HMD Motorsports has promoted Leonardo Escorpioni from its junior programme to a 2027 Indy NXT race seat. The 16-year-old Brazilian-American finished runner-up in USF Pro 2000 after winning the 2025 USF Juniors title. He has already tested at Indianapolis and will continue preparations with the team before his debut season.
Leonardo Escorpioni will race for HMD Motorsports in 2027 in Indy NXT, the series feeding drivers towards IndyCar. The Brazilian-American driver is 16 and spent 2026 as HMD’s official junior. His promotion follows a runner-up finish in his first season of USF Pro 2000, a lower single-seater category.[1], [2]
Escorpioni won the USF Juniors title in 2025 before briefly racing in USF2000 and moving into USF Pro 2000. HMD said he led the standings for much of 2026, with visa complications disrupting his title challenge. His single-seater debut came in the YACademy Winter Series in 2024, including a victory at the Sebring circuit.[1]
The driver has taken part in the Driver Evaluation Test and Chris Griffis Memorial Test at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the US circuit hosting his early Indy NXT running. He will continue with HMD through official preseason testing. Escorpioni said working alongside the team’s engineers and drivers had helped him prepare. HMD president Mike Maurini said familiarity with its people and processes should assist the transition, and pledged support for his opening races.[1]
