Nicolas Stati persevered through a challenging INDY NXT by Firestone doubleheader weekend at Road America, overcoming adversity in Race One before mounting an impressive charge through the field in Sunday’s Race Two. The Australian rookie fought hard in his #15 Cusick Morgan Motorsports machine during Rounds Nine and Ten of the championship following his absence from the previous round in St. Louis.
After qualifying for the opening race weekend, Stati showed promising pace on Saturday at Road America’s 4.014-mile, 14-turn road course before an early puncture forced the Australian rookie to pit and dropped him to the rear of the field. Undeterred by the setback, Stati battled his way through traffic and gained several positions throughout the race on his way to a 17th-place finish.
Determined to rebound on Sunday, Stati lined up 21st on the starting grid and immediately began carving his way forward. The 17-year-old steadily worked through traffic and avoided trouble to finish 13th on track. Following post-race penalties applied to competitors ahead, Stati was elevated to 12th in the final results.
While the result fell just shy of the top-ten, the Race Two performance highlighted Stati’s ability to stay focused and maximize opportunities, earning valuable championship points after a difficult start to the weekend. With Road America being one of his favorite circuits, a track where he earned a victory and two podium finishes in Formula 4 U.S. Championship competition in 2024 and recorded strong performances in Formula Regional Americas in 2025, Stati remained focused on maximizing every opportunity throughout the weekend.
“The team worked hard throughout the weekend, and in Race Two we were able to move forward and make the most of the opportunities available to us,” commented Stati. “It was encouraging to gain that many positions and come away with some solid points.”
Stati continued, “Road America is a track I really love driving, so it was nice to be able to fight through the field and show some of our pace. We learned a lot, and there are plenty of positives to take from the weekend. I’m looking forward to building on that momentum and continuing to progress at the next round.”
With the Grand Prix at Road America doubleheader complete, Stati will now turn his attention to oval preparation as he and the team participate in testing at the Milwaukee Mile before returning to INDY NXT by Firestone competition at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, July 3–5.
Stay connected with Nicolas Stati by following his social media channels for updates, results, and announcements. Additional team details can be found at CusickMotorsports.com.
Photo Credit: RTD Media