NTT INDYCAR SERIES competitor Santino Ferrucci is swapping pavement for dirt this week as he returns to midget racing for the annual Chili Bowl Nationals.

More than 380 drivers are entered in this year’s event, which kicked off Monday, Jan. 12 with five nights of preliminary competition leading up to Saturday’s finale. Each driver races on just one preliminary night, with Ferrucci scheduled to compete on Friday, Jan. 16.
“I just love doing it,” Ferrucci said. “It’s comparable to a mini-Indy 500 in a sense, with all the entries and people, then dwindling it down. It’s just awesome.”

Each preliminary night features a 30-lap main event, with only the top two finishers advancing directly to Saturday’s A Main. The rest of the field is placed into Saturday’s alphabet features, where drivers must race their way forward through multiple events in hopes of earning one of the 24 spots in the 55-lap championship feature.

This week marks Ferrucci’s sixth appearance at the prestigious indoor midget event in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The Chili Bowl draws elite talent from USAC, NASCAR, and other racing disciplines around the world. Ferrucci will once again drive the No. 16 Webco Engineering car for Indianapolis-based Abacus Racing, continuing his second consecutive season with the team.

At the 2025 Chili Bowl, Ferrucci finished sixth in the C Feature on his preliminary night, which placed him into Saturday’s K Feature. He advanced through the K, J, and I Features and was in a transfer position in the H Feature before an incident ended his run through the event’s multi-race elimination format known as “vegetable soup.”

“They (Abacus Racing) put out such a great car,” Ferrucci said. “It’s such quality equipment. They help with the understanding that I should probably build up to it instead of trying to step on it.

“It’s the same mechanics, same guys, and a similar teammate with Kaylee Bryson this year, as well. I can learn from her a little bit. It’s just a great group.”

Ferrucci, who has made 93 career starts in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, also competed in a USAC Midget race at Placerville Speedway during the offseason to prepare for Tulsa. Although dirt racing isn’t his main background, he continues to embrace it rather than focusing exclusively on his INDYCAR duties.

“The racing, the experience, it’s so much fun,” Ferrucci said. “It’s enjoyable to let loose a little bit. The dirt car is so different and so technical. It puts you in the right mindset heading into the season. A lot of drivers are doing Daytona (the Rolex 24), so I like doing this.”

Even though a midget car is nothing like his No. 14 Chevrolet in INDYCAR, Ferrucci believes the skills translate. With the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg opening the season March 1, the Chili Bowl serves as a useful tune-up.

“You’re still strategizing your races and setting up your passes,” he said. “You’re running wheel-to-wheel with such high-level talent. You also have to be very heads-up because it’s pretty easy to wreck, and they hurt a little bit more.

“It’s a small track, so a lot is happening, but you can’t just jump on the brakes and change what you’re doing. You have to be methodical. There’s a lot of quick reaction and quick thinking, and it really drains your brain, which helps get me back up to a high performance level.”

Dirt and midget racing were once a major stepping stone for open-wheel drivers, and Ferrucci’s team owner A.J. Foyt has a strong dirt racing background in addition to his 67 INDYCAR wins and seven championships. That legacy, along with support from team president Larry Foyt, has encouraged Ferrucci to keep competing on dirt.

“I know Larry’s (Foyt) coming out again this year,” Ferrucci said. “It’s good team bonding for us. He understands it. When I first started driving for the team, AJ was thrilled that I was running dirt cars because that’s his background. He showed me some of the stuff he won back in the ’60s. It’s a great way to connect with him, and it makes me appreciate it that much more.

“I wish more drivers would do it, but it’s tough to just jump in because it’s a completely different discipline.”

Read the full article written by Eric Smith on Indycar.