AJ Foyt Racing's driver Santino Ferrucci delivers bold message about Chili Bowl's impact on his IndyCar success

IndyCar driver Santino Ferrucci recently detailed how dirt track racing, especially the Chili Bowl National, helped him grow as an IndyCar driver and improve the results in the open-wheel racing series. The AJ Foyt Racing driver spoke with Motorsport before the 2025 Chili Bowl Nationals, explaining how the dirt track shenanigans helped him at Milwaukee.

Ferucci started the 2024 IndyCar races in Milwaukee in P19 and P12, respectively. Implying the techniques learned and practiced on the dirt track, Ferrucci finished both races just shy of the podium in P4.

Ferrucci said, (via Motorsport)

“We were able to throw a slider, which is nice. Honestly, the racing here really helped me in Milwaukee; we executed the most passes in IndyCar for the year. So, that definitely has some relationship to this, and understanding the racetrack dynamics and where to find the grip. But, as a driver, I get better every time I come. I have goals that I want to hit here and I haven’t hit any of them yet, so just keep on pushing.”

The AJ Foyt driver made his Chili Bowl National debut in 2020 and the 2025 Chili Bowl National will be his fifth appearance in the midget racing event. The American will be driving the #16 entry for Abacus Racing.

The 2025 Chili Bowl Nationals will be held from January 13 to January 18 at the Tulsa Expo Raceway. Dale Coyne Racing’s part-time IndyCar driver Katherine Legge will be partnering alongside Santino Ferrucci as his teammate at Abacus Racing.

Santino Ferrucci began his IndyCar career racing as a part-timer at DCR in 2018 before getting a full-season drive for the very next season. He kept shuffling teams for the next few years before settling at AJ Foyt Racing in 2023.

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Santino Ferrucci claims IndyCar is more difficult than F1 & NASCAR

Santino Ferrucci raced with Trident in Europe in the F2 series before joining the IndyCar series. He also raced in the NASCAR Xfinity Series as a part-timer in the 2020s. The American was asked which out of IndyCar, F1, and NASCAR is the toughest and he responded by saying: (via The Blueprint podcast by Smoking Gun Creative Agency)

“You have NASCAR, you have IndyCar, and then you have Formula One. Now, the most difficult of the three for a driver is, I want to say, least car dependent, all talent, and have to go with IndyCar.” (13:40 onwards).

“Because not only do we not have power steering compared to the others, our cars are incredibly similar across the field. There's not much we can do. It's more of a driver's series,” he added

The 2025 IndyCar season begins on March 2 at the Grand Prix of Saint Petersburg with Ferrucci racing with AJ Foyt Racing in the #14 car.