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Fox Sports
5 days ago
- Automotive
- Fox Sports
Beer me! Santino Ferrucci Thrills Crowd With His Chugging Skills
Santino Ferrucci, like many drivers, didn't have a lot of gas following the completion of the INDYCAR race Sunday at Road America. But let's just say after his car stopped chugging, Ferrucci still kept at it. Let us explain: Temperatures were in the 90s and the heat index was in the 100s. So it's no wonder that he was among the drivers that fans tossed water to while he was waiting for a post-race push back to pit lane. Ferrucci, though, got more than just water. "They offered [a beer] and I had asked for [the local] Spotted Cow since we're here. But they gave me, I believe it was a Miller," Ferrucci said. Ferrucci downed the beer in a couple of gulps. He had some racing friends to thank for that talent. "I've been learning my shotgunning skills from the Chili Bowl, so if I did OK, I'm happy with that," Ferrucci said about the annual race in Tulsa, a race considered the biggest midget-car event of the year. "[I'm] giving my dirt racing guy some credit." Most would give Ferrucci and the A.J. Foyt team credit for four consecutive top-five finishes, especially at Road America, which was a tough race where drivers employed a variety of fuel and tire strategies. "I just tried to put my head down and do what I do best," Ferrucci said. Bob Pockrass covers NASCAR and INDYCAR for FOX Sports. He has spent decades covering motorsports, including over 30 Daytona 500s, with stints at ESPN, Sporting News, NASCAR Scene magazine and The (Daytona Beach) News-Journal. Follow him on Twitter @bobpockrass. recommended Get more from NTT INDYCAR SERIES Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more in this topic
Fox Sports
13-05-2025
- Automotive
- Fox Sports
Santino Ferrucci knows drama follows him but fans will, too, at Indy 500
Santino Ferrucci can point to the 2019 Indianapolis 500 as the one that helped earn him a devoted fan base. When Dale Earnhardt Jr. starts talking up a driver, the driver typically achieves some notoriety. Earnhardt, part of the broadcast team for that race, loved Ferrucci's aggressive style. While he had rubbed his competitors the wrong way at times, Ferrucci's moves — which included one through the grass to avoid an accident — received a great deal of attention. "Dale did wonders for my career as an announcer, just talking me up and things that I was doing on track," Ferrucci said. "It was awesome. And just being a driver here and being recognized for being a racer was important to me. "It's stuff that the team wants to build on, stuff that I want to build on." Ferrucci built on that seventh-place finish and has not had a finish worse than 10th in his six Indy 500 starts. He remains a popular yet polarizing driver for making moves that some might consider crossing the line. Since 2023, he has driven the famed No. 14 car for A.J. Foyt Racing. This has helped him revive his career because before, he drove part-time for two years. That role often included him substituting for hurt drivers. With a little bit of brashness, some believe he carries himself with the attitude of his car owner. Obviously, he is still working on his craft, as his only podium finish was a third-place run in the 2023 Indianapolis 500. As he prepares for the 2025 Indy 500, he knows the fans will be watching. "Jeff Gordon once said whether they love you or they hate you, they're still talking about you," Ferrucci said. "And that, I think, is something that really applies to me here. "And so that would mean that for all the people, it doesn't matter where they stand. I've probably got 300,000 fans running around this place — especially driving the 14 car. So it's pretty awesome." The 26-year-old from Connecticut can claim at least some of the versatility as well. Ferrucci made nine starts in the NASCAR Xfinity Series in 2021-22 when he was out of a full-time INDYCAR ride. He has also tried his hand at the Chili Bowl over the last four years. He continues to have mercurial but promising results driving for Foyt. In 2023, he finished on the lead lap in six of the 17 races. In 2024, he finished on the lead lap in 13 of the 17 races and had the second-best average finish on the ovals, only behind Scott McLaughlin. To hear him talk, he certainly doesn't lack confidence, especially going into the Indy 500. "With the record I have here, it's just when I'm going to win this race," Ferrucci said. "So hopefully, this is our year. But as we always say as drivers, this place really does choose the winner." He says that because he feels he had a great shot to win in 2023 but saw it slip away. "I definitely feel like there's a couple of cars that I drove into the top 10," Ferrucci said. "There's definitely two times where I've had a winning car and not won this race. It's tough. You don't necessarily need the best car to win here. "A.J. put it best when we finished third: There's always going to be those races that you know you should have won. ... But then there's races that he said, 'I won this race a few times that I shouldn't have won it.'" One would think that IMS stands as Ferrucci's favorite track. It's not. The momentum-based moves and fuel mileage strategies don't make things as straightforward as racing at smaller ovals. "Indy, on race day, you can make a difference," Ferrucci said. "That is what separates the race from other speedways. But at the end of the day, this track is not my favorite, but this place is." Some drivers might be afraid to say that, but Ferrucci does without hesitation. And that is part of the criticism of him that maybe he doesn't act the way one would expect. "I don't know that I like to say I like to be in the middle of the drama," Ferrucci said. "I have my own opinions, and I am very much who I am as an individual. Staying true to myself is something that is important – important for me and the series." Ferrucci also believes his performance has improved. At the recent Indianapolis 500 test, he was chatting with Conor Daly. It might be surprising to see the two together considering some of the things Daly has said about Ferrucci in the past. But Ferrucci feels they can chat and maybe at times agree or disagree, which isn't the case as with the rest of the field. "Me and Conor respect each other," Ferrucci said. "He's one hell of an oval racer, and no one's ever going to take that away from him. What he's done with some of the equipment that he's had over the years, I respect him for it. "Racing him. we've butted heads. But I can tell you I've definitely butted heads harder with other drivers, for sure, that I definitely don't talk to. But a rivalry is good for the series." Ferrucci knows he makes mistakes, including last year when racing Scott McLaughlin at Nashville -- "I made a mistake trying to pass him for a top-5 and I was eager to get there," he said -- and also when he accidentally punted Helio Castroneves in Detroit. "If I wreck, or if I get into somebody, it's because I thought that I had a lot more control of the situation than I probably did or something else went wrong," Ferrucci said. "But I try to keep it clean. "Last year, one of the things I wasn't really proud of was Detroit. I punted Helio in the race and ruined his day. ... Talk about a serious screw up on my side" For those who believe Ferrucci has trouble with patience, they have never seen him in his bus during race week, where he admits he has to handle 300 pounds of his three dogs in a fifth wheel. As he takes care of the dogs, it is almost a metaphor to what he needs to do in the race. "A big part of this race is patience," Ferrucci said. "And knowing that you've got to be there in the end." Bob Pockrass covers NASCAR and INDYCAR for FOX Sports. He has spent decades covering motorsports, including over 30 Daytona 500s, with stints at ESPN, Sporting News, NASCAR Scene magazine and The (Daytona Beach) News-Journal. Follow him on Twitter @bobpockrass. recommended Get more from NTT INDYCAR SERIES Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Dulles International Airport welcomes new airline
DULLES, Va. () — Dulles airport is introducing a new airline to its already extensive lineup. The Dulles International Airport (IAD) announced on Thursday that it is welcoming its newest airline, Contour Airlines. Ben's Chili Bowl opens location inside Dulles Airport The new airline will be offering nonstop flights to Macon, Ga., and Plattsburgh, N.Y. To book with Contour Airlines, click . Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Associated Press
03-04-2025
- Sport
- Associated Press
Reminders of Alex Ovechkin's goal record chase are everywhere around Washington — and in Russia
ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) — The goal horn went off at Bugsy's Pizza Restaurant and Sports Bar as it does every time the Washington Capitals score a goal. Bar manager Armenia Marconi was working downstairs and scurried up to see who it was. Sure enough, Alex Ovechkin. Goal 891 to move four back of breaking Wayne Gretzky's NHL record. Marconi grabbed the remote control for the goal counter hanging above the bar, and fans inside the popular neighborhood hockey bar who were waiting in anticipation erupted again. 'It was like he scored again,' she said. 'As soon as it went down to 4, the whole bar started cheering.' Firefighter James Mazzara, watching from home, had the same reaction. His firehouse around the corner from the Capitals' arena in Washington also has a counter out front, so he immediately texted a colleague who was working to remind him to update the number. 'We stay on top of it as much as we can,' Mazzara said. Reminders of Ovechkin's pursuit of Gretzky's record are everywhere in the nation's capital and surrounding suburbs, including more than a dozen 'GR8 Chase' goal counters in places like the original Ben's Chili Bowl and the Georgetown Waterfront, where the longtime captain and his teammates celebrated winning the Stanley Cup in 2018 by swimming in fountains. There are also 'ight-up goal counters and messages of encouragement in Ovechkin's hometown of Moscow as his pursuit of the milestone nears its end. He was at 892, two away from tying Gretzky and three from setting the record going into a home game Friday night against Chicago. 'You're not stopping it,' said veteran coach Paul Maurice of the Florida Panthers. 'He's going to break the record. It is an incredible record. This is beyond generational because nobody was breaking that record.' The GR8 chase It feels more like matter of when, not if, Ovechkin passes Gretzky's legendary mark of 894, considered by many to be untouchable. The Capitals have seven games left before the playoffs, which means Ovechkin has seven games left because the record reflects only regular-season goals. Otherwise, he would pick up the pursuit next season. The NHL created an entire microsite to document the chase. The Capitals have an online way for people to check in from where they are watching from. There are free lawn signs to display. 'We knew when thinking about the (Washington area) and even across the world that people would want to be counting together, so digital is one thing, but there's certainly something special about having the more traditional countdown clock,' said Amanda Tischler, Capitals senior VP of marketing. '(The hope was) these different places across the city would have fun counting down until he hits this major milestone.' Goal counters went to more than a half-dozen youth hockey rinks in Maryland and northern Virginia, national NHL TV rightsholders ESPN and TNT and to local institutions with Capitals connections, like Ben's Chili Bowl, which has been a local staple since opening in 1958. 'We're honored to have one of the goal trackers at Ben's,' said Vida Ali, one of the family members who runs the restaurant. 'When the Capitals won the Stanley Cup in 2018, this is one of the places they brought the Stanley Cup. Now another exciting moment, and what an amazing time for the Caps and Ovi.' The GR8 meaning The Cup also visited Mazzara's firehouse, DCFD-Engine 2 & Rescue Squad 1, seven years ago, and it's still a place where the Capitals are front of mind. It is so close to the arena that the goal horn can be heard from just outside the front ramp on quiet days. 'We'll hear that and then we'll go running in the back or we'll be watching it — we have a TV in the engine bay — and we'll watch it and in the distance you can hear the horn go off,' said Mazzara, the rescue squad wagon driver for platoon No. 4. 'It's just so much fun to watch. It's fun to see the city come together, all the fans. It takes you away from real life. You go out there, and everybody's enjoying it.' The mood is likewise festive at Bugsy's, the pizza place opened by former Capitals player Bryan Watson and his wife in 1983 and later rebranded with his nickname from his NHL days. Watson died in 2021, but his memory lives on. 'He'd come up here all the time and just sit down with customers — sometimes you didn't even know he was the owner, much less a hockey player,' said Marconi, who knew Watson for a decade. 'He's still part of Bugsy's and people come in all the time asking to see his pictures and the stories that were left behind because of him. There's a lot of stories that I still tell that he used to tell me, and the connection there, it's unbreakable.' The goal counter hangs above the bar with sticks underneath from Hall of Fame legends Jean Beliveau, Stan Mikita and Bobby Hull. Ovechkin passed Beliveau (507 goals) with a hat trick on Feb. 11, 2016; Mikita (541) on Dec. 31 that year; and Hull (610) on Oct. 10, 2018. Nearby are framed jerseys of Mario Lemieux (690), who Ovechkin passed Jan. 18, 2020, and Mark Messier (694), who was passed 13 days later. 'The town is going crazy,' Marconi said. 'There's people who have been coming here for 30-plus years, but to see the new faces coming in just excited about this, it's great to be part of it.' At Ben's, the goal counter is on the back wall above the old-school jukebox and below the sign declaring it 'Home of the original chili half-smoke.' And it has become part of the tourist attraction. 'Some are curious if they're from out of town — or from out of the country, more than out of town — and they don't know,' Ali said. 'They're like: 'What's the countdown?' What are we counting down?' And then of course those from the (area) are just proud and know and guests have been taking pictures.' For Russia, pride in Ovechkin Billboards, signs and goal-counters around Moscow carry messages in Cyrillic that say things like 'Go ahead, Alex!' or 'Sasha, the Motherland is with you.' His hometown team, Dynamo Moscow, has its own arena countdown going with the message in Russian, 'Alex, keep pushing.' 'He started his career here, he played for Dynamo in 2012 during the (NHL) lockout, and he is still actively participating in the life of the club,' Dynamo press secretary Nikita Bakhurov said. 'We couldn't stay aside, and spectators see this banner during every match. Everyone is following this record.' Ovechkin being in this spotlight has become a point of national pride. Ovechkin represented Russia at three Olympics, won gold at the world juniors, played in countless world championships and may still finish his career some day in the KHL. 'He's a great hockey player indeed,' Moscow resident Yulia Anisimova said. 'Even I, who is not following hockey, know him well and have heard much about him. It's not his problem that it didn't work out for him here; the problem is in our country. If there had been different conditions, he would have represented our country.' Moscow resident Sergei, who did not give his last name, said Ovechkin is 'our star,' adding: 'I'm proud that he is Russian. I can't wait when he breaks this record.' Ovechkin has one more year on his Capitals contract. He has played his entire NHL career for Washington, becoming the face of the franchise who made hockey popular in the area, delivered a championship and is now on the verge of history. 'We're blessed to have him in D.C. and with the Caps,' Ali said. 'Another one of the things I'm proud of is he's been with the same team his entire career. ... It's his time, and we couldn't be prouder to be a part of it.' ___
Fox News
02-04-2025
- Automotive
- Fox News
Katherine Legge on NASCAR Cup Series debut: 'This 100 percent is my identity'
AVONDALE, Ariz. — Katherine Legge doesn't view her racing as the first woman in the NASCAR Cup Series in more than seven years as something to take pride in doing. "It's disappointing that there aren't more women [in] INDYCAR, NASCAR Cup, sports cars," Legge said Friday, a day prior to her first time in a Cup car for practice at Phoenix Raceway. It will be a somewhat historical moment as Legge, driving for Live Fast Motorsports, is the first female to drive NASCAR's current Next Gen car and only the eighth woman to compete in Cup's modern era. "Everybody says, 'What's it like to be a girl in racing?'" Legge said. "And I don't know, because I only have my own experience. I don't know what it's like to be a boy in racing. "So I know what my journey has been, and I know that it's gone for me and it's gone against me, and I know where the struggles are. And I know mentally what you have to do to overcome those struggles." The 44-year-old Legge has an extensive racing resume that includes 47 starts in top open-wheel cars and nearly 100 starts (including four wins) in top road-racing series. She has competed in everything from electric cars in Formula E to midget cars at the Chili Bowl. Legge has made five career Xfinity starts and will make her Cup debut Sunday. "I've driven so many different forms of racing," Legge said. "I feel like this is the one that I really wanted to do that's eluded me. I just love it. It's in my blood. "You know how they say that your job should not be your identity? Well, this 100 percent is my identity. I am just a racing driver." The Cup debut will cap a whirlwind two weeks for Legge, who met with NASCAR officials two weeks ago at Atlanta Motor Speedway to find out what she would need to get a license to race in Cup. She was approved for road courses and tracks one mile and shorter. While last week at Circuit of the Americas would have made more sense considering her road-course experience, she and the Live Fast team didn't have time to get ready in a week. So she's had a little less than two weeks to prepare for the Cup debut. She has driven simulators at Richard Childress Racing (a static simulator) and Chevrolet (a motion simulator where the seat moves). She drove a car during Hendrick Motorsports pit stop practice this week just to get used to how a Cup car stops and launches. "I feel like I'm either going to sink or swim, but everybody's given me the best possible opportunity to go out there and do a good job," Legge said. Legge hopes to compete in more Cup events, and she said she hasn't ruled out INDYCAR starts. "I would say I'm hopeful to do more INDYCAR races," Legge said. The Indianapolis 500? "I would love to," she said. "Let's see." Legge said the scramble to get in a Cup race had nothing to do with Women's History Month and all about racing at Phoenix, which the team felt would be a better track for her to debut at rather than the smaller Martinsville and Bristol tracks coming up in the next several weeks. "[I was hoping to] fly under the radar for my first Cup race. Nobody's going to notice, I'm just being in the back, we'll chill, we'll get NASCAR permission [to do more]," Legge said. "And then somebody was like, 'You know it's International Women's Day.' "Oh, s---. No way I'm flying under the radar [was my response]. So, no, I did not take that into consideration." When she's done racing, Legge does want to have an influence on increasing the number of girls and women competing in motorsports. In recent years, NHRA drag racing has been the most prominent form of motorsports where women have had consistent success. She will be the first woman to compete in a Cup race since Danica Patrick in the 2018 Daytona 500. "There's been kind of a gap. There was Sarah Fisher and Danica [Patrick] and me and Simona [de Silvestro] and a bunch of good drivers in that era. And then there's been like this gap and this lull," Legge said about the women in the top racing series across various forms of motorsports. "When I stop racing, ... I'd love to bring up the next generation because I think that there's only a handful of us that have those shared, lived experiences, and I think that my experience might be valuable in helping them navigate it." Her experience has allowed her to know that the questions about women in racing come with the territory. "To me, it just is," Legge said. "I would much rather people just saw me as another racecar driver on merit. But that's not reality, and I'm not immune to or blind to the fact that it has helped me in ways, too. "So I'm just going to go out there and be Katherine and do the very best that I can." Bob Pockrass covers NASCAR and INDYCAR for FOX Sports. He has spent decades covering motorsports, including over 30 Daytona 500s, with stints at ESPN, Sporting News, NASCAR Scene magazine and The (Daytona Beach) News-Journal. Follow him on Twitter @bobpockrass.
