HMD Motorsports has officially announced the addition of young Brazilian-American driver Leonardo Escorpioni to its team for the 2027 season of Indy NXT by Firestone.
Escorpioni’s promotion comes after serving as a junior driver for the team during the 2026 season. With an impressive resume in open-wheel racing, the 16-year-old driver heads into Indy NXT with solid experience and a deep understanding of the team.
Escorpioni’s rise comes after a standout campaign in the USF Pro 2000 Championship, where he achieved the runner-up title. His inaugural season was marked by intense competition and a lengthy stay in the top positions of the standings until visa complications affected his performance. This success also consolidates his victory in the USF Juniors championship of 2025, which demonstrates his rapid progression in single-seater racing.
Escorpioni began his journey in open-wheel racing in early 2024, participating in the YACademy Winter Series. After a victory at Sebring International Raceway, he made a brief stop in USF2000 before rapidly advancing to USF Pro 2000. Now, just two years after his debut, he is set for his first full year in INDY NXT.
“I am excited to enter Indy NXT with HMD Motorsports,” said Escorpioni. “After a year as a junior driver, I think I have built a solid foundation for my debut. The time spent with the drivers and engineers of the team has been very valuable; so making my first laps at the Driver Evaluation Test was a dream come true. I hope to compete among the best.”
The executives of HMD Motorsports have expressed their support and confidence in Escorpioni’s potential for his competitive debut. “We are excited about Leonardo’s debut season. He has spent a year learning about our team, and we believe this familiarity will be an advantage as he enters Indy NXT, and we see great potential in him,” stated Mike Maurini, president of HMD Motorsports.
Preparations for the upcoming season have already begun. Escorpioni recently completed his first laps with Indy NXT vehicles during the Driver Evaluation Test and the Chris Griffis Memorial Test at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. He will remain with HMD Motorsports throughout the official testing calendar before the start of the 2027 season.
Written by FormulaRapidaAI
