INDY NXT SERIES: GRAND PRIX AT ROAD AMERICA RACE 2

June 21, 2026

Alessandro de Tullio

Tymek Kucharczyk

Matteo Nannini

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Currently joined by Matteo Nannini, came home second. First podium of the season, second of his career.

Back on the podium Tymek Kucharczyk, third-place finish today. Sixth podium of the season. 20 on-track passes for Tymek, which is a race high.

Matteo, congratulations. Back on the podium. How exciting for you?

MATTEO NANNINI: I mean, it's good to be back. I feel like it's been a tough start to the season for me, not very lucky. But we no get the speed since the first race. We're just about having a clean weekend, good qualifying.

The race was pretty good. I felt like I could have kept up with Alessandro. I got hit at the start, I'm not sure by who.

Other than that, I'm glad to bring it home for my team and sponsors. It's been a tough start to the season, but second place is not too bad.

THE MODERATOR: Tymek, a lot of action on track. Talk us through it. Obviously very difficult to pass anyone, let alone to pass 20 cars.

TYMEK KUCHARCZYK: Yeah, it was a fun one, for sure (smiling). I didn't expect to be this quick. Obviously yesterday we took a little bit of a gamble, went used tires. Today we had new tires. Most of the grid had used. We were super quick. On lap one I went from 16th to eighth, which is quite insane. I had to make a pace. Probably had a shot at the win today. Yeah, I think I went side by side with Nikita. He forced me off the track. I lost a couple places, had to make it up all the way again. Safety cars. Didn't have much push to pass left. Sketchy last lap.

Obviously really, really happy. I would say like this is the moment where I had to do it for the championship, as well.

THE MODERATOR: Second in points right now. Eight points out of the championship lead, still held by Nikita Johnson.

Ale, congratulations. Led all 18 laps today. Third yesterday, finishing on the top step of the podium today. Second win of the season. Fourth podium of 2026.

Congratulations. A couple restarts which can be nerve-wracking, but you kept everybody behind you.

ALESSANDRO de TULLIO: Yeah, that last restart really was, like, wow, did it have to happen now? I had push to pass, I had saved some tires. I think we were in a good position. All I had to focus on was getting good traction. I did. I had the push to pass to stay out in front.

Yeah, we needed this. It's been an up-and-down season. The pace has always been there. It's good for the championship, especially. We have had fallen back in the championship so much, considering how many poles we had.

It was difficult to look at. I didn't want to look at the standings because we're one of the quickest cars out there every weekend and we're seventh in standings.

We cut the gap this weekend just like we did at the oval, and that is what we are going to keep on doing.

THE MODERATOR: Any changes to the car from yesterday to today?

ALESSANDRO de TULLIO: Yeah, we made some tweaks. Definitely the balance wasn't there yesterday. Andretti I think was really fast. You saw it with Lochie and Josh. They were fast at the spots you need to be fast in this track. We were fast, but we were fast in the wrong spots of the track. Once we got to the spots where we needed to be quick, they were getting runs on us because of that.

Today we focused a bit more on those spots and the team did a phenomenal job to improve the car for today. They deserve this one.

THE MODERATOR: We'll open it up for questions.

Q. Ale, two good weekends really elevated you into a contending position. Do you start making decisions based on the championship?

ALESSANDRO de TULLIO: Yeah, with the pace we have, I think we just need to focus on executing every weekend, just like we have been doing.

This season has been so crazy; anything can happen still. We just need to focus on our job, keep doing what we have to do. If we're in the fight, we're in the fight. Yeah, that's pretty much it.

I know I mentioned the championship, but I'm not, like, looking at it constantly. I'm focusing on going weekend by weekend.

Q. Matteo, you said it's been a difficult start to the year. Has it taken a while to get back up to speed after being out of the series for so long?

MATTEO NANNINI: Yes and no. For the past two years, I didn't to much, not even working out. Started focusing on other things.

Obviously the first few races... I feel like the third one, we were already up there speed-wise. We didn't have a clean weekend and couldn't put it together from qualifying. Obviously when you start at the back, it's easier to get involved in contact or doing mistakes here and there.

I feel like in this series, qualifying is key. If you start up front, 90% of your job is done.

Q. Tymek, you're very much in the championship picture. Difficult few races before this. Are you generally happy with the performance? Is there still more for you to find through the rest of the season?

TYMEK KUCHARCZYK: I think there is always something to unlock. So far, like, race one yesterday, qualifying, Gateway was pretty average. I was struggling with the feeling in the car. But today, again, we made some big adjustments. I feel like I was so much better.

Obviously new tires helped massively. But doesn't change the fact that yesterday I was on used and I was still up there with the pace.

Yeah, it's obviously a big motivation boost and confidence boost for me to see, okay, I didn't really forget how to drive big. I'm able to. Even though I started 16th, I was staying out of the trouble lap one, then just focused lap by lap. I tried to maximize that one.

Q. Tymek, right after the race you said you don't know how you gained all of those places. We hear the new tires helped. What was your passing strategy?

TYMEK KUCHARCZYK: I was surprised. I think in couple of moments my push to pass was not ideal. I probably should have saved a little bit more for the last couple of laps. I was just so focused on getting places. Obviously I was frustrated when I got pushed off. Then I used quite a bit of push to pass there.

But to be fair, I've seen people struggling since lap one on traction and mid-corner oversteer. I prepared my exits as good as I could. I had a couple of switchbacks, overtakes.

Yeah, I mean, I was surprised obviously, but that was one part of the job. I had to save a little bit of tires, save a little bit of push to pass, manage my pace throughout the race.

When you're so quick, it's easy to get a bit hot-headed and do a stupid move, which I did. It was a pretty cool race, so much pace advantage, it was just a pleasure to drive.

Q. A few weeks back to Alabama where you struggled physically, how was it this weekend?

TYMEK KUCHARCZYK: Super chill. (Indiscernible) in the meantime.

Q. Matteo, how pleased are you with the performance that you've shown this weekend and especially today?

MATTEO NANNINI: I hope to come a lot earlier than now. I feel like now we're at the point in the championship where I don't really have to look, I have to go race by race. I don't have much to lose.

I feel we were close a couple of times, Arlington and Indy. We were taken away a few laps to the end. Yeah, just relieved to be here now.

Q. Tymek, practice and qualifying suggested this might be the toughest weekend you've had on race pace so far this year. What was different in the car race one to race two?

TYMEK KUCHARCZYK: Do you really think I'm going to tell you (smiling).

No, I mean, for me the biggest thing that I come away with is I tried to drove like the car wanted to be driven. It just didn't work for me. We spend a lot of time yesterday just figuring out what can we change to actually make me feel comfortable in a car. That's what exactly we did.

Yeah, I mean, that's obviously a big part of my engineer, of my connection, my chemistry with him. He's a really good guy. He has a lot of experience.

Yeah, I'm just happy to finally drive a car that's capable of going fast (smiling).

Q. Tymek and Matteo, Road America is the longest track on the calendar, compared to the European circuits like Spa. How do you feel your experience overseas has helped you with this circuit?

TYMEK KUCHARCZYK: When I came here, I felt like I was driving in the car for the first time. To be fair, is obviously a bit more European style track with a lot of long corners. You spend a lot of time in the corners. I would say something like Spa or Silverstone, it's kind of similar.

We're driving INDY NXT car with Firestones on. That's a completely different challenge, a completely different feeling.

At the same time Ale or other American guys, thousands of laps around here. I come here for the first time ever and I have to perform in 40-minute practice and quallies straightaway, which is not easy. But it is what it is.

ALESSANDRO de TULLIO: (Indiscernible) Wisconsin.

TYMEK KUCHARCZYK: Closer than Poland.

Obviously it's a different challenge for all of us.

MATTEO NANNINI: For some reason this track reminds me of Spa, but it has been so long since I raced there, maybe five years ago. And being after like three years, I was here before the track got repaved. Yeah, the track is maybe one of the closest to Indy and some European tracks.

The car is so different to drive, at least with my car all over the place, fighting, trying to find the grip. Definitely helps experience from Europe, but just different type of racing here.

THE MODERATOR: Congratulations. Thank you.