CHEVROLET IN NTT INDYCAR SERIES
INDYCAR CONTENT DAYS MEDIA AVAILABILITY TRANSCRIPT
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA
January 11, 2024

R.C. ENERSON, No. 50 ABEL Motorsports Chevrolet:

THE MODERATOR: Joined now by R.C. Enerson, who is driver of the No. 50 Abel Motorsports Chevrolet, eyeing a return to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in a second run at the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge. May is going to be here before we know it. How excited are you about this opportunity?

R.C. ENERSON: Really excited. The goal is to be back again. We had so much fun last year, and I think we had a really good performance for a new team, my first time once we qualified in, getting all the practice in. And it was a big learning curve, that’s for sure. Hopefully this year the goal is to be more prepared, and now that we’ve done it, it’s just doing it again.

Q. I know the whole crew had a blast last year and Bill was on cloud nine. Just the whole energy from the team was — can you get into what it was like last year?

R.C. ENERSON: Yeah, our sole focus was to make the field. So I don’t think we ran in traffic a single lap up until after qualifying. So we were dead set on trying to make it in, and we succeeded with that. And the crew — the emotion on qualifying day, which all the way up to the 500, seemed like time could not slow down at all — it was just full throttle all the way through.

It seems like you don’t have time and then you get to qualifying day and it feels like it’s a week long. It was amazing. The crew was amazing. Bill, John, everything went right for us that day.

I still think we had more speed left in the car after the first run we did.

Q. What did you learn ultimately from last year, not only the race but just the couple weeks in general?

R.C. ENERSON: It was definitely a busier schedule than I’m used to. That was a very busy two weeks. The learning curve in the car was — the biggest part was just running in traffic. You have so many tools at your disposal. Like on a road course we’re used to just staying to roll bars. When now you get on an oval and not only do you have anti-roll bars, you’ve got 20 weight jacker clicks.

And it’s just a lot to take on. The first day running in traffic I was more mentally exhausted in the one-hour practice session than I’d been all of it combined.

Q. Now that you’ve lived this, is your comfort level a little bit different now this year?

R.C. ENERSON: Yeah, I think we’re just going to be more prepared and I’m going to know what to expect from the car, especially when we start trimming out and then on qualifying day when we turn up the boost. And the biggest one that I’ll have more experience in is just running in traffic, because that was the real battle the entire time.

Q. When you were qualifying for the Indy 500 and you looked down pit lane and see the drama playing out at a well-established, highly funded team at Rahal Letterman Lanigan, and here you are hardly even a startup team, and what you had achieved and what they were going through, were there times when you just wanted to exalt in the moment, or did you ask yourself, is this really happening?

R.C. ENERSON: Yeah, it was a bit of a pinch-me kind of day. Especially just qualifying day in general was nuts for us. I remember I think I sat on the toolbox in the garage with timing and scoring up on my phone for about three hours. And you’re sitting there, and the only way we would go back out is if we dropped out into the 30th spot to where we’d have to participate in Bump Day. That was the only way we would go back out.

And just kind of sat there, and then they actually got me back in the car for the last, I think it was 30 minutes, of qualifying where you have the line that went all the way through Gasoline Alley, people jumping around. So that was — it was exciting. But once we say the one run go out and we knew there was only one more car that could make it on the time, we knew we were kind of locked. And it was just — they wouldn’t let me get out of the car until the garage because I was freaking out.

Q. (No microphone.)

R.C. ENERSON: Yeah, it was really good. The fact that I didn’t have to suit up and run on Sunday was great. It would have been great to suit up for pole, but our goal was let’s just make sure we were in the show. And we were able to achieve that even though we were pretty much the unanimous pick to be bumped.

Q. Is the goal with your program to do more races down the road this year, next year?

R.C. ENERSON: I think it kind of all just depends. You look at funding, you look at — they also have a full Indy NXT program going on right now, so you don’t want to interfere on that. The Indy 500 doesn’t interfere with anything on the Indy NXT schedule. So I think that’s what really opens that up. I think the goal would be to look past future 2024. I think 2024 running the 500 is kind of just the sole focus.

Q. What do you do when you’re not getting ready for the 500 to keep in race shape?

R.C. ENERSON: I am full-time coaching, whether it’s private coaching, but mainly just full time at the racing school, Lucas Oil School of Racing. So anybody with a driver’s license, or these karter kids where I went into a racing school coming through, we’re their first stop going from go-karts to cars. And we run an event per month.

I’m the one that answers the phones for it, emails, everything. That’s my full-time gig. I love teaching these kids that — kind of trying to be the role model that I had when I was their age and help grow the sport. We need more drivers in every series.

Q. Where is that located?

R.C. ENERSON: Lucas Oil School of Racing, our shop is based in the Tampa-Bradenton area. We’re in New Port Richey, but that’s just where our base is. We go to tracks, Sebring, Homestead. This year we’ll be at Mid-Ohio in the summertime, Kentucky, Chicago Autobahn.

We kind of go everywhere, so we’re mobile. But we host these events and we can take on 36 or so students on a two-day program. And then we also run our race series, which is the jumping point for them to get into, say, the ladder system, USF2000, that program.

Q. When they see and hear that you ran in the Indianapolis 500, does that change the —

R.C. ENERSON: It’s like a 50/50 shot. Half of them have no idea, and then half of them will ask me about it. I have no problem talking about it with them. Most of the questions I get from them are just like, hey, what was it like going through the whole ladder system? Not necessarily where I’m at right now. It’s because they’re wanting to get to there.

So it’s like, what did you do and what class did you run? Did you go through the whole thing with them?

The other thing is they’re like, how do I get sponsorship? It’s like, well, we’re still figuring that out, too, and it’s a never-ending battle. One day at a time.

Q. You’re a Florida native; your dad is a local Southport High School graduate. When you made this field and you just had that time with your family, what were those conversations like? How special was it for him to see his son running the race that he grew up here just a few miles south of here?

R.C. ENERSON: It’s pretty amazing. I’ve been going to the 500 with my dad too since I was three years old. It was my first 500, so that would have been 2000. And he’s been going to it since he was a kid, as well. To come up through that many years of karting, where it was more or less just a hobby, through karting, finally getting into cars, pro racing, all the work that had gone into getting to INDYCAR. But after we already got to INDYCAR, then it took another six years to get to the 500.

It’s been a never-ending battle, but our motto is never quit. You just keep pushing, finding opportunities, seeing what we can do to keep being on track.

Q. I know obviously the Southport connection. Did your dad and Robin Miller have any kind of connection at all?

R.C. ENERSON: I believe my dad’s older brother and Robin Miller had a connection. I think my dad’s older brother worked on his car, one of his Formula Fords, 1600, something like that.

Q. Heading into this year, how important is it for you — you ultimately didn’t get to finish the race, but how important is it that you managed to get some race laps under your belt at the 500, and how much of a boost do you think that will be heading into this year?

R.C. ENERSON: I think it will be — it’s like anything else, every time you do it — it’s just going to keep getting easier every time you keep doing it. The first time around, that’s when you’re the most nervous. That’s when you’re going to make the small mistakes. And when you come back the next year, you know exactly what you’re supposed to expect.

Like I said, I think the biggest learning curve, especially in race mode, was just running in traffic. I talked to a couple of the drivers because I was like, I feel like I have no idea what I’m doing.

But they’re like, no, you’re doing the right things. It’s just really difficult to pass.

I was like, okay, at least I’m headed in the right direction.

All the tools you have, it’s just a lot to take on. And now the more I did it, once I got to the race, it was finally the point I got comfortable running in traffic and being ahead on my tools and kind of knowing where I need to place the car. It took a bit to get there.

Q. Heading away from the 500, is a full-time INDYCAR opportunity something you would be keen to try and push you?

R.C. ENERSON: I think everybody would be pretty keen on trying it, but that’s the goal. This year — that’s the problem with trying to be full-time is you’ve got to plan it so far in advance. It’s not like something you can do a month before the season starts. It’s got to be in the works almost a year prior. The goal would be to run the 500 this year and then look forward to 2025 and seeing what the possibilities are.

Q. Thinking back to last year, if I remember right, John Brunner didn’t get a chance to get the engine lease locked up until April, so that put a dent in the chances to go to the open test. The fact that these things are kind of situated already and kind of in place, you don’t have to go straight from the track to learning tools. You’re going to have a chance to have the open test this year to maybe play around with that. Is that kind of the plan?

R.C. ENERSON: That would definitely be on the radar. I think we would have been in a lot stronger spot had we made the open test, but still, it wasn’t just us looking at the 34th entry. There was a couple other cars that were prospected to be there. And it wasn’t until — I think it was after Texas that we were finally able to be 100 percent we got an engine, we’re ready to go.

I think being — again, it’s more preparation time where we only had a certain amount of time to prep for last year. We have double the amount this year to get ready, so we’re just going to show up a lot more prepared.

Q. On the other end of that, for you personally, what are the chances of you getting more opportunities in the Chevy sim to get ready now that — obviously being with Chevy last year, you assume that’s kind of probably the case this year?

R.C. ENERSON: Yeah, I’ve actually never been in the Chevy sim. I’ve been on my simulator at home, but I haven’t got a chance to be in the Dallara or the Chevy simulator. That would be pretty cool. I think that would be a lot more fun than anything else.

I think with the amount of time we have in front of us to May, it’s just going to be a lot better of an opportunity than even last year was, even though we did so well last year.

Q. How much work do you put in during the off-season to do events like this, like sim racing and all that, like for the 500?

R.C. ENERSON: As far as sim racing goes, we do it for fun. I feel like a lot of us just do it for fun. Whenever I have an evening off and not really doing anything else, what better video game to play than the thing I like to do the most?

I have a bunch of friends that I’ve met through there. Since 2020 happened, we were internet racing all the time. I met a lot of cool guys and do a bunch of league racing stuff, and it allows me to do the thing I love to do most for just fun on the side. But I don’t do it necessarily to prepare.

But I guess it keeps the reflexes there, and you’re just constantly able to drive something.

Q. Over the years I’ve been watching these races, I know you have to keep a lot of reaction time to stay sharp for these races. How do you train for that?

R.C. ENERSON: To be fair, I haven’t done a lot of the reaction training. If I was based here in Indy, I’d be at PitFit doing the D2 machine and a lot of that stuff. But I guess it’s just being on the sim. And I do get to drive the school cars every single event we go to. I feel like I have a million miles in those things over the past eight years.

So I actually get to drive a car on track. It’s not necessarily as fast as an INDYCAR, but it gets my butt in a seat and I’m able to turn a bunch of laps every time we go to an event.

About Chevrolet
Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world’s largest car brands, available in 79 countries with more than 3.2 million cars and trucks sold in 2020. Chevrolet models include electric and fuel-efficient vehicles that feature engaging performance, design that makes the heart beat, passive and active safety features and easy-to-use technology, all at a value. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.

CHEVROLET IN NTT INDYCAR SERIES
INDYCAR CONTENT DAYS MEDIA AVAILABILITY TRANSCRIPT
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA
January 11, 2024

STING RAY ROBB, No. 41 AJ Foyt Racing Chevrolet:

THE MODERATOR: Continuing with our afternoon session, joined by Sting Ray Robb, who will drive the No. 41 AJ Foyt Racing Chevrolet, wrapping up his rookie season with Dale Coyne (Racing) last year, making the transition to A.J. (Foyt)’s team. Are you ready to go with the new team and new outlook, new fire suit? How it is? Let’s go, right?

STING RAY ROBB: Yeah, I’m ready to go.

Q. How has the transition been with the new team?

STING RAY ROBB: So far, so good. We haven’t seen a track in however many months since Laguna, but I’m excited. I’ve been to the shop a couple times, met with the engineers, met with the rest of the crew, and seems like everyone is pretty upbeat.

I think they’re doing a lot of really good things, and I think the Penske alignment deal is going to be good for both parties. I think we have a lot to learn from each other, so mutually beneficial, and I think everyone is looking forward to the season already.

Q. Are you one of those that come out of a new year with goals and that sort of thing?

STING RAY ROBB: I think I started working on those new goals after Laguna (Seca). That already felt like the new year to me. So when January already rolled around, I was halfway through the goals already. It’s good.

Q. What do you want to work on the most from a driver standpoint?

STING RAY ROBB: Finishing all the laps of the Indy 500 would be a good start. Last year was tough. And it was more than just the on-track stuff. It was the off-track stuff, as well, just the rigors of INDYCAR racing. For myself as a rookie, I think I overcommitted at times on and off the track, and so I think there’s a balance there.

I’m ready to go. I’ve watched the videos. I’ve learned what I can from my mistakes last year, and I think that it’ll just be a similar story to my past seasons. Rookie seasons are always tough, but sophomore seasons always seem to be a little bit better.

Q. Obviously it’s a new year, new team. You’ve got Santino, who’s coming back this year. What do you think you can learn from Santino given that you’re going to be with a new power this year as well?

STING RAY ROBB: That’s a great, great thing to have him back, and I think the team is excited about it, and especially, like you said, with that experience with the other power unit. We’ve gotten some engineers from other teams this off-season that kind of came from the other side of the world and have been joining the Chevy side. It’ll be nice to be transitioning together with those guys as well as having the knowledge of Michael Cannon and Santino (Ferrucci) to help us all learn something.

I think we can learn from my past in the Honda car just as much as we can learn from their past in the Chevy car.

I think it’ll be good just because year after year, you see the sort of tension between manufacturers. It seems like one is better at this track, one is better at this track. And I think Chevy is on the up and up right now.

Q. In relation to Milwaukee, how excited are you about going there?

STING RAY ROBB: Yeah, it’s good. Wisconsin is a wonderful place, and being up there at Road America is always one of my favorite places to be. Being just a little bit south in Milwaukee is going to be a good thing. I think it’ll be fun for everyone.

Q. Your boss has some good memories at Milwaukee.

STING RAY ROBB: Yeah, I need to take some notes. We’ll have a study date one of these days.

Q. How important do you see it sort of coming in as a rookie to then have a second year or sophomore year to build on that? There’s the first year purely for you to adapt and then the second year you feel like you can really kick on? How important is having that second year?

STING RAY ROBB: I think it’s super important. I think that for myself especially, I do better with experience. I always like to quote the book The Outliers, which talks about the 10,000 hour rule and how you have to spend 10,000 hours doing whatever it is in order to become great at it.

So I’m not anywhere near to my 10,000 hours in an INDYCAR yet, but I’m on my way to it. So having that rookie season out of the way and having some time off to kind of digest everything from the season and really focus on the areas I need to work on, I think it’s good.

I think it’ll allow me to go into the weekends not just from a learning aspect. It’ll allow me to go, okay, I already know what the deal is here at this track at this time and the tendencies with the team and whatever. So like you said, I’m not adapting during the weekend as much as I am preparing, which it makes a big difference.

Q. Do you see this as a multiyear sort of thing with Foyt, or is it a case of seeing how the first year goes and going from there?

STING RAY ROBB: I think it very well could be. With their results in the Indy 500 last year, I think we’re all hopeful for what the team is capable of doing. Like I said with the alignment, I think that both teams are going to have a lot to learn, and hopefully that’ll benefit both, and it’ll allow me an opportunity to learn and progress and have some success with the team.

Q. I remember last year you talked about how your deal with Dale Coyne Racing came together because of one gym pass together with Linus Lundqvist. How did this deal with AJ Foyt Racing come together?

STING RAY ROBB: I’m trying to even think, because this was kind of a long time in the running here. We weren’t really sure that AJ Foyt Racing was going to have an open seat before the end of the year. And so when we found out about the Penske deal and everything, we were really excited for the team because we knew that was a good opportunity for them to partner with another team just to learn and share resources that way.

At one point, I think my manager, Peter Rossi, was talking to Larry Foyt in passing and started up a conversation talking about the opportunity. And I don’t really know much, honestly. I was kind of a bystander this year when it came to joining the team. I said, yeah, let’s do it, sounds like a good program, and it sounds like they’re doing a lot of good things over there.

Especially with the Indianapolis-based shop, it allows me to go in and work with the team day in and day out, whereas I didn’t have that so much last year with DCR being based out of Chicago. That drive is a bit longer than I’d like to make on a daily commute.

But, yeah, I can do pit stop practices now. I can go bug the engineers before they kick me out at the end of the day. And it just allows me more opportunity to kind of be in relation with those guys, which I feel like I missed out on a lot last year.

Q. You mentioned the Penske partnership. What is it you think you can get out of that, and is that maybe the main difference compared to last year, when at Coyne it was a little bit you guys were more on your own?

STING RAY ROBB: Yeah, as compared to last year, I think it’s just going to have more data. Like that’s the biggest thing, especially for myself with guys like Josef and Will and Scott. Those guys, their driving style, from what I’ve understood, are different than what I’ve seen that work in the Honda. So I think that will be interesting to learn from them early on and have their success kind of right there for us to access.

Especially on — just having the affirmation of, okay, the car is good, it’s quick, now I can go work on myself. I think that an underrated part of being a young driver is having that good baseline to work from, having a good foundation so that you can work on yourself.

I think we forget a lot of times that drivers aren’t robots, as much as we’d like to be, and there are outside influences that can make a difference on how we perform inside the race car.

Q. We can see on your overalls that you’ve got some new partners on board. It sounds from what I’ve read in the press you’ve done a lot of hard work to bring that group together. Can you talk about that?

STING RAY ROBB: Yeah, so the big one on my chest right now is Pray.com, and that’s an app that is trying to help people bring prayer into their daily life. For me it’s a pretty good alignment. We were looking for companies that I could stand behind, that could stand behind me. And obviously faith is a big aspect of who I am and it’s where I find my identity. So having them step on board this year was really, really exciting, and I think it’s going to be a good long-term partnership for us.

Another brand, Goodheart, they have been with us for a long time. They came on I think around 2020 right before I won my Indy Pro 2000 championship. They’ve been with us ever since. As well as Tovuti, PNP, Pinecroft, all those guys, they’re returning this year, which is really cool to see. It’s hard to get those guys in the door and get them to our racetrack. So when they sign on and it can last, it means a lot, it means to see their support and they become part of the Sting Ray Robb family.

Q. With a teammate like Santino Ferrucci, will there be a pit row battle of hairstyles?

STING RAY ROBB: Maybe. I think that I need to find an electrical outlet with a fork. Does anyone have one around?

Q. On a more serious note, when you were five years old, you said you wanted to drive race cars. I wonder what that means now. I think you’re 23, driving for the iconic Foyt racing team.

STING RAY ROBB: Yeah, so I’m 22 now, and I think one of the coolest things about signing with Foyt this year was being at least associated with the name A.J. Foyt because that’s synonymous with winning, being the winningest driver in INDYCAR history. So for myself it’s cool to have that history and that legend to live up to.

It is really cool to be a part of that group because motorsports is a small family. It’s a very small community. We all run in the same world together. So for myself, this is the second of some very, very legendary drivers that have won a lot of races that I’ve driven for.

I have a box of Wheaties with his face on it that I’m hoping to get signed by the end of the year, but we’ll see how that goes, see if he approves of that.

Q. Along that line, have you had a chance to talk to A.J. (Foyt) face to face yet?

STING RAY ROBB: No, not yet, but I’m looking forward to it.

Q. I wonder if it’s getting harder or just different, the way to find sponsors now with this (indiscernible) coming into INDYCAR, or is it the same hard work to get any sponsors?

STING RAY ROBB: I think if anything it’s a help. I think that we’re all looking forward to the innovation that INDYCAR is doing with the hybrid system, and I think that myself, the team, as well as Chevy being a partner there, we’re all happy that INDYCAR has postponed the introduction of the hybrid system until later in the year so that way we can all get a good feel for what that will bring as far as the racing series goes and the competition we’ll lay out there.

I see no difference as far as partnerships go that are negative. If anything, it’s a positive.

Q. What could be the most valuable lesson that you take from Dale Coyne?

STING RAY ROBB: I mean, there’s a lot to learn from last season. But from him himself, I think Dale was really good at not overthinking things. He was really good at just kind of maintaining a good balance in his personality, especially on the stand as a strategist. He made some good calls last year, but we were in tough positions a lot of times. And in INDYCAR racing, little things make a big difference.

So for me I think that just learning from Dale’s experience and being able to sit down and listen. Instead of just giving him all the knowledge that I have, I should just listen to what they have to say.

Q. You’re joining a new team with AJ Foyt Racing and Santino Ferrucci as your teammate. What can you learn from another young driver like Santino Ferrucci for this upcoming season?

STING RAY ROBB: I mean, there’s probably a lot to learn. I think Santino is a good talent in the series, and I think that his personality goes well with what I have to give, as well. I think we’re going to get along just fine, and I’m looking forward to start working together.

One thing that I learned last year that I wish I had known better was kind of how to enjoy the off-track stuff, and I think Santino does a good job of that. He knows how to have fun away from the racetrack as well as on the racetrack. I’m looking forward to kind of learning that side from him and just getting some good time together, having some fun on the racetrack.

Q. This team has proved to show good speed on ovals. Are you excited for that going into 2024, knowing that you could possibly have a better shot at these oval tracks?

STING RAY ROBB: Yeah, I’m hoping to not be in the last row qualifying this year. That would be a good start for things.

Q. Last year Foyt showed a lot of speed, a lot more speed than we’ve seen, and I think everybody was deep in their soul cheering for Santino at the end of the race, an American driver in a Foyt car. Know you were in the back row last year and just the stress that probably caused you all weekend. I know you want to take it a race at a time, but you’ve got to be champing at the bit to be able to get out in that car, knowing it’s got some speed and show what you can do on the oval at IMS.

STING RAY ROBB: Absolutely. I remember talking to one of the drivers for the team last year, I can’t remember who it was, but they said, the car is fast. I don’t know why. Like I just hammer down and it goes.

And that was all there was to it. It wasn’t anything different that I was doing in the car that I was in on the last row qualifying. I was full throttle for four laps with no wiggles, no understeering. Stuck to the ground, trimmed out, and it just didn’t have it. I think it will be interesting to kind of have that feeling of like the car feels the same, but we’re just going faster.

At least that’s my hope.

I know there’s days like that where everything just kind of flows and it’s the way it’s supposed to be, so I’m hoping that we can get some of those this year.

About Chevrolet
Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world’s largest car brands, available in 79 countries with more than 3.2 million cars and trucks sold in 2020. Chevrolet models include electric and fuel-efficient vehicles that feature engaging performance, design that makes the heart beat, passive and active safety features and easy-to-use technology, all at a value. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.

CHEVROLET IN NTT INDYCAR SERIES
INDYCAR CONTENT DAYS MEDIA AVAILABILITY TRANSCRIPT
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA
January 11, 2024

CHRISTIAN RASMUSSEN, No. 20 Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet:

THE MODERATOR: Continuing on, Christian Rasmussen joins us, driving the No. 20 Ed Carpenter Chevrolet, of course the 2023 Indy NXT by Firestone champion, with five wins, eight podiums, and three pole positions last year. Moving up in size, team, whatnot. Happy New Year. Are you looking forward to a big 2024 for you?

CHRISTIAN RASMUSSEN: Yeah, I’m looking forward. NTT INDYCAR is something that we have been working towards for a long time now, and something that I feel ready for.

Getting the opportunity with Ed Carpenter Racing is huge for me. I’m just looking forward to a season where there’s going to be a steep learning curve, a lot of new stuff for me, pit stops, different cars, different people to drive against. There’s a lot of new stuff coming my way, but I’m going to the task very humble and just going to try and do the best that I can.

Q. You’ve won a lot of scholarships on the way up to INDYCAR. Would you be here without those scholarships?

CHRISTIAN RASMUSSEN: No, not at all. I am out of a very regular family, and obviously I’ve had great support from investors and sponsors during the way. But most of the budgets for each year has come from the scholarships. That was why like last year was very hard for us because that was the first time in a while where we didn’t have a scholarship, or I didn’t have a scholarship.

We had to find a full budget. That proved to be very hard. We pushed through, but not without issues. Like three times during the year we were less than 24 hours from losing my ride, which was hard. But we pushed through, made it happen, and still won the championship, which got me into INDYCAR.

Q. Do you think racing with that pressure every year will help you as you continue your career?

CHRISTIAN RASMUSSEN: It’s definitely a weight lifted off my shoulders. Obviously there’s still always pressure in racing. There’s always pressure to perform. You have to perform to stay in the game, especially in a competitive series like INDYCAR.

But having that financial burden off my shoulders is very, very great. And, yeah, I just look forward to start racing and focusing on my craft and getting better.

Q. Winning in all the Road to Indy levels — or USF Pro, whatever they call it now — now you’re coming up to INDYCAR, what does a successful 2024 look like from your perspective as a rookie?

CHRISTIAN RASMUSSEN: It’s very hard to say. I haven’t really set any overall, like, position goal in mind. I go to the season, I want to learn as much as possible. I want to improve over the season and see where we end up.

It’s hard to say where we’re going to end up, but yeah, I hope for some good results, see if I can be close to Rinus and give him a run for his money. He’s obviously the first guy to beat. But we’ll see. See where we end up.

Q. What do you think you can learn from Rinus VeeKay this season?

CHRISTIAN RASMUSSEN: I mean, obviously there’s a lot — is this his fourth or fifth season in INDYCAR? So obviously a lot of experience there.

But there’s going to be a lot. Learning the car is one thing, all the stuff that’s around INDYCAR with pit stops and a lot of new stuff that’s got to be learned. So I’ll be leaning on him. Hopefully he’ll help me out.

But just looking forward to the task.

Q. Do you plan on — obviously you’re running the 500. Do you plan to travel to the other ovals, learning from Ed (Carpenter) and the feedback that he’s going to give back? Are you going to travel with the team? Is that part of the learning process, as well?

CHRISTIAN RASMUSSEN: For sure. I go into INDYCAR my first year, I want to learn as much as possible and be as well set up for 2025 as possible. So that means also going to all of the ovals and everything else to see how all that works.

Obviously I get the 500, which is going to be super special, but it’s going to be the first time on a superspeedway for me and the first time on an oval in an INDYCAR.

I’ll go to all the events, try and learn as much as possible. Obviously Ed (Carpenter) has a lot of experience on the ovals and in INDYCAR.

Yeah, I’ll be like, what’s called —

Q. Sponge?

CHRISTIAN RASMUSSEN: A sponge, try and soak up as much as possible.

Q. Some questions about you and Rinus. Of course you’re the rookie on the team, but in age you’re actually older than him. How is he falling into this role as team leader, and how has he helped you get up to speed the last few weeks and months?

CHRISTIAN RASMUSSEN: Yeah, I think the work really starts now. Obviously we’ve been in the sim a lot where he’s been helpful, but it’s really when we get into the car, which we haven’t had a lot of time yet. So, yeah, I’m looking forward to working with him more.

Up until now, it’s just been kind of getting to know each other, and we seem to get along very well. I’m sure it’ll be a fun season. I’m excited to learn what I can from him and see where that takes us.

Q. Personality-wise, do you guys have a little bit of fun outside of work, as well?

CHRISTIAN RASMUSSEN: Yeah, obviously he lives in Florida, I live in Indy, so we’re kind of far apart. But once we’re in each other’s town, we tend to do something.

Q. Not running the ovals this year, do you feel like that could actually help your development because then you are able to just focus on the road and street courses, and then in the future you could then develop on ovals? Or do you feel like you would rather have run an entire season this year?

CHRISTIAN RASMUSSEN: Yeah, obviously the goal is always to run an entire season, but I’m very thankful for the opportunity to run the road and street circuits.

We’ll see. I think there is a lot to learn when you step up into INDYCAR, so having to only focus on road and street circuits might be a good thing.

I feel pretty strong on the ovals, so I think I could do some good stuff. But that’s also the plan, to continue through a full season in 2025.

For now, I’ll focus on the cards that I have been dealt and see where that takes me.

Q. You kind of alluded to this, but you talked about how you almost lost your Indy NXT ride three times within 24 hours. You were able to save that. At what points of the season was that happening?

CHRISTIAN RASMUSSEN: Well, the first one came very early before St. Pete. There was that. We managed to avoid that bullet. Then again like midway through the season, and then I think again before St. Louis, I believe.

But it happened a few times, but thanks to the network that I have built up in racing over the years, I was able to save it and get some good help from a lot of different people, which was awesome, which helped me get through also.

My team was very good working with me, partly also because I was — at the end I was leading the championship. Obviously they wanted to win a championship as well as I did. I think that helped.

I think if I weren’t leading the championship, I don’t think I would have been able to finish the year because I wouldn’t have that same wiggle room.

But I worked, which was obviously partly thanks to myself putting in that situation, which I think was crucial for my continuance in Indy NXT.

Q. If I remember correctly, and I might be wrong, but if I remember right, some of your sponsorship or some of your backing through your Indy NXT career, obviously through the whole Road to Indy, came from Europe. What’s the challenge for someone who comes from Europe with your backing trying to sell the idea of racing in a junior category in America and making that a payoff investment for them?

CHRISTIAN RASMUSSEN: Yeah, it’s very hard, especially in the lower categories. You don’t really have that media attention, and it’s hard to convince a company that there’s going to be a huge return of investment in those series.

We’ve had to go an investment route and do it that way, which is great. That’s what has gotten me there, what’s gotten me here, and it seems to be working now.

Yeah, it’s hard, but that’s what we’ve been dealing with.

I’ve also started to focus more on the American market in terms of getting sponsorship and investments from over here, which has also been a huge part of my success last year.

Q. You’re getting ready to be a rookie in INDYCAR. We know the journey. But what’s the best piece of advice you’ve received about stepping up to INDYCAR, and who gave you that advice?

CHRISTIAN RASMUSSEN: Not sure. But obviously I’ve been told a lot of times to just do the best I can, which is I think the way that I’m going to go to the task. Don’t overthink it and just do the best I can. I think that’ll be the main thing.

Q. What do you think about the fact that we are seeing more and more European competitors in the series? Why is that?

CHRISTIAN RASMUSSEN: I think it’s great. I think a lot of Europeans are starting to realize how cool of a series INDYCAR is. I took that leap a long time ago. I was one of the few that went to the U.S. early and went through the ladder series.

But I think it’s great. We have a lot of Scandinavians, obviously two Danes now, a lot of Swedish, and in general a lot of Europeans, which is cool.

I think the depth of the field is super great, and there’s a lot of very, very talented drivers out there. And I think it makes for some of the best racing in the world right now.

Q. What’s a track you haven’t done? Since you were in Indy Lights last year you’ve done a lot of road course stuff. So what’s a track you haven’t done in Indy Lights that you’re most looking forward to this year?

CHRISTIAN RASMUSSEN: I look forward to Long Beach. I love the street circuits in general, and Long Beach is such a cool event. I got to experience it as a spectator in 2022, so getting the opportunity to run the race is going to be super cool.

I look forward to going back to Toronto. I was there in 2019 last. That was my first win in the Road to Indy. So going back there is going to be super cool to run. It’s a cool city, enjoyed being there, and loved the circuit, as well.

Q. I’ve learned watching races that you have to keep a lot of reaction time. How do you train to keep that reaction time up?

CHRISTIAN RASMUSSEN: I work out with PitFit Training where it’s kind of a whole circle deal. We get strength, we get cardio, and the reaction training is part of it, as well.

We do a lot of training on these big screens where we do hand-eye coordination and reaction stuff. A lot of different stuff that we do.

About Chevrolet
Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world’s largest car brands, available in 79 countries with more than 3.2 million cars and trucks sold in 2020. Chevrolet models include electric and fuel-efficient vehicles that feature engaging performance, design that makes the heart beat, passive and active safety features and easy-to-use technology, all at a value. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.

CHEVROLET IN NTT INDYCAR SERIES
INDYCAR CONTENT DAYS MEDIA AVAILABILITY TRANSCRIPT
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA
January 11, 2024

PATO O’WARD, No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet:

THE MODERATOR: Joined now by Pato O’Ward, driving the No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet, beginning his seventh year in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES —

PATO O’WARD: Oh, my God, yeah, 2018 was my first race.

THE MODERATOR: Top 5 in the standings last season with seven podiums and nine top 5s. New fire suit, new year. Happy New Year. Looking forward to a big 2024, I’m assuming?

PATO O’WARD: Yeah, really looking forward to it. Had a really nice off-season at home. Christmas, New Year’s, I did absolutely nothing besides eat well, spend time with my family, and just keep my training up.

I didn’t want to hear from anybody. I didn’t want to see anybody. It was much-needed downtime.

Q. I think it was last year you talked to us in Palm Springs about kind of that similar approach of wanting to disconnect and break away, not hear from the team, focus on yourself and spend time with friends and family and continue your workout regimen and refocus for the 2023 season. Is that similar to what you went through over these last couple months? And after that, how do you feel like that served you when you went through the 2023 season and looked back?

PATO O’WARD: I mean, I guess we can call them like balancing moments. Those are very much needed, because it’s such an intense season. And as soon as I finished, I went to a very intense program with Formula 1, and I didn’t finish really until — December 6th was kind of like my first day off.

By then — definitely not complaining — but by then everybody else probably had, what, three months off. Coupled with that, we had a lot of hybrid testing, and it was just a very busy, busy season.

I wanted two weeks off. I just needed 10 to 14 days of just really relaxed and just calm down the pace of just life in general a bit. Just tried to behave, not chasing tail, focus.

I feel good. I feel really good, physically, mentally. I’m excited for the challenges ahead because I know it’s not going to be an easy year, just like it never will be.

We ended the year very hungry, and I think I can speak on behalf of everybody at Arrow McLaren.

Q. As you went through last year’s results maybe a little bit more in depth than you would have a chance to in the season, six podiums. I know the important part was no wins. Was there any one thing or a couple things that you feel like were holding you guys back or areas that you missed on or things that you would have done differently if you had another chance to go about it?

PATO O’WARD: I think the more years that I add on to my INDYCAR resume, you just realize how costly a risk can be, especially early on in the season, which is a constant battle that you will have your whole career, really.

Yes, it’s always about the points at the end of the day. Whoever has the most points is going to win.

But it’s also about taking advantage of opportunities. It’s a constant battle, I believe with yourself, of making those split-second decisions of — you never know quite how it’s going to work out until it works out. Sometimes you end up like a hero. But sometimes you might end up and you’re like, what would have happened if I would have waited, or what would have happened if this.

That’s going to be part of the game every single year. But I just think trying to really pick wisely when you’re taking those risks are going to help your chances at the championship later on, just because of maybe lost points that could have been less of a loss, let’s say.

But it’s tough. And with such a competitive series, you have to — there are risks that you have to take in order for you to be a race winner, in order for you to continuously go forward in a race and not just stay where you are. There’s just little things here and there.

But I think we had a lot of little wins. We didn’t have that elephant in the room of we didn’t win. But I think we had a lot of little wins during the year, which shouldn’t be overlooked, which ultimately what was missing was that No. 1 in at least one race.

But it’s nothing to be like non-proud of, because I think the most podiums I’ve had in a year prior was four. And like yeah, from those four, we had two wins, but this year we had seven.

I don’t necessarily think it was a year of not growing. I think we got a lot better.

But yeah, it was definitely a shock. Just multiple instances where it was just like, can’t catch a break.

Q. Over the last day and a half or so, there’s been some talk about how this series can move forward to continue growing and thriving in this motorsports world. I know you’ve been someone in the past that’s not been afraid to speak out on what you think the series can do to improve, whether it’s wanting to have a new car or wanting to see some different things from a marketing, media perspective. Why do you feel so confident about speaking out like that in a series where it does seem like there are not too many folks that are willing to do that?

PATO O’WARD: I’m going to go with not just I think in sports route but in just growth in general.

I’m only 24 years old, so I know there’s a lot more people that have a lot more experience than I do. But from my years of life so far, when you see things grow — it could be a person, it could be a company, a business, a group of people. But when you’re just speaking of growth, change will usually kind of rattle people’s floor. Like it’ll kind of move things around. Some people will like it, some people won’t like it.

But when you don’t evolve and when you don’t change, you sure as hell will not grow. The only way to doing that is to change things up.

The way that things grow nowadays is completely different to what it was 30 years ago. Keep in mind, I wasn’t alive 30 years ago, but I have heard a lot from my grandparents, my parents. I have seen what just 10 years has done and has shifted in the markets of a lot of products and a lot of different things.

I think having a good product, yes, like that is important. But ultimately what you need is you want people to be present. You want people to be a part of something that’s just not race cars going around.

I think we as a series are a perfect example of that because the racing is unbelievable. The racing is so good.

But there is something missing that we have yet quite to crack. And I think there’s a lot of examples that are going around in motorsports that have shown growth. It’s basically not a plug and play because every series is different, but you see how other series grow.

I think the most simple way would be like really see what is working for them; what is causing that to happen.

I’ve always been from the mentality — everything I do, I always go 100 percent. I never do things halfway. Maybe that’s a bit aggressive to obviously a series or whatever. But we have the potential to be like two or three Xing, not growing 5 or 10 percent a year. We’re selling ourselves short by just wanting to grow incrementally like that.

Like I think we really have the potential to see like massive gains, but just like in a lot of things, you just obviously have to fuel it if you want to see some of that double, triple, quadruple.

I know I’m just a voice. Some people agree with me, some people don’t agree with me. I believe at Arrow McLaren as a group, we are on the boat of definitely turbo charging it a bit and just getting it a bit more — taking more of an aggressive approach, which has been proven to work.

I don’t know. I try and do my best to help and to bring new audiences and new people to the series, because I feel like once people see and watch it, they’re going to want to stick around.

The problem is you need to get it in front of as many eyes as you can.

Q. Going off the last part of that answer, you have one of the biggest crowds around you at almost any race to go to in the paddock. How far along are you still trying to do for getting a race in México, because I know Hermanos Rodríguez, INDYCAR raced there many years ago. Is that something that is still high on your priority list?

PATO O’WARD: Definitely high on my priority list. I’m not quite sure when it is going to happen. I think it’ll happen some day. I don’t know if it’s going to be at Hermanos Rodríguez. I think it might be somewhere else. I don’t know, but it is high on the list.

But I think there’s other priorities in front of making that the top priority, let’s say. I think one of the biggest things that we all have to focus on is the excuse is always, well, the partners don’t care about going international. Well, why? Like we need to be able to offer a product that makes international brands want to be a part of it.

And I think that’s just going to make it — there’s going to be new audiences automatically of going to these markets that we already have drivers from those markets, but we don’t have races there. And that is — just having a driver in a series from a specific country doesn’t quite necessarily bring you the potential that it could if you had a race.

I don’t know where the series is in terms of like wanting to do international or not. Last I heard, they don’t like that. But I don’t see why. I really think — I’m not saying go absolutely everywhere like Formula 1 does. No. I think we need to stick to our roots and embrace what INDYCAR is and what INDYCAR has been and really extract that.

But having a race in Europe, having a race in México, Argentina, Uruguay — I think we have big potential to have a concentrated amount of race in Latin America, like Brazil, more races there rather than like all around the world.

I don’t know. That’s just my take. But I think there’s definitely a lot of market to explore in those areas, and you will definitely have the most passionate fans around the world.

Q. With David Malukas joining the team, how do you expect the team’s dynamic to change between you, Rossi and him compared to what it was with (Felix) Rosenqvist?

PATO O’WARD: Obviously we’re going to miss Felix. Felix is a great character. But I’ve known David for quite some time. We raced go-karts together. He’s a great addition to the team. He’s young, he’s fast, and he’s got a family that loves racing.

I think he will really enjoy this atmosphere that McLaren Racing as a whole has to offer.

Q. What are some takeaways from last year that you hope to bring into your seventh year?

PATO O’WARD: Takeaways from last year, winning a race will never be a given, and I think that’s the biggest takeaway. You don’t have to win to have a good year. Obviously it helps, but I think those wins come by you and the team doing your jobs as good as possible, not really focusing on the end result.

About Chevrolet
Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world’s largest car brands, available in 79 countries with more than 3.2 million cars and trucks sold in 2020. Chevrolet models include electric and fuel-efficient vehicles that feature engaging performance, design that makes the heart beat, passive and active safety features and easy-to-use technology, all at a value. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.

CHEVROLET IN NTT INDYCAR SERIES
INDYCAR CONTENT DAYS MEDIA AVAILABILITY TRANSCRIPT
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA
January 11, 2024

SANTINO FERRUCCI, No. 14 AJ Foyt Racing Chevrolet:

THE MODERATOR: Joined now by Santino Ferrucci, driver of the No. 14 Sexton Properties AJ Foyt Racing Chevrolet, beginning his seventh year in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES. Third place at the Indianapolis 500 last year, 19 career top 10s for Santino. Just announced you’re returning to the team, so congratulations. Happy New Year.

SANTINO FERRUCCI: No kidding.

Q. You’re heading to the Chili Bowl, right?

SANTINO FERRUCCI: Yeah, I’ve got a couple busy weeks ahead between practice at the Chili Bowl, to here, back to prelim night, to Florida to get married, then to Homestead for INDYCAR testing.

Q. Tell me about Foyt; why does this marriage work so well for you guys?

SANTINO FERRUCCI: Well, I think one of the things that really works is the way that me and Larry (Foyt) interact. It’s just a very natural, very well-flowing part of our sport.

Obviously it’s a very serious sport, but you also — we’re very fortunate to do what we do, and we both love it. And we just make it so much more fun for each other, and we do well doing that.

Running at Indy, I think also we know that we can win. It just makes the partnership fantastic.

Q. The fact that there’s now an engineering relationship with Team Penske, how valuable is that going to be, and will we see dramatic improvement happen from that relationship on the Foyt side?

SANTINO FERRUCCI: Well, I think it’s massive. Seeing that partnership grow, seeing what it can potentially become, and sitting in on some of those meetings, it’s definitely very unique. I’ve seen some partnerships throughout my years in racing, and this one is definitely unlike any other relationship I have experienced.

I think we can’t thank Penske enough for working with us. And dramatic results. There’s still a lot that goes on behind the scenes. It’s not exactly a plug-and-play sport, as much as we wish it was. But we should improve our road course and street course program significantly.

And obviously our 500 program now working with a powerhouse like Penske — we were already really good. We did finish behind them this year in the race part, which is obviously not the goal. But I think with all of us working together, we can put five cars out there that are hopefully untouchable.

Q. I don’t know if irony is the right word, but you were a Team Penske driver for about three days in 2022 after the Iowa race, and you didn’t get to get into the car after that because Josef was cleared to return to competition. But here we are two years later and you’re kind of in a way a satellite Team Penske driver because of this relationship. Kind of that long twisting road that you’ve been on.

SANTINO FERRUCCI: Yeah, I think that’s kind of part of my journey. It’s one of those things to where — working with Mr. Cindric and Mr. Penske, it’s one of those things to where it’s been a dream. And obviously driving for A.J. (Foyt) and being able to do everything in one roof is, I think, a rarity. It’s not something that I think every driver has the honor of saying.

Being able to have A.J. on the stand and working with a team like Penske in the background is definitely unique.

Q. You called this relationship with Penske “massive” and unlike any other that you’ve known of or been a part of. I’m sure you can’t tell us everything, but why do you have the impression that this not only will be so impactful for AJ Foyt Racing but that it is so different and unique from other technical partnerships that we’ve known about?

SANTINO FERRUCCI: So because of my experience in racing — I’ve obviously driven in other series, which we all know which one I’m speaking of. And the team that I drove for when we started, it was their first full-time year with a partnership with a massive team.

The fact of how fast those guys got off the ground with me jumping in the car, no testing, no practice, no nothing, straight into racing, and we were in the top 15 with a team that had one owner and one mechanic when I went there in January, goes to show that was a pretty open-book partnership in my opinion.

Working with Penske is taking it to a whole new level of sitting in engineering, working with their guys, what we’re doing with our team, how we’re setting up for the year. That’s kind of how I’m basing it, because it’s partnerships like that that — it’s a competition sport, which is always going to be part of it. But to have a team like that helping a smaller team like ours for the sake of the sport is just — I mean, it’s incredible.

Q. Do you anticipate the level of — we know the Meyer Shank Racing drivers and Andretti Global drivers sit in with each other on debriefs after qualifying and practice and races. Is that what you guys are going to be experiencing here, or is there still a little bit of a silo between these two teams?

SANTINO FERRUCCI: I think on the race weekends it’s a little bit more of a silo from what I can see and what I’m gathering. We don’t know yet. Since we’re so new in this partnership, it can be a bunch of things.

I know Josef (Newgarden) would love to have me sit down and debrief, according to INDYCAR memes. But it would be really cool working with those guys. I’ve bounced a lot of stuff off of Will (Power) throughout my years here because I’ve always found him to be a good friend and a driver that I would aspire to be. He’s honestly, in my opinion, the world’s greatest qualifier, and it’s something that I’ve always wanted to work on myself.

Being able to have more access to someone like him is something that is just unreal for me.

Q. Your news and being confirmed to this team is obviously very new. When we last spoke to Larry (Foyt) at Laguna (Seca), seemed like things were pretty positive but also uncertain about you guys’ future together. Can you give us a little bit of insight about these last four months and how you ended up landing back here at AJ Foyt Racing?

SANTINO FERRUCCI: Yeah, I think it was always part of the goal with the team. When you’re obviously trying to build something new — we pulled apart this team last year, restructured it with Cannon, and to start to build continuity was the goal. I had an option on my contract, and we had always throughout the year talked about moving forward, moving forward, moving forward.

Obviously the biggest hurdle with the team would always be — with a smaller team is sponsorship. I am a paid driver. It’s tough. I don’t bring anything to the table other than my good looks and hair.

Q. Even that’s questionable, but that’s fine.

SANTINO FERRUCCI: No kidding. But, no, obviously that was always the goal with Larry. We’ve been working on this for a while trying to figure out how to make it work through the winter. There’s been so many different ideas. And to get something done and inked after the new year was important for my career.

I think it’s important for the team, important for the relationship moving forward with Penske, and just being able to build on Indy, honestly, because we all know we can win, and that is honestly the big goal.

Q. Going back to the Chili Bowl this week, how important is it for you to race not just there but other types of cars besides INDYCAR to kind of keep things on the up and up?

SANTINO FERRUCCI: Yeah, so with INDYCAR obviously testing is limited. We don’t play soccer or football or any of those sports so we can’t just go out whenever we want and hit the driving range and do our sport. So driving different disciplines — you know, the Chili Bowl is its own unique thing. It was the way to get into INDYCAR back in the day, so it’s a grass-roots form of racing.

It is the complete opposite of anything we do in the INDYCAR, which is a fantastic tool to learn from because it teaches you adaptability. You have to adapt in a car like that like no other. Those guys are unbelievable, what they do. That’s why there’s 370 entries, and any given night, anyone can win.

It’s also that mental challenge of I should be able to do this, and I’d like to do it well. But also, I go to a local go-kart track all the time. I have a track 30 minutes from my house. I rebuilt one of my — someone asked me the other day, oh, man, that thing doesn’t look too old. And I’m like, yeah, it’s from 2008.

Built my own legacy go-kart that I grew up racing. Honestly doing all those forms of racing, keeping your skills sharp. Everything in INDYCAR happens slower than it does in a go-cart or midget, so keeping your mind sharp is a big tool.

Q. Given your namesake, is there something you’d like to do more of other than just the Chili Bowl? Would you like to do sprint cars, Silver Crown, or is it just focusing on the Chili Bowl once a year?

SANTINO FERRUCCI: My big focus is on the Chili Bowl once a year. I would be open to jumping in a Silver Crown car at some point in my life. But the thing with the sprint car — my first dirt experience was in a 410 sprint wingless.

Needless to say as much as I’m not afraid of anything, racing one of those cars is not on my list of things to do because that is absolutely absurd. Especially on big tracks like Eldora and stuff like that, kudos to those guys. I’m happy with four wheels, wings, and the aeroscreen.

Q. But would you do a winged 410 car?

SANTINO FERRUCCI: You know what, the winged stuff, maybe. The wingless, not a chance. Winged, downforce, watching those guys do it, it’s a little bit more cushion. I’d be more open to something with wings on it.

Q. The team obviously in 2022 lost leader circle spots. Last year you got one of those back. Did you feel that pressure late in the season, and how good did it feel when you got that accomplished?

SANTINO FERRUCCI: I never really felt the pressure to put the car in the leadership circle. I kind of figured it would be a given. Considering the hurdles that we had to go through in 2023, it was definitely to the point to where you’re crunching numbers going into your final few finishes of, like, where do we need to finish, what do we need to do here? Especially since Indy was no longer double points, which it’s a big deal when you change that.

But, no, I’m looking forward to it more this year because I think with Sting Ray and everything that’s happening, I think we can easily put both cars in the leadership circle. And that’s something that I think is huge for the team. That bonus money carries us a long way.

Q. On a completely different topic, how many times have you replayed the last 15 laps of the 500 over, and what would you do differently?

SANTINO FERRUCCI: I haven’t played the last 15. I’ve only replayed the last restart, and, trust me, I still lose sleep over it. It’s one of those things to where the second-to-last restart was executed perfectly because everything in that scenario had a variable, and it wasn’t going to change.

And then with the final restart of something that we’d never done, to do a one lap out and go, there were so many different variables. Honestly, Marcus caught all of us off guard. He did a hell of a job restarting that race.

No. At that point it was just — once we got going, it was just a hope and a prayer to see if those guys made a mistake. And obviously we’re all at the top of our game. None of us are making errors.

It’s just cat and mouse at that point.

Q. With the addition of Sting Ray Robb to the team, what do you think he brings to the team in terms of his experience coming in as a rookie from last season?

SANTINO FERRUCCI: Yeah, obviously it’s hard not to see Sting Ray in the lower categories because of the name, so it’s someone that you always follow because the name is so freaking cool. I just paid attention to him.

Honestly, I think that he’s just really consistent. So finishing races will be huge, especially for that second car and the 41. I think having him there, completing all those laps — he did a really good job of that this year.

He definitely had his signs of speed, as all rookies do. I mean, even my rookie year, it’s just one of those things to where finishing laps is almost more important than anything else and keeping cars in one piece for the guys. And I think he’ll be able to do a good job with that.

I don’t know how his feedback will be. I have not worked with him too much yet. I have met him a good handful of times, and I’m looking forward to working with him on more of a friends level. I think he would be a really cool teammate to be with.

Q. You signed late; are you a full season this year?

SANTINO FERRUCCI: That’s the intention. It’s basically the same thing that we did last year. So we’re going off the — our intentions of it, it’s obviously a lot due to sponsorship. Obviously my performance in the 500 was a huge deal to — big part of that, as well. But yes.

Q. With the second year with Foyt, any particular personal goals that you’ve thought of?

SANTINO FERRUCCI: Yeah. Obviously I’ve got a few off the top of my head. Obviously my big one is circling on the 500 and doing the same thing that we did this past season with the consistency, rolling off the trailer good, being smart about it, taking our time.

But for full-season goals, I’d like to be in that top 10 of the championship. Obviously 27 drivers, everybody fighting tooth and nail, this is the most competitive the series has ever been, most competitive I’ve ever seen any open wheel series in my lifetime. And that’s just, I think, a solid goal right now for all of us.

Just having that consistency is going to be key, and I think that’s something that we can achieve.

Q. With the introduction of the hybrid car, do you think that’s going to be a positive or sort of a hold-back for your team?

SANTINO FERRUCCI: I’m looking forward to it. I think that Chevrolet and Honda have been working diligently to obviously get the hybrid program started. I think it’s something that our series needs. Obviously we have a lot of enthusiasts. I’m a car enthusiast. I love my V-8s. It’s one of my daily cars, Corvette V-8. It’s pro charged. It’s one of those things to where there’s nothing that beats that sound.

But as far as technology goes, adding in that hybrid is going to add in a completely different dynamic to a driver, and I think it’s going to make the series more challenging and it’s going to be more rewarding to those that can process faster, more adaptable.

I’m looking forward to it. I know Chevrolet is.

I’m happy that they’ve decided to wait until after the 500 this year just because I really like the way that we don’t know how exactly it’s going to make the cars handle different yet. And with them delaying it, also our book for this past year stays really good.

We’ll roll in with the same car, and can’t wait to do that.

Q. What’s your favorite course style? There’s the three different variants out there. There’s got to be one that you look forward to a little more than the others.

SANTINO FERRUCCI: Well, when we have the setup down, I really love short track racing. I’m really looking forward to going back to Gateway this year with the full downforce package. I’m looking forward to racing the Milwaukee Mile, which I’ve heard so much about. Iowa with the repave is going to be incredible.

Just short track racing in general is just honestly one of my favorite things. There’s nothing like going two, three-wide at 200-plus miles per hour, basically banging elbows.

About Chevrolet
Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world’s largest car brands, available in 79 countries with more than 3.2 million cars and trucks sold in 2020. Chevrolet models include electric and fuel-efficient vehicles that feature engaging performance, design that makes the heart beat, passive and active safety features and easy-to-use technology, all at a value. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.

CHEVROLET IN NTT INDYCAR SERIES
INDYCAR CONTENT DAYS MEDIA AVAILABILITY TRANSCRIPT
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA
January 11, 2024

RINUS VEEKAY, No. 21 Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet:

THE MODERATOR: Leading us off this morning, the driver of the No. 21, Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet, beginning his fifth season in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES. Two NTT P1 awards in his career and of course that memorable win on the IMS road course. Rinus VeeKay joining us this morning. Ready to go today?

RINUS VEEKAY: Ready to go. I’m excited actually. It’s been a quiet off-season, so it’s nice to be talking and thinking about racing all day.

THE MODERATOR: You’ve had a rather important event in your life since Laguna.

RINUS VEEKAY: That’s true. I got married.

Q. Looking ahead to 2024, what do you think the team has in store, maybe some goals you want to accomplish this year?

RINUS VEEKAY: Yeah, I think 2023 definitely was a tough season, toughest so far, I think, in my time on the team. But, yeah, I think 2024 is going to be a good one.

Having Christian as a team, first time for me having a rookie as a teammate, but also someone who is basically my age. I think we really kind of think the same way and drive the same way, so I think it’s a really good match.

Already on the simulator we’ve been kind of saying the same thing while not knowing we say the same thing. So that’s really good.

I think it’s just going to be a good team. I think we’ve got a really good team that really can work our way up throughout the season to the top.

Q. Rinus, the team really seems to be making an investment in keeping young talent. At one time the team had Josef Newgarden and weren’t able to compete with Penske in terms of offers, but they’ve really made an investment with you. How important is that, that the team has identified who they want to build a program around and stick with them?

RINUS VEEKAY: Yeah, I can definitely see that. Also with Christian (Rasmussen), they really value also the Indy NXT and the Road to Indy talents coming up. Same with Josef, same with me.

And with Christian, we’re all doing pretty good. Christian, I’m pretty sure he’s going to do very good this year.

I think that really shows the Road to Indy helps and it’s worth looking at as a team.

I think it’s good that the team is looking at young talent, and I think it’ll make us a very strong team.

Q. Obviously you’re entering your fifth season into INDYCAR. What do you think you’ve learnt over the last four years that you can bring into this season leading Ed Carpenter as you are kind of being the senior driver with Christian?

RINUS VEEKAY: Well, I think over four years, it’s not really a specific thing I can say. I think one thing in general is I know what the car needs to feel like. I think Christian still has to find that out over the course of the season, what that perfect balance feels like, and what you need to achieve, what you need to do to achieve that.

I think I can really set that baseline and guide the team to where we need to go. And I think Christian needs to just explore and kind of follow my lead since we’ve had the same kind of driving style, feedback, and everything.

I think as a leadership role, that experience of knowing what I need as a car, that’s going to be very important. I think that’s how we will save time during short race weekends with practices that are so short, to be quick for qualifying.

Q. You had a veteran championship-winning teammate the second half of the season. What did you learn from him that you can take going forward to make yourself better?

RINUS VEEKAY: Well, Ryan (Hunter-Reay) age-wise could be my dad. He definitely is a driver from a different era.

With Christian, I see we really have the same approach. But what Ryan really made me see and helped me get better at is the preparation, the deep analyzing before an event. Writing everything down and thinking just a little bit further than I have before a race weekend to be more prepared.

I think that really has helped. I think my races so far, definitely the second half of 2023 season, have been kind of spotless.

I was happy with that, and I think that really helped me get a bit more complete and take some of his wisdom and made me a bit more versatile.

Q. I want to talk about Indy 500 qualifying weekend. Sometimes the format changes. It’s going to be consistent from last year. You’re always so good on that day, starting up front. How do you put everything that you’ve learned over the last couple of years together and finish off the deal?

RINUS VEEKAY: Well, I think just the same thing. Just go fast and enjoy. I think that’s one thing with the team. They are really good in Indy, and it makes it a lot more fun when you go that fast, controlled, and you are controlling the car.

I think that is something — heading into every season, every Indy 500, I know we’re going to be good in qualifying. Also in the race. But just got to stay out of trouble.

I think just for 2024, I’ve kind of slowly graduated through that front row like fourth, third, third, second. It’s time to be on pole.

Q. We’ve talked about it a little bit with some drivers yesterday, but we might see 235-ish. Is that on your radar? Do you wait to think about that until you get to the test in April? We may see some records, and you’re probably going to be one of the guys that’s right up there fighting for that.

RINUS VEEKAY: Yeah, I’ll be ready. I’ve hit 235 already, but you never know. Conditions are so specific. It could be a day where we’re one or two miles an hour slower, so who knows. As long as it’s fast enough for pole position, I’m happy.

Q. What do you feel needs to be done next year for the team to maybe become a bit more consistent? What specific improvements do you feel need to be made to get you back into a position where you could win a race or two again?

RINUS VEEKAY: Well, I think for next season, it’s going to be important to get the details right. I think we’ve had a really good car at times, but I think we just kind of missed that window too often. I think if we can expand that window to be inside there more often or have a target, have the knowledge to be in that window, it’s just going to be important.

I think we can do that. I think the team has done the right things to have that little bit more knowledge from last year. I hope we can make the improvements that we want to make.

Q. What would make a successful season for you in 2024?

RINUS VEEKAY: One thing is getting back on to a podium. I think it’s well time we’re back on a podium. But also I think just kind of nibbling on that top 10 and championship is a goal.

Q. Yesterday we had Ed (Carpenter) in here and he talked about how he believes you’re ready to take that leadership role of the team. I know you touched on this a little bit, but I guess, one, what does that do for your confidence when he says that you’re ready for this? And I think on the second part, why do you believe that you’re ready to take the leadership role this year?

RINUS VEEKAY: Yeah, it does give me confidence to hear that, but also I believe I’m ready. This is going to be my fifth season in INDYCAR. We’ve had to go through a lot with the team, so it’s been a fun ride so far.

I’ve always had a more experienced driver next to me. I still have Ed on the ovals, but I feel like I got the experience to carry the team and know what we need to do as a team to get better, also during a race weekend, and I know how to adapt to get better.

I think also Christian, he trusts me, trusts my experience. I think it’ll be a good season, and I’m totally ready for the leadership role.

Q. When did that transition take place where you started to take more of a charge in the debriefs and things like that, to be more comfortable to speak up and to take on a little bit more of that role?

RINUS VEEKAY: I think that really happened in 2023. With it being our toughest, hardest season so far, it made me work harder and also made me change my voice a little bit in the team and made my voice a bit more demanding, I think.

I feel like I’ve always really listened to the team, to what they say. I still do, but I think right now I’ve also got the voice, like I can talk to them and really make them change things if we need to.

Q. Talking about a little of the process that’s now internally different from last year, of all these things you said you’ve already learned from your teammates, if you can explain a little more about that.

RINUS VEEKAY: Well, I think there’s — what I said, the preparation with Ryan, that he really showed me, he would have a whole notebook of things he thought about at night that popped up in his head, and he wrote it down and analyzed it and thought about it even more. Stuff like that I had never done.

I just started carrying a notebook that I just wrote stuff in and thought about and tried to just be as ready as possible for every race, and don’t try to find things out on the fly. That really helped.

I think I was more prepared in situations in a race, where in the past I would kind of be in doubt of what to do. I really had a strong opinion on where to go.

I think those are things that really helped me just be more ready for the races.

Q. You said something about control, controlling the high speed. If you can elaborate on that so we can understand a little more.

RINUS VEEKAY: Yeah, so Rahal might not be happy with it, but if you looked at the Rahal cars at the 500, they were not really in control, and it looked scary for them to drive.

For us, it was the other way around. We were fast but also very controlled, so I could really focus on my driving and not have to worry about the car losing grip somewhere or anything happening. So I could really focus on being as efficient and as fast as possible. I knew the car would be fast and stuck to the track.

Q. I would like to bring a relaxed question and something that happened back in July on social media when Agustin Canapino started showing off some races in Argentina. And you were one of the first drivers that said I’m up for driving one of these cars, and the reaction on social media was huge in Argentina. Being an INDYCAR driver full time and being a strong performing driver, would you ever have the experience of flying overseas to the south of South America and having a race, or it all remained joking in social media, and if you could see anything about those cars.

RINUS VEEKAY: My focus is always INDYCAR, but if I can do something else on the side, it’s something to check off my bucket list. I’m a race car driver. I love racing. There’s many kind of racing I love.

If I can get the opportunity to drive a TC in Argentina, that would be awesome. It’s a pure form of racing. Totally different like INDYCAR, but also kind of follows the same philosophy with the tracks and the sounds of the cars.

If I ever can get the opportunity and it does not affect my INDYCAR calendar, yeah, I would love to go there.

Q. I’m sure there would be a long list of teams calling and your phone would be ringing in just a couple of minutes. If you can give any opinions on Agustin’s first season as a rookie. You performed very quickly since you arrived to INDYCAR. You know what it’s like to be a rookie; can you give any thoughts on that?

RINUS VEEKAY: Yes. Well, I think I speak for more drivers, we didn’t really know what to expect from Agustin because TC is so little known here in the U.S. But he really surprised us with his pace, especially on the ovals.

I was racing with him in — I think it was also Texas and Iowa, and he was running the outside around me, and with as little oval experience, he really had big balls to keep the outside and go hard. That was just very surprising.

It’s fun racing, and he’s a fun guy, too. He’s had a really good rookie season, and he should be proud of it.

About Chevrolet
Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world’s largest car brands, available in 79 countries with more than 3.2 million cars and trucks sold in 2020. Chevrolet models include electric and fuel-efficient vehicles that feature engaging performance, design that makes the heart beat, passive and active safety features and easy-to-use technology, all at a value. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.