IndyCar driver Santino Ferrucci was in awe of four-time Indy 500 winner and his boss AJ Foyt. Ferrucci has been a full-time driver for AJ Foyt Racing since 2023.
Former Formula 2 driver Ferrucci has competed for multiple seasons in the IndyCar Series. The Connecticut native, who was a former test driver for the Haas F1 team, made his IndyCar debut in 2018 with Dale Coyne Racing. He spent two full seasons with the team untill 2021, before competing with various outfits for the next two campaigns.
It wasn't untill the 2023 season that Ferrucci once again found a full-time ride. This time, the 26-year-old driver signed a multi-year deal with AJ Foyt Enterprises (now AJ Foyt Racing). As a part of the team owned by one of the greatest motorsport drivers of all tiime, Ferrucci got the opportunity to develop a close connection with seven-time IndyCar Series champion Foyt.
Speaking on an episode of the HJR podcast with Harrison J Rogers, Santino Ferrucci shed light on what he believes makes Foyt one of the greatest to ever grace the sport. He paid tribute to Foyt’s accomplishments, emphasizing the breadth of his success in IndyCar.
"AJ is definitely old school because he's in his 90s. The feeling you get when you're with him, because he's so iconic, you know, he's the greatest IndyCar driver alive. He's got all the records."
Ferrucci then highlighted a unique statistic that cements Foyt’s place in racing history.
"But one of AJ's cooler statistics is that he's won the Indianapolis 500 on brick. He's won it when they moved to asphalt in a front engine. He won it in the rear engine car, and then he's won it in the winged IndyCar. So he's the only driver in history to win in all four disciplines of IndyCar driving," Santino Ferrucci said.
Santino Ferrucci finds new teammate for 2025 Chili Bowl
Beyond his IndyCar commitments, Santino Ferrucci remains active in the Midget Car Series, where he drives for Abacus Racing. As the 2025 campaign approaches, the team is gearing up for the 2025 Chili Bowl Nationals, an iconic indoor race held annually in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Ferrucci, who made his midget car debut in 2021, will have a new teammate for the campaign: Katherine Legge. Legge is a versatile driver with experience across multiple racing disciplines. Legge will join Ferrucci and Kaylee Bryson, another standout driver, in representing Abacus Racing.
The Chili Bowl Nationals is set to begin on January 12 and will culminate with the feature race on January 18. Abacus Racing, fresh off a historic USAC Triple Crown win, is expected to be a formidable contender.