Andretti Global announced Oct. 24 that Ricardo Escotto will join the Andretti Cape INDY NXT lineup for the 2025 INDY NXT by Firestone season, driving the team’s No. 3 car.

Escotto, from Mexico, is the first confirmed driver for the 2025 INDY NXT season for Andretti Cape INDY NXT, a technical partnership formed in 2024 between Andretti INDY NXT and Cape Motorsports.

“I'm super excited to be with Andretti Cape in 2025,” Escotto said. “I’ve only worked with the team for a short amount of time, but after getting to do the test with them in Indianapolis, I feel like we already work together really well. This is a great career opportunity for me to be able to race in INDY NXT, so I'm looking forward to working hard with the team and getting some good results next season.”

Escotto competed in five INDY NXT by Firestone races in 2024 with Juncos Hollinger Racing, with a best finish of 13th in the second race at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca and at the Milwaukee Mile.

The jump to INDY NXT came after a successful stint in USF Pro 2000 in 2023 and 2024. He won on the IMS road course and collected four additional top-10 finishes as a rookie in 2023, and he produced two podium finishes and five top-five results in 2024.

“After a successful first season for our technical partnership with Cape Motorsports, we’re looking forward to bringing Ricardo into the mix as we continue to grow the Andretti Cape INDY NXT program,” Andretti Global President J-F Thormann said. “Ricardo was strong in USF Pro 2000 the last two seasons, and after getting a few INDY NXT starts under his belt last season, the natural next step was for him to move up to INDY NXT full time.

“We were impressed with his pace last week at the Chris Griffis test, finishing the day in the top 10, especially with how competitive the INDY NXT field is right now, and we’re eager to see what the 2025 season has in store for him.”

Escotto, 19, got his start in racing in 2017 in senior karting on the SKUSA tour. He made his open-wheel racing debut in the NACAM Formula 4 Championship in 2018, when he competed in three races, with two top-10 finishes. Escotto then raced in 2022 in the Spanish Formula 4 Championship, where he secured two top-10 finishes. Escotto also competed in the UAE Formula 4 Championship in 2022, finishing the season in the top five of the Rookies’ Championship standings.

“We are extremely happy to have Ricardo in our lineup for the 2025 season,” Cape Motorsports President Dominic Cape said. “We had the opportunity to evaluate him while we were at the Chris Griffis test last week, and he immediately fit in with everyone on the team. Ricardo had excellent feedback and performed really well. We are all looking forward to working with him.”