Cusick Motorsports to join Indy NXT allied with downsizing HMD
- Archie O’Reilly
- 7 hours ago
- 3 min read
Cusick Motorsports will debut in Indy NXT with a two-car effort for the 2026 season, forming a technical alliance with HMD Motorsports.
The HMD stable is set to downsize to four cars, streamlining the operation after running as many as 10 cars at points in 2024 and fielding nine entries in 2025.
Cusick Motorsports’ first foray into Indy NXT will combine a fresh team identity with HMD’s proven technical expertise in a focused approach on developing talent and creating opportunities for aspiring IndyCar drivers.
“This is a monumental step for Cusick Motorsports as we put our efforts toward supporting drivers earlier in their careers before they make the jump to the IndyCar,” said Don Cusick, team owner at Cusick Motorsports.
“We’ve built our reputation on opening doors and creating opportunities, and now we can start doing that earlier in a driver’s journey with the help of HMD Motorsports. Our technical alliance with HMD gives us the foundation to compete at a high level from day one - and that’s critical if we want to put our drivers in a position to win and move up the ladder.”
Based out of Thermal, California, Cusick Motorsports was founded by Don Cusick, an entrepreneur in the health industry by trade, in 2021 in a bid to make the racing industry more accessible, aiming to lower the threshold for partners to get involved in motorsport.
In its infancy, the team has competed in multiple Indianapolis 500s in conjunction with existing teams, most recently partnering with Dreyer & Reinbold Racing for the past three seasons and bringing valuable partnerships to the Indy-only effort. They have also previously featured in joint efforts in the IMSA SportsCar Championship.
Expanding into Indy NXT - a maiden full-season racing venture - reinforces Cusick Motorsports’ objective to identify and offer a platform for young drivers early in their career.
“This is a giant step forward for Cusick Motorsports, our partners and our fans,” said Billy Morgan, director of the team. “Growth into a full-time entry has long been the goal for our team and we are excited to seize this opportunity through an alliance with HMD Motorsports.
“We look forward to helping the next generation of IndyCar champions develop in motorsports and their professional careers.”
Within the alliance with HMD, Cusick Motorsports will maintain its own branding, management structure and social media presence. The nature of the technical partnership is that the new-for-2026 outfit will benefit from existing knowledge and personnel from within the HMD ranks, which has been enabled by the streamlining of the team for next year.
A similar setup has emerged in Indy NXT between Andretti Global and Cape Motorsports across the last two seasons. Andretti has found great success with a four-car lineup - dominating the last two championships - alongside their own technical alliance with the two-car Cape team.
The collaboration between Cusick Motorsports and HMD comes with a shared goal of creating more variety and competition in the series beyond a limited number of teams.
“HMD Motorsports is looking forward to helping bring a new team up to speed,” said Mike Maurini, team president at HMD. “We know what it takes to succeed in Indy NXT, and by working with Cusick Motorsports, we can pass on that knowledge while still competing at the front of the field.
“This partnership is about cultivating talent and giving the paddock more variety in team culture, leadership and approach. Bringing more team variety to the paddock will allow for healthier and more exciting racing.”
Already since debuting in Indy Lights in 2019 having been founded by Henry and Daiva Malukas, parents of IndyCar driver David Malukas, HMD has seen seven of its drivers race in IndyCar - including six on a full-time basis.
Malukas, Kyffin Simpson, Nolan Siegel and most recent race winner Christian Rasmussen are all on the current grid. Benjamin Pedersen and 2024 Rookie of the Year Linus Lundqvist have also raced full-time, while Toby Sowery featured last year on a part-time basis.
By debuting in Indy NXT next year and partnering with HMD, Cusick Motorsports becomes the second fresh team in the series in as many years after Chip Ganassi Racing’s return for the 2025 season.
Andretti, Andretti Cape Motorsports and Abel Motorsports (including one car partnered with Miller Vinatieri Motorsports) have also competed this year in a field that peaked at 21 cars at the beginning of the season.
Additional details on Cusick Motorsports’ Indy NXT effort - including its two-driver lineup - will be shared in the lead-up to March’s season-opening race on the streets of St. Petersburg.
