July of 2024 will be remembered as an expensive month for A.J. Foyt Racing and Arrow McLaren. The troubles began on July 14 during the second race of the NTT IndyCar Series’ Iowa doubleheader. Alexander Rossi from Arrow McLaren ran out of fuel on the final lap in Turn 2, causing Sting Ray Robb from Foyt’s team to launch into the air and land upside down in Turn 3. Ed Carpenter and Kyle Kirkwood then collided with Rossi’s heavily damaged No. 7 Chevy and Robb’s No. 41 Chevy. Both teams were forced to prepare different cars for the race in Toronto the following weekend.
Unfortunately, the incidents in Toronto were even worse. Pato O’Ward spun his No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevy late in the race, which led to Robb’s teammate Santino Ferrucci driving over O’Ward’s car with his No. 14 Chevy. Ferrucci’s car ended up upside down in Turn 2. Additionally, O’Ward’s teammate Nolan Siegel crashed into the front of the No. 5 with his No. 6 entry at high speed. As a result, at least four out of the five Dallara DW12 tubs were completely destroyed, causing significant damage to cars numbered 5, 6, 7, 14, and 41. The estimated cost to replace all the equipment is close to $1 million.
Gavin Ward, the team principal for Arrow McLaren, described the situation as “brutal.” He mentioned that Nolan’s car is beyond repair, and the No. 5 may be fixable but won’t be back this year. They had to change tubs on the No. 7 after the Iowa crash, resulting in three tubs being out of circulation within two weekends. The team is fortunate to have spare cars to continue racing, but the setbacks have required a significant amount of work. The expenses are expected to be in the high six-figure range, and the recovery process will be challenging. Nevertheless, Ward expressed gratitude for the cars’ safety features, particularly the aeroscreen, which protected the drivers. Pato O’Ward suffered a banged-up knee, but overall, everyone involved escaped major injuries.
Larry Foyt, the team principal of A.J. Foyt Racing, also acknowledged the need to order new cars from Dallara. He mentioned the possibility of purchasing two brand-new cars for next year to ensure they have a fresh inventory leading up to the Speedway. With new cars expected to arrive in a couple of years, they want to avoid having excess unused equipment. Foyt emphasized the importance of everyone’s well-being and praised the cars’ safety measures. However, he lamented the damage caused by the crashes, particularly to Sting Ray Robb’s relatively new car, which had only participated in a couple of races. A new car is being built for Santino Ferrucci for the upcoming race.
