Wheldon took to the track at 1:00 pm for his first run of the day under partly cloudy skies with temperatures in the upper 70s. He completed 20 laps with a best speed of 227.407 mph. The team returned to the track at 4:40 pm with similar weather conditions and varying winds. Wheldon completed an additional 11 laps to end the day 10th overall.
Qualification Draw: 4
Fastest Speeds of the Day:
1. Helio Castroneves 228.611 mph
2. Alex Tagliani 228.327 mph
3. Scott Dixon 228.181 mph
10. Dan Wheldon 227.463 mph
Dan Wheldon, #98 William Rast/aigo/Curb/Big Machine Forsythe Solutions Dallara/Honda/Firestone:
“Today the car was pretty good. We actually focused solely on the qualifying trim and it seemed very well balanced. We continued to work hard throughout the day and again the boys have done an incredible job giving me a car that I feel comfortable in and is obviously very quick, which is the most important thing leading into qualifying. For our race situation, I feel we are in a good spot as well. I would like to work more on that on Sunday but we feel certain that the William Rast car can contend for the top nine tomorrow. From that point on, you never know. I am very, very pleased with everyone at Bryan Herta Autosport and am expecting a good day tomorrow.”
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.
Steve Newey, Team Co-Owner:
“We had a great day today and I couldn’t be happier with the results. Dan was awesome. From the engineering side and the crew side, everyone did a great job and we are looking forward to qualifying tomorrow. We are hoping to get into the fast nine and take a shot at the pole.”
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
