Johnson Eyeing IMSA Enduros in 2027 Despite IndyCar Target

Photo: Nikita Johnson Facebook

Nikita Johnson said he’s still aiming to have a place in sports car racing despite his goal of reaching the NTT IndyCar Series next year.

The 18-year-old Floridian is currently undertaking dual programs in Indy NXT and the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, having received a last minute call-up to drive Team RLL’s McLaren 720S GT3 Evo at Daytona in what’s turned into a full season program in the GTD Pro class alongside fellow sports car racing rookie Max Esterson.

Johnson, meanwhile, currently leads the championship in Indy NXT competition, with two wins and five additional podium finishes in his first full season of the series that sits on the rung directly below IndyCar.

“I got used to traveling a lot when I did a double campaign two years ago in British F3 and USF Pro 2000 where I was gone for eight weeks traveling back and forth,” Johnson told Sportscar365.

“This has not been too big of a challenge, just travel-wise, but hopping into each car every weekend is a little bit difficult, to go from open-wheel to GT cars.

“I think it’s gone pretty well. I can’t complain too much.

“Detroit was a little bit tough, running both cars in the same weekend. Each session was a different car, so it was just very hard to develop the car around myself and get better as a diver that weekend.

“The McLaren is getting better every weekend. Both Max and I are getting better and better and I’m still leading the NXT championship, so it’s not too bad.”

With no prior sports car racing experience, Johnson admitted it’s “definitely been tough” in acclimating to GT3 racing, although he and Esterson have shown encouraging moments as of late, including a strong run at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park.

“We’re two rookies coming into a series with a lot of veterans and people that are at the top of the sports car world and doing extremely well,” said Johnson.

“It’s a little bit tough from that aspect of having to learn so much, and also it’s a brand-new car for RLL this year, so just having to develop the car each weekend with also being new to GTs, for the both of us, is a little bit on the tough side, but I think we’re doing pretty well to manage it.”

Johnson admitted that he pursued the RLL McLaren drive, which was originally just for the season-opening Rolex 24 at Daytona, with the goal of making connections within the Bobby Rahal-led operation.

“I met Bobby last year when I announced I was going to come back to Indy NXT and switch from Europe,” he said. “I just stayed in contact and started talking to him the week before the Roar.

“We just did Daytona and after that everything became finalized and decided to run a full year for them and try to help develop the car as much as possible alongside Max.”

With RLL recently selling one of its three charters to Dreyer & Reinbold Racing, and both Graham Rahal and Louis Foster both under contract through 2027, Johnson said his chances of driving for RLL in IndyCar have faded but he hasn’t given up on other opportunities.

“Another benefit to running this program with RLL is that they also have an IndyCar team,” he said. “It just made sense if we could hopefully get [into IndyCar] in 2027.

“It will be a little bit tough [now]. I don’t think it’s off the table. But it makes it for sure tougher.

“It’s still good to run this year with a well-known team in the paddock that also does pretty well in IndyCar, so that’s why.”

When asked on his IndyCar aspirations, Johnson said: “Right now IndyCar is the main goal and try to become a paid open-wheel driver as fast as possible.

“I’m going to try to shoot for that for 2027.

“Obviously whatever races I can do in IMSA, I’m happy to come out and do. I think Daytona would be the easiest one for me to come and do.

“But any IMSA race I can do alongside IndyCar, I’ll try to get my way into. Obviously it’s a little bit harder doing the sprint races, so I’ll probably to get in some of the endurance races where you need a third driver.”

Johnson said he feels it’s important to keep his feet in sports car racing despite his IndyCar aspirations.

“It teaches you quite a lot just with the energy saving and everything else,” he said.

“It’s also good as a driver to be able to run a second different car. It’s important to not just be stuck in one car and get used to one car and never trying different driving styles or car types.

“I think that’s what helped Kyle Kirkwood in IndyCar, in coming over to IMSA and running with Lexus. He’s been there for the past few years, and I think that helps him.

“I’m just trying to be diverse and learn other cars.”

Source: Sports Car 365