AJ Foyt Racing head into the 2023 NTT IndyCar Series season having hit the reset button on their lineup and having had a management reshuffle.
Benjamin Pedersen will make his NTT IndyCar Series race debut this weekend in the No.55 Sexton Properties Chevrolet and speaking about his first race the Danish-American said:
“I felt like last year I was a part of the team. The only thing I wasn’t doing was driving the car; every team meeting I was a part of. Being on the timing stand, seeing strategy come into play, it was a really big help. It made me feel like I got a season’s worth of experience without driving the car, and now the only difference is, I’ll be driving the car. The strategy meetings, everything like that, will feel similar and I’m grateful to the team for letting me be a part of that last year. I can’t wait to do it now for real, and as an official driver for them and working together.”
Santino Ferrucci returns to full-time NTT IndyCar Series competition and speaking ahead of the first race of the season he said:
“I actually haven’t driven on a street course in INDYCAR in quite some time. Hopefully it’s like riding a bike and just comes right back to us. It’s been nice though to be with the team since September, so I kind of already feel like I’ve had a season before the season, so we’ll see what we can do. Getting the opportunity to work with AJ [Foyt] and the team to take this team from where it is and to build something with Michael [Cannon] and Larry [Foyt] is going to be nothing short of a challenge. But I’m really looking forward to that. I really think I’m up to that challenge now. It will be a reflection on all of us how we do this year because it’s not just on me, it’s not just on Michael Cannon, it’s not just on our leadership. It’s on everybody coming together as a team and making this effort, making a really good effort.
The drivers aren’t the only new arrivals at AJ Foyt Racing for this season as Larry Foyt and his team look to strengthen the team and bring them back to where they should be which is fighting att the front of the field.
The team hired IndyCar Series veteran engineer Michael Cannon who has spent the past three seasons with Chip Ganassi Racing and helped Scott Dixon win his sixth series title in 2020.
Cannon brings a wealth of experience to the team having previously worked for Ed Carpenter Racing, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, Andretti Autosport and Dale Coyne Racing.
Chris Beaker Sheffer has been hired as shop manager in Indianapolis while former Indy NXT presented by Firestone technical director Craig Brooks has joined the outfit as Team Manager and will oversee the team’s operations in Indianapolis and Texas.