Davey Hamilton’s Way-Cool Return to Indy HIghlights Sunday Qualys
Written by George Katinger · May 14, 2007
Davey Hamilton says he has given more than 4,000 passengers a thrill in the Indy Racing Experience two-seater. The veteran IndyCar Series driver received one himself on Second Day Qualifying for the 91st Indianapolis 500.
From Indy Racing League Media Reports:
Hamilton, returning to competitive driving for the first time since suffering multiple injuries in a crash during a 2001 race, put the No. 02 Vision Racing Dallara/Honda/Firestone solidly in the 33-car field at 222.327 mph as positions 12-22 were filled for the May 27 race.
Fourteen cars made qualifying attempts, including five that were unsuccessful in securing a spot on Pole Day. Five were quicker than Michael Andretti’s 222.789 mph four-lap qualifying average that stood up for 11th on the first day.
Scott Sharp, driving the No. 8 Patron Sharp Rahal Letterman Racing car, topped the list at 223.875 mph (which would have been good for ninth on Pole Day). He will be on Row 4 with Andretti and Vision Racing’s Tomas Scheckter. Sharp’s teammate, Jeff Simmons (223.693) in the No. 17 Team Ethanol car, Ed Carpenter (223.495) in the No. 20 Vision Racing car and Darren Manning (223.471) in the No. 14 ABC Supply Co. car will share Row 5.
Row 6 will be occupied by 2004 Indianapolis 500 winner Buddy Rice (222.826), Kosuke Matsuura (222.595) in the No. 55 Panasonic car and A.J. Foyt IV (222.413). Delphi Panther Racing’s Vitor Meira (222.333), Hamilton and Sarah Fisher (221.960) will be on Row 7. Buddy Lazier, the 1996 race winner, bumped Jon Herb from the final available spot on the day with a second attempt of 221.380 mph.
POST-QUALIFYING NOTES:
Sunday was Mother’s Day and several driver’s mothers were at the Speedway. Among drivers whose mothers were in attendance: Sarah Fisher (Reba Fisher), Ed Carpenter (Laura George), A.J. Foyt IV (Nancy Foyt), Jeff Simmons (Judy Simmons, whose other son Chris is an engineer for Target Chip Ganassi Racing), Helio Castroneves (Sandra), Sam Hornish Jr. (Jo Ellen Hornish) and Danica Patrick (Bev Patrick).
Sarah Fisher’s mother, Reba, is a former go-kart racer, whose karts carried the No. 5, the same number on the AAMCO Transmissions/Dreyer & Reinbold Racing Honda-powered Dallara that her daughter is driving in the IndyCar Series.
Indianapolis Colts tight end Ben Utecht sang the national anthem during pre-qualifying ceremonies Sunday.
BEN UTECHT: (What’s it like to be here and to be singing the national anthem at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway?): “This is great. It’s my first time here. The last three years, I’ve actually been at my home in Minnesota and never really had a chance to get out here. People kept telling me how exciting it is. When I had the chance to come today, I was just thrilled. This is just incredible. The magnitude of this race and the magnitude of this place is just incredible.” (As a professional athlete, what are the similarities you think about as you watch these drivers and what they go through?): “Obviously, this is a very competitive industry, and that’s something I can really relate to. The competition level out here is so high. That causes you to be that much more focused and determined in your training regimens, and I know that these guys are doing whatever they can do in the offseason to prepare for days to come. That’s what it’s all about. We’re very similar in the fact that this is our job, and we need to do it to the best of our abilities. It takes focus and determination.”
A total of 40 cars are at the Speedway. Thirty-four have passed technical inspection. Twenty-nine drivers have been on the track to date, turning 687 practice laps today and 6,090 laps this month. Buddy Lazier turned 85 laps today, most of any driver. Marty Roth has turned 331 laps this month, most of any driver. A total of 97 IndyCar Series and Indy Pro Series drivers have passed physical examinations at the Clarian Medical Center. There were five cautions today for a total of 43 minutes.
Milka Duno was at the Speedway Sunday, but did not make a qualifying attempt after an accident on Fast Friday.
MILKA DUNO (No. 23 CITGO Racing Dallara/Honda/Firestone): (About the team’s plan next week): “The plan is that I will be in the car on Wednesday. The guys are working very hard. We hope to have the car ready for Wednesday.” (Regarding her accident): “It’s something that can happen here. Everyone says, ‘Welcome to Indianapolis.’”
POST-PRACTICE QUOTES:
DARIO FRANCHITTI (No. 27 Canadian Club Dallara/Honda/Firestone): “We were playing to our strengths today (Sunday). Tony (Kanaan) is really good at finding the limit of a qualifying car, and I have a good feel for a race car. I got delegated to do that today and give us maybe a head start of where we need to be to start on Wednesday. I think we made good progress with the Canadian Club car. We’ll get all five us working from now on toward a race car.”
BRIAN BARNHART (President, Competition and Operations, Indy Racing League): “A lot of thought went into the process to develop the new format and there’s so many years of history and tradition here, but realistically, coming out of the first weekend, you usually came out with 20 to 25 cars qualified, and that’s what we’ve got. We’ve got 22 cars qualified, we just got there a little different way that I think was way more entertaining for the fans. And the one thing that I certainly get a closer reaction to immediately is the reaction of the crews and the drivers because of the process that we got through, and while it was tension-filled, especially with the drivers and what’s at stake when they do that, that’s what they’re paid to do and that’s what they have fun doing. When you look at the face of Tony Kanaan when he’s getting ready to go out at five minutes to 6 or waiting for Helio to finish, he was eating it up; he was ready to go. The drivers had fun, the crews had fun, the managers and strategists had fun trying to decide what they wanted to do
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