By John Goolsby, Prep Sports Editor
The Trussville Tribune will provide extensive coverage of the Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix at Barber Motorsports Park in Leeds. IndyCar drivers Felix Rosenqvist, Santino Ferrucci, Scott McLaughlin, and Birmingham’s own Michael Suco, Jr., a rookie in the USF Juniors series, will be spotlighted.
Santino Ferrucci seems to be the perfect fit at A.J. Foyt Racing. The young American is a fiery competitor and, like his boss, appears to have a unique talent for getting around the Indianapolis Motor Speedway very quickly.
Santino Ferrucci – Indianapolis 500 Open Test – By: Matt Fraver
For the first time in three years, Ferrucci starts the season with the same team he raced for the previous season. While his employer stayed the same, Ferrucci did make one significant change in the off-season.
Ferrucci married Renay Moore in January.
Santino Ferrucci – 107th Running of the Indianapolis 500 Presented By Gainbridge – By: Joe Skibinski
With an eleventh-place finish at the NTT IndyCar Series season opener on the streets of St. Pete, Ferrucci is very optimistic about the remainder of the 2024 season.
“I think we should be honestly fighting for a top-ten finish in the championship and a win at Indy,” he said. “It is always tough to tell [where you stand] with all the variables, and the series is just so tight now and so difficult.
“You have to be so perfect every time you go out there.”
St. Petersburg, FL – during the 2024 Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on the streets of St. Petersburg. (Photo by Joe Skibinski | IMS Photo)
Ferrucci spent six years in Europe chasing his Formula One dream. The Connecticut native raced in 144 F2000, F3, GP3, and Formula 2 races. Ferruci spent the 2016, 2017, and 2018 seasons as the Haas F1 Team reserve/development driver.
Ferrucci has the unique perspective to compare IndyCar to Formula One.
“They [F1] have a fantastic series that is global,” he said. “But when everyone is sick and tired of watching the same driver win every week, they should watch IndyCar.”
“I grew up over there watching and racing against Max [Verstappen, the three-time World Champion and current F1 points leader], and he is truly one of the best drivers alive,” he said. If you look at all of American sports, the NBA, NFL, college football, NASCAR, and our series, you never know what is going to happen, and it keeps people entertained.”
While he believes IndyCar is a fantastic series and offers a much better product on track in terms of competition, Ferrucci feels that there is always room for improvement and that the two series can learn from each other.
“If we took a page out of F1’s book on how to run a race weekend, our series would be the best in the world and once again rival Formula One.”
Ferrucci always thought his ultimate destination was a full-time F1 seat. However, a few on- and off-the-track incidents that Ferrucci calls “youthful mistakes” led to his dismissal from his F2 team, Trident Racing, in the summer of 2018.
Ferrucci first sampled an IndyCar on an off-week in F2 to replace Pietro Fittipaldi at Dale Coyne Racing at the Detroit GP double header in the summer of 2018.
After leaving Trident, the speedy American competed in the last two IndyCar races of the year for Coyne.
Ferrucci set his sights on IndyCar racing for 2019 and signed with Coyne. His ninth-place finish at the season opener in St. Pete showed why European teams had been impressed with the young American’s speed.
Known as a road racing specialist, Ferrucci turned heads at the 2019 Indy 500 by finishing seventh after starting in the 27th position. His impressive drive at the Brickyard earned him Rookie of the Year honors at the 500. Ferrucci backed up his performance at Indy with a fourth-place finish on the high banks of the Texas Motor Speedway. Ferrucci ended his rookie season 13th in the points standings.
Ferrucci returned to Coyne for the 2020 season. Once again, he was impressive at Indy. He finished fourth in the 500 and in the top five on five different occasions. Ferrucci ended his sophomore season in the 13th position again.
Ferrucci found himself without a full-time ride for the 2021 season. He signed a deal to drive the Indianapolis 500 with Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing. For a third straight year, Ferrucci was impressive. A sixth-place finish earned him a drive with RLLR at Detroit, Mid-Ohio, and Nashville.
Ferrucci tested the waters of the stock car world in 2021. He competed in seven Xfinity races for Sam Hunt Racing and came away with four top-15 finishes.
Unfortunately for Ferrucci, RLLR opted to sign Christian Lundgaard for the 2022 season.
Perennial Indy entries Dreyer and Reinbold Racing tapped Ferrucci for their entry in the 2022 Indy 500. Ferrucci brought home a tenth-place finish for the part-time team.
Ferrucci competed in one other IndyCar race that season, the Detroit Grand Prix for Juncos Hollinger Racing, and in two Xfinity races for Sam Hunt Racing in 2022.
Ferrucci returned to the NTT IndyCar Series as a full-time driver in 2023 with IndyCar legend A.J. Foyt’s team.
Santino Ferrucci – Miller Lite Carb Day – By: Joe Skibinski
His performance at Indy was nothing short of spectacular. Ferrucci qualified fourth with a four-lap average of 233.661 mph and backed up his qualifying effort with a third-place finish, A.J. Foyt Racing’s best finish in 23 years. He ended the season in the 19th position in points.
Santino Ferrucci – 107th Running of the Indianapolis 500 Presented By Gainbridge – By: James Black
Ferrucci, who has a series-best sixth-place average finish at Indy, doesn’t plan to change his approach to the 2024 500.
“I am literally going to do exactly what I did last year, which is funny,” Ferrucci said. “I’m going to the Kentucky Derby with my boss.”
“Once you start traditions like that, you have to keep them.”
Ferrucci is excited to return to Birmingham and Barber Motorsports Park.
Santino Ferrucci – Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix – By: Joe Skibinski
“I like it,” he said. “It is like the American version of Spa [the famed Belgium track].
“It’s pretty cool and elevated,” Ferrucci said. It is a tough track to pass on, which obviously makes things difficult.”
“It races well, and it is so awesome with all the fans,” he said. That makes it such a spectacular track.”
Ferrucci has come to learn that Alabamians are passionate about their sports.
“You have got to be a race fan if you live in that neck of the woods,” he joked. “It is racing and college football.”
Ferrucci offered some advice to the state’s college football fans.
“Just like any other tailgate, grab your cooler, come out, and watch us go around the track,” he said. “I promise you there is a lot more to do than what you can do at your average tailgate.”
The Children’s of Alabama Grand Prix takes place April 26-28. Race fans can purchase tickets at indyalabama.com or by calling 877-332-7804.
Tickets were sold in 41 states and 12 countries last year and the economic impact to the Birmingham area was between $18 and $27 million.
