Santino Ferrucci knows drama follows him but fans will, too, at Indy 500

Santino Ferrucci can point to the 2019 Indianapolis 500 as the one that helped earn him a devoted fan base.

When Dale Earnhardt Jr. starts talking up a driver, the driver typically achieves some notoriety.

Earnhardt, part of the broadcast team for that race, loved Ferrucci’s aggressive style. While he had rubbed his competitors the wrong way at times, Ferrucci’s moves — which included one through the grass to avoid an accident — received a great deal of attention.

"Dale did wonders for my career as an announcer, just talking me up and things that I was doing on track," Ferrucci said. "It was awesome. And just being a driver here and being recognized for being a racer was important to me.

"It’s stuff that the team wants to build on, stuff that I want to build on."

Ferrucci built on that seventh-place finish and has not had a finish worse than 10th in his six Indy 500 starts. He remains a popular yet polarizing driver for making moves that some might consider crossing the line. Since 2023, he has driven the famed No. 14 car for A.J. Foyt Racing. This has helped him revive his career because before, he drove part-time for two years. That role often included him substituting for hurt drivers. 

With a little bit of brashness, some believe he carries himself with the attitude of his car owner. Obviously, he is still working on his craft, as his only podium finish was a third-place run in the 2023 Indianapolis 500. As he prepares for the 2025 Indy 500, he knows the fans will be watching.

"Jeff Gordon once said whether they love you or they hate you, they're still talking about you," Ferrucci said. "And that, I think, is something that really applies to me here.

"And so that would mean that for all the people, it doesn't matter