VeeKay, who posted the third-fastest qualifying average in track history on Saturday, hit 234.099 on his first lap.
JIMMY JOHNSON RACER DRIVERS
The four Ganassi drivers went head-to-head against Ed Carpenter Racing, which claimed the final two spots for Chevrolet with team owner Carpenter and 21-year-old Rinus VeeKay. But he’ll have to get past Scott Dixon, Alex Palou, Marcus Ericsson and Tony Kanaan, who had no power on his dash and had to qualify without telemetry and by feel. I just need a bit more experience.”Īll four of his Chip Ganassi Racing teammates advanced into the “Fast Six,” so Johnson certainly has a car capable of winning the race. “These guys are so good at what they do in these trickier conditions. “I think the sunlight on the track and the track temp coming up, and these conditions, just trying to find that right balance in the race car,” Johnson said. He chalked his bobble up to “inexperience, ultimately.” “I was wide and trying to keep it off the fence at that point.”
“Just committed to run one flat, and it just was so light on top of the track,” he said. But the sun came out about an hour before the shootouts began and considerably heated the track. He’d been third fastest during a two-hour practice session Sunday conducted under a cloudy sky and cool track temperatures. “The track’s a little different than it was this morning,” Johnson said, laughing, on pit lane after his run. Johnson will start 12th in his first Indy 500. I guess I’m following that similar path, although I’m in athletics and it’s uncommon.Jones holds off ex-JGR teammate Hamlin to win at Darlington Many people have a career and in their 40s, 50s transition into something new. “I spent 25ish years in NASCAR, very proud, enjoyed every minute of it. “I just feel like I needed to change the pace,” he said. He is likely to need them as he embarks on the next step of a journey he did not see coming. Johnson’s humility and gratitude have served him well. “I’m not sure it increases our chance to win any, but I’m just another level of pride at the opportunity I get to participate.”
JIMMY JOHNSON RACER DRIVER
“I don’t know if you even can say it, but somehow we’ve strengthened our driver lineup,” Johnson said. 2010 winner Mike Rockenfeller of Germany and endurance racing champion Jose Maria Lopez of Argentina will complete a formidable quartet. Japan’s Kamui Kobayashi, a three-time Rolex 24 winner, will again spearhead the team. Johnson’s ninth appearance in the famed Rolex 24 might be his best chance for a win after 2021′s runner-up finish. Johnson now aims to make his name and earn respect in other racing disciplines.
Johnson’s sixth sense in NASCAR allowed him to calculate his odds and capitalize on his chances, but after 16 straight seasons with a win he endured 111 straight races without a victory.Įven so, Johnson’s exit was the end of an era, when he, Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart and Dale Earnhardt Jr. Every tenth you lose is a tenth you’re going to have to earn back the hard way.” “Being cautious and trying to have a smart approach with my years in a big heavy vehicle just didn’t work so well. to turn the tires on so that you then had the grip to go chase,” Johnson explained.
Johnson too often found himself zigging while experienced drivers zagged. Ind圜ars swerving furiously at a race’s outset heats up the tires. Ind圜ars also lack power steering and feature wider, softer tires offering superior grip yet requiring a driver to quickly raise their temperature to improve the tires’ tackiness. Ind圜ars weigh about 1,350 pounds and reach speeds of 230 mph while a NASCAR vehicle averages 3,000 pounds and reaches speeds a shade above 200 miles an hour on the sport’s superspeedways like Daytona. The biggest lesson: “Identifying with how much aggression you have to drive with these lightweight cars.”
0 kommentar(er)
