Note: This continues a series of 2026 INDY NXT by Firestone team previews on INDYNXT.com. The season starts Sunday, March 1 on the streets of St. Petersburg, Florida (10 a.m. ET, FS1, FOX One, FOX One, FOX Sports app, INDYCAR Radio Network).
Starting Lineup: Nicolas Stati (No. 15 Cusick Morgan Motorsports), Juan Manuel Correa (No. 68 Cusick Morgan Motorsports)
2025 in Review: Cusick Morgan Motorsports didn’t compete in INDY NXT by Firestone last season. The 2026 season marks the team’s series debut.
New for ’26: While new to INDY NXT, Cusick Morgan Motorsports enters with experience at the top level, aligning with HMD Motorsports for technical support. Founded in 2021, the team previously fielded entries in the Indianapolis 500 in 2024 and 2025 in partnership with Dreyer & Reinbold Racing. Nicolas Stati is one of two drivers. The 17-year-old Australian has competed across multiple international junior categories, including Formula Regional Oceania, Formula Regional Americas, the GB3 Championship, the F4 U.S. Championship, the F4 U.A.E. Championship and the F4 Australian Championship. In 2024, Stati finished second in both the F4 U.S. and F4 Australian championships, missing the U.S. title by just 4.5 points. Juan Manuel Correa (photo, top) completes the lineup. The 26-year-old American-Ecuadorian who formerly raced in Formula 2 made nine starts in the INDYCAR development series in 2025 with HMD Motorsports, earning a best finish of third on the streets of Detroit.
Keep an Eye on This: How much will the 9-year age gap between drivers factor into the team’s development? Correa brings experience from a variety of global series, including Formula 3, Formula 2 and IMSA competition. Stati, meanwhile, is still early in his professional career and will be racing on all-new circuits. The balance between Correa’s experience and Stati’s rapid learning curve -- and how effectively they exchange feedback – will be a key storyline.
Little-Known Fact: Correa survived a devastating crash during an FIA Formula 2 race at Spa-Francorchamps in 2019 that left him with life-threatening injuries and required a long, arduous recovery. His friend Anthoine Hubert suffered fatal injuries in the accident. After more than a year of rehabilitation, Correa finds himself, six years later, on the verge of a potential breakthrough in American open-wheel racing.
