By: Spencer Neff
February 27, 2023

Continuing our look at the rookie class of 2023 for the NTT INDYCAR Series, we look at Benjamin Pedersen, who will be driving for A.J. Foyt Racing this season.

Strong Beginnings

Pedersen got his first time in single-seaters at the age of 16, when Leading Edge Grand Prix joined forces with his family-backed Global Racing Group.

The Copenhagen-born American started with a third-place finish at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in his Formula 4 US debut. He earned two additional Top Five finishes and would end the season 10th in points.

For 2017, Pedersen moved on to a ride with Global Racing Group in Formula 4’s United States championship. He would sweep pole position for all three races at Homestead-Miami Speedway as well as Circuit of the Americas.

Pedersen earned three wins in the final five races of the season, all of which were held at COTA in Austin, Texas. The effort would net him a fourth-place finish in the season points standings.

In 2018, Pedersen added the Formula 3 Americas series to his F4 schedule. During his third season in Formula 4, the GRG driver would start the year off with victories in the opening races for the stops at Virginia International Raceway and Road America.

By season’s end, he earned two additional podiums and finished fifth in points. In Formula 3 Americas, Pedersen notched 10 podium finishes and would end the campaign third in points.

International Effort

2019 would mark a return to Europe for the Danish-American racer, as he entered the British Formula 3 Series. Pedersen earned a victory on the famed Silverstone Circuit and one additional podium, finishing 14th in points. He also earned seven victories and two more podium finishes in a runner-up sophomore F3 Americas campaign.

Pedersen would spend 2020 with Double R Racing, his first season outside Global Racing Group. Competing in both British Formula 3 and the EuroFormula Open Championship (3 races).

His best results would again be in British F3, where he scored another victory at Silverstone and ended the year ninth in points with one additional podium. Pedersen also made five starts on the Formula Regional Americas tour.

Road to Indy

For 2021, Pedersen moved back to America and the rung on the Road to Indy ladder. His family’s Global Racing Group would partner with HMD Motorsports for the Indy Lights season.

Over 20 races, he earned a best finish of second in his debut at Barber Motorsports Park (matched at Road America) and five more podium finishes, ultimately landing fourth in the final standings.

In 2022, the GRG/HMD effort continued with Pedersen as part of HMD’s four-car full-time effort. Pedersen earned three of his five podium finishes during the opening five races of the season.

He would earn another third-place finish at WorldWide Technology Raceway Gateway, giving him three in as many oval starts. A week later, Pedersen broke through at Portland International Raceway.

Following his first career pole position, Pedersen led the race flag-to-flag and earned his first victory. A week later, he ended the season fifth in points.

Less than three weeks after the conclusion of the Indy Lights season, Pedersen was signed to the NTT INDYCAR Series with A.J. Foyt Racing.

“I’m super excited to get going with the team,” Pedersen remarked in the September 28 announcement of his signing with the team.

“I’ve spent a lot of time this season with AJ Foyt Racing learning the ins and outs of making the jump to INDYCAR and it’s been really nice to do that in conjunction with my Indy Lights season.”

Pedersen joined Foyt’s team in the paddock, team meetings and on the pit box for some of the 2022 season, “We are really looking forward to having Benjamin as part of the team,” Team President Larry Foyt said.

“His enthusiasm is infectious, and he is 100% committed to INDYCAR, AJ Foyt Racing, and doing the best he can to win races. It’s been great to have him embedded with the team this past season, and everyone is excited to hit the ground running when testing begins. It is also great to have a multi-year program in place, which will help him and the team grow together.”

Pedersen will make his debut in the No. 55 at this weekend’s Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg.

Header Image By Chris Jones/INDYCAR