Note: This is part of a series of NTT INDYCAR SERIES team previews for the 2023 season.
Starting Lineup: Santino Ferrucci (No. 14 Sexton Properties Chevrolet), Benjamin Pedersen (No. 55 Sexton Properties Chevrolet).
2022 in Review: The team fielded two full-season cars, for Dalton Kellett and series rookie Kyle Kirkwood, and a third car in the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge for JR Hildebrand. Kirkwood delivered the best finish for the organization – 10th in the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach – while Hildebrand led the team’s way at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, finishing 13th. Kirkwood finished second among “500” rookies in 17th. Ferrucci competed in three series races for three different teams, finishing ninth in the XPEL 375 at Texas Motor Speedway for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing and 10th in the “500” for Dreyer & Reinbold Racing. (He also drove for Juncos Hollinger Racing in the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix presented by Lear, finishing 21st). Pedersen spent his second INDY NXT by Firestone season with Global Racing Group with HMD, earning his first series victory at Portland International Raceway. He finished fifth in the standings, one position lower than he finished in 2021.
New for ’23: Much attention will be on the team’s all-new driver lineup, but the hiring of Michael Cannon as the team’s lead engineer is significant. Cannon, whose father, John, co-drove with Foyt in sports cars in the 1960s, has quietly developed a reputation as one of the sport’s top engineers, and he should help make Ferrucci one to watch on the oval tracks, especially Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Ferrucci has finished fourth at four different oval tracks, three of which are on this year’s schedule (IMS, Texas Motor Speedway and World Wide Technology Raceway). In addition to Cannon, the team has added several new staffers, including Craig Brooks as team manager.
Keep an Eye on This: While there is considerable optimism surrounding Ferrucci on the oval tracks, he has shown adept at scoring strong finishes on road courses and street circuits, too. In his past 35 series races dating back to May 2018, he has finished in the top 12 in 22 races – that’s 62.9 percent of the time – with only two races ending with contact. He was 12th and 13th, respectively, when those two mid-race incidents occurred on restarts.
Little-Known Fact: Among drivers in this year’s “500” field, Helio Castroneves, Alexander Rossi and Pato O’Ward have been celebrated for having exceptional starts to their early starts in the event. Castroneves finished first, first and second in his first three races at IMS, Rossi went first, seventh, fourth and second in his first four, and O’Ward is riding a streak of sixth, fourth and second. But don’t sleep on Ferrucci, Indy’s Rookie of the Year in 2019. He has gone seventh, fourth, sixth and 10th in his four tries, and while he might not be one of the favorites to win this year, a top-five finish could be within reach.