Ferrucci to sub for injured Ilott in Detroit

Callum Ilott suffered a broken right wrist in the Indianapolis 500 crash that ended his day, and with the punishing street course at Belle Isle up next on the calendar, the Juncos Hollinger Racing driver won’t have enough time to heal before that wrist is asked to handle the severe bumps and jumps found around the street circuit.

In his place, Santino Ferrucci will drive the No. 77 Chevy on IndyCar’s final visit to Belle Isle before the Chevrolet Grand Prix of Detroit moves back to its downtown roots in 2023. Despite serving as a coach for Ilott at JHR, IndyCar veteran Ryan Hunter-Reay, who might have been expected to stand in for the Briton, recently signed with Chip Ganassi Racing as its reserve IndyCar and IMSA driver. Both series are in action this weekend.

"Myself, Brad Hollinger, and the whole team are thankful to Santino for coming in to help us this weekend while Callum gets better," team boss Ricardo Juncos told RACER. Although this will be Ferrucci's first time racing for Juncos, the two have known each other since Ferrucci was a young karting prodigy.

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It will mark Ferrucci’s second fill-in drive this season after he subbed for Jack Harvey in Texas, where he drove the No. 45 Honda from the back of the field to a commendable ninth-place result. Last weekend’s Indy 500 added to the Connecticut native’s noteworthy record after finishing 10th for the modest Dreyer & Reinbold Racing team.

With Road America serving as the next race on the calendar after Detroit, Ilott could make his return on the fast and sweeping natural road course where less strain would be placed on his wrist around the clockwise circuit as his left arm and hand would bear most of the high-speed loading.