A.J. Foyt Racing’s announcement of Sting Ray Robb as its newest driver made no mention of Benjamin Pedersen, who drove for the team as a rookie in 2023.
As RACER wrote in the original story, Robb is meant to replace Pedersen, with the No. 55 number Pedersen used last season changing back to a more familiar number, the No. 41, in 2024.
Pedersen, however, has staked his claim to the second Foyt seat by posting a statement to social media that makes it clear he sees himself as an ongoing driver for Foyt who welcomes Robb to the team.
In the team’s IndyCar-led teleconference held shortly after the Friday announcement, team director Larry Foyt also made no mention of the Danish-American driver until the question of Pedersen’s future with the team was raised by a reporter who asked if Robb was replacing Pedersen.
“I’m not sure about that,” Foyt said as he declined to provide specifics. “So we’re sorting all that out. I can’t really speak to that yet. But now, today, we’re just talking about Sting Ray. He probably will run out of the Indy shop [where Pedersen’s entry was located], which is good. And we’re just going back to a number that was more of one that we’ve run in the past. So we’re just sticking with that.”
Pedersen’s fate with the Foyt team has been the subject of frequent speculation throughout the offseason. A trouble-filled rookie run left the Indy Lights race winner holding last in the championship among IndyCar’s full-season drivers, and while it’s unclear if any out-clauses related to performance or other deliverables exist in the contract struck between Pedersen and Foyt, his signing for 2023 was presented as the first of a three-year deal.
A call to Pedersen for further comment was not immediately returned. Robb’s teammate for Foyt’s primary car, the legendary No. 14 entry, has not been confirmed.