After a one-year absence from the IndyCar circuit, Devlin DeFrancesco is back where he wants to be: competing for the podium in his hometown race.
The 25-year-old will be the only Canadian driver in the main event at the Ontario Honda Dealers Indy ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½, on July 20 at Exhibition Place.
“It’s amazing to come back home and having my family and friends support me from home and all the home fans from ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½,†DeFrancesco told the Star while preparing for this weekend, before his third run at the ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½ event.
“Being a Canadian in the race, it’s something that I take pride in and I’m happy and very grateful to represent Canada on the IndyCar race stage.â€
He will have some familiarity with the 2.874-kilometre, 11-turn temporary course — in 2022, he completed all 85 laps and placed 18th with the Andretti Steinbrenner Autosport team.
The following year he had a mechanical issue and only completed 10 laps. That race was won by Christian Lundgaard of the Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing team, and DeFrancesco hopes to replicate that success with the same group.
This is DeFrancesco’s first year with Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing after signing at the end of the 2024 season. He didn’t have a ride in the IndyCar series last year after a two-year deal with Andretti Steinbrenner ran out.
Instead, DeFrancesco raced in the International Motor Sports Association, where he was part of the Forte Racing’s Lamborghini team that competed for the Endurance Cup in the GTD class.Â
“Going in this year, we have a shot to win the race. This team, on all fronts, has been making big strides,†he said.
“Obviously there’s still more work to be done and we have to execute better, but our pace generally across all three cars (with teammates Graham Rahal and Louis Foster) has been very strong at most events this year. We just have to remain focused throughout the execution, but everything seems to be going in a positive direction.â€
He has competed in 10 events this season, and recorded his career-best 11th-place finish at the Indianapolis 500 race in May.
DeFrancesco’s passion for racing started early. He was six when his father bought him a red go-kart as a Christmas gift. After “falling in love†with racing early, DeFrancesco had competed in local and international series by the time he was 15. He loved the speed, the competition and the dedication required to succeed.
He grew up in Italy and has competed in several marquee events across Europe and North America.
He said the team has been working hard behind the scenes, but without a win to show for it. He hopes to reverse that trend in Iowa, before turning his attention to ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½.
“Racing is a huge mental game: making sure you can control yourself, control your emotions, not give up and focus on the things you can control,†said DeFrancesco, who will be racing in the 30 HUB International Honda car.
Getting to the podium in ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½ “would be a huge boost for everyone on the team. Everyone has been working so tirelessly, including myself, and it would be a huge reward for the hard season that we’ve had so far.â€
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