Takuma Sato will return to the #14 ABC Supply Company Honda for the 2014 season, as announced by AJ Foyt Racing Tuesday.
“This team is really special for me,” Sato said. “I always felt that the team was behind me and it gave me the confidence to go for the win in races. I’m very excited to continue to build this great relationship. We know what we need to focus on next year. We are anxious to test the new Honda (twin turbo) engine. From what I hear, the engine will put us in a great position to be up front more often in 2014.”
Sato’s 2013 campaign started strong and was leading the championship heading into the Indianapolis 500 and scored his first career win at Long Beach in April and nearly went back to back at Sao Paulo. After the 500, he only finished in the top ten once (Milwaukee) and suffered 10 DNFs, 4 of them due to crashes. He did score the first pole for the team since 1999 in Houston Race 1, but suffered from a flat tire at the beginning of the race and wound up dropping out on lap 82. The DNFs dropped Sato to a dismal 17th in the final standings.
Despite the rough season, Larry Foyt, team director of AJ Foyt Racing, feels that the chemistry between Sato and the team is good and can move forward.
“Taku, our engineers and mechanics all gelled quickly last year, and getting to victory lane together was something we are all very proud of. We are focused on building on the positives from last season and working toward more victories and a higher standing in the championship.”
