SIT. STAY. AND DRINK WITH SANTINO
The Big Machine Vodka team recently partook in a phone interview with Indy Car driver, Santino Ferrucci to learn more about his driving career and how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected his racing season. Santino currently drives the No. 18 SealMaster Honda for Dale Coyne Racing and is also a Big Machine Vodka sponsored driver. Santino was born in Woodbury, Connecticut in 1998 and currently lives in Florida. We asked Santino a variety of questions to learn more about how the COVID-19 has impacted this season, how he initially got started in racing, what his favorite races of the season were, and many more!
Sit. Stay. & Drink.
Q: How old were you when you got started in racing? What made you decide this as a career?
A: “I started go karts when I was five years old and I wanted to do as career when I was about six or seven because I loved the speed. Baseball and golf wasn’t really for me.”
Q: What has been your favorite memory from this race season?
A: “Probably the Indy 500 because we did so well there. It was a shame it ended on a yellow, but it was such a good race for our team.”
Q: How has COVID-19 affected the race season for you?
A: “Our off season from 2019 to 2020 was a lot longer, it was stressful because there was so much waiting around and hoping that you’ll have the season. At end of day, I actually liked the formats we started adopting during COVID with double race weekends and the two day events so I thought everything was a lot more fun. I enjoyed the fact that everything’s more packed in and continuously going and how we have less practice.”
Q: What has been your favorite race this season and why?
A: “Other than the 500 it had to be Road America Race 2 because we started well, but we had to go to last and we did an alternate strategy. We were the only ones to do it and we ended up coming back to finish 6th, which was an awesome challenge and an awesome day to be in the race car.”
When Santino isn’t racing around the track, he loves to visit Nashville, Tennessee with his new Labrador puppy, Kodak! They both enjoy the two spacious and dog friendly patios at the Big Machine Distillery & Tavern, located at 2824 Bransford Avenue. We asked Santino what his favorite part was about coming to Nashville, what it’s like working with the Big Machine Vodka team, and his favorite thing to order at the Big Machine Distillery and Tavern.
Q: You have taken several trips to Nashville this year, what do you love most about the city and why?
A: “I have to say, I really love the Big Machine Distillery & Tavern! Out of all the places I’ve been there’s something about the food and atmosphere. The way it’s set up, it literally feels like you own personal living room.”
Q: You have stopped by the Big Machine Distillery & Tavern in Berry Hill a couple of times, what is your favorite thing to eat and drink there?
A: “The Big Machine Vodka Root Beer slushies are unbelievable! To eat, I’d have to say the Fried Oreos.”
Q: What have you found to be your greatest reward and biggest struggle in regards to being a new “Dog Dad” to Kodak?
A: “The greatest reward was when I was in Colorado and he got to see his first snow and play around in it. It was like he did at the beach when he was really little and how happy he was. The biggest struggle is probably when I’m on the race weekend and it’s just me and Kodak, it’s hard because I can’t watch him and do my job. So that’s what’s tough because you’re consistently worrying about him a little bit, but then you have to be like, “okay- he’s a puppy, he’s a dog, he’s fine.” It’s got a lot more ups then it sure does downs.”
Q: What has it been like working with Big Machine Vodka?
A: “It’s been Amazing! I’ve never been to Nashville for starters. Having that opportunity to go there with, I would say, with one of the most renounce names in Nashville and working with Mark and Scott has been a pleasure. I feels like more of a friendship than it does anything work related. I enjoy the support and being with them at the races and in their hometown.”
As many people have experienced, this year has been anything but ordinary. The Big Machine Vodka team asked Santino what his biggest struggle for this year was either personally or professionally, and what his goals were for next year in 2021.
Q: What was your biggest struggle either professionally or personally from this year?
A: “I would say not having fans or people at the track because it kind of kills the mentality of the racing. It was so nice to see fans at races like Mid-Ohio and Road to America in St. Louis because the energy is there. Without the energy it is tough for a driver because it’s a lot of silence. Especially for the 500, having anybody there, it didn’t really feel like a race. It felt like a 200 lap practice.”
Q: What are your goals for 2021 either professionally or personally?
A: “Personally, I don’t set goals for myself, because racing is 99% disappointment, unfortunately. If you talk to anybody that doesn’t say that, they’re wrong! For professional goals, I like being where I am with the team, I like taking every race weekend by weekend. I would like to win the 500 though. I think every year from the first year to the second year you’re just getting closer and closer so we’ll see how we do in 2021. But that would probably be one of my only goals of the season. Like I said, I try not to think about it or set those.”