The second oval event of the 2026 IndyNXT by Firestone season took place this weekend, with Nashville Superspeedway hosting the series. Speeds approached 180 MPH as drivers raced around the 1.33-mile oval in hot and humid conditions, and high speed skills were put on display.

Cape Motorsports powered by ECR got off to a strong start on Saturday, with both drivers qualifying near the front. Matteo Nannini put his #20 entry on pole with a speedy set of laps on the banking, while Nikita Johnson was close behind and earned the third starting position.

Nannini controlled the pace coming to green and got the jump to maintain the early lead. Johnson also got away well and slotted into second just behind his team-mate. The two Cape drivers ran 1-2 on track for the first 15 laps, leading the pack of 23 cars around the banked turns.

Following an early caution, Johnson made a move on Nannini at the restart. The Cape duo battled side by side for the lead for two full laps, pushing as hard as they could. The young drivers raced cleanly, but the battle allowed Myles Rowe to draft past both of them and take over the top spot. He did not stay there long, however, as Nannini made a pass on the outside just one lap later to retake the lead.

As Nannini led the way, Johnson played defender to the hungry pack behind. Just past halfway, the 18-year-old Floridian was shuffled back to fourth, but remained on the lookout for any opportunities.

Johnson kept his tires in good shape while drafting off the pack, making sure to not let them overheat. He used his grip to attack on the outside and moved back up to third, then made another daring pass on the outside with only five laps remaining to regain the second position.

Nannini had pulled well ahead by that point with his low downforce setup, and cruised to his second victory of the year by a healthy margin of 5.645 seconds. He led all but one of the 65 laps, and boosted himself into ninth in the points standings.

Johnson crossed the line in second, and moved back into the points lead. The battle for the championship remains incredibly tight, however, and there is only a one point margin back to Enzo Fittipaldi in second with four races remaining in the season.

Nashville’s strong result is Cape Motorsports’ first 1-2 finish in IndyNXT competition. The team now has nine podium finishes across both cars this season, and has plenty of momentum heading into the final events. Next on the calendar is a visit to Portland International Speedway, where the team has found plenty of success in years past.

Matteo Nannini:

It was 65 never-ending laps. I think it’s a great result for the team. My car has been the fastest, or one of the fastest, in every single racetrack we’ve been to. We could maximize with every chance. Obviously means we’re all doing a great job, the team back at home, and driving-wise, too. Just good momentum.

Confidence has always been there, it’s just about maximizing weekends. Keep the momentum up with only three or four races left. I’m sure we can do another step forward.

Nikita Johnson:

It was a long 65 laps. It was a little bit tough having to battle, something I wasn’t used to. It was tough, but we made it happen. Dropped back a little bit, but came back through. The Cape boys gave us a really good car, Matteo and me. The team has been working extremely hard. I know it means a lot to them getting first and second. Just proud of everyone and a great weekend.

For sure I’m really comfortable on ovals. Always have been, even from testing. I think it showed it pretty well in practice. One of the only ones to pass on the high line in the first few minutes, right? I think being able to be confident and comfortable on these ovals is going to make the difference.