Post Indy, Ferrucci Is Ready To Roll

By Dennis Krause

The big event, the Indianapolis 500, is over for another year.

Now, the focus shifts to from the smooth, high-speed oval of Indy to the rough and bumpy streets of Detroit for driver Santino Ferrucci and the rest of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES.

Just how big is the emotional comedown after Indy? Ferrucci says it’s not a letdown in any sense for him.

“I wouldn't say it's more of like an emotional comedown. I think I'm much more fired up after Indy. I think I proved that in Detroit more than I would like.

“I'm just super excited to get back out there,” enthused Ferrucci. “This place (indy) is emotionally draining and very hard, but it does instill a certain type of drive into you. Being here and being close and being in the top 10 eight years in a row, you almost want to punch something. That drive that it instills, that's kind of the tricky bit because how do you direct that passion into a productive gain for the team and for yourself.

“That would be what we're looking for in Detroit. We had a great result there last year, which came kind of out of the blue. I'm really fired up with the engineers. I'm about to head over to the shop and make sure that we are all buttoned up. I've literally got my notebook right here. I'm ready to roll.”

Photo: Joe Skibinksi/Penske Entertainment

While the driver of the No. 14 HOMES FOR OUR TROOPS Chevrolet is ready to roll, there is a part of him that wishes there was a break in the schedule instead of going to immediately to the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix after spending the last three weeks at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

“Yeah, not necessarily for me,” noted Ferrucci, “it's tough to go into the shop and see the crew that have been turning cars around, turn around cars to go to Detroit, when you're having 4 a.m. starts non-stop.

“I get that you want to ride the momentum as a series, but you also don't want to burn out your people that bring the cars to the track. Being a smaller team, I think it's a little bit more difficult for us to instantly turn these things around.

“No, I get the idea of the momentum. For me it doesn't matter. I'm up in Indianapolis until post St. Louis. I'm with the bus and the dogs. My wife flies in and out. Yeah, a little different schedule.”

With an eighth-place finish last Sunday at Indy, Ferrucci extended his record of finishing in the top ten in each 500 start in his career — now eight. Ferrucci, who turns 28-years-old Sunday, reflected on his remarkable run of good fortune at Indy.

“I think it just goes to show that I've been super consistent around the Speedway,” Ferrucci commented. “I think we struggled more than I would have liked on race day.

“Looking back at it, I wish I had done a little bit more traffic running 'cause there's definitely points where I was happier with the car, points that I didn't feel as happy. I wish I kind of keyed off of those a little bit more.

“It's kind of amazing, eight years here you're still learning things,” Ferrucci continued. “We definitely came alive at the end. I got unfortunately a little held up on the second-to-last restart which I think kind of killed our run for a top five.

“Proud of the team, proud of the effort. It also goes to show that having been here for eight years, having driven in the top 10 with four different teams, the work ethic of all these teams to have a car that's also finished.

“Not only on my side, but on the team's side, especially for AJ Foyt, we've put cars out there that we haven't had - knock on wood - any electronical [sic] engine weird failure. We had something weird on Sunday, but it wasn't the end of the world. Couldn't get the car into first gear. Electronic bug, but it didn't prevent us from racing.”

After a volatile start in the early years of his career, the Woodbury, CT native appears to have found stability and a home at A.J. Foyt Racing where he’s now in his fourth season with the team.

“I can never thank Larry (Foyt) enough for what he's done for my career. I'm just thrilled to be here year after year. I do love driving for AJ Foyt. I think I have a long-term home here. I would like to start winning some races with these guys. I think that's really the next step.

“We've been so, so close on so many different occasions. It's really hard to see when you're right there, it could be right in front of your eyes what you're missing, or sometimes you just need a little bit of a breakthrough. That is really the next step for me with this team.”

Currently mired in 15th in the season point standings, Ferrucci detailed what the team and he have to do going forward to regain the consistency he showed in 2024 and repeat the peaks he had at this time a year ago.

“There's been a lot of change I think with the crew,” said Ferrucci. “We're in a different crew this year. I think we've been just a little bit more unfortunate.

“If you look back at St. Pete, lap one you're out. Arlington, it was on me. Barber went smooth. Phoenix was the strategy, but we still finished 11th. Indy GP, driving around with the rear floor, getting punted didn't help.

“I don't think we've been inconsistent. I think we've just been unlucky. If you can tell me where to purchase some, I'm all ears. That would be fantastic.

“I think that we'll hit our stride this year. I think Adam (Kolesar), my race engineer, has done a fantastic job. His first race as my full-time race engineer was Gateway last year. This was his first 500 as a race engineer. I think he did an amazing job.

“I definitely know from experience, when you have an engineer that's the first race, first 500, versus going into their next, it is drastically different, the amount that they learn and they gain. The momentum is huge.

“I'm looking forward to definitely the second half of this year, all these tracks that Adam and I have gone to. We can continue building off of our car.

“We really started to hit a stride last year with hitting some peaks. I think we can make them better.”

Photo: Joe Skibinski/Penske Entertainment

Based on what he’s seen so far this year from the Foyt team, Ferrucci believes his best tracks are yet to come.

“I'm would say I'm expecting Road America to still be good for us. The rest of the ovals. I know we're testing at a few road courses. I'm expecting to have some pace there. Some of my Achilles' heel tracks are out of the way now, so it's nice. I really like the second half of this calendar. I think our biggest struggle on the calendar might be DC. We're in the same boat as everybody there.

“It's funny, all my tough tracks are at the start of the year. I go into everything I like after this.”

Dennis Krause has spent decades covering all forms of motorsports, including over 40 Indianapolis 500s, with stints at WIBA Radio, PIT PASS - Radio’s Premier Motorsports Magazine and Motorsports Minute. Follow him on X @DennisKrause500 or motorsportsminute.bluesky.social or motorsportsminute on Threads or MotorsportsMinute+ on Facebook.

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