Monday, May 5, 2008 Rookie Orientation Program for the 92nd Indianapolis 500
Round 5 of 18 in the IndyCar Series
McDONALD’S DRIVER WILSON AND HOLE IN THE WALL CAMPS DRIVER RAHAL GAIN MORE EXPERIENCE ON FINAL DAY OF INDY 500 ROOKIE ORIENTATION
Fastest lap time/speed:
Rahal - 40.6954 / 221.155 mph
Wilson - 40.7187 / 221.029 mph
Justin Wilson, No. 02 McDonald’s Dallara/Honda/Firestone: “I think we learned a little bit. We didn’t make as much progress as I think we were hoping to. But on this track it’s probably better to take it slower than to rush through things. We did the right thing and took our time and made sure we made positive steps. The McDonald’s car feels pretty close to where we started, so we just need to start making a few small changes and get up there. It’s difficult trying not to rush through things too quickly. Each corner is definitely different. Usually the speed is a bit higher into turns one and three. They’re similar but they’re different because the wind is a factor. The car reacts different in that and you have to adjust for it.”
FAST FACTS: Will be his second race at IMS and first in the IndyCar Series (ICS) after having competed here with Jaguar in 2003 where he earned his first Formula One point in the USGP with an eighth place finish after running as high as third. He started 16th…He has competed on an oval track seven times…Qualified 17th but started 15th in the season-opener in Homestead due to two cars having their qualifying speeds disallowed. Dropped one lap down when he was hit by Will Power on a restart after approx. 22 laps and had to pit to replace a deflated tire but rallied to finish 15th…Started third in his street course ICS debut in St. Pete but alternate fuel and tire strategies dictated by intermittent rain led to a ninth place finish after he led a total of 18 of 83 laps…Was the pole winner on Friday and Saturday in the Long Beach Champ Car finale and dropped to second on the start but engine failure on Lap 13 ended his race and he finished 19th … Gained valuable experience after he was first to qualify and started 22nd in Kansas, led five laps after staying on track while others pit and finished ninth…Is ranked 17 in the point standings with 71 and is sixth in ROY…Finished runner up in the Champ Car championship to the driver he recently replaced, four-time champion Sebastien Bourdais, in 2006 and 2007. Was a championship contender until the conclusion of the penultimate race of each season.
Graham Rahal, No. 06 Hole in the Wall Camps Dallara/Honda/Firestone: “We’re getting a little bit quicker, but we’ve still got a ways to go. The car is quicker, but there is still some speed to find. We’ve gone completely flat, so now it’s a matter of taking wing out of it and going quicker. We need to focus on getting qualified in the first weekend, so we can take the second weekend off.”
FAST FACTS: Will be his first Indy 500 and only his second on an oval track after having finished 12th at Kansas Speedway last weekend. He previously ran in a junior formula, Star Mazda event in 2005 at the Pikes Peak oval. In his IndyCar Series debut on a road/street course he became the youngest winner in major open-wheel racing in North America after winning in St. Pete on 4-6-08 at 19 years, 93 days old…He is ranked 10th in series points with 88 points.
1 POLE (1987) & TWO SECONDS AT INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY (IMS): The 2008 entry will mark the 16th year for NHR/NHLR in the event and the third since 1995. Prior to 2008, the team prepared a total of 23 entries for drivers such as Mario and Michael Andretti, Nigel Mansell, Paul Tracy, Bruno Junqueira and Sebastien Bourdais. The entry of Justin Wilson and Graham Rahal in 2008 will bring the total to 25. NHR’s highest finish in the Indy 500 is second place with Mario Andretti in 1985 and Michael Andretti in 1991 although team drivers have led many laps here. Mario Andretti also brought the team its highest start in the event when he won the pole position in 1987. NHR’s 2004 entry of Junqueira marked the first time for the team to compete here since 1995 and they returned in 2005 with Junqueira and IMS rookie Bourdais. They have earned Rookie of the Year once, with Mansell in 1993 when he finished third.
The first day of practice for the 92nd Indianapolis 500 will take place tomorrow with on-track practice time from 12 noon to 6 p.m. CDT. Log onto www.indycar.com for live timing and scoring.
