Ohio
‘I know how to outsmart him.’ Santino Ferrucci plots revenge on Conor Daly after Mid-Ohio incidents
Santino Ferrucci acknowledged he made a mistake at Mid-Ohio, forcing Conor Daly off the track in last weekend’s IndyCar race. Ferrucci doesn’t appreciate Daly’s response — and not the one on social media.
The two touched wheels midway through the race and Daly was forced well into the grass. Ferrucci wound up finishing 16th and Daly 19th.
Ferrucci said Thursday at Iowa Speedway that he was late entering a turn and, in trying to correct his position on track, their wheels touched. Ferrucci’s car briefly couldn’t turn and Daly had to go off track to avoid harder contact.
What has rankled Ferrucci is not Daly calling him “this clown” on social media, but that Daly “brake-checked” him — stopping abruptly in front of him on pit lane, risking contact post-race.
“I would have gone up and said something after the race in pit lane, but he decided to brake check me in pit lane, which is just dumb,” the 27-year-old Ferrucci said.
Ferrucci improved just one spot from his starting position at Mid-Ohio, but over the previous four races, he had improved 58 positions — finishing in the top 5 in each.
“I’m really mad at myself because I feel like I’ve run four perfect races going up to that point, and that’s the only mistake I’ve made in the last five weekends,” he said.
Ferrucci added he’s eager to match moves and wits with Daly in this weekend’s races at Iowa Speedway — a 275-lapper on Saturday and another on Sunday.
“If he doesn’t think memories are shot, he’s got something else coming,” Ferrucci said. “I know how to outsmart him on an oval. I’ve done it before. It’ll be fun.”
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