Catchfence

Following several days of inclement weather which canceled track activities, Dan Wheldon was able to participate in his first full day of practice aboard the #98 William Rast/aigo/Curb/Big Machine/ Forsythe Solutions entry for BHA/Curb-Agajanian. Wheldon, whose last IZOD IndyCar Series appearance was in October at the Cafes do Brasil Indy 300 at Homestead-Miami Speedway, quickly dusted off the cobwebs to end the day with a fastest lap of 225.716 mph.

The 2005 Indianapolis 500 winner and IZOD IndyCar Series champion, who completed 18 laps on Monday during a brief shakedown, returned to the track shortly after noon today. He completed 35 laps and was immediately among the pacesetters posting a best speed of 225.435 mph. Wheldon returned to the track at 4:00 pm for an additional 30 laps to claim the 10^th fastest speed at the 5:00 pm mark of 225.716 mph before retiring to the garage for the day. Weather conditions were near perfect with scattered clouds and temperatures in the low 70s.

Fastest Speeds of the Day:

1. Will Power 227.778 mph

2. Alex Tagliani 227.652 mph

3. Ryan Briscoe 227.217 mph

14. Dan Wheldon 225.716 mph

Dan Wheldon, #98 William Rast/aigo/Curb/Big Machine Forsythe Solutions Dallara/Honda/Firestone:

“We had a good day. It was obviously nice to be on track. I think one thing the fans don’t see is how hard the guys work on the Bryan Herta Autosport team. They did a phenomenal job in the days off track. They weren’t sitting in the garage waiting for it to stop raining. They worked incredibly hard.

“The car today was good. It seemed certainly reasonable in qualifying trim. We were able to work on the race car which is obviously important to me. There are still some improvements to be made but, for as limited running as we have had, I am pretty encouraged.”

At-A-Glance: The 2005 Indianapolis 500 winner and IZOD IndyCar champion… will be vying for his ninth career start in the Indianapolis 500… record at the Speedway includes five top-four finishes in his last seven races and back-to-back runner-up results the past two years… IZOD IndyCar Series career record includes 15 victories, 42 podium finishes and 61 top-five results in a total of 131 career starts with two runner-up finishes in the championship in addition to his 2005 title… earned Rookie of the Year titles in the IZOD IndyCar Series, Firestone Indy Lights, Toyota Atlantic and USF2000 in addition to the 1999 USF2000 championship… 32 years old from Emberton, England… currently resides in St. Petersburg, Fla., with wife Susie and sons Sebastian and Oliver.
Bryan Herta, Team Co-Owner:

“It was great to finally run and a shame that it took until Thursday for the weather to cooperate. I am really happy with how the car ran and Dan is happy with the car, which is important. I feel we had a very positive day with lots more work to do tomorrow. We are looking forward to ramping up the speed heading into qualifying.”

About Bryan Herta Autosport

Founded by veteran driver Bryan Herta and noted race engineer and team manager Steve Newey, Bryan Herta Autosport (BHA) has been a race-winning team in Firestone Indy Lights competition since 2009. The Indianapolis, Ind.-based squad made its debut in the IZOD IndyCar Series in 2010 contesting the Indianapolis 500. Herta, an accomplished racer, has won in every series he has contested including the IZOD IndyCar Series, American Le Mans Series and CART in addition to garnering Skip Barber Formula Ford, Barber Saab and Firestone Indy Lights championship titles. Amongst his career highlights are a third-place finish in the 2005 Indianapolis 500 and victory in the LMP2 class at the Twelve Hours of Sebring in 2007. Newey’s racing career spans over 20 years and includes design and race engineering positions in Formula One as well as team manager/technical director roles in IndyCar, American Le Mans and Grand-Am competition. Among his highlights are the 1992 Champ Car World Series title as the race engineer for Bobby Rahal, the 2006 Grand-Am Daytona Prototype Driver’s Championship with Krohn Racing’s Jorg Bergmeister and victory in the Twelve Hours of Sebring in 2007 as race engineer for Andretti Green Racing and drivers Bryan Herta, Dario Franchitti and Tony Kanaan. He was also instrumental in assembling the Patrick Racing Firestone test team and served as team manager for drivers Scott Pruett and Adrian Fernandez. For more information, visit www.bryanhertaautosport.com.

About William Rast

William Rast, the ‘New America’ denim culture brand, was conceptualized and founded by Justin Timberlake in 2005 under management of CEO Colin Dyne. Originally comprised of only denim, the brand has expanded into a complete lifestyle collection, including leathers, outerwear, wovens, knits, footwear and eyewear; known for delivering quality, fashion forward design and premium fit. Grounded in the iconography of American denim heritage and biker culture, yet re-packaged and presented in a contemporary context, William Rast has found its place on the floors of top-tier department stores and boutiques across the globe, and has become a staple for denim fans worldwide. The company operates William Rast retail stores at Century City in Los Angeles, Aventura in Miami, Valley Fair in San Jose and Desert Hills Premium Outlets in Palm Springs; as well as its webshop at www.williamrast.com.

- Bryan Herta Autosport, Press Release