Paddock Buzz: Santino Ferrucci Two-Stepping With Home Crowd

AJ Foyt Racing driver Santino Ferrucci expects one of the busiest guest lists in the paddock this weekend at the inaugural Java House Grand Prix of Arlington.

Ferrucci (photo, top) moved to Texas from Connecticut in 2019 and calls Dallas home. More than 100 friends, family members and partners will attend to watch him race the No. 14 HOMES FOR OUR TROOPS Chevrolet.

“Oh, that's a great question,” Ferrucci said when asked how he plans to organize the group. “You break them up into groups and designate one person as a leader.”

Ferrucci distributed roughly 60 grandstand tickets. Eight guests will watch from suites, including his wife. Nearly 30 additional credentials are reserved for sponsors and friends.

“I actually have somebody helping me other than Anne (Fornoro) this weekend,” Ferrucci said, referencing AJ Foyt Racing’s longtime public relations representative. “This race is way bigger for me than Indianapolis and a lot of other events we’ve done.”

Ferrucci said the last time he hosted a crowd that large was during the 2019 race at Pocono Raceway.

Everyone Buzzing Over Arlington Debut

The buzz surrounding the inaugural Java House Grand Prix of Arlington suggests the event may have arrived as more than just another stop on the calendar.

Teams sensed it immediately upon arriving in North Texas. Drivers across the paddock spoke about the weekend with the kind of anticipation usually reserved for long-established races. Friday’s opening practice only reinforced that early sentiment and provided the first on-track glimpse of what could quickly become one of the championship’s signature events.

Teams spent 80 minutes circling the new 2.73-mile Arlington course on a sun-splashed afternoon with temperatures near 80 degrees. The session opened a weekend that continues with Saturday’s three-round qualifying session (2:30 p.m. ET, FS2) and culminates with Sunday’s 70-lap race (12:30 p.m. ET, FOX).

“That was instantly my favorite street circuit ever,” Scott McLaughlin said.

The circuit winds through Arlington’s sports district and loops around AT&T Stadium and Globe Life Field, homes of the Dallas Cowboys and Texas Rangers. The race emerged from a collaboration involving Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, INDYCAR SERIES owner Roger Penske and the Rangers organization. That partnership immediately gave the event the feel of a major spectacle.

Drivers noticed.

The layout impressed competitors with its width and racing potential, but the presentation of the event stood out just as much.

“It looks beautiful,” Kyle Kirkwood said. “I think this is one of the best track builds that I've ever seen. This is what our series should look like. Just the hospitality and the hype around this place, all the branding on all the walls, it looks perfect. This is what a marquee event should look like for us.”

Two-time series champion Will Power also praised the circuit’s presentation and the surrounding fan areas after climbing from his car.

“It’s really nice, very well presented,” Power said. “The chalets look amazing and the way the track is presented, the paint on the track, it’s very good.”

Dixon Meets MJ

Scott Dixon had a memorable encounter last weekend in Arizona.

Dixon stayed in Phoenix after finishing seventh in the No. 9 PNC Bank Chip Ganassi Racing Honda in the Good Ranchers 250 on Saturday to attend the NASCAR Cup Series race Sunday at Phoenix Raceway. While there, he spoke with basketball legend Michael Jordan, co-owner of 23XI Racing.

Both men are six-time champions. Dixon earned his titles in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, while Jordan won six NBA championships with the Chicago Bulls.

“That was very cool,” Dixon said. “I expected maybe a five-minute conversation, but we sat down for about 30 minutes.”

Dixon said he was surprised by Jordan’s knowledge of racing.

“I didn’t realize how big a race fan he is,” Dixon said. “He watches everything.”

Jordan also joked about Dixon’s loose wheel following a mistake during his second pit stop in the season opener at St. Petersburg.

“He said it’s probably better to have four wheels than three,” Dixon said.

O’Ward Eats Scorpion for Luck

Pato O’Ward tried an unusual offseason ritual after finishing second in the championship last year.

During an event in Mexico, he ate a scorpion.

“They had scorpions on a piece of lettuce,” O’Ward said. “They said you’ve got to have this.”

The Arrow McLaren driver (photo, above) accepted the challenge. He has finished in the top five in the standings in five of his six full-time seasons.

“They said you’re going to have the best year of your life,” O’Ward said. “So, I said thank you and ate it.”

The early results look promising. O’Ward, a nine-time INDYCAR SERIES winner, opened the season with two top-five finishes and sits fourth in the standings, 15 points behind Josef Newgarden.

He ranked fourth on Friday’s speed chart.

Ericsson Sees Momentum

Marcus Ericsson believes the season opener in St. Petersburg showed the potential of the No. 28 InPwr Andretti Global team.

Ericsson qualified on the front row there and finished sixth.

“St. Pete was my best weekend with Andretti,” Ericsson said.

The 2022 Indianapolis 500 winner struggled for consistency during the past two seasons, finishing 15th in points in 2024 and 20th last year. He finished sixth in each of his final three seasons with Chip Ganassi Racing.

Ericsson believes the pace shown on the Florida street circuit signals progress.

“I felt like we had a podium,” he said. “That gives me a lot of confidence.”

Three of Ericsson’s four career victories have come on street circuits, including his last win in St. Petersburg in 2023.

Medal of Honor Museum Featured on INDY NXT Entry

Carson Etter carries a special partner this weekend in INDY NXT by Firestone.

His No. 11 Chip Ganassi Racing entry (photo, above) features the National Medal of Honor Museum in Arlington.

On Thursday, Etter joined Medal of Honor recipient Sal Giunta and Chip Ganassi Racing team manager Dave Berkenfield for a leadership discussion titled “Trust Under Pressure: Leadership in Small Teams.”

The panel focused on building trust, leading small teams and making decisions under pressure.

Etter will make his second career INDY NXT start Sunday.

Odds and Ends

• Ferrucci unveiled a Texas-themed helmet featuring the cartoon character Yosemite Sam.

• David Malukas joked that his nickname should change from “Little Dave” to “Big Dave” now that he drives for Team Penske. He noted that “everything is bigger in Texas” and said the weekend could serve as a bigger coming-out party after earning his first career NTT P1 Award last weekend in Phoenix.

• Ferrucci and O’Ward arrived Friday wearing cowboy hats as a nod to Texas culture.

• Five teams appeared in the top five on the practice speed chart: Team Penske, Chip Ganassi Racing, Andretti Global, Arrow McLaren and Meyer Shank Racing with Curb-Agajanian.

• Power attended the 2011 Super Bowl at AT&T Stadium when the Green Bay Packers defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers. He attended with former Team Penske teammate Ryan Briscoe. Briscoe’s wife, Nicole, is a Packers fan.

• Country artist Brooke Lee will sing the national anthem Sunday before a flyover by Marine Fighter Attack Squadron VMFA-112.

• Chevrolet serves as presenting partner of the race weekend and will provide Corvette E-Ray pace cars and parade vehicles.

• Conor Daly was named Wednesday as the driver for Dreyer & Reinbold Racing in the 110th Running of the Indianapolis 500. ARCO was announced Thursday as a partner on the entry.

• Roger Penske will serve as grand marshal for next week’s Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship race.