Notes & Quotes: Sonsio Grand Prix

Lance Corporal Bryan Chambers was born in Indianapolis and raised in the small town of Hillsboro until his family moved to Colorado when he was 13. Inspired by the events on 9/11, Chambers enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps in 2005 after graduating high school. He was deployed to the Middle East in 2006 and just two weeks from the end of his first stint, his vehicle struck an IED (improvised explosive device). He sustained life-threatening injuries and underwent numerous surgeries, spending a year in the hospital. He met his wife Rhyann in 2012, they married in 2014 and are raising their 7-year-old twins Gavin and Riley in Attica, Indiana. We asked him a few questions...

When and where did you serve in the military?

BC: "I joined the Marine Corp in 2005 right after graduation. Along with a lot of the Marines of my time, I was spurred by the memory of watching the Twin Towers fall [on TV]. After completing boot camp, I went to LAV (Light Armored Vehicle) school before being deployed and landing in Kuwait on September 11, 2006 -- five years to the day that started me on this path. There I completed five and a half months of the six-month deployment."

How did you become injured?

BC: "On our last mission on February 28, 2007, I was in the lead vehicle that hit an IED. Sgt. Chad Allen, my VC (Vehicle Commander), did not make it home that day. My brothers did everything and more to get me out. They were told to leave me behind because of the armor piercing rounds that were in the LAV that was on fire. They “didn’t hear” the command and proceeded to break my femur bone to be able to dislodge me from the driver's pit where I was trapped. Afterwards, I was trached and kept alive by a team until I got to Germany. From there I was flown to Bethesda, Maryland where I spent the next year of my life in recovery. The only explanation of my survival is the Grace of God and family and brothers that he sent."

LCpl Chambers (far left kneeling) visits the gravesite of his VC Sgt. Allen along with his fellow Marines.

What were the extent of your injuries?

BC: "I have several missing pieces and some assembly is required. Other than a couple missing organs, I have a TBI (traumatic brain injury), am better now, but it was a remake of “50 First Dates” from February to June of 2007 because I forgot everything that had happened after I had gone to sleep.

Bryan receives a medal from a commanding officer while recovering in the hospital.

Endured countless surgeries after being kept open like a taco so they could go in each day and clean out more of the shrapnel for the first couple weeks. I am diabetic most likely due to the stress on my pancreas. My right leg was amputated below the knee because the explosion vibrated the floor board so hard that it shattered my heel bone." 

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

BC: "Sadly, my time in the hospital overlapped a time in the Hospital’s history that is a little less savory. I was misplaced and lost after surgery, over-dosed on Insulin and rated the lowest score possible in brain function due to this mistake. The doctors were saying that I would never speak again let alone have a normal life. Again, all we can say is But God. My family stayed with me in the hospital and after the overdose incident didn’t leave even after visiting hours were over. On February 28, 2008, I was finally able to leave the hospital and return home."

What was the most difficult part of your journey?

BC: "Finding purpose after my injuries was definitely a struggle. But becoming a husband and father has given me a purpose that I never dreamed possible." 

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

BC: "Perspective is everything. I've seen people with life altering injuries with a smile on their face and ones missing a hand that believe life is over. Nothing gets better if you give up. Faith will only make you stronger so keep moving forward." 

Who are the heroes in your life?

BC: "My family that stayed by my side in the hospital and Jesus that gifted me with this life." 

Please describe the impact on your life and that of your family of getting a specially adapted

home from Homes For Our Troops.

BC: "The HFOT house has given us a much appreciated new lease on life. Not needing to worry about a mortgage has loosened the grip on us financially. The first couple weeks of moving in we saw exactly how accommodating the house is. I got a new socket for my leg and it was ill fitting, leaving a sore that required me to stay in a wheel chair for a couple weeks. Being able to access all parts of the home and giving me the ability to lead a normal day-to-day life is something I will not take for granted." 

Pets/Lifestyle?

Bryan with Atlas who takes his job as guardian very seriously.

BC: "We live in our HFOT home on our 4-acre homestead. We raise chickens for eggs and meat, rabbits for meat and the children have enjoyed taking them to shows, plus we have horses and even a goat to keep the fence line cleaned up. The place is carefully managed by our German Shepard "Atlas" whose sole belief is that it (all) would come tumbling down without his careful watch." 

Interests?

BC: "We have been blessed to have started our children's homeschooling just completing our 2nd year and are able to put our love and time in the formulation of our children's learning and upbringing."  

Have you been to a race before?

BC: "We have had the pleasure of meeting A.J. Foyt's team on a couple occasions since 2022. But growing up in Indiana and having a grandpa who loved the track, I have been to many races. Rhyann’s first trip out to Indiana to meet the family was actually to go to the Brickyard in 2013."

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

BC: "We always enjoy meeting everyone on the team, getting to see new and familiar faces and getting to see some of the other HFOT families."

What are the top three things on your Bucket List?

BC: "Watching my kids grow up and taking them on adventures. We have talked about getting/renting a little pop-up camper and going to National Parks like Yellowstone and Yosemite. I’ve been to all of the lower 48 states but would love to take my family to Hawaii and Alaska to round out the whole 50. Honestly, living has been on my bucket list. When being told you won’t live, or have a normal life, every day is a gift."

Bryan with his beautiful family, daughter Riley and son Gavin along with his wife Rhyann.

 For more information on Bryan you can visit the Homes For Our Troops profile of him at: https://www.hfotusa.org/building-homes/veterans/chambers/

CAIO COLLET competed on the IMS road course in the INDY NXT by Firestone series but it will be his first time competing in an Indy car. He did test the Indy car at this track for the team last fall. He is currently 20th in the NTT INDYCAR Series standings.

How does having run the Indy NXT Series on the IMS road course better prepare you for an Indy car race there? Or does it matter?

CC: "Racing in Indy NXT at IMS definitely helps. You already understand the layout, the references, and how the track evolves over a stint, which gives you a solid baseline. That said, the IndyCar is a completely different challenge—more power, more weight, and different tire characteristics—so while the track knowledge transfers, you still have to adapt quite a bit to get the most out of the car."

You tested here in the fall -- what were your first impressions of the Indy Car? How have they changed since you've become more familiar with the machine?

CC: "It felt like a big step up in terms of precision and commitment. Now that I’ve had more time in the car, I feel a lot more comfortable pushing closer to the limit and understanding how to extract performance, especially over a full stint rather than just a few laps."

The IMS road course mixes long straights with tight, technical corners—how have you been adapting your driving style and braking approach to get the most out of this layout?

CC: "It’s all about maximizing efficiency—being very precise on corner entry and really focusing on traction on exit, especially onto the long straights. Braking-wise, you have to be very committed but also smooth to avoid locking or overheating the tires."

As you continue gaining experience in IndyCar, what have been the biggest adjustments compared to your previous series, and how confident are you feeling heading into a high-profile weekend like this?

CC: "The biggest adjustment has been managing everything at once—tire degradation, fuel saving, tools inside the car, and race strategy. In previous series, you can push a bit more consistently, but here it’s more about being smart over the whole race. I’m feeling more confident every weekend as I build experience, and heading into a track I already know definitely helps with that."

This race often comes down to tire management and pit timing—how do you balance pushing for track position early versus preserving performance for the closing stages?

CC: "It’s always a trade-off. You want to be aggressive enough to stay in the game early on, especially with track position being so important, but at the same time you can’t burn the tires too quickly. It comes down to understanding the degradation, adapting your driving, and working closely with the team on strategy. Ideally, you keep yourself in a good window early and then maximize the performance when it matters most at the end."

Caio Collet Facts: Age 24...Born in Sao Paulo, Brazil...Lives in Indianapolis, Indiana...In 2024-2025, he competed in the INDY NXT by Firestone Series, winning a total of four races, four poles and scored 15 podiums, ranked second in 2025 and 3rd in 2024 final standings...From 2021 to 2023, he competed in FIA Formula 3, won a total of three races, one pole and scored nine podiums with best rank of 8th in 2022...In 2019-20, he competed in Formula Renault Eurocup where he won five races (2020), three poles, 12 podiums to rank 2nd in standings ...Competed in French Formula 4 in 2018 and won the title along with seven races, three poles and posting 13 podiums... Began racing go-karts at age 7 and won multiple titles before moving to Europe...His father was a rally driver and Caio became interested in motorsports at age 4...Enjoys cycling, running, music from the 2000s and spending times with family and friends.

SANTINO FERRUCCI is looking forward to running at the IMS road course this weekend, where he plans to kickstart the Month of May. He will be in the FOX broadcast booth on Saturday as a color commentator on FS1 for the INDY NXT by Firestone series.

After a successful open test at the speedway last week, does that give the team a certain momentum heading into the month of May, even though you'll be running the road course?

SF: "Yes and we needed a strong bounce back from Long Beach. That test was certainly helpful for us. I'm really happy with the results and the way that everything worked itself out."

The IMS road course is a 14-turn layout that really rewards precision and braking stability. What areas of your driving or car setup are you focusing on most to maximize performance here?

SF: "It's all about minimizing mistakes. I mean, this place is so like unique in its own ways. I don't know the everybody's so good at in EGP, you can kind of make any setup work on any car. It's not a very pretentious track for setup. You can get away with a lot of different things here. It doesn't need to be necessarily one or the other. So, I think if we're just very smart and we maximize our tools, we'll be okay."

 With this race kicking off the month of May at Indy, how important it is for how important is it for you and the team to build momentum at the Grand Prix before shifting to focus to the Indy 500?

SF: "It's definitely rather important to have a good result here. But then again, we haven't had the best results at this race in the past, so I guess it's just more of a momentum thing. I feel like we can excel here, and I think we need to for the championship."

This race can come down to tire, strategy and timing of cautions. What's your approach to balancing the aggression versus patience over the 90-lap run?

SF: "I definitely think you need to have a fair amount of luck at this place, I would say, probably more than normal. But also, this race has been known to run pretty caution free, so that's something that we can always look forward to."

You're racing for Homes For Our Troops all season long. How has learning about this program and meeting the Veterans who have received homes changed you?

SF: "I think it really gives you a great deal of appreciation for everything that they've gone through and the sacrifices they've made. Hearing their stories and seeing the challenges that they faced, not just in their recovery but continue to face every day, how brave they are and what they've sacrificed for us to do what we do today, it just makes you want to fight harder for them and bring more awareness to the program. We just want to perform for these guys, they deserve it."

Ferrucci Fast Facts: Age 27...Born in Woodbury, CT...Lives in Dallas, Texas...Married Renay Moore in January, 2024...In 2025, earned career best finish of 2nd at Detroit Grand Prix and followed up with 3rd place finish at Road America for fourth consecutive top-5 finish...Earned 2024 NTT P1 Award at Portland, Ore. and posted 11 Top-10 finishes (career-best) to finish 9th in the NTT INDYCAR Series driver standings, his highest ranking to date. The Foyt team finished in the top-10 in the points standings for the first time since 2002... Scored career-best finish to date with his 3rd place finish in the 2023 Indianapolis 500 to continue his string of consecutive top-10 finishes in the 500...Finished 13th in standings with fourth place finish in the 500...drove part-time in 2021-22 but maintained top-10 streak in Indy 500 with finishes of sixth (RLL Racing) and 10th (Dreyer Reinbold Racing...Competed part-time in NASCAR Xfinity Series in 2021-22...moved to NTT INDYCAR Series fulltime in 2019 finishing 13th in standings for Dale Coyne and won Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year after finishing seventh... Made his INDYCAR debut in Detroit in 2018...Competed in Formula 2000, British Formula 3, GP3 finishing third at Spa Francorchamps as a rookie, was development driver for Haas F1 team for three years (2016-2018), moved to Formula 2 in 2018...Began racing karts at age 5, moved to cars in 2013.

TSonsio Grand Prix will be broadcast on FOX on Saturday, May 9 starting at 4:30 p.m. ET.

NICHOLAS MONTEIRO is ready to take on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course in the No. 4 AJ Foyt Racing entry. After matching his best INDY NXT finish the last time out in Barber Motorsports Park, Monteiro continues to build confidence and momentum as he progresses in his rookie campaign.

What do you like about Indianapolis Motor Speedway?

NM: "I really love racing at Indianapolis. It’s a track I’ve always enjoyed, and I’ve had a lot of strong races here in the past. It’s very technical and demands a lot from the driver, but when everything comes together, it’s an amazing feeling. It’s definitely one of my favorite places to race."

What does it mean to you to be racing at such a historic and iconic track, and does it feel any different than other tracks?

NM: "It means a lot to be racing at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The history here is incredible, and you can really feel it when you’re at the track. So many legends have competed here, so it adds something extra to the experience. It does feel different in that sense—there’s a bit more emotion and pride involved."

How did April testing help you prepare for the rest of the season?

NM: "April testing was very important for us. We were able to try different things, understand the car better, and build a solid baseline. That kind of track time is extremely valuable, and it should help us be more consistent and competitive moving forward."

What mindset do you have going into the remaining three quarters of the season?

NM: "The mindset is to keep building and stay consistent. It’s a long season, so the focus is on maximizing every weekend, learning as much as possible, and putting ourselves in a strong position as the year goes on. We know what we’re capable of, and it’s about executing."

ALESSANDRO DE TULLIO returns to the No. 14 car for AJ Foyt Racing after securing his first INDY NXT by Firestone victory, a milestone for both driver and team. After a productive month of testing, de Tullio has carried that momentum forward as he prepares to get back on track and continue his push in the championship.

With a win under your belt, do you feel any relief or did it just fuel the fire even more?

ADT: "Of course, a win under my belt is amazing to have and in some way, a relief after what occurred in the Arlington and Barber Race 1, but the season is still very long and the feeling of having won a race just fuels me to get more wins."

What do you like about Indianapolis Motor Speedway?

ADT: "What I like about the Indy road course is that it’s a track where you can really race, and usually, the racing is pretty close."

What does it mean to you to be racing at such a historic and iconic track?

ADT: "It feels amazing to be racing at this track again. Feels extra special to be racing at a track with so much history."

How did April testing help you prepare for the rest of the season?

ADT: "April testing has been pretty important, especially in preparation for the ovals—now I know what to expect and what to work on next time I get back to those ovals we tested on. We also tested at Mid-Ohio which was good for gathering more data on the car for the remainder of the road course races."

The INDY NXT by Firestone series will feature a doubleheader this weekend. Race 1 will be broadcast on FS2 on Friday, May 8 starting at 4 p.m. ET. Race 2 will be broadcast Saturday, May 9 starting at 2:30 p.m. ET.