INDIANAPOLIS — Santino Ferrucci was emotional when climbing out of his No. 14 Dallara-Chevrolet at the end of 500-miles of racing in Indianapolis. The Connecticut native brought some joy to this AJ Foyt Racing team including the Foyt family themselves.

It’s been a rough few months for the Foyt family. Earlier this year, AJ Foyt had a pacemaker installed. On April 5, Foyt’s wife of nearly 68-years, Lucy, passed away. That caused more pain that Foyt could ever dream of dealing with and he’s dealt with his fair share of injuries.

It was difficult, but Foyt came to Indianapolis this month to be around support. Foyt has always said, “Indianapolis made AJ Foyt.”

Indianapolis is what’s making Santino Ferrucci too.

Ferrucci had a shot to win this race in the end but came up just short. He finished third for his fifth top 10 finish in as many tries here. This one though, was the best opportunity.

“Yeah, just emotional, bittersweet,” Ferrucci said. “It was emotional getting in the car, which was kind of strange because you feel like there’s a lot of people that really want this, the team really wants this.

“We worked so hard to be where we were. We ran out front all day long. It’s definitely one of the more difficult races that I’ve probably ever run, and just we also knew that we had a really good car.

“We got really close with Felix when he was wrecking so very thankful we were able to avoid that. And then yeah, coming to the end, I think on the second to final restart, me and Marcus battling it into 1, and obviously it going red when it did, it’s part of this place, it’s part of racing, it’s part of the speedway.

“Just bummed because I think — I’m sure Marcus thinks the same thing I do. We definitely, all three of us could have won it at any point in time. Yeah, it’s bittersweet.”

He qualified fourth a week ago and stayed in the top five for almost all of the 107th Running of the Indianapolis 500. On the final restart, he was in third. With Marcus Ericsson and Josef Newgarden duking it out in front of him, he just didn’t have enough to get to them.

He did hold off the McLaren of Alexander Rossi and three Chip Ganassi Racing cars to finish in the top three.
At some point, Ferrucci is going to win here. He was seventh as a rookie in 2019. A year later, he finished fourth.

In 2021, with RLL, he finished sixth. Last year, he was 10th with DRR. With his fourth team in as many years, one that hasn’t won a race since the 2013 season (170 races) and not one here since 1999.

Ferrucci’s third-place finish was the best Indianapolis 500 result for AJ Foyt Racing since Eliseo Salazar also finished third in 2000.

Ferrucci is just a younger version of AJ Foyt. Brash. Doesn’t care what people think about him. Fast. Races anything. Makes everything that he does race in competitive. He’s raced sprints, he’s raced midgets, he’s raced an INDYCAR a NASCAR, you name it. He also likes to work on his own cars just as his new boss.

Foyt sees a lot of himself in this young racer too and now the 24-year-old is back in Indy Car with a potential to bring AJ Foyt Racing back from the ashes and into the national limelight again.

Ferrucci lives in Texas. That’s where Foyt lives. That’s where this 14 car resides. Ferrucci’s lucky number?

14.

Ferrucci’s favorite driver he idolized growing up?

Tony Stewart.

Now, he’s in the 14 car at Indy and nearly won.