What Cape Motorsports Inc does

Cape Motorsports Inc is a privately held, family-owned professional open-wheel racing team founded in 2010 by brothers Dominic and Nicholas Cape, headquartered in St. Petersburg, Florida with operating presence in Wilmington, North Carolina. The team's core product is racing competition services delivered through a two-car program in the INDY NXT by Firestone series — the developmental tier of American open-wheel racing — using Dallara chassis and Firestone tires. In 2026, the team operates under the banner 'Cape Motorsports powered by ECR' through a core partnership with Ed Carpenter Racing, which provides engine and technical support. Drivers Nikita Johnson (Car #21) and Matteo Nannini (Car #20) compete across the North American INDY NXT calendar at street, road, and oval circuits.

The business model is sponsorship- and partnership-driven. Cape generates revenue through sponsor relationships and technical partnerships rather than through disclosed pricing or ticketed services; drivers participate via sponsorship arrangements rather than fixed fees. Marketing is anchored on the team's official website and earned race coverage from motorsports media. The team's go-to-market motion is event-driven: it acquires drivers through talent identification in junior categories and develops them through the USF Pro Championships ladder with the strategic goal of progressing them toward IndyCar. Customer concentration is narrow, with two active drivers and a small set of sponsors underpinning results.

Cape has a track record of dominance at the junior level, with multiple championships in USF2000 and USF Pro Championships, and is now translating that success upward. In 2026, the team recorded its first INDY NXT win at St. Petersburg (March), went on to claim four wins across the season, and secured its first 1-2 finish at Nashville Superspeedway (July), reaching nine combined podiums. Operationally, the team is lean at 1-10 employees and relies on ECR's engineering infrastructure, which both extends its capability and concentrates technical dependency. There is no public financial disclosure, no institutional funding, and no AI/ML technology component evident in the provided data.

Name

Cape Motorsports Inc

Legal name

Cape Motorsports Inc

Website

https://capemotorsports.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Cape Motorsports is a family-owned professional racing team that develops junior open-wheel drivers through a two-car program in the INDY NXT by Firestone series, operating as 'Cape Motorsports powered by ECR' in partnership with Ed Carpenter Racing.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Racing Services

NAICS

Racetracks (711212)

SIC

Services-Racing, Including Track Operation (7948)

akta.pro primary industry

Motorsports Teams & Entrants (Factory & Independent) (MPAKAGAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Motorsports Teams (F1, NASCAR, IndyCar, Rally, MotoGP, etc.) (MPAKABAB), Motorsport Driver Training Schools & Racing Academies (MPAKAJAJ)

Keywords

• Open-wheel racing team
• Driver development program
• Indy NXT racing
• Junior formula racing
• Motor racing services

Headquarters

HQ city

St. Petersburg

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Sponsorship and Partnership Revenue: Revenue generated through partnerships with sponsors and technical partners, including Ed Carpenter Racing (ECR) which provides engine and technical support. The team attracts sponsorship through competitive results and driver development success.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Cape Motorsports operates a professional open-wheel racing team that competes in the INDY NXT by Firestone series, providing two race seats and full team operations. The team's core service is end-to-end driver development, progressing young drivers through the U.S. open-wheel ladder system (USF2000 and USF Pro Championships) toward top-level professional racing careers. As of 2026 it operates as "Cape Motorsports powered by ECR" in partnership with Ed Carpenter Racing for engine and technical support.

Product overview

Cape Motorsports is a single-product racing organization offering professional auto racing competition services. The company specializes in driver development through the INDY NXT by Firestone series, operating as a two-car team (powered by ECR partnership) with drivers competing in a unified racing program. The team focuses exclusively on developing young talent for careers in top-level open-wheel racing.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• INDY NXT by Firestone Racing Competition Services Two-car professional open-wheel racing team competing in the full INDY NXT by Firestone series schedule across North American circuits (street, road, and oval), with drivers Nikita Johnson (Car No. 21) and Matteo Nannini (Car No. 20). Provides competitive race equipment, engineering, and crew support in pursuit of race wins and a championship.
• Junior Open-Wheel Driver Development Program Multi-tier development pathway progressing young drivers through the U.S. open-wheel ladder system (USF2000 and USF Pro Championships) and into INDY NXT, with the goal of preparing them for professional IndyCar careers. Combines equipment, coaching, engineering, and race operations support.

Quantifiable outcome

• Dominating the U.S. open-wheel ladder system with multiple championships
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Ed Carpenter Racing (ECR)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Cape Motorsports partnered with Ed Carpenter Racing (ECR) in 2026 to compete in the INDY NXT by Firestone series. The partnership operates under the banner 'Cape Motorsports powered by ECR' and combines Cape's driver development expertise with ECR's technical and engine capabilities. This is the team's primary operational partnership for INDY NXT competition.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• A.J. Foyt Enterprises: Legendary IndyCar organization that fields INDY NXT cars, sitting at the same IndyCar-development intersection as Cape while operating at a much larger scale.
• Juncos Hollinger Racing: IndyCar team with INDY NXT entries; operates in the same feeder-to-IndyCar model that defines Cape's value proposition, but is a broader racing operation with an IndyCar seat.
• Chip Ganassi Racing: Premier IndyCar organization fielding INDY NXT cars at the same events as Cape; competes for the same junior drivers and offers an IndyCar pathway, but is a much larger, multi-series incumbent.
• Andretti Global: Major IndyCar organization that also runs an INDY NXT development program (multiple cars at Nashville). Overlaps directly with Cape in INDY NXT but has a much broader motorsport portfolio.

Others

• Ed Carpenter Racing: Cape's strategic technical and engine partner ('Cape Motorsports powered by ECR'). Not a head-to-head rival at the two-car INDY NXT level, but the closest operational partner and a useful comparison for technical/structural scope.

Direct peers

• Cusick Morgan Motorsports: INDY NXT team seen on the same Nashville entry list as Cape; an independent two-car operation in the same series and category, directly comparable in scale and customer base.
• HMD Motorsports: Multi-car INDY NXT entrant that fielded several cars at Nashville and is part of the same U.S. open-wheel developmental ladder, competing head-to-head with Cape for drivers, sponsors, and race results.
• Turn 3 Motorsport: Independent team operating in USF2000/USF Pro Championships categories; competes for the same junior-driver talent pool that Cape graduates, making it a structurally comparable counterpart at the lower end of Cape's ladder.
• Abel Motorsports: Two-car INDY NXT by Firestone competitor that races alongside Cape at the same events (e.g., Nashville), with the same driver mix in the same chassis — directly comparable team scale and operating model.

Emerging players

• Andretti Cape Racing: Historical Andretti-affiliated open-wheel developmental program in the U.S. ladder; comparable 'feeder team' archetype to Cape focused on junior driver progression toward IndyCar.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cape-motorsports-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Cape Motorsports Inc