One day after Super Tex’s birthday, A.J. Foyt Enterprises have announced that Tatiana Calderón will pilot the No. 11 ROKiT Chevrolet on a road and street course program for the 2022 NTT IndyCar Series Season.
Calderón becomes the first woman to drive for Foyt in the team’s history, joining Dalton Kellett and fellow rookie Kyle Kirkwood as Foyt expands to a three-car operation for the upcoming season.
“Ever since I started my single seater career in the United States eleven years ago, IndyCar has been a reference for me and it’s a dream come true to be on the grid this year,” Calderón said.
The 28-year-old Colombia native tested with Foyt at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course last July, where Team President Larry Foyt says she “showed a lot of potential,” sparking conversation about her possibly racing for the team in 2022.
“I think our three-car team is in for an exciting season,” Foyt continued.
Calderón has an extensive resume in motorsports, most recently spending time in Super Formula in Japan with Threebond Drago Corse as well as WEC with the Richard Mille Racing Team in 2021. She has also been the test driver for the Alfa Romeo Racing F1 Team ORLEN for the past four seasons. In 2019 she competed in the Formula 2 Championship, and previously made history in Renault Series Formula V8 3.5 and the British Formula 3 Series, where she was the first female to score a podium in both series, coming in 2017 and 2013 respectively.
With plenty of experience behind the wheel, Calderón is ready for the new experience that IndyCar will bring.
“I’m well aware of the challenge ahead, but this is the chance of a lifetime and I’m keen on making the most of it,” she said.
ROKiT Co-Founder Jonathan Kendrick has been a supporter of Calderón for a long time, and hopes she will continue to inspire women in motorsports.
“We know Tatiana is already a role model to many young female drivers around the world and we think the huge exposure of the NTT IndyCar Series will serve only to increase her reach even further to become an inspiration to many more women to get involved in motorsports,” Kendrick said.
Calderón and teammate Kirkwood will be taking part in an upcoming test at Sebring International Raceway this week, and the two will make their IndyCar debuts at the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on 27 February, 2021.