Tymek Kucharczyk took third place in the American Indy NXT series in the 2026 season. The Pole won the final race at Laguna Seca, and if oval tracks were excluded from the classification, he would have been the best. It was a successful season for him, only lacking a bit of luck and experience.
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Last weekend, the drivers of the Indy NXT series ended the season with two races at Laguna Seca. Tymek Kucharczyk started the first of them from second position, but on the first lap he spun after being hit by a rival. This was a key moment in the championship, because if he had won that race, he would have had a real chance to fight for the title. The win in the final race somewhat sweetened the bad luck from the previous day. Below you can read what Tymek Kucharczyk said about this round in the submitted statement. At the end, you can read my commentary.
Tymek Kucharczyk confirms third place in the 2026 Indy NXT standings with a victory
Tymek Kucharczyk finished his debut season in Indy NXT in 3rd place in the overall standings. The Pole sealed a very good year in American racing with a victory in the last race of the season at the legendary Laguna Seca track.
The final weekend in California was a real rollercoaster for Kucharczyk. The HMD Motorsports driver had his best qualifying sessions of the season, securing 2nd and 1st place on the grid for the two races, which further raised hopes for a championship fight.
However, already on the first lap of Saturday’s race, Tymek was hit by Myles Rowe and dropped from second position to the back of the field. The Pole did not give up. He started a great chase, overtook many rivals on the technically difficult track, and moved up to 10th place.
He started the last race of the season from pole position and this time left no chance to his rivals. Kucharczyk led from start to finish, built a large lead, and won comfortably. This was his second win this year, after his triumph at Indianapolis in May.
Ultimately, Kucharczyk finished the 2026 season in 3rd place in the Indy NXT overall standings. This is a very good result, especially considering it was his debut year racing in the United States and his first contact with the completely different specifics of American motorsport. The Pole once again confirmed his skills and ability to adapt quickly. This is also the fourth time in the last five years that he has finished a season on the podium of the championship standings in which he competes.
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“It was a bittersweet weekend. I think I have never been so sad after a victory before. We knew how much was at stake here, and after qualifying we really felt we could fight for the championship. What happened in the first race took that chance away from us, but I am very proud of how we responded on Sunday and above all of all the work we did this year together with HMD Motorsports. Before the season, I did not expect that in my first year in the USA we would achieve such results and fight for the highest goals until the last weekend.
This season would not have been possible without my family, close ones, friends, and many people who were extremely supportive here in the United States. Huge thanks also go to my partners: the insurance comparison site Mubi, ORLEN Motorsport Academy, the Polish Motor Association, developer and investor Grenova Capital, the technology company iteo, and other sponsors. Without their support, I wouldn’t be here. Finally, I do not forget the fans – the number of messages, comments, and support I received throughout the season was amazing. I really felt it and thank you very much for that. I hope you will be with me also in the next step of my career.” – summarized Tymek Kucharczyk.
Third place in Indy NXT is another important result in Kucharczyk’s career. After successes in European series, the Pole proved that he can belong to the very top also in a completely new environment of American racing.
Source: Submitted information
Additional information and my commentary
It was a very successful season for Kucharczyk. Third place in a debut season in a completely new racing series should be considered a success. He had never competed on tracks in the USA before, nor had he driven on oval tracks, which have their own specifics. The cars and tires were new to him. From the start of the season, he was in the fight for podiums and scored high points. What was missing for the championship were better results on oval tracks or luck in the final round. The championship fight lasted for a long time among three drivers debuting in this series, and details decided the final results between them.
Tymek Kucharczyk has grown into a leader among Polish juniors in terms of popularity and overall presence. Broadcasts of his races appeared on television, and this is a series that was completely unknown in Poland until now. He is very active on social media, has gained sponsors. He has also become popular in the USA among motorsport fans, but also among the local Polish community, gaining sponsorship support there as well. The key question is what next? The Pole had an offer this year to test an old F1 car from one of the teams but declined for financial reasons. If I were him, I would think about a second season in Indy NXT, then he would be a favorite for the championship, build his brand, and perhaps later move to IndyCar. Returning to Europe would only make sense for Formula 2, but costs there are even twice as high. I hope this is not the end of his season and that he will manage to race again in the Macau GP.
Many different Polish drivers compete in junior series on the way to Formula 1. The most important information about them can be found in the article category: Polish racing drivers on the blog.
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