A double duty challenge for Nikita Johnson in Detroit
It is one of the most demanding tasks a young driver can face, but Nikita Johnson is ready to tackle it head-on. The teenager from Gulfport is preparing for a unique double-duty event at the Chevrolet Detroit Sports Car Classic, where he will compete in both the 100-minute WeatherTech Championship race and the Indy NXT event on the same weekend.
He is not alone in his ambition. RLL Team McLaren is returning to a dual-series weekend, running its IMSA program alongside three Honda-powered IndyCars. It is a massive undertaking for a team that has returned to the McLaren 720S GT3 Evo after a three-year stint in GTP. With Johnson and Max Esterson forming one of only two all-American lineups in their class, the team is looking to build on steady progress that has seen them climb from 12th at Daytona to seventh at Monterey.
Johnson enters the 1.645-mile Detroit street circuit as the Indy NXT points leader, holding an 11-point advantage. While he has already proven his mettle by winning in St. Petersburg and taking a sixth-place finish in Arlington, the tight angles of Detroit will be a new test. As Johnson put it, "It’s a very busy schedule coming up. I’m having good success in NXT and the GT program, learning quite a bit."
