By Amy Konrath
Today’s IZOD IndyCar Series and Firestone Indy Lights headlines:
1. IZOD IndyCar Series drivers test at Kentucky Speedway on May 4
2. Unser gives rookies high overall marks on first oval
3. John Andretti posts best IZOD IndyCar Series finish
4. Four teams represented in top five of standings
5. Vote for Tire-ific Move of the Race:
1. IZOD IndyCar Series drivers test at Kentucky Speedway on May 4: For the past three years, Davey Hamilton’s routine in May has been to practice, qualify and race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. This year, he’ll get some preliminary seat time.
Hamilton will join Luczo Dragon Racing/de Ferran Motorsports’ regular driver Raphael Matos and other IZOD IndyCar Series drivers for a May 4 afternoon test session at Kentucky Speedway. Fans are invited to watch free of charge from a designated area outside the Turn 3 Fan Center located off of I-71 Exit 57 and Ky. Hwy. 35 North.
“I’ve been out of the car since Indy last year and haven’t had a lot of laps in the last three years so this test will be important for me as we get prepared for Indy,” said Hamilton, who has recorded plenty of laps as driver of the Indy Racing Experience two-seater. “It’s also the first time working with the team and I’m looking forward to that. I may have experience, but Rafa has been in five races already and has knowledge of how the cars have been reacting this season so his input will be invaluable to me.
“The nice thing with a two-car team is that we can go out on two completely different setups and learn twice as much during the same session.”
The hours on the 1.5-mile Kentucky Speedway oval also will help the teams prepare the high banks of Texas Motor Speedway, where both Hamilton and Matos will compete on June 5, and six other oval races.
“I do believe that we will benefit from having two drivers and two sets of engineers exchanging information,” team president Gil de Ferran said. “Obviously, internally we will have to make a few adjustments as we have not run two cars before, but I am confident that overall the addition of one car will be a plus.”
Kentucky Speedway will play host to IZOD IndyCar Series and Firestone Indy Lights on Sept. 4.
2. Unser gives rookies high overall marks on first oval: Four drivers competed in their first IZOD IndyCar Series oval race — the Road Runner Turbo Indy 300 at Kansas Speedway — on May 1. Three were running at the finish, while the fourth – KV Racing Technology’s Takuma Sato – was challenging for a top-10 finish until being involved in a two-car crash on Lap 186 of 200.
Conquest Racing’s Bertrand Baguette finished 20th, De Silvestro of Team Stargate Worlds/HVM Racing was 21st and Conquest Racing’s Mario Romancini was 22nd.
Overall, IZOD IndyCar Series driver coach Al Unser Jr. said, the first-year drivers acquitted themselves against the competition and without much preparation time. They received five hours of track time April 28 to digest information and assimilate the nuances of the 1.52-mile racetrack plus one 105-minute practice session (reduced from two sessions because of rain) on April 30.
“I think they did exceptionally well,” said Unser, a two-time Indianapolis 500 champion. “They’ll learn the next step at Indy. Indy is completely different than the high banks of the mile-and-a-half ovals. It’s an oval that is more road course style. Rick Mears, Johnny Rutherford, me and everybody will be there to help out.”
3. John Andretti posts best IZOD IndyCar Series finish:As tune-ups go, John Andretti is good for another 500 miles.
Andretti, competing in the Road Runner Turbo Indy 300 at Kansas Speedway as a prelude to the Indianapolis 500 on May 30, finished ninth in the No. 43 Window World entry for Richard Petty/Andretti Autosport — his highest IZOD IndyCar Series oval finish.
“I can’t be disappointed with this,” said Andretti, who has competed on the 1.5-mile oval in four different racing series. “I felt if we finished in the top 10 that would be better than I could expect and we finished ninth. We ran up there, we ran good and we ran good on the long runs.
“Like everybody, I think we wish (Scott) Dixon hadn’t caught it quite so good because then we could have finished a little better, but I’m pleased. We weren’t perfect, but it was good for me. I had a good time.”
4. Four teams represented in top five of standings: Will Power’s 42-point lead after four road/street course events has dwindled to 26 after the first oval race of the season.
A victory in the Road Runner Turbo Indy 300 vaulted Scott Dixon to second in the championship standings – and first in the oval title chase. Helio Castroneves is 28 points back and Ryan Hunter-Reay is 31 points behind Power, who finished 12th at Kansas Speedway.
Dario Franchitti, the reigning IZOD IndyCar Series champion, is fifth (minus 38) in the championship. Four teams are represented in the standings heading into Indianapolis 500 qualifications.
5. Vote for Tire-ific Move of the Race: Fans select the Firestone Tire-ific Move of the Race winner by voting on indycar.com after every race. This $10,000 prize is awarded to the driver best utilizing his or her Firestone tires to make a bold, dramatic move during the event. Nominees for the Road Runner Turbo Indy 300 are Scott Dixon for leading the final 150 laps for a dominant victory, Tony Kanaan for setting the fastest lap on Lap 198 to pass Helio Castroneves for third place and Ryan Hunter-Reay for advancing from 22nd to finish fifth.
***
The 2010 IZOD IndyCar Series season continues May 30 with the 2010 Indianapolis 500 Mile Race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The race will be telecast live in High Definition at noon (ET) by ABC. The race will air live on the IMS Radio Network, XM channel 145 and Sirius channel 211. The race also will be carried on www.indycar.com. The 2010 Firestone Indy Lights season continues with the Firestone Freedom 100 on May 28 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway The race will air live on VERSUS.