Ganassi signs De Tullio to Indy NXT race seat and IndyCar reserve role

Alessandro de Tullio has joined Chip Ganassi Racing as its newest Indy NXT driver, and will also serve as the reserve road and street course driver for Ganassi’s championship-winning IndyCar program.

De Tullio was a rocket in Indy NXT qualifying this season, scoring eight pole positions from 17 races with HMD Motorsports and converting two into victories for the AJ Foyt Racing-badged effort en route to placing sixth in the championship.

The 20-year-old could be among the top contenders for next year’s NXT title which would be a welcome development for a Ganassi team that fell short of expectations across its four entries in 2026.

“I’m very excited to be joining Chip Ganassi Racing for 2027 in Indy NXT and with a reserve driver program in IndyCar,” de Tullio said.

“It’s another step in my career, and joining the most successful team in IndyCar is something that’s very special. I’m looking forward to adding to that success in the Indy NXT program, doing my best to learn as much as possible and help as much as possible as the reserve driver in IndyCar. I also have to thank my partners that have helped me get to this stage, and I’m excited to see what we can do together at Chip Ganassi Racing.”

Ganassi driver Carson Etter, who dealt with an injury that limited the rookie for most of the 2026 season, will return for next year, and CGR team manager Taylor Kiel is working on solidifying the rest of the drivers for the program.

“We’re excited to welcome Alessandro to Chip Ganassi Racing for the 2027 season,” Kiel said. “Our goal is to give him and his teammates the support and resources to compete for wins and the Indy NXT championship. Pairing that program with an IndyCar reserve driver role gives him a valuable opportunity to learn from our drivers and engineers, contribute to the team in a variety of ways and build his experience as a driver.”