A.J. Foyt Racing's 2024 IndyCar plans seem set with the team's announcement that Santino Ferrucci, who drove Foyt Racing's iconic No. 14 car to a third-place finish in the 2023 Indianapolis 500, will drive the car for the full IndyCar schedule this year.
Ferrucci, who is competing at the Chili Bowl this week for Dave Mac Dalby Motorsports, thrilled Foyt fans in the closing stages of the 2023 Indy 500 as he dueled with eventual winner Josef Newgarden and second place finisher Marcus Ericsson. His third place ultimately gave A.J. Foyt Racing its best finish in the 500 since Eliseo Salazar and Jeff Ward finished third and fourth in 2000. A.J. Foyt Racing's only 500 triumph came in 1999 with Kenny Brack at the wheel.
Despite his name suggesting that he might hail from a different continent, Santino Ferrucci is an American driver who was born in Connecticut. Ferrucci has competed in five Indy 500s and has never finished outside the top 10. His 7th place finish in 2019 earned him that year's Rookie of the Year award. He has since finished fourth, sixth, 10th and third.
"I'm super stoked to be back with the team," said Ferrucci in an A.J. Foyt Racing press release announcing his return to the team. "It's really good to start building some continuity with everybody and I think it's going to improve our results. My expectations for the year are to come out of the gate a lot more prepared than we were last year; working with Penske things are hopefully going to be a lot smoother and I'm looking forward to being back at the Indy 500 again."
Last year, A.J. Foyt Racing and Team Penske announced a technical partnership that will provide chassis set-up assistance and other technology to the team owned by four-time Indy 500 winner Foyt in exchange for providing positions for younger Team Penske drivers, pit crew and engineers to gain valuable racing experience.
Confirmation of Ferrucci's return to the team follows A.J. Foyt Racing's announcement that Sting Ray Robb would join the team for his sophomore season in 2024. The hiring of both Ferrucci and Robb comes at the expense of Benjamin Pedersen, who drove the team's No. 55 car for the full season last year. Competing in his rookie campaign in IndyCar, Pedersen struggled mightily and finished last in points of the drivers who drove in the entire 17-race schedule, with just two finishes inside the top 20. Pedersen had been signed to a multi-year contract with Foyt in 2022, but after such a dismal season it seems the 24-year-old Danish driver will have to find a new car to drive if he is going to compete in IndyCar next year.
"My agreement with Mr. Pedersen lapsed by its own terms," team president, Larry Foyt, said when asked by the Indianapolis Star about Pedersen's status with the team. "I wish him well in his future endeavors."
With Ferrucci's return to the team, A.J. Foyt Racing has some measure of continuity going into 2024. Armed with Ferrucci's oval prowess, Robb's deep pockets and the technical alliance with IndyCar's winningest team, the team owned by IndyCar's winningest driver seems poised to make a move up the grid, which will be a welcome and refreshing change for "SuperTex" and his legions of fans everywhere.
