Notes & Quotes: Java House Grand Prix of Arlington

U.S. Army Sergeant Jordan Folmar, born in Dallas, joins us this weekend as our honored Veteran. Now 36, Sgt. Folmar wanted to join the military since childhood and in 2009, he enlisted in the Army. He deployed to Afghanistan twice and during the second deployment, he sustained his injury which resulted in the loss of both legs. Throughout two years spent at Walter Reed Medical Center, Sgt. Folmar endured numerous surgeries and painful rehabilitation sessions to become ambulatory. In 2024, Sgt. Folmar received his custom-built, specially adapted home in Liberty Hill, an Austin suburb, where he and his wife Amanda are raising their two young daughters. We asked him a few questions...

Military Service:

JF: "I joined the Army in 2009 and am currently medically retired as a Sergeant."

Where did you serve in the military?

JF: "Two deployments to Afghanistan, 2009 - 2010 and 2012."

A snapshot from Jordan's first deployment in Afghanistan in 2009-2010.

 How did you become injured?

JF: "I stepped on an IED [improvised explosive device] in Afghanistan in 2012."

What were the extent of your injuries?

JF: "The loss of both legs above the knee."

How many surgeries did you undergo and what was the length of your recovery?

JF: "I underwent numerous surgeries and spent two years in the hospital and in rehabilitation recovering."

What was the most difficult part of your journey?

JF: "The most difficult part of my journey was learning to walk again and adapt to using prosthetics."

Do you have any advice for other Veterans who may be struggling to adapt after suffering serious injury while serving?

JF: "You are not alone and your life isn’t over. Focus on building a new life that is fulfilling and know it is okay to reach out for support from individuals or organizations that serve disabled service members."

Who are the heroes in your life?

JF: "My grandfathers are my heroes. They were both service members, and I’ve always looked up to their strength, their deep dedication to family, and the wisdom they shared with me."

Please describe the impact on your life and that of your family of getting a specially adapted home from Homes For Our Troops.

JF: "We received our specially adapted home from Homes For Our Troops in 2024, and it has truly been life-changing for our entire family. For the first time, I can fully access both of our daughters’ rooms and move freely in and out of every exterior door, which means I’m able to be part of everyday moments and enjoy family time outside together. That new sense of independence and togetherness has transformed our everyday life in the best possible way."

Jordan's house built by donations to www.hfotusa.org. Their goats 'Dolly' and 'Jolene' are on patrol.

Tell us about your pets!

JF: "We have three dogs - two Goldendoodles, Ruger and Kimber, and a Chinese Crested named Sue. Our daughter Reese Ellen has an axolotl (aquatic salamander) named Merliah, and Anna Belle has three black skirt tetras (freshwater schooling fish from South America) named Chocolate, Blueberry, and Oval. Our newest additions are two Nigerian Dwarf goats, Dolly and Jolene."

Have you been to a race before?

JF: "My wife and I were honored to attend the Indianapolis 500 last year."

What are you most looking forward to seeing/doing at the race this weekend?

JF: "This will be my first time watching a street race, and I’m really looking forward to experiencing that along with all of the excitement and events throughout race week."

What are the top three things on your Bucket List?

JF: "Hunt a wild American Bison, travel to Bora Bora and grow our cookie business, Red Apron Confections, to the point where we’re regularly creating custom cookies for a recognized brand or high-profile client." Note: For more information on Red Apron Confections, look for it on Instagram.

To learn more about Jordan Folmar, please visit: www.hfotusa.org/folmar

LARRY FOYT, president of AJ Foyt Racing and a 2001 graduate of nearby Texas Christian University, will be hosting family and friends this weekend in Arlington. He took a few moments to provide some insights on a Texas race once again being on the schedule, how the team is doing so far and being back on the stand as Santino Ferrucci's race strategist.

Why is having a race in Texas again important for the NTT INDYCAR Series?

LF: "Well, it's a great market. First of all, I'm from Texas, so it's the best state in the country. Seriously, it's such a big market. And for us, it's the hometown race or as close to home as we can get. And it's exciting. It's great to be racing back in Texas. It's unbelievable how much it's grown since I was at TCU about 25 years ago. Crazy to say that. It's really unbelievable how much it's grown."

How has having this race in Texas impacted your team?

LF: "Well, I think everybody's excited about it for a lot of different reasons. First, it's a new event and we've got some really iconic surroundings with Cowboy Stadium and the Texas Rangers' ballpark there. Having the Cowboys and Rangers involved makes it an even bigger event, and it shows where INDYCAR is headed as a whole. For us, it's been fun to have all the guys come here from Phoenix and work out of the Texas shop for a couple days before we go up to Dallas. I think they really enjoyed seeing some of the history here, and having A.J. come in today for lunch--which was catered by Molina's -- A.J.'s favorite Tex-Mex restaurant. Honestly, it was fun to have race cars back in the shop."

You're back on the stand calling Santino's races. Do you enjoy being part of the decision making on the 14 team during the race?

LF: "Well yes--if he hasn't fired me already for not giving him new tires last week. No, I do enjoy it, and we have such a good rapport that I think I know him pretty well. It takes a lot to get Santino rattled in the car, but I think when things aren't going our way, I try to keep him calm and focused on the big picture. Last week we were on the fence of what to do strategy-wise, and it could have gone either way, but it just ended up not being the right way for us.  Generally, I think we get it right more times than we don't. We've got some great guys on that stand with Adam (Kolesar, race engineer) and C.J. (Nielsen, performance engineer) really crunching and working out the fuel numbers and doing the strategy stuff. I'm just conveying the message. Santino says he likes hearing my voice, and I help him know what's going on in the race from our view and share some insights from there."

Race engineer Adam Kolesar (second from left) with Larry Foyt (center) and Santino Ferrucci. Team Manager (far left) Craig Brooks looks on.

With two races completed, how would you assess the performance or progress of the team so far?

LF: "Well, it hasn't been the start we were wanting. We've had some little hiccups, and in INDYCAR now, you just can't miss anything. If you're going to have a good weekend, you've got to execute flawlessly. We've had a couple small things that have caught us out with having new people in new places, but it's all starting to come together. Both cars finishing the Phoenix race was good, especially with Santino moving up from last (after the start) to 11th. For Caio, he's a rookie and it's like drinking from a firehose here, you just don't get a lot of time testing in INDYCAR. So he's really had to learn at these races, and he's seeing that, and he's already coming along quickly. We're excited that no one's been to this track and I think for both guys, we're expecting a lot out of this weekend. That's the thing with INDYCAR, even if the weekend doesn't go your way, you can turn it around the next one. I feel like we're getting in a groove, and we'll see how it plays out here."

Growing up in Houston, but spending your college years in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, how would you compare the two cities?

LF (chuckles): "Well, growing up in Houston, Dallas is kind of your enemy. You weren't friends with them. Ft. Worth is a very different animal than Dallas though, it's got more of that small town feel, at least it used to. I know it's grown incredibly as well, but now I love going up to Dallas. We've got a lot of friends up there. Back in the day, you cheered for the Oilers or the Cowboys but now I think we kind of cheer for all of them. So it's good."

What are your some of your favorite restaurants in the area?

LF: "I don't know what to tell you, they're all different. My go-to in college was the original Del Frisco's Steakhouse in downtown Fort Worth. We'd save up our allowance all month, and try to go once a month. That was a big treat. And whenever Mom came to town for something, we'd definitely make her take us there. So those are good memories of that place, for sure."

A.J. won't make it this weekend?

LF: "I think he really wanted to go, but the street courses are a little hard for him to get around. He's still working on getting his health fully back for Indianapolis. That's his main goal. He's doing well, and he's feeling better every day, but he wants to get really ready for Indy."

SANTINO FERRUCCI, 27, drives the No. 14 Homes For Our Troops (HFOT.ORG) Chevrolet, now in his fourth season with AJ Foyt Racing. It's been a bit of a struggle with being knocked out of the opening race on the first lap but coming back to finish on the charge at Phoenix last weekend. With a home in the Dallas area, Ferrucci is excited to have INDYCAR racing in Texas once again.

With Arlington being a brand new street circuit, is it an advantage to you that no one has experience at this track?

SF: "I wouldn't say it's an advantage. I'd say it's just an even playing field that makes it a lot of fun for a lot of people. And definitely make it a challenge for everybody.  If we have a good baseline setup, it'll be good."

Where did they get the baseline set up?

SF: "So we build the baseline setup based off of street courses that we think Arlington will be like. Adam and I been working quite a bit to understand certain turns of the track, looking on Google Maps, and doing all sorts of other things. We think it's like a hybrid of Detroit."

The dual pit lane returns. Are you a fan of it, and if so, why?

SF: "I'm happy that the dual pit lane returns. I think it'll be fun. I mean, it's kind of like any other pit lane, so it's not really a big deal, but definitely a fan, because pit lane's shorter, and I think it makes things more entertaining. It's as wide as Detroit's and I think the pit boxes are bigger.

What does it mean to you to have an IndyCar race in your backyard?

SF: "It's really awesome. It's nice to be able to have, like, friends and family there. We'll have, roughly close to 80 or 90 people there. So, we should have some really awesome cheering sections."

You're an emotional guy. How do you maintain a sense of calm with all the pressure and noise that having friends and family will bring you?

SF: "I think a big part of it is the fact I actually get to stay at home. You get a sense of grounding from that and I'll have somebody helping me out throughout the weekend to keep me on track and stay focused. So I think the combination will be really solid for me. You know, it's similar to Indy, in a sense in that I have my dogs, I'm living at (or near) the track, so there is a sense of home. I think that's an advantage."

You were born in Connecticut, and now you live in Texas. What do you like about living in Dallas?

SF: "I love Dallas. I think it's a big little city. I've made so many great friends over the last few years. And, I've got all my favorite restaurants. I love the weather. I love being able to spend my winters back and forth between Texas and Florida. It's just such a great central hub for me. So it's been, honestly, a stress relief on a lot of my travel."

How do you think the Chevy will perform at this track?

SF: "I think Chevy will be solid. We've been working on some of their drivability maps. They were good in St. Pete, and obviously they're just getting better. Looking forward to being Chevy-powered with such a long straight though here at Arlington. I think we have a really good advantage at the top end side of things."

ADAM KOLESAR, race engineer for the No. 14  Homes For Our Troops Chevrolet, speaks about how the engineering team arrives at a baseline setup for this weekend's race in Arlington, which is the first of three brand new street courses this year (the other two being Markham in Canada and Washington, D.C.):  "We had a limited track model, just to get the drivers familiar and to allow us to have a rough idea on gearing. There will be various differences between the sim track and real life--most of which we cannot be sure of until we run. Setups were chosen from similar tracks, mainly Detroit as the minimum and maximum speeds will be similar. How bumpy it is, we won’t know until we run!"

CAIO COLLET, 23, is a rookie in the NTT INDYCAR Series after earning the title of vice-champion in the last year's INDY NXT by Firestone series. COLLET enters as a rookie driving the No. 4 Combitrans Amazonia Chevrolet this year. His season is off to a solid start as he has started and finished in both races to date. As a vice-champion of the INDY NXT Series, he has quite a bit to learn but Team President Larry Foyt is pleased with Collet's progress.

Is it possible to compare Arlington to any other street circuits you have competed on in your career? 

CC: "The big straight reminds me a bit of Detroit but there’s a couple different corner styles so it's kind of unique." 

What do you think will be the most challenging part of this weekend with regard to the racing?

CC: "Yes, it will be new for everyone so the driver can definitely play a bigger part on finding the limit and pushing the team to the right direction regarding balance." 

Was this track available on the simulator to practice on? 

CC: "Yes, we did one day on the Chevrolet simulator. Very fun to drive, but we don’t know if it will be the same regarding bumps and curbs." 

Since no one has actual experience at this track, does that work to your advantage?

CC: "Yes, it will be new for everyone so the driver can definitely play a bigger part on finding the limit and pushing the team in the right direction regarding balance." 

What did you learn at St. Pete that can be applied to this event?

CC: "The step between blacks and reds is something that I understand better now, so I’m looking forward to progress there especially in Qualy(qualifying)." 

With two races under your belt, do you feel more confident going into this weekend?

CC: "Definitely. I understand better how to approach race weekend and the challenges of it, so I’m looking forward to getting on track Friday afternoon!"

NICHOLAS MONTEIRO heads into his second race weekend with the AJ Foyt Racing INDY NXT team

as the series takes on the streets of Arlington. Following a challenging opening round in St. Petersburg, the young Brazilian driver arrives motivated to show the pace and potential of the No. 4 AJ Foyt Racing entry in the INDY NXT by Firestone competition.

What are you looking forward to most in Arlington? 

NM: "I’m most looking forward to the competition and the atmosphere in Arlington. It’s always exciting to race in front of passionate fans and on such a big stage, and I’m confident we can put together a strong performance."

Now racing at a higher-level, how have you dealt with the pressure so far? 

NM: "Racing at a higher level definitely brings more pressure, but for me it’s something positive. I’ve been focusing on staying disciplined, trusting my preparation, and learning as much as possible every time I’m on track. Pressure is part of the sport, and I see it as motivation to keep improving and performing at my best."

Which section of the track do you think will be the most challenging, and why? 

NM: "I think the most challenging section will be the tight, technical parts of the track where precision really matters. On a street circuit especially, there’s very little room for error, so getting the braking points and traction right out of the corners will be key. Those sections usually make the biggest difference over a lap."

ALESSANDRO DE TULLIO will make his second INDY NXT by Firestone start this weekend at the

Grand Prix of Arlington, where the field will face the unique challenge of adapting to a brand-new circuit with limited data for preparation. The young American driver, who has Italian and Argentine roots, is eager to connect with the large Latin fanbase expected to attend the inaugural event in Arlington, Texas.

What did you learn in St. Petersburg that you think will help prepare you for Arlington? 

ADT: "A couple of things I learned in St. Pete were how crucial track position is for qualifying — It’s only a 10 minute session, so it's key to have a good track position. I also learned more about how the car behaves over a race stint and what we can improve on for the next races."

Now racing at a higher-level, how have you dealt with the pressure so far? 

ADT: "Racing at a higher level does not necessarily mean more pressure. I always give my best to perform at 100% no matter the level, but it is definitely more demanding now considering the level of competition and the cars we're driving."

Which section of the track do you think will be the most challenging, and why? 

ADT: "I think Turns 6 through 9 will be crucial to get right in Arlington because they lead into a super long straight. There's a lot of time to gain or lose through that section."

 FOX will broadcast the Java House Grand Prix of Arlington on Sunday, March 15th starting at 12:30 p.m. ET. Earlier that day, the INDY NXT by Firestone's Grand Prix of Arlington will be broadcast on FS1 at 11 a.m. ET.

 The track map for the Grands Prix of Arlington.