AJ Foyt Racing will break a twelve year streak of being a one car team as they take on flying Yorkshireman Jack Hawksworth to compete alongside stalwart Takuma Sato.
Hawksworth, who was awarded the Verizon IndyCar Series’ Tony Renna Rising Star Award, has used the off-season to move from Bryan Herta Autosport – where he showed flashes of the pace that saw him climb the Road to Indy ladder – to Foyt’s legendary stable.
The car, which will run with Honda power and a Honda aero kit, is sponsored by ABC Supply the company that has sponsored the team for ten years come 2015 and has decided to back both cars next season.
ABC have also extended their contract with AJ Foyt through to 2016 and the 100th running of the Indy 500.
“With ABC’s 10th Anniversary with Foyt Racing in 2015, and the 100th running of the Indy 500 coming in 2016, this is the perfect time for us to add a second car to the ABC Supply Racing team,” said Keith Rozolis, President and CEO of ABC Supply Co. Inc. “We are excited to have Takuma Sato back driving the #14 car, and we look forward to watching Jack Hawksworth show us what he can do in the #41 car.”
For Hawksworth he will be hoping that the move to Foyt will see him improve on his third place at the second Houston race and indeed see him get more podiums overall.
He said: “This is a great opportunity for me. Ultimately, I want to win races and I feel that this is the place I can do that. We’ve got everything in place, a great sponsor in ABC, and good people who build quick cars, so we have the potential to build something really special. That’s what excites me. It’s a growing project and I want to grow with it, be a part of it and be a part of its success.”
It isn’t only Hawksworth that is excited by the idea of a two car team, former F1 racer Sato is excited as well: “It is absolutely fantastic news that AJ Foyt Racing is expanding to a two-car team.
“I really feel positive about it and welcome Jack in joining us. I am thrilled to continue racing in IndyCar for a sixth season and being with the same team for the third straight year. The continuity of working with my engineer, Don Halliday, and the same crew gives us a strong momentum in learning and more confidence overall.”
For Foyt, the 2015 season starts in Brazil in March.
