Participation by five-time NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion Alex Palou raised the most eyebrows entering the Chris Griffis Memorial Test on Friday, Oct. 16 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, but there’s also an interesting blend of INDY NXT by Firestone returnees and prospective newcomers scheduled to turn laps in the annual postseason test.
Five-time and reigning NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion Palou will drive the No. 11 Chip Ganassi Racing entry on the 14-turn, 2.439-mile road course at IMS. Palou, who has never driven machinery from the INDYCAR development series, is filling in for CGR full-time INDY NXT driver Carson Etter, who is recovering from offseason shoulder surgery.
SEE: Griffis Test Entry List
The test honors Chris Griffis, the team manager for Schmidt Peterson Motorsports who died suddenly in September 2011. Friday’s session allows teams an opportunity to evaluate drivers and experiment with setups to begin preparations for the following season.
Palou is among 22 drivers scheduled to participate in the test, which runs from 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. ET. The Turn 2 spectator mounds will be open to fans.
The highest-finishing driver from the 2026 season returning for the test is Tymek Kucharczyk, who will drive the No. 71 HMD Motorsports entry. The Polish driver finished third in last year’s points, highlighted by two wins, including the season finale at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. His other victory came May 9 on the IMS road course.
HMD Motorsports also will field Max Garcia, Leonardo Escorpioni and Teddy Musella. Garcia made history Aug. 30 as the second-youngest winner in series history when he won for Abel Motorsports at the Milwaukee Mile.
Max Taylor returns in the No. 28 Andretti Global entry. Taylor (photo, above) won on the streets of Arlington and finished fourth in the championship. Andretti Global will field Taylor, Jack Beeton, G3 Argyros and Martinius Stenshorne at the test. Norwegian Stenshorne shares his home country with Dennis Hauger, who made his series debut in this test in 2024 with Andretti Global before winning the 2025 INDY NXT championship with the team.
Reigning series champions Cape Motorsports Powered by ECR will field series veteran Bryce Aron and rookie Jose Garfias at the test.
Sophia Florsch also returns to the series, driving the No. 77 Abel Motorsports entry. The German driver competed in the 2025 season opener at St. Petersburg with HMD Motorsports where he finished 12th. Joining her with the team will be Niels Koolen, who signed to drive for Abel in 2027 on Tuesday, rookie Cem Bolukbasi from Turkey and Jacob Abel in the No. 51 entry.
Abel is a three-time INDY NXT race winner. He competed full time in the INDYCAR SERIES in 2025 and returned to the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge this past season with his family-owned team, qualifying 30th and finishing 24th. He returned to the INDY NXT team for the final four races of the 2026 season, finishing with two top-five finishes.
AJ Foyt Racing will pair Jack Jeffers with fellow rookie Bart Harrison, while Seb Murray and Matteo Nannini round out the team’s testing lineup. Jeffers, 20, won the 2025 USF2000 championship and the 2026 USF Pro 2000 title.
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