NASCAR, IndyCar driver hints ‘exciting’ announcement

NASCAR and IndyCar driver Santino Ferrucci told fans that he has some “exciting future plans” to announce and hinted at an Indy 500 return.

After two seasons of full-time IndyCar competition with Dale Coyne Racing in the 2019 and 2020 seasons, two seasons that saw him finish in 13th place in the championship standings with top individual race finishes of fourth, Santino Ferrucci shifted gears in 2021.

The 23-year-old Woodbury, Connecticut native made the move to NASCAR and competed in seven Xfinity Series races for Sam Hunt Racing. His best finish was a 13th place effort in his second start at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

However, Ferrucci didn’t leave IndyCar completely.

Ferrucci competed for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing in the Indy 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and like he was in 2019 and 2020, he was one of the biggest movers in the field.

In 2019, he was the Rookie of the Year with a seventh place finish after starting in 23rd. In 2020, he finished in fourth after starting in 19th. And in 2021, he finished in sixth after starting in 23rd.

His season didn’t end there, as he competed in four of the next five races for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing in a third entry alongside full-time drivers Graham Rahal and Takuma Sato. He finished between sixth and 11th place in all four races, recording three top 10 results and an average finish of ninth.

But he was not selected to become the full-time driver of the team’s third entry in 2022.

However, it still appears as though he will be returning to IndyCar in some capacity next year, specifically for the Indy 500.

Ferrucci shared on Tuesday that he has some “exciting future plans” that he can’t wait to announce.

https://twitter.com/SantinoFerrucci/status/1468344281488367626

Given the hashtags — and, of course, the picture — is an Indy 500 return with HyVee as his primary sponsor implied? If so, will that return be in a fourth Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing entry, given their deal with HyVee as the primary sponsor of Jack Harvey’s #45 Honda for 2022?

The 2022 IndyCar season is scheduled to begin on Sunday, February 27 with the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, which is set to be broadcast live from the streets of St. Petersburg, Florida on NBC. The 106th running of the Indy 500 is scheduled to take place on Sunday, May 29, and it is set to be broadcast live from Indianapolis Motor Speedway on NBC as well.