Following a successful evaluation test on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course on Tuesday, Josh Pierson has cleared the final hurdle to become eligible for the IndyCar Series.
The approval comes as AJ Foyt Racing considers the 20-year-old Oregon native for its second seat alongside reigning IndyCar Rookie of the Year Dennis Hauger for the upcoming season. While funding was not an obstacle, Pierson’s trajectory had been tied to IndyCar’s revised driver licensing criteria for 2027.
Pierson positioned himself for the evaluation following an impressive fourth season in Indy NXT, highlighted by a breakthrough performance in the season finale doubleheader at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, where he earned his maiden series victory in Race 1. Over the course of the season, Pierson secured two pole positions, two additional podium finishes, and led a series-high 108 laps.
That Laguna Seca victory proved pivotal, unlocking the opportunity for Tuesday’s test under IndyCar’s stringent driver qualification guidelines.
IndyCar released the following statement regarding his evaluation:
“Following IndyCar’s driver qualification, licensing standards and process, Josh Pierson participated in an NTT IndyCar Series licensing approval test, Tuesday, on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course. Pierson became eligible for the test based on his Indy NXT by Firestone race win at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca last month. Under close observation from series officials, IndyCar Officiating and former IndyCar Series driver Davey Hamilton, Pierson was deemed to have satisfied performance requirements based on criteria such as car control, pace, consistency and communication. As such, Pierson is now eligible for an IndyCar license to compete in the NTT IndyCar Series.”
With his licensing status now officially approved, Pierson is cleared to make the step up to North America’s premier open-wheel racing series.
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