Latest news with #SantinoFerrucci
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Where does Santino Ferrucci see his first IndyCar win coming?
Santino Ferrucci is on a roll in the 2025 IndyCar season. The driver of the No. 14 A.J. Foyt Racing Chevrolet secured his second podium in three races and his fourth consecutive top-five finish last Sunday at Road America. It's the kind of run worth celebrating with a beer — as Ferrucci memorably did, catching a Miller Lite tossed by a fan from the grandstands at Turn 1. But, of course, he wants more. And not beers this time, but solid results in the IndyCar Series. Advertisement 'Oh, I'm still very thirsty to get more,' Ferrucci told 'It's really nice to have a string of top-fives like that: superspeedway, short oval, road course, street course. I think it just shows our overall strength and growth. So I'm definitely looking forward to the string of races in July.' 'This was definitely the goal from the beginning of the year. I think we just started off slower than we would have liked. But now that we've hit our stride, this is what I was expecting — especially based on how we finished the 2024 season.' Expectations were high heading into 2025, especially after Ferrucci finished ninth in last year's standings, closing the season with four straight top-10s, including two fourth-place finishes at Milwaukee and a sixth at Nashville Superspeedway. However, the start of this season was rough in terms of results, with an 11th at Long Beach being his best finish prior to the streak that began at the Indianapolis 500. Yet, according to the Connecticut native, the performance was there all along. Advertisement 'We were just a bit unlucky more than anything. The way the Indy GP went, and Barber — even Long Beach — we had pace at all three events. We just had a fuel issue at Barber, hit the wall at Long Beach, which wasn't great. And then at Indy GP, we didn't run any practice or warm-up. We literally just qualified and raced. We had a couple of mechanical issues that were completely out of our control.' Ferrucci confident that he will win Santino Ferrucci, A. J. Foyt Enterprises Santino Ferrucci, A. J. Foyt Enterprises Only two drivers have won races so far in the 2025 IndyCar season — Alex Palou with six wins for Chip Ganassi Racing and Kyle Kirkwood with three for Andretti Global. That makes it look tough for others to break through, but Ferrucci believes he's close. Advertisement 'Yes, for sure,' he said when asked if a win feels near. 'I actually thought it was going to happen at Road America with the pace we had. But with the big fuel number we had to hit at the end, it wasn't exactly ideal.' With eight races in two months coming up, Ferrucci has a clear idea of where he sees the best chances to break through. 'I think all the ovals for sure, and then Portland and Laguna Seca. I think Mid-Ohio and Toronto are going to be pretty tough — those are both survival races. But I do like my pace and what we've been learning over the last two years there, so I'll remain hopeful for those as well.' Qualifying pace still a challenge, but not a worry Santino Ferrucci, A. J. Foyt Enterprises, Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing Santino Ferrucci, A. J. Foyt Enterprises, Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing One might argue that Ferrucci needs to improve his qualifying performance to be a true contender. Every race winner in 2025 has started inside the top 10, and six of them from the top three. Ferrucci, however, doesn't seem too concerned about one-lap pace — and he may have a point. His recent hot streak includes starts from 15th, 21st, 19th, and 18th. Advertisement 'The funny thing is I'm not overly focused on it. I was really bummed with my performance at Road America — I drove really well, but we just missed something in the setup. Detroit was more on me, and same with Thermal.' 'Trying to find the limit over one lap is very difficult, as opposed to being perfectly consistent over a race distance, which I actually find easier. So, with the way the series is, I think the races have been really strong and we've been able to pass. So I've been more focused on getting the race cars right to win on Sunday.' Full focus on getting A.J. Foyt Racing back to Victory Lane Santino Ferrucci, A. J. Foyt Enterprises Santino Ferrucci, A. J. Foyt Enterprises Ferrucci signed a multi-year deal with A.J. Foyt Racing in September 2024 — just a month after his current teammate, David Malukas, joined the team following an opportunity at Arrow McLaren that didn't go as planned, and a partial season with Meyer Shank Racing. Advertisement Since Malukas signed with Foyt, rumors have swirled that the move could position him for a future seat at Team Penske if veteran Will Power, now in the final year of his contract, steps away. Malukas currently trails Ferrucci by ten points and three positions in the championship. When asked if he should also be considered for a top-tier ride, Ferrucci made it clear that his focus is solely on bringing success to A.J. Foyt Racing — which hasn't won a race in 12 years. 'I like to control what I can control. My focus is very much on what we're doing right now,' he said. 'What my teammate is up to is for him to answer — I don't really know how all of his stuff works. But you know, my goal at the end of the day is to deliver. I really want to bring A.J. and Larry their first win in a long time. I'm really happy where I'm at, and I'm very, very comfortable with my engineering lineup and everything else. So right now, my full focus is on my current program.' Advertisement Read Also: How a 'grumpy' Alex Palou ended up thankful for his winning strategy at Road America Winners and Losers from IndyCar's Road America weekend To read more articles visit our website.
Fox Sports
4 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 News
5 days ago
- Sport
- Fox News
Alex Palou Breaks Mini Drought and Races to Victory in XPEL Grand Prix at Road America
Alex Palou's dominance in the 2025 INDYCAR season took a brief pause after he won the Indianapolis 500. He was knocked out of the race at the Detroit Grand Prix early and finished eighth at the Bommarito Automotive Group 500 last week. That ended up being the end of Palou's drought. He raced to victory again on Sunday, finishing first in the XPEL Grand Prix at Road America. Felix Rosenqvist finished second and Santino Ferrucci finished third. Kyle Kirkwood and Marcus Armstrong rounded out the top five, finishing fourth and fifth, respectively. Scott Dixon held the lead late in Sunday's race. But he had to go to pit road with two laps remaining, allowing Palou to regain the lead. Palou led for six of the 55 laps on Sunday, while Dixon finished ninth after leading for 27 laps. Sunday's win marked Palou's sixth victory in nine INDYCAR races this season. He sang "Red Solo Cup" right after the victory, too. There were also plenty of cautions in Sunday's race. Spin-outs and crashes forced Josef Newgarden, Sting Ray Robb and Robert Shwartzman to not finish the race. Christian Lundgaard, meanwhile, spun out late in Sunday's race, causing a caution as he fell out of the leader's pack to finish 24th. Here's a full look at Sunday's leaderboard: 1. Alex Palou2. Felix Rosenqvist3. Santino Ferrucci4. Kyle Kirkwood5. Marcus Armstrong6. Kyffin Simpson7. David Malukas8. Nolan Siegel 9. Scott Dixon10. Rinus Veekay11. Louis Foster12. Scott McLaughlin13. Alexander Rossi14. Will Power15. Callum Ilott16. Colton Herta17. Pato O'Ward18. Christian Rasmussen19. Devlin DeFrancesco20. Graham Rahal21. Marcus Ericsson22. Conor Daly23. Jacob Abel24. Christian Lundgaard25. Josef Newgarden (DNF)26. Sting Ray Robb (DNF)27. Robert Shwartzman (DNF) Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily!
Fox Sports
5 days ago
- Automotive
- Fox Sports
Cold Beer From Fan Helps Santino Ferrucci Celebrate Hot Streak
INDYCAR Which was better Sunday at Road America? Santino Ferrucci's drive in the XPEL Grand Prix at Road America Presented by AMR or his catch of a fan's cold beer in Turn 1 after climbing from the car on this excruciatingly hot day? Give him high marks for both. The combination of the two continued what has been an outstanding few weeks for AJ Foyt Racing's veteran driver. This third-place finish earned him a fourth-consecutive top-five finish, pushing him to ninth in the championship standings as the second half of the season begins. The exhausted and likely dehydrated Ferrucci got to Road America's finish line and could do no more. Actually, his No. 14 Sexton Properties/AJ Foyt Racing Chevrolet could do no more, as well. It was fuel deprived, and it came to a stop in Turn 1 with its fuel cell empty. The always-spunky Ferrucci climbed from the cockpit, slowly removed his helmet and then seemed inspired by the reception of the fans gathered in that part of the 14-turn, 4.014-mile road course. One tossed him a water bottle, although it sailed over his head and landed there in the sand trap. Ferrucci retrieved it and absorbed as much as he could in one long gulp. Then came a better offer from that same infield section – it was a cold can of Miller Lite. Ferrucci didn't miss that delivery. With a pull of the tab, his two-second chug was on, and he capped it with a defiant raising of his beer-holding left hand. Indeed, it tasted great at the conclusion of another productive race. 'And two podiums,' Ferrucci said of his recent run of success in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES. 'We're back to where we were at the end of last year. I feel it. 'I've got to get my qualifying performances up, but until then I like padding my points for passing.' Ferrucci finished fifth in the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge, second in the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix presented by Lear and fifth in the Bommarito Automotive Group 500 presented by Axalta and Valvoline at World Wide Technology Raceway. He is tied with Colton Herta of Andretti Global w/Curb-Agajanian for ninth in the standings, and they are only six points behind Team Penske's Scott McLaughlin for eighth. To secure this podium finish, Ferrucci had to climb from the 18th starting position and then overcome not only a stall on a pit stop but had to stretch his last supply of fuel 16 laps. Conventional wisdom was that the maximum any driver could manage was 15 laps, and that's how far race winner Alex Palou of Chip Ganassi Racing did. So, Ferrucci went a lap farther, and he didn't have the benefit of drafting off a teammate as Palou did with Scott Dixon. Ferrucci admitted it was stressful not knowing if his fuel tank would grant what he asked of it, and he radioed to his crew to lay off any conversation, including a lap countdown. 'I told him, 'Listen, I've got to focus because this is getting stressful,'' the driver said of his strategist. 'He let me drive.' Ferrucci dedicated the podium finish to Marlyne Sexton, the team's longtime friend and supporter who passed away June 11 at age 86. Her memory was celebrated on the sidepod of the team's car. Team president Larry Foyt called honoring Sexton with this performance 'unbelievably special – it's hard not to get emotional.' Said Ferrucci: 'She was running with us today. I'm very proud. Yeah, this one tastes a little bit sweeter.' recommended
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Santino Ferrucci hangs on for IndyCar podium, celebrates with beer from a fan
When Santino Ferrucci was nervously stretching fuel to the finish of Sunday's XPEL Grand Prix, he could only think of one person. 'All I could think about to myself was 'We're doing this for Marlene [Sexton],'' Ferrucci told FOX Sports afterward. Advertisement Ferrucci and the No. 14 A.J. Foyt Racing team entered the Road America race weekend with a goal of honoring Sexton, who passed away June 11 at age 86. The Connecticut native sported a special Sexton Properties tribute livery and hoped to bring home a solid result. Early on, doing so seemed like a challenge. Ferrucci qualified a distant 18th and needed an eventful race to play out if he was going to have a chance to salvage the weekend. Thankfully for the 27-year-old, Sunday's atypically-hot race yielded a trio of early cautions that shook up the strategies and running order. It wasn't until the third of those cautions came that Ferrucci finally came to pit road, swapping his primary tires for alternates. He remained on alternates from there to the finish, nearly mirroring race winner Alex Palou with stops on lap 24 and lap 39, but staying on the aggression with soft tires. Advertisement That strategy ultimately beared fruit. Ferrucci matched through the field and snuck past drivers on other strategies, climbing up into the top-five for the closing stint. When Scott Dixon and Alexander Rossi had to pit for fuel in the closing laps, Ferrucci rose up to third. Fuel saving strategy Santino Ferrucci, A. J. Foyt Enterprises Santino Ferrucci, A. J. Foyt Enterprises From there he just had to survive on fuel - a feat that proved stressful to the last second. 'They were counting down the laps, and I told Mike, 'Listen, I've gotta focus, because this is getting stressful,' Ferrucci admitted. 'He let me drive. Honestly the crew did an amazing job on stops. I stalled it, too. Even with the stall, coming back and finishing the way we did was pretty amazing.' Advertisement In the end, Ferrucci had enough just fuel to make it. He parked his car in turn 1, walked over to the grandstands and motioned for the fans in attendance to toss him a drink. A water bottle toss missed the mark, but Ferrucci made the most of a Miller Lite that followed. Afterward, he only had one person to dedicate the win to. 'This one goes to Marlene,' Ferrucci said. 'She was riding with us today. I'm very proud. This one tastes a little bit sweeter.' Sunday's result continued a string of solid runs for Ferrucci and A.J. Foyt Racing. After averaging a finish of 15.4 through the year's opening five races, Ferrucci has four-straight top-fives including a pair of podiums dating back to May's Indianapolis 500. Advertisement It's a stretch that has Ferrucci's team feeling back in form. 'We're performing,' Ferrucci said. 'We're back to where we were at the end of last year. I feel it. I've gotta get my qualifying performance up, but until then I like padding my points for passing.' To read more articles visit our website.
