AJ Foyt Racing has signed 2026 rookie champion Dennis Hauger to a multi-year deal for its No. 14 Chevrolet starting in 2027.
Dennis Hauger will join AJ Foyt Racing in 2027, taking one of IndyCar’s most closely watched open seats after winning Rookie of the Year. Announced Tuesday, the multi-year agreement puts Hauger in the No. 14 Homes For Our Troops Chevrolet following one full season in the series.
The deal settles a central piece of IndyCar’s silly season. Hauger arrives with back-to-back honors, having claimed the 2025 INDY NXT by Firestone championship before earning the 2026 NTT INDYCAR SERIES rookie award.
Foyt commits to its new arrival
Hauger has secured a multi-year deal, giving him continuity beyond his first campaign with AJ Foyt Racing. His assignment is also confirmed: the No. 14 Homes For Our Troops Chevrolet.
The agreement was announced 10 days after the 2026 season ended at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca on September 6. It is the latest confirmed move in shaping the 2027 grid during the first full week of the offseason.
Hauger switches teams after 18 rookie-season starts.
A rookie title built on consistency
Hauger placed 22nd in the 2026 championship with 228 points. He recorded two top-10 finishes and led five laps, doing enough to clinch Rookie of the Year at the Laguna Seca finale.
That honor followed his 2025 INDY NXT championship, continuing a two-season run of awards across IndyCar’s main development category and its top division. His first IndyCar campaign covered the full 18-race schedule, starting at St. Petersburg on March 1 and ending in Monterey on September 6.
Hauger finished 15 points clear of fellow rookie Mick Schumacher, who closed the year 23rd with 213 points. Caio Collet was next in 24th on 203.
The No. 14 carries a clear assignment
AJ Foyt Racing’s decision gives Hauger a firm place in its 2027 program. The No. 14 entry carries one of the team’s longest-running identities, while Homes For Our Troops will remain attached to the Chevrolet.
His 2026 statistics set the immediate benchmark. Hauger completed all 18 events without a top-five finish or pole, led five laps and reached the top 10 twice.
Moving from INDY NXT champion to IndyCar rookie winner gives Foyt a driver who has completed two consecutive full campaigns within the series’ ladder. Several other seats are still surrounded by speculation, but Hauger’s destination and contract length are settled.
A crowded performance target
Hauger enters a championship where Alex Palou set the 2026 standard. Palou won his fifth title with 631 points, six victories and eight poles, leading 673 laps across the same 18 starts Hauger completed.
The drivers behind Palou were closely grouped. Kyle Kirkwood finished second with 545 points, Christian Lundgaard took third on 535, and Pato O’Ward was fourth with 522. David Malukas rounded out the top five on 514 points without a race victory.
The nearest points target for Hauger is the group directly ahead of him in the final standings. Christian Rasmussen placed 21st with 245 points, 17 ahead of Hauger, while Nolan Siegel and Romain Grosjean each scored 259.
IndyCar’s offseason moves quickly
The confirmation arrives as teams turn from the completed 2026 championship to preparations for 2027. The latest race winner is Scott McLaughlin, who led 87 of 95 laps at Laguna Seca and snapped a 36-race winless run.
IndyCar’s technical program is already focused further ahead. Alexander Rossi completed the IR-28’s first superspeedway test at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on September 9, and Palou later drove the new chassis there in oval configuration. The IR-28 is scheduled to make its competition debut at the start of the 2028 season.
Hauger’s next confirmed competitive chapter starts with AJ Foyt Racing in 2027, when he takes over the No. 14 Homes For Our Troops Chevrolet under his new multi-year agreement.
