Dennis Hauger (23) has signed a multi-year contract with AJ Foyt Racing and will drive for the team in the indycar series next year.
The Norwegian racing driver won the Indy NXT championship last year and was named Rookie of the Year in Indycar, which is America’s top single-seater car series.
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“I am incredibly happy to have been given this opportunity,” says Hauger in a press release.
He will drive the Foyt team’s car with number 14, which this year was driven by Santino Ferrucci.
“Larry and I have had some very good conversations about the team and where they want to go. I have learned a lot through my first two seasons in the United States, but at the same time I feel that there is much more I want to achieve in Indycar,” says Hauger.
Larry Foyt, son of motorsport legend AJ Foyt and current team manager, is clear about why they chose the Norwegian.
“Dennis has already achieved a lot at just 23 years old. Every time he’s stepped into something new, he’s adapted quickly and won. When he came to the U.S. and won Indy NXT as a rookie, he got everyone’s attention. Then we followed his development throughout his first season in Indycar,” said Larry Foyt.
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“Dennis wants to win, and so do we. That’s our starting point.
The road to the top: From Aurskog to Indianapolis
Dennis Hauger’s path to American motorsport has been anything but straightforward – but it has been marked by success on almost every level.
Childhood in Aurskog
His interest started early. As a one-year-old, he joined his father on a rally, as a four-year-old he got his first motocross bike, and the following year his first go-kart. He took his first karting victory as an eight-year-old.
In the period 2011 to 2013, he was on the podium in 62 out of 70 races, both in Norway and internationally. In 2016, he became the youngest winner of the German Open Championship OK Junior.
Formula 4 and Formula 3
In 2018, he made the leap from karting to single-seater and got a place in the Red Bull Junior team and in Formula 4 in the UK. The following year, he raced in Formula 4 in Germany and Italy with great success.
In 2021, the breakthrough came: With the support of Red Bull and the team Prema, he won the FIA Formula 3 championship, at just 18 years old.
Formula 2 and the road to the United States
It was three seasons in Formula 2 for Hauger, without much success. He was among the fastest and often in the lead, but the results were uneven. Thus, he chose to focus on Indy NXT in the United States ahead of the 2025 season – a choice that would prove to be decisive.
The Indy NXT Adventure
Hauger came to Indy NXT with one of the most decorated junior resumes in the field. He won six of 14 races, took 11 podium finishes and led 301 rounds on his way to the championship. He became the first rookie since Kyle Kirkwood in 2021 to win the title.
The success meant that he was named Motorsport Athlete of the Year in Norway for the second time (he also won in 2021), and he is the holder of the Norwegian Automobile Sports Association’s badge of honour, the Golden Steering Wheel.
Indycar debut
In 2026, he became the first ever Norwegian in Indycar, with Dale Coyne Racing. The season had both ups and downs – including two races where he didn’t finish a single lap due to someone else’s mistakes – but he still finished 22nd overall and secured the Rookie of the Year title ahead of Mick Schumacher and Caio Collet.
“I have learned a lot through my first two seasons in the United States, but at the same time I feel that there is much more I want to achieve in Indycar.
What does the transition mean?
AJ Foyt Racing is one of the most historic teams in American motorsports. The team was founded by AJ Foyt, the first driver to win the Indianapolis 500 four times. The team is currently led by his son Larry Foyt.
The signing means that Hauger takes over the car of Santino Ferrucci, who has driven number 14 for the last four seasons. Ferrucci is now without a confirmed full-time contract for 2027.
The team has a technical alliance with Team Penske, one of the premier teams in the series – which could give Hauger a solid foundation to build on.
Hauger will make his first public appearance with the team on October 2, during the GM Defense Valor & Velocity Gala in Michigan.
The Foyt team is expected to announce its second driver for 2027 during the fall.
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