Written by Archie O'Reilly
Sting Ray Robb has made the switch from Dale Coyne Racing to AJ Foyt Racing, where he will run the newly-numbered No.41 car for the 2024 NTT IndyCar Series season, it has been confirmed. The American driver finished 23rd-place in the 2023 standings and was third in the race for Rookie of the Year.
"I'm truly honored to pilot the No. 41 AJ Foyt Racing Chevrolet for the ‘24 season," Robb said in the team's release. "This is a dream come true to be driving for the legendary AJ Foyt and his team under the leadership of Larry Foyt.
"It provides an opportunity for me to implement past lessons and carry momentum forward in my sophomore season as we enter a very competitive field of teams and drivers. Building together upon our successes, I am excited for the season ahead.
"To my family of partners and supporters thank you for being a part of this journey, we'll continue to work hard and grow into what God has called us to be."
Team President Larry Foyt added: "I'm looking forward to working with Sting Ray. I have to admit his name caught my eye when he was in the junior formulas, so I watched his rise through IndyCar's ladder system where he did really well. I believe he is a great addition to our program and will showcase everything he learned in his rookie campaign."
Robb made the move to IndyCar after finishing second in his second year in the Indy Lights championship in 2022, behind only Linus Lundqvist, who is making the full-time step up to IndyCar with Chip Ganassi Racing next year. He only once finished outside the top six across 14 races, winning once and standing on the podium eight times.
Robb's rookie year in IndyCar started off in disappointing fashion by his own admission. He told DIVEBOMB in June that it took him a while to really feel like an IndyCar driver after failing to finish numerous of the early races, whether through his own mistakes or mechanical faults.
He was forced to contend in Bump Day in order to make the field for the Indianapolis 500, which he ultimately crashed out of when duelling with Graham Rahal. But Robb took this and much of a rocky start to his IndyCar career as a learning curve as he ended up having a much smoother, less error-strewn second part of the season.
A 12th-place finish in the season-ending race at Laguna Seca was reward for an upward trajectory as the season progressed. While this was his only top 15 finish, Robb finished 18 points ahead of fellow Indy Lights graduate Benjamin Pederson, incidentally driving for Foyt. There was often a sense he was held back by some team shortcomings too.
It feels fair that 22-year-old Robb is offered a second year in IndyCar - as should be the case for drivers new to the series. It is as yet uncomfirmed who will run Foyt's second entry as they head into their first season consisting of an alliance with Team Penske.
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