Indianapolis 500 has 21 drivers who have won multiple times
Here are the drivers who earned more than a spot on the Borg-Warner Trophy with their victory at the Indianapolis 500.
A 12th place would have been an outstanding day for AJ Foyt Racing in the previous two seasons.
It happened on August 17 during Santino Ferrucci’s comeback from a severe pit lane speeding penalty that set him back two laps. The short oval lover seemed to be on his way to a secure top-10 finish and possibly even the first top-5 finish of his 2024 IndyCar season.
Since there are already eight of them in 2024, a top 12 finish is nothing special anymore – especially since his teammate Sting Ray Robb himself finished in the top 10.
It’s a testament to where the long-time bottom-placed IndyCar team has arrived in 2024, buoyed by the familiarity and momentum built through its second season working with Ferrucci, as well as the knowledge-sharing that comes from Foyt’s technical alliance with Team Penske.
“I feel like we’re leading the mid-size championship right now,” Ferrucci told IndyStar last weekend at World Wide Technology Raceway. He’s currently 10th in the championship and is poised to become the team’s first driver to finish in the top 10 in more than two decades. “I’m not one for participation trophies, but the field is so competitive. We’ve made a lot of progress and honestly it was really cool to go into the break in 10th.
“But the more time I have to think, the more I realise it’s a great achievement but it’s not my end goal. It’s cool. I love it and it’s given the team a great boost but in these last races we’re really going to focus on getting on the podium and winning. I really want that hardware no matter where we end up in the championship.”
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If there was ever a driver outside of title contention who deserved to return to his respective team in 2025, it is Ferrucci. And yet, there is still a lot to be done before that dream can become a reality. The team announced just over a week ago that David Malukas has signed a multi-year deal to take over as one of its two full-time drivers from 2025.
According to a paddock source, Team Penske exercised control over Malukas’ signing as part of the teams’ technical alliance. Although Will Power is still near his peak form at 43 and just two seasons removed from his second title, there are those in the paddock who see the Malukas signing as at least a sign that Team Penske views the 23-year-old as a possible, if not likely, replacement for Power when he retires from the sport.
Power’s current contract with Penske runs through the end of next season. Heading into this weekend’s race at Portland International Raceway, the series veteran sits fourth in the championship, 66 points behind Alex Palou, but just seven points behind second-place Colton Herta.
“I’m honestly doing the best job I’ve ever done. I’m at my peak, so I’m not even thinking about quitting,” Power told IndyStar last weekend.
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Ferrucci, too, is doing his best to tune out the noise and speculation surrounding Foyt’s future. He just wants to make sure he can be a part of it. While he and team president Larry Foyt are currently negotiating their potential future together, there’s no better time than now to continue that upward trajectory after half a decade of bouncing around the IndyCar paddock trying to put down roots somewhere.
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“I think the makings are definitely there for a strong teammate like David. There’s a lot going on behind the scenes with something like (Malukas’ signing), which when you’re in the paddock, I think is pretty obvious,” Ferrucci said. “I think I’m kind of going my own way with Larry.
“I don’t have a contract for next year yet, but we are working on it and negotiating with him. I intend to stay and would like to stay. That’s my goal at the moment and of course the next three weekends are going to be pretty tough.”
The idea that Foyt, a team not known for its cash-rich fortunes, could bring together drivers who would not budget for their respective futures initially raised eyebrows. That had long been the case for Ferrucci, but after family-owned companies HMD Trucking and Motorsports partnered with Dale Coyne Racing to fund Malukas’ IndyCar entry, he switched to Arrow McLaren for 2024 and declared his family would no longer fund his racing career.
Since he was released from the No. 6 Chevy after never completing a race lap for the team due to his offseason mountain bike accident, multiple sources in the paddock have told IndyStar that Malukas’ part-time job at Meyer Shank Racing to finish the season in the No. 66 Honda was secured through significant funding – presumably from his family’s coffers. Whether the Malukas family, Roger Penske or some combination (via B2B deals) will fund David’s IndyCar ride in 2025 is unclear, but given the sizable budget Robb brought to support the No. 41 for 2024, Foyt will have to raise significant funds one way or another to have the two young talents drive as teammates in 2025.
“I think the two of us would play really well together,” Ferrucci said of a potential pairing with Malukas at Foyt. “We’re about the same age, so I think the fire there would be pretty fun. We’d definitely go at it well.”
“And it would be really nice for the team to have two drivers constantly fighting for podiums and wins. That would not only add value to the team, but also add value to someone like me who helps me continue to progress.”
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Larry Foyt didn’t give any indication of the direction his driver lineup will take for 2025, other than Malukas. He suggested that either Ferrucci or Robb, who showed better performance in year two, would continue to lead AJ Foyt Racing forward. But make no mistake. Like Ferrucci, Foyt doesn’t see the team’s 2024 performance as a high point.
When asked what he expected for the team in 2025, Foyt said candidly: “Two (drivers) in the top 10 and one in the top five. I think we’re getting to that point. There have been so many years where we’ve had big changes. There have been driver changes, engineer changes, other big changes, and you try to find something that works.”
“I think the nice thing is that when you get to a place where you’re more competitive, you can control the story a little more. It’s a little easier to have those sponsorship conversations. It’s easier to attract good people to come here and want to be here. All of those things are happening, and we want to keep moving up. Even if you’re 10th in the IndyCar standings, you’re already ahead of some very good teams and drivers, but we don’t want to give up pushing forward. That’s our plan as a team, and all of our current sponsors – and even some new ones we’re talking to – are on board and excited.”
