NOTES & QUOTES: XPEL Grand Prix at Road America

This week, we feature the drivers of AJ Foyt Racing as they prepare for the weekend at Road America, a track that is both a driver and fan favorite. Rookie Caio Collet and veteran Santino Ferrucci will be contesting the XPEL Grand Prix presented by AMR on Father's Day, while rookies in the INDY NXT by Firestone series Alessandro deTullio and Nicholas Monteiro will have two chances at victory in the doubleheader Grands Prix at Road America. We asked them a few questions...

CAIO COLLET is looking forward to racing at Road America which is where he won last year in the INDY NXT by Firestone series. It was the second of his four victories (the first coming in 2024 at Mid-Ohio, the next race on the NTT INDYCAR Series schedule). Driving the No. 4 Combitrans Amazonia Chevrolet, Collet is coming off one of his best performances of the season where he ran in the top 10 nearly the entire race at World Wide Technology Raceway, despite placing 22nd due to an engine issue resulting in a DNF.

Road America is one of the fastest and longest tracks on the schedule. What are the biggest challenges it presents from both a driving and setup standpoint?

CC: “Road America is a really unique track because of its length, the high speeds, and the variety of corners. As a driver, you need to be committed in the fast sections while also being precise in the heavy braking zones. From a setup perspective, it’s always a compromise. You want enough downforce to be competitive through the corners, but you also need straight-line speed because there are several long straights where passing opportunities exist. Finding that balance is one of the biggest challenges for the team.”

Looking back at the first part of your rookie season, where do you feel you've made the most progress as an IndyCar driver?

CC: “I think the biggest area of progress has been understanding race management and how to maximize performance over an entire race weekend. The level of competition in IndyCar is incredibly high, so every detail matters. I’ve become more comfortable working with the team, understanding the tires, managing fuel targets, and adapting to different track types. I still have a lot to learn, but I feel like I’ve taken good steps forward since the start of the season.”

How did your test go at Road America and how much confidence do you and the team have coming into Road America?

CC: “The test was very productive. We were able to work through a lot of items and gather valuable information that should help us this weekend. More importantly, I gained experience at the track and developed a better understanding of what the car needs around such a long and demanding circuit. The team has been working hard, and I think we have a solid foundation to build from. We know how competitive the series is, but we’re coming into the weekend feeling confident and prepared.”

Fuel strategy and tire management often play a major role at Road America. How have you adapted your driving style to maximize race-day performance in those areas?

CC: “That’s definitely been one of the biggest learning curves in INDYCAR. In junior categories, you’re often pushing flat out, but in INDYCAR you have to think much more strategically. I’ve been learning how to manage the tires without giving up too much lap time and how to hit fuel numbers while still staying competitive. Road America is a place where strategy can make a big difference, so being efficient throughout a stint and understanding how the race evolves is extremely important.”

What areas are you focused on improving this weekend and what would define a successful weekend at Road America?

CC: “My focus is on continuing to improve every session, maximizing the package we have, and executing cleanly throughout the weekend. A successful weekend would be one where we qualify well, stay in contention throughout the race, execute the strategy properly, and come away with a strong result. Just like we did at Gateway. Most importantly, I want to continue showing progress and help the team move forward.”

SANTINO FERRUCCI tested at Road America last week and emerged quickest of the 13 drivers who tested at the 4-mile natural terrain road course. Driving the No. 14 Homes For Our Troops Chevrolet, Ferrucci has two eighth-place finishes this season (at Barber Motorsports Park and the Indy 500) and is currently 16th in the standings.

You've become a strong advocate for Homes For Our Troops program through your partnership with AJ Foyt Racing. What has had the biggest impact on you personally from meeting the veterans and their families that the organization serves?

SF: "The biggest impact is getting once you get to know them, understanding how Homes For Our Troops (HFOT) actually has changed their lives, giving them back their independence. It's not just the homes, but the way that they can actually live their lives and basically be back functioning with all the creature comforts that you'd get at home. The transition's never easy, and the more stories you hear, the harder it sounds. So just getting to hear how much happier they are, and how much they've benefited mentally, and what it's done for their families, well HFOT is amazing. I think it's something that our country should focus on more."

What would you like race fans to know about the Homes For Our Troops mission?

 SF: "I think race fans should understand that this charity is really taking those injured Veterans and propping their lives back up. These are people that sacrificed everything, and the way that this charity operates, it's 90 cents of every dollar is going back to build homes. It's run very lean, so your money just also goes a lot further with Homes For Our Troops. And it's not only a mortgage-free home, it's financial planning and budgeting advice, and educating about home ownership. HFOT has a network of nonprofits, corporations and government programs to aid Veterans and their families to rebuild their lives. It's not just, here's the keys and good luck."

Note: Donations to Homes For Our Troops can be made at www.HFOT.org.

Last year you charged from 18th on the grid to a third place finish at Road America. What did that race teach you about what it takes to be successful at this circuit?

SF: "We knew we had an incredibly strong race car, and when you have one of those, you just have to understand that with patience, success will come. I think with that race, and us being incredibly patient, not getting caught up in other people's messes, and then being able to actually find a way off -strategy for that drive through the field was the game changer."

 In that race you ran a special livery in honor of Marlyne Sexton who had passed away earlier that month. How much did a strong showing at Road America mean to you?

 SF: "When you're running a special car and special tribute and Marlyne's daughters Tracy and Nicole are there and it's the first race since Marlyne's passing, you want to do well. There was nothing worse than going home Saturday, realizing that you did not qualify where you knew you could have, and you have all the pressure of knowing that you need to come through the field. You could definitely feel the energy was there to do it. The team worked hard to make that happen, and it's more of almost fairy tale story for us, just the way that everything ended up being that Sunday afternoon. I think we had an angel riding with us that day."

A year ago at Road America: Larry Foyt stands next to Nicole Sexton and Santino next to Tracy Copeland before the start of the race.

How did your testing go at Road America last week?

SF:  "Testing went extremely well at the end of the day, always have to keep in mind that testing is testing, and you don't win anything from it. It was nice to be the fastest car on track. We were there all day, and just finally  put it together at the end, and all you can do is hope that when you show up at the race weekend that you know the weather's similar, the circumstances are similar, and everybody executes the same way they did a week ago."

How much confidence does that give you going to a track where you're coming off, a satisfactory test session, as opposed to one where you think, "Well, we just learned what not to do"?

SF: "Both are fantastic tests whether you come off the back end slow or not. I've had plenty of tests at Alabama, where we were a second and a half off the pace, and showed up, and been right there. Sometimes you learn more from being wrong than you do being right. And that's also what comes with the danger of having a great test session. Now you're the benchmark, and everybody's going to try and work harder to beat you versus you trying to catch somebody. So long as we fully understand that we need to continue to push the bar, then I think we'll be all right."

How important is balancing aggression with fuel saving at a track as long as Road America?

SF:  "It's not easy when you're in a big fuel save like we were last year, you're kind of at the mercy of others. Luckily, having a great race car really takes off some of that pressure, but when you're in a big fuel save, it's mentally difficult, because the way that you have to hit your marks, you're not just hitting one mark every corner, you're now hitting three. Everything kind of changes about your day when we came out of pits and we had to hit that fuel number. You're either going to do it or you're not. So, I'm happy that the car was good enough to do it and we didn't fall backwards like others that were trying to make that number work but just didn't have the pace."

What did you mean about instead of hitting one mark, you have to hit three in a corner?

SF:  "Instead of just having a normal brake zone where you have one reference marker for braking, and it just flows into a turn in, you have a lift marker, a brake marker, and a turn in marker. You change everything about your strategy. You also have completely different shift points. It's more complicated. Fuel saving really does come down to the car, every driver can fuel save. If your car is really easy to drive, it makes you look like you're good at fuel saving and you look like an absolute hero. That's the difference. If you have a car that's not good but you're making a big fuel number work, it looks pretty average."

The XPEL Grand Prix will be broadcast by FOX on Sunday, June 21 starting at 2 p.m. ET.

INDY NXT BY FIRESTONE

NICHOLAS MONTEIRO returns to Road America this weekend with prior experience at the iconic Wisconsin road course from his time in the junior ranks. Behind the wheel of the No. 4 AJ Foyt Racing INDY NXT entry, Monteiro will look to build on the progress shown throughout his rookie campaign and translate his familiarity with the circuit into a strong result.

Having raced here throughout your junior career, what is your favorite part of Road America? 

NM: "Road America has always been one of my favorite tracks. I love how fast and challenging it is, especially the combination of long straights and high-speed corners. My favorite section is probably the run through the Kink because it takes a lot of commitment and confidence. It’s a unique track, but if I had to compare it to another one, I’d say it shares some characteristics with Indianapolis Road Course because both reward precision and momentum."

As we enter the second half of the season, how are you feeling about the year so far?

NM: "Overall, I feel positive about the progress we’ve made. We’ve had some strong weekends and learned a lot as a team. Of course, there have been challenges along the way, but that’s part of racing. I feel like we’re building momentum, and I’m excited to see what we can accomplish in the second half of the season."

⁠Is there a goal you set at the start of the season that you’ve already achieved?

NM: "One of my goals was to continue developing as a driver and become more competitive every weekend. I feel like I’ve definitely made progress in that area. We’ve shown good pace at several events, and I’ve gained valuable experience racing against a very competitive field."

With the World Cup beginning, do you have a message to Brazil and your fans?

NM: "Quero agradecer a todos os brasileiros que estão acompanhando e torcendo por mim durante a temporada. O apoio de vocês faz muita diferença, mesmo estando longe de casa. Espero representar o Brasil da melhor forma possível dentro das pistas. E agora também vamos torcer muito pela nossa seleção na Copa do Mundo. Vamos Brasil!"

ALESSANDRO DE TULLIO enters the Road America weekend following an impressive runner-up finish at World Wide Technology Raceway in his first INDY NXT by Firestone oval appearance. Having competed at the historic road course throughout his junior career, de Tullio will look to capitalize on that experience and continue building momentum in the No. 14 AJ Foyt Racing INDY NXT machine as the season enters its second half.

Having raced here throughout your junior career, what is your favorite part of Road America?

ADT: "Probably Canada Corner and all the elevation changes. It's a really fun track to drive and one where you can definitely feel the speed."

As we enter the second half of the season, how are you feeling about the year so far?

ADT: "It's been a bit of a bittersweet start, but we've shown good pace. I'm confident heading into the second half and looking forward to making up some ground."

Is there a goal you set at the start of the season that you've already achieved?

ADT: "Yeah, one of my goals was to be fighting at the front, and we've shown we can do that. Now it's about putting everything together and getting the results."

With the World Cup beginning, do you have a message for Argentina and your fans?

ADT: "Vamos por la cuarta! Thanks to everyone back in Argentina for the support. Hopefully we can all celebrate together."

The INDY NXT by Firestone doubleheader at Road America will be broadcast on FS1 starting on Saturday, June 20 at 12:30 p.m. ET and Sunday, June 21 at 12 noon E.T.