Reigning Indy NXT champion Nikita Johnson has officially moved up to IndyCar, as Dale Coyne Racing announced that he is set to replace Dennis Hauger behind the wheel of the No. 19 Honda for the 2027 NTT IndyCar Series season.
Hauger wasted no time after the 2026 season ended announcing his own new plans, joining A.J. Foyt Enterprises as the replacement for Santino Ferrucci behind the wheel of the No. 14 Chevrolet.
Officially, the Johnson announcement is the fourth driver announcement to have been made for the 2027 season following the conclusion of the 2026 campaign.
Johnson is the second confirmed rookie on the grid, as A.J. Foyt Enterprises also announced the addition of Josh Pierson as Caio Collet's replacement, while Chip Ganassi Racing confirmed silly season's worst-kept secret, that being the arrival of Christian Lundgaard as the replacement for the Arrow McLaren-bound Scott Dixon.
With Johnson set to compete full-time next year, here's an updated look at the 2027 driver lineup
Updated 2027 IndyCar driver lineup
Team | Car | Driver |
|---|---|---|
A.J. Foyt Enterprises | No. 4 Chevrolet | Josh Pierson (R) |
A.J. Foyt Enterprises | No. 14 Chevrolet | Dennis Hauger |
Andretti Global | No. 26 Honda | Will Power |
Andretti Global | No. 27 Honda | Kyle Kirkwood |
Andretti Global | No. 28 Honda | Marcus Ericsson |
Arrow McLaren | No. 5 Chevrolet | Pato O'Ward |
Arrow McLaren | No. 6 Chevrolet | Scott Dixon |
Arrow McLaren | No. 7 Chevrolet | Felix Rosenqvist |
Chip Ganassi Racing | No. 8 Honda | Kyffin Simpson |
Chip Ganassi Racing | No. 9 Honda | Christian Lundgaard |
Chip Ganassi Racing | No. 10 Honda | Alex Palou |
Dale Coyne Racing | No. 18 Honda | TBD |
Dale Coyne Racing | No. 19 Honda | Nikita Johnson (R) |
Dreyer & Reinbold Racing | No. 24 Honda | Conor Daly |
Ed Carpenter Racing | No. 20 Chevrolet | Alexander Rossi |
Ed Carpenter Racing | No. 21 Chevrolet | Christian Rasmussen |
Juncos Hollinger Racing | No. 76 Chevrolet | TBD |
Juncos Hollinger Racing | No. 77 Chevrolet | TBD |
Meyer Shank Racing | No. 60 Honda | Marcus Armstrong |
Meyer Shank Racing | No. 66 Honda | Mick Schumacher |
Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing | No. 15 Honda | Graham Rahal |
Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing | No. 45 Honda | Louis Foster |
Team Penske | No. 2 Chevrolet | Josef Newgarden |
Team Penske | No. 3 Chevrolet | Scott McLaughlin |
Team Penske | No. 12 Chevrolet | David Malukas |
The reality is, however, that barring any unforeseen changes, both Juncos Hollinger Racing seats are already filled as well.
Rinus VeeKay is in line to return for a second season behind the wheel of the No. 76 Chevrolet after an impressive 2026 campaign in which he finished 10th in the championship standings with four top four finishes, while ex-Arrow McLaren driver Nolan Siegel is expected to win the battle over several other previously rumored contenders for the No. 77 Chevrolet as Sting Ray Robb's replacement.
The only big question mark remaining about that team is what their ownership will look like in 2027, as it is expected that founder Ricardo Juncos will sell his stake to Brad Hollinger as the team become Hollinger Racing next year.
That means that, as is usually the case, the only team with a remaining vacancy is once again Dale Coyne Racing, which have a habit of waiting deep into the offseason to confirm their full lineup.
Will the full IndyCar lineup be set by Thanksgiving, or even Christmas, or will the search for a No. 18 Honda driver once again extend up until just weeks before the season begins, as it has over the past several years?
The streets of St. Petersburg, Florida are once again set to kick off another IndyCar season, with the 2027 NTT IndyCar Series campaign scheduled to begin on Sunday, March 7 with the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. Live coverage is set to be provided by Fox.
Add us as a preferred source on Google