Ferrucci secures return to Foyt Racing with multi-year deal
By John Sturbin, Raceday San Antonio
Santino Ferrucci and his aggressive, on-track attitude will return to A.J. Foyt Racing and the NTT IndyCar Series in 2025 under terms of a “multi-year” contract to drive the No. 14 Sexton Properties Chevrolet.
Ferrucci sits 10th in the point standings heading into this weekend’s season-ender at Nashville Superspeedway in Lebanon, Tenn. Ferrucci, 26, will be paired with 22-year-old native Chicagoan David Malukas in Foyt Racing’s second entry beginning next season. Malukas, currently of Meyer Shank Racing, signed with the Waller, Texas-based organization owned by open-wheel legend A.J. Foyt Jr. last month.
“I’m thrilled to continue with Santino in the No. 14 car,” said Team President Larry Foyt, A.J.’s youngest son, who did not disclose terms of “Santucci’s” multi-year agreement. “We have really gelled over the last two seasons and he’s a big part of our recent success. This continuity is great for the team and I believe the pairing of Ferrucci and Malukas next season is a powerful combination for A.J. Foyt Racing.”
Ferrucci, who lives in Dallas with wife Renay, joined Foyt Racing in 2023 _ a season highlighted by a career-best third-place finish in the Indianapolis 500. Ferrucci is on the threshold of finishing a personal-best 10th in the final national championship standings, marking the first time that Foyt Racing has cracked the top-10 since Eddie Cheever Jr. in 2002.
INDYCAR wraps-up its season this weekend with the Big Machine Music City Grand Prix at Nashville Superspeedway. Sunday’s 206-lap finale around the 1.33-mile oval will be broadcast by NBC and streamed on Peacock starting at 3 p.m. (EDT).
“I think Larry’s done a great job building the team so they are now in a position to win an Indy 500 and compete for championships,” said Ferrucci, a native of Woodbury, Conn. “Everybody that’s there is what made this team’s amazing turnaround. We’ve all put a lot of time, energy and hard work into this program and I really want to see it through, not just as the driver but on a personal level, too.”
Ferrucci began his racing career in karts in his native Connecticut, competing nationally and internationally before moving to formula racing in Europe. Santino ran in four INDYCAR races in 2018 en route to landing a full-time ride with Dale Coyne Racing in 2019. After the 2020 season, he operated as a free-agent, taking part-time gigs in open-wheel and NASCAR. Throughout this period, Ferrucci always managed to secure a ride for the Indy 500, compiling an impressive record of finishing in the top-10 in six-of-six starts on the 2.5-mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval.
“I’m happy that Santino’s back,” said A.J. Foyt, 89, first four-time winner of the Indy 500 and the sport’s all-time leader in victories with 67. “We got to know him more and he got to know us and I think it made a difference. He did a great job this year and I hope we have an even better year next year.”
Following his solid performance in the 2023 Indy 500 _ in which Ferrucci qualified fourth, led laps and challenged for the victory _ Foyt Racing entered into a technical alliance with Team Penske. The joint venture has been productive for both organizations, with Roger Penske’s three-car juggernaut earning its first all-Team Penske front row in this year’s Indy 500 since 1988 and Foyt Racing significantly improving its performances on the series’ road and street-courses.
Ferrucci earned his first career pole on Portland International Raceway’s natural-terrain road-course in Oregon, and has claimed six of his 10 top-10s on the series’ twist-and-turn circuits.
Team Chevy will celebrate its third consecutive Manufacturer Championship in the NTT IndyCar Series this weekend during the 2024 season-finale at Nashville Superspeedway.
The 2024 title marks the ninth time Chevrolet has captured the award since its return to INDYCAR competition in 2012.
“This is a proud moment for everyone at Chevrolet,” General Motors President Mark Reuss said in a statement from Detroit. “The effort by GM Motorsports Competition Engineering and Propulsion engineers, along with our partners at Ilmor to deliver power and reliability in the Chevy 2.2-liter V6 INDYCAR engine has been outstanding.
“This Championship is truly a combined effort and could not have been accomplished without the teamwork, preparation and execution of the five Chevrolet teams _ Team Penske, Arrow McLaren, Ed Carpenter Racing, A.J. Foyt Racing and Juncos Hollinger Racing. Congratulations to our teams and drivers, and thank you to INDYCAR for providing an incredibly competitive series.”
In the 13 seasons of Chevrolet’s 2.2-liter V6 twin turbocharged INDYCAR engine, Team Chevy drivers have scored 122 wins in 215 races to-date _ an impressive 56.7 percent success rate overall. Six of those wins have been in the Indianapolis 500, domestic open-wheel racing’s crown jewel.
All of Chevrolet’s full-time teams contributed valuable time and effort toward the ninth NICS Manufacturer Championship. Team Penske led the way with two-time series champion Will Power, two-time/reigning Indy 500 champion Josef Newgarden and Scott McLaughlin; Ed Carpenter Racing fielded Rinus VeeKay, Christian Rasmussen and owner/driver Ed Carpenter; Arrow McLaren competed with lead driver Pato O’Ward, Alexander Rossi, Callum Illot, Theo Pourchaire and Nolan Siegel; Foyt Racing fielded Santino Ferrucci and Sting Ray Robb while Juncos Hollinger Racing entered Romain Grosjean, Agustin Canapino and Conor Daly.
Although competing with less than half of the total car count against corporate rival Honda, Chevy-powered drivers maximized all available support, engineering tools and simulator time. In addition to its nine Manufacturer Championships, Chevrolet also has won seven driver championships with Ryan Hunter-Reay (2012), Power (2014 and 2022), Scott Dixon (2015), Simon Pagenaud (2016) and Newgarden (2017 and 2019).
Chevrolet’s 2.2-liter V6 engine powered drivers to wins in “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” at Indianapolis with Tony Kanaan (2013), Juan Pablo Montoya (2015) Power (2018), Pagenaud (2019) and Newgarden (2023 and 2024).
Chevrolet previously competed in Indy-style racing as a manufacturer of V8 engines from 1986-93 and 2002-05, powering to 111 wins, the Manufacturer Championship in 2002, seven Indy 500 victories and six driver championships.
Bridgestone Americas and Penske Entertainment have signed a long-term extension to Firestone’s role as exclusive tire supplier of all INDYCAR-sanctioned racing. The agreement will keep Firestone as sole tire supplier for all NTT IndyCar Series races, the INDY NXT by Firestone developmental series and the annual Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge.
Firestone is currently in its 25th consecutive season as exclusive tire supplier for the series. The extension reinforces Bridgestone’s ongoing commitment to driving innovation through motorsports. Additionally, the Firestone brand continues its history in open-wheel racing, dating back more than a century.
“At Bridgestone, motorsports are our passion _ always have been and always will be,” said Paolo Ferrari, executive chairman and CEO, Bridgestone Americas. “This is particularly true for our Firestone brand, which has been part of world-class racing since winning the first Indy 500 in 1911. We believe motorsports are the ultimate challenge for premium performance and a proving ground for advancing in our goals toward sustainable innovation. Our relationship with the NTT IndyCar Series has been a critical part of these efforts, and we are proud to keep driving forward together.”
Through its Firestone brand, Bridgestone has worked closely with the series and its partners across the paddock to advance developments in more sustainable racing. Bridgestone incorporated certain materials made from hard-to-recycle plastics and palm oil waste residue in Indy 500 race tires in 2023 and 2024. The company also has used guayule-derived natural rubber in the sidewall of alternate race tires the past two seasons.
Bridgestone’s motorsports initiatives are aligned with the company’s and INDYCAR’s long-term sustainability goals.
“Our relationship with the team at Bridgestone continues to set an industry standard for success and innovation,” said Roger Penske, chairman of Penske Corporation. “Firestone has been a foundational partner for our sport, from the very first Indy 500 to now, playing an integral role in the development of the NTT IndyCar Series and its highly competitive racing. We’re extremely proud to carry this long-term partnership forward into a very exciting and productive future together.”
The extension includes Firestone’s role as presenting sponsor and sole tire supplier of the top-tier development series, INDY NXT by Firestone. The brand signed as presenting sponsor of INDY NXT in 2023 to help the sport develop the next generation of racing talent and engage new audiences. The agreement also renews Firestone’s status as official partner and tire supplier of Indianapolis Motor Speedway, largest spectator sporting facility on the planet.
The announcement reinforces Bridgestone’s investment and commitment to its workforce in Northeast Ohio. All Firestone Firehawk race tires are designed and manufactured at the Bridgestone Advanced Tire Production Center (ATPC) in Akron. The facility opened in 2022 across the street from the Bridgestone Americas Technology Center (ATC). This proximity allows the Firestone Race Tire Engineering team to work side-by-side with other tire engineers to transfer insights from racing into other innovation workstreams.
In addition to providing tire technology and on-track support, Firestone will continue its role as a key partner in the marketing and promotion of the NTT IndyCar Series and INDY NXT by Firestone. The brand’s comprehensive, season-long activation features fan engagement, sponsorships and signage at multiple venues. It also includes social and digital media programs, traditional media and hospitality.
NTT IndyCar Series point standings heading into Sunday’s 2024 season-ending Big Machine Music City Grand Prix at Nashville Superspeedway in Lebanon, Tenn. _ 1, Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing, 525; 2, Will Power, Team Penske, 492; 3, Scott McLaughlin, Team Penske, 475; 4, Colton Herta, Andretti Global, 462; 5, Scott Dixon, Chip Ganassi Racing, 443; 6, Pato O’Ward, Arrow McLaren, 419; 7, Kyle Kirkwood, Andretti Global, 384; 8, Josef Newgarden, Team Penske, 365; 9, Alexander Rossi, Arrow McLaren, 350; 10, Santino Ferrucci, A.J. Foyt Racing, 339;
11, Christian Lundgaard, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, 301; 12, Felix Rosenqvist, Meyer Shank Racing, 301; 13, Marcus Ericsson, Andretti Global, 292; 14, Rinus VeeKay, Ed Carpenter Racing, 282; 15, Marcus Armstrong, Chip Ganassi Racing, 272; 16, Linus Lundqvist, Chip Ganassi Racing, 255; 17, Romain Grosjean, Juncos Hollinger Racing, 246; 18, Graham Rahal, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, 244; 19, Pietro Fittipaldi, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, 177; 20, Sting Ray Robb, A.J. Foyt Racing, 175;
21, Kyffin Simpson, Chip Ganassi Racing, 174; 22, Christian Rasmussen, Ed Carpenter Racing, 147; 23, Nolan Siegel, Arrow McLaren, 142; 24, Jack Harvey, Dale Coyne Racing, 126; 25, David Malukas, Meyer Shank Racing, 125; 26, Augustin Canapino, Juncos Hollinger Racing, 109; 27, Conor Daly, Juncos Hollinger Racing, 99; 28, Theo Pourchaire, Arrow McLaren, 91; 29, Katherine Legge, Dale Coyne Racing with Rick Ware Racing, 56; 30, Tom Blomqvist, Meyer Shank Racing, 46;
31, Ed Carpenter, Ed Carpenter Racing, 45; 32, Toby Sowery, Dale Coyne Racing, 45; 33, Callum Ilott, Arrow McLaren, 39; 34, Luca Ghiotto, Dale Coyne Racing, 27; 35, Helio Castroneves, Meyer Shank Racing, 26; 36, Kyle Larson, Hendrickcars.com Arrow McLaren, 21; 37, Takuma Sato, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, 19; 38, Tristan Vautier, Dale Coyne Racing, 12; 39, Juri Vips, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, 11; 40, Colin Braun, Dale Coyne Racing, 10;
41, Ryan Hunter-Reay, Dreyer & Reinbold Racing-Cusick Motorsports, 6; 42, Hunter McElrea, Dale Coyne Racing, 6; 43, Marco Andretti, Andretti Herta with Marco & Curb Agajanian, 5.
