AJ Foyt Racing heads into this weekend’s XPEL Grand Prix of Road America aiming yo continue their recent momentum.
Santino Ferrucci who will carry a special livery to honor Marlyne Sexton has had a run a fantastic results.
Ferrucci who has a fifth from Indy, 2nd in Detroit and fifth last time out in St Louis was asked:
Why is Road America one of your favorite tracks?
“Road America and Portland are two of my favorite tracks, just because they really are very rewarding when you get the lap correct. Also, I really like the flow of Road America. I like the fact that it’s a really fast track with the big break zones. You can race on it very hard and I just think it’s an al- around and incredibly solid racetrack.”
With it being four miles long, does that add some challenges?
“I think that’s one of the reasons why that when you put a lap together, it’s very satisfying, because it’s such a long lap. Every corner you have the big risk to reward ratio, and when you. Get the lap correct. It’s just really cool.”
Qualifying has been a little bit of challenge for you. What are you focusing on to improve that?
“Well, qualifying has been more of a challenge just because, honestly, in the last two races, we haven’t unloaded very well. In the first practice, we are still trying to find a good balance before we get to qualifying. So, it’s hard to be perfectly on the limit when you’re still struggling with the car. Luckily, we’ve been able to overcome those deficits in the race. If we can start FP One (free practice 1) competitive, we’ll stay that way for qualifying.”
David Malukas has had a fantastic start to the season and scored a career-best second at the 109th running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge.
You’ve qualified in the top 10 in the last three races and four of the eight so far. With that momentum, what are your expectations for Road America, a track you haven’t raced since 2023?
“We’ve had a strong run lately, and I’m really happy with how the cars been feeling. With the speed we’ve shown recently and how the team is clicking, I think we can be solidly in the front and in the mix for something bigger if everything goes right. I didn’t race here last year, but I was able to go on the sim last week, so I feel prepared. I’ve had speed but haven’t been able to put together a strong race performance the past couple of years, so that will be the focus this weekend. I consider Road America as a home track to me in some ways, and I grew up coming here a lot. Through the feeder series, I have had a handful of podiums, so I’m not worried about settling back in with the track. “
Now that we’re halfway through the season, how do you feel about the progression? What’s the focus moving forward?
“The start of the season had its ups and downs, but we’ve really started to find our stride. The car is competitive so we just need to execute clean weekends. The focus now is consistency and maximizing every opportunity from here on out.”
Is Road America a place where Chevy’s horsepower can shine?
“Definitely. Chevy’s done a great job giving us that straight-line speed. If we get everything dialed in, we should be in a strong spot