 races, highlighted by a gritty sixth-place run on the bumpy Streets of Toronto.
Malukas’s resolve was sufficient to get the eye of the paddock and he discovered himself in an AJ Foyt Racing machine final yr that additionally had a technical alliance with Workforce Penske. And all he did was exit and end runner-up within the Indianapolis 500, a brightspot on a yr the place he captured 4 further high 10s.
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Contemplating Malukas, who has 61 profession begins, is now at Workforce Penske, changing the legendary Will Energy within the No. 12 Chevrolet-powered entry, the strain has by no means been larger however the alternative additionally by no means better.
Definitely, within the short-term, Malukas has each probability to make the most effective probability to make the best affect of anybody on this checklist. It’s only a matter of taking all his classes discovered each on and off the monitor, and making use of them.
4. Kyffin Simpson (21) – #8 Chip Ganassi RacingKyffin Simpson, Chip Ganassi Racing
Kyffin Simpson, Chip Ganassi Racing
Simpson in all probability wouldn’t have made it past an honorable point out on this checklist a yr in the past, however that goes to point out how a lot he grew throughout his sophomore marketing campaign in 2025.
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The Caymanian has loved the advantages being with Chip Ganassi Racing, a company that has been hitting at a near-perfect price for a number of years now, in addition to multi-time champion teammates in Scott Dixon and Alex Palou. To Simpson’s credit score, although, he devoted himself to the laborious stuff and progressed his improvement by working – and successful – within the Asian Le Mans Sequence, European Le Mans Sequence, and occasional IMSA appearances.
All of that have constructed a recipe for a stronger displaying this previous yr together with his first podium (Toronto), three high fives and 6 high 10s. Snakebit by technique a couple of occasions, his Seventeenth-place end within the general standings might’ve simply been improved by no less than 5 extra spots.
With Simpson going into his third yr, one other step in his improvement might come by discovering the highest step of the rostrum.
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5. Louis Foster (22) – #45Â Rahal Letterman Lanigan RacingLouis Foster, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing
Louis Foster, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing
It says quite a bit a few driver once they’ve gained in each single class they’ve ever competed in, which is precisely what Foster achieved on his path to IndyCar.
The 2024 Indy NXT champion, Foster’s maiden season within the step as much as IndyCar wasn’t as electrifying as he’d seemingly have anticipated. Whereas he demonstrated phenomenal single-lap tempo by incomes his first profession pole at Highway America, the most effective end of the yr ended up being eleventh (twice – Indy GP, Highway America). In some ways, he went as Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing (RLL) went, ending up twenty third within the championship whereas veteran teammate Graham Rahal ending simply 4 spots larger (nineteenth) within the general standings.
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RLL seems to have made vital strides, with former IndyCar President Jay Frye now almost a yr into steering the ship because the staff’s president. In addition they signed former System 1 driver Mick Schumacher, son of seven-time F1 champion Michael Schumacher, over the offseason to interchange Devlin DeFrancesco.
If issues can align on the engineering aspect to enhance the damper program, Foster has the psychological make-up to transform his expertise into pace much like transfer ahead. There’s a superb probability, although, it should take time.
6. Caio Collet (23) – #4 A. J. Foyt EnterprisesCaio Collet, AJ Foyt Racing Chevrolet
Caio Collet, AJ Foyt Racing Chevrolet
Collet possesses many qualities which are intriguing as he steps as much as IndyCar in 2026.
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The 23-year-old Brazilian, who will drive AJ Foyt Racing’s No. 4 Chevrolet-powered entry, is recent off a sophomore Indy NXT marketing campaign the place he proved to be the one true menace to Hauger. He took three wins and completed on the rostrum 9 occasions over 14 rounds en path to being vice champion. In 2023, he gained one race and landed on the rostrum six occasions, and he additionally made one System E look at Portland Worldwide Raceway with Nissan.
A former French System 4 champion, Collet has constructed a repute as being quiet and calculating. The debriefs often see engineers and teammates doing all of the speaking, whereas he sits within the background taking notes and finding out onboard footage. That cerebral method makes him a menace on the monitor, and, in some ways, provides off a demeanor harking back to the late Gil de Ferran, a two-time Indy automobile champion and 2003 Indianapolis 500 winner.
Collet’s presence provides to a rookie battle alongside Hauger and Schumacher that is likely one of the most charming in years. What occurs past it, although, is the place he might shock individuals alongside the best way.
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Honorable mentionsNolan Siegel, Arrow McLaren
Nolan Siegel, Arrow McLaren
It will be a disservice to not be aware the likes of Nolan Siegel (21) and Sting Ray Robb (24), particularly contemplating how rapidly a driver can go from being an afterthought to a mainstay in only one season.
There aren’t any illusions, although, . Simply two high 10s final season, the expectation is quite a bit larger when teammates are successful races and ending high 5 within the championship. Siegel has gained races in each junior class that results in IndyCar, and likewise discovered victory within the 24 Hours of Le Mans with an LMP2 class win in 2024. There’s no doubting the potential; he simply must fill it, and quick, as he enters his second full-time season.
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As for Robb, it’s been an uphill climb since changing into the 2022 Indy NXT championship runner-up. He has raced for 3 totally different groups – Dale Coyne Racing, AJ Foyt Racing, and Juncos Hollinger Racing (JHR) – in as a few years, and a finest end of ninth (twice – Gateway, 2024; Lengthy Seaside, 2025) to point out for it. The perfect factor he has going for him going into his fourth season is the actual fact he’s going to have stability by returning to JHR for this upcoming season. It’ll be fascinating to see if that proves to be a pivotal issue as he tries to maneuver ahead up the grid.
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