Max Taylor Drives Career Forward To Raise Breast Cancer Awareness

Max Taylor enters the 2027 INDY NXT by Firestone season among the championship favorites.

Taylor finished fourth in the standings as a rookie in 2026 with Andretti Global and is expected to return to the team for a second season.

“I'm a different driver now,” Taylor said. “A lot more experience.”

That growth extends beyond the track. Connecticut native Taylor, 19, has sponsorship through PINK Simplify ETF, a healthcare and biotechnology-focused exchange-traded fund that donates all net profits directly to the Susan G. Komen foundation. Both sponsors are displayed on his race cars. Through his partnership with Susan G. Komen, along with his signature pink racing livery and helmet, Taylor is using his platform to raise awareness for breast cancer and connect with communities beyond the racing world.

Taylor’s family is involved in managing PINK, an investment fund whose operations include a philanthropic mission: donating management profits to Susan G. Komen for breast cancer support and research. To date, PINK has donated over $450,000 to Susan G. Komen since its 2021 launch. Taylor’s family involvement in PINK initiated the introduction to Susan G. Komen.

Additionally, breast cancer advocacy is personal to Taylor because a close family friend, Jen, was personally impacted by the disease. At a young age he witnessed Jen's complicated fight and its impact on her, her family and their close friends. Since partnering with Susan G. Komen and driving the pink livery, fans mention every weekend – usually at autograph sessions – how they have been personally affected by cancer diagnoses.

That mission was displayed during the Sept. 4-6 season finale weekend at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. Taylor was part of “Driving For Cure,” a special fan-zone activation presented by Honda and Acura. The one-off event featured a pink-wrapped car dedicated to breast cancer awareness, with fans invited to sign the vehicle throughout race weekend in support of the cause.

Taylor started the initiative as the car's first signer, followed by fellow NTT INDYCAR SERIES drivers Will Power, Marcus Ericsson and Jack Harvey. The car was covered in signatures offering a powerful visual representation of the community's collective support by the end of the weekend. The event also included a donation to a local breast cancer facility. While this wasn’t a Susan G. Komen-specific activation, it built attention to a broader mission behind Taylor's partnership with the organization – bringing greater visibility to breast cancer awareness.

That initiative continued throughout October, which is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The car (photo, above) traveled to additional businesses and serving as a rolling reminder of the cause.

Taylor attended the Oct. 14 Susan G. Komen Pink Gala in New York. The annual event highlighted the organization's partnership with Taylor as an athlete ambassador through event décor, complimentary gifts and a raffle prize offering a race weekend experience. The evening also featured musical guest Andy Grammer.

On Oct. 21, Taylor returned to New York to speak with a group on Wall Street about the intersection of racing and business. Taylor brought a unique perspective to the conversation as a young driver balancing the demands of professional motorsports with an interest in business and creating opportunities beyond competition. Taylor believes the lessons learned in racing can translate beyond the car, from working with a team toward a common goal to making decisions under pressure and continually searching for ways to improve.

“It’s honestly really cool that I get to represent and share the importance of a foundation like Susan G. Komen, especially in the month of October,” Taylor said. “It’s always a privilege that I get to have them on my car.”

Taylor’s immediate focus remains on taking the next step in INDY NXT. He earned his lone victory in the second race of the 2026 season on the streets of Arlington, one of nine top-five finishes. Taylor isn't shy about next year’s ambitions.

“My goal was to win the championship, without a doubt,” Taylor said. “If you're not out there trying to win, then you're doing something wrong.”

A return to Andretti Global would give Taylor the benefit of working with a familiar group as he pursues that goal. Having already established relationships with the team's engineers and coaches, he sees continuity as an important advantage heading into his sophomore campaign.

“I think it's huge,” Taylor said. “I love these guys in Andretti. They're amazing. They're such good people, very talented people, and I'm just always excited to work with them. They know the kind of driver I am, and I know how they work. I think we can take advantage of that for this coming year, without doubt.”

Taylor was third quickest in the Chris Griffis Memorial Test on Oct. 16 on the 14-turn, 2.439-mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course. He and Andretti Global used that test as a way to develop further for the 2027 season.

“Took advantage of that experience to be ahead of the curve, and we could work on some other things with my engineer and my coach, and sort of just take full advantage of that to be ahead of the curve,” Taylor said.