IndyCar: Driver change announced for Belle Isle race

Santino Ferrucci is set to fill in for Callum Ilott at Juncos Hollinger Racing for this Sunday afternoon’s IndyCar race on Belle Isle.

Juncos Hollinger Racing IndyCar rookie Callum Ilott was involved in a heavy single-car crash during this past Sunday afternoon’s 106th running of the Indy 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

On lap 69 of 200 around the four-turn, 2.5-mile (4.023-kilometer) oval in Speedway, Indiana, Ilott lost control of his car and crashed hard in turn two. After making initial contact with the outside wall, his #77 Chevrolet came all the way across the track and slammed into the inside retaining barrier.

He suffered a hand injury in the crash, and a result, he has not been medically cleared to compete in this coming Sunday’s Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix at the Raceway on Belle Isle, the seventh of 17 races on the 2022 schedule.

Set to fill in for Ilott behind the wheel of the #77 Chevrolet in this 70-lap race around the 14-turn, 2.35-mile (3.782-kilometer) temporary street circuit is Santino Ferrucci.

This marks Ferrucci’s second relief appearance of the 2022 season. He filled in for the injured Jack Harvey in the season’s second race at Texas Motor Speedway back in March after Harvey crashed during the final practice session and was not medically cleared to compete the following afternoon.

Ferrucci impressively drove the #45 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda from 27th to ninth place on race day.

Ferrucci also competed in this past Sunday’s Indy 500, doing so behind the wheel of the #23 Chevrolet for Dreyer & Reinbold Racing in a one-off effort.

The 24-year-old Woodbury, Connecticut native ran as high as third place and finished in 10th after starting in 15th, giving him four top 10 finishes in four Indy 500 starts despite never starting higher than 15th. Going back to last year, he has six top 10 finishes in his last seven IndyCar starts, and he has not finished lower than 11th during that span.

Ilott will need to be reevaluated in order to have a chance to return for the following Sunday afternoon’s race, the Sonsio Grand Prix at Road America.

Through six starts in his first full season in the series, the 23-year-old Briton sits in a 23rd place tie in the championship standings with a top finish of eighth place in the race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course. Ferrucci sits in a 25th place tie.

The Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix is set to be broadcast live from Belle Isle on USA Network beginning at 3:00 p.m. ET this Sunday, June 5. If you haven’t yet started a free trial of FuboTV, do so now!