Indy
500 , May 2002
Bump
Day
Johnny
has to forego attempt to qualify
Press
Release, 19th May:Unable to secure a private aircraft with
sufficient range and speed to allow an Indy/Sears Point 'double',
three-time Formula 1 GP winner Johnny Herbert will be absent
from today’s final round of qualifying for the 86th running
of the Indianapolis 500.
Herbert
had hoped to qualify the Western Union Speed Team entry on the
first qualification weekend at Indy to avoid conflict with his
commitment to drive for the Champion Audi team in the American
Le Mans Series(ALMS) event at Sonoma, also scheduled for today.
With qualifying at the Brickyard not scheduled to start until
12-noon EST and the race at Sears Point slated to begin at 1
p.m. PT, the four hour maximum track-to-track time frame for
Herbert to travel from Indianapolis to northern California became
prohibitive.
“I’m
tremendously disappointed not to have the opportunity to put
the Western Union Speed Team car on the starting grid for
this year’s Indy 500,” stated Herbert. “It’s been a lifelong
ambition to compete at Indy and when I finally get here I’m
faced with about the only obstacle that could prevent me from
achieving my goal. Unfortunately, the time frame available
to accomplish both feats is just too tight to make work,”
he added.
When
persistent rain limited the team’s preparation and prevented
a Pole Day qualifying attempt, then completely washed out day
two qualifying on May 12th, the worst-case scenario became bitter
reality for the affable Brit. The championship Herbert is pursuing
in ALMS, however, is well within his grasp and his multi-race
contract with Champion does take precedent over his Indy-only
agreement.
At
the time of this press release, the Western Union Speed Team
is in discussions with various drivers and will move forward
toward qualifying for the upcoming Indianapolis 500.
Press
Release, 17th May: Johnny Herbert faces an amazing high-octane,
high-pressure weekend in America. The 37-year-old former Grand
Prix winner will attempt to qualify for the legendary Indianapolis
500 and then try to snatch the lead of the American Le Mans
Series.
Brentwood-born
Herbert today (Friday) tests his ADT Champion Racing Audi R8
sportscar at Sears Point in California along with co-drivers
Andy Wallace, from Oxford and triple Le Mans winner Tom Kristensen
having spent the past two days practicing at Indianapolis. He
will then make the 2,000-mile journey back to Indiana on Saturday
in time for Sunday’s final Indy 500 qualifying session around
the famous 2.5-mile oval at the wheel of a Western Union Dallara.
The
plan is then to immediately climb aboard the Learjet of Champion
Racing’s Dave Maraj to arrive at Sears, north of San Francisco,
in time to take the wheel of the Audi in the closing stages.
"I
lapped at over 227mph at Indy last Saturday but preferred
to bid for a place on the grid the following day but the day’s
session was washed out with continuous rain," confirmed
Johnny. "I want to do the Sears race because I can take
the championship lead but also need to get on to the Indy
grid - it’s a dream I want to fulfil.
"There
are nine places left on the 33-car Indy grid for the race
on 26 May and I’m confident I can claim one of them on Sunday.
If I achieve that and things go well for Andy and Tom in the
Sears race before I arrive to take over the Audi, I’ve a great
chance of taking the lead in the ALMS championship having
won the first round at Sebring in March. It’s going to be
an interesting few days."
Resumed
practice
Saturday,
18th May: Johnny completes 91 laps of practice, ending the
day 10th quickest with a top speed of 225.268mph - lap
times.
Friday,
17th May: no practice for Johnny today - he's at Sears
Point.
Thursday,
16th May: Johnny does 37 laps and ends up 15th quickest
on the day with a top speed of 224.308mph - lap
times.
Wednesday,
15th May: Johnny does 27 laps with a top speed of 222.923
- lap
times.
First
Qualifying
Sunday,
12th May: Persistent rain washed out Second-Day Qualifying
for the 86th Indianapolis 500 on May 12 at the Indianapolis
Motor Speedway. The final day of qualifications, Bump Day, is
scheduled for Sunday, May 19.
Practice
will resume at 11 a.m. (EST) Wednesday, with no on-track activity
Monday or Tuesday. No cars turned a lap on the 2.5-mile oval
today. Track crews started to dry the racing surface at 1:37
p.m. (EST) after the rain subsided, but showers returned at
approximately 1:50 p.m., forcing a complete washout.
This
was the first time a full day of qualifications for the Indianapolis
500 was rained out since 1990, when Pole Day was delayed one
day by rain. The final nine spots in the 33-car field will be
filled on Bump Day Qualifying, scheduled to start at noon (EST)
Sunday.
Among
the drivers still trying to earn a spot in the field are two-time
Indianapolis 500 winner Arie Luyendyk, 2000 Indianapolis 500
MBNA Pole winner Greg Ray and Formula One race winner Johnny
Herbert.
Herbert
faces a dilemma in an effort to qualify the No. 32 WESTERN UNION/Duesenberg
Brothers Racing Dallara/Chevrolet/Firestone for his first Indianapolis
500. He is scheduled to compete in an American Le Mans Series
race Sunday at Sonoma, Calif., in his full-time drive with the
Champion Racing team. No decision has been made on Herbert’s
status for Bump Day, WESTERN UNION/Duesenberg team spokesman
Paul Gatsos said.
"Well,
I think it’s my feeling that it’s going to be Sunday only
– straight into a qualifying, Bump Day scenario," Herbert
said. "I want to do Sears Point, because I want to do
it for Champion and for myself. Because obviously it’s good
for the rest of the year for the championship, but obviously
I want to do this.
"I don’t want someone else to get in the car and qualify,
because then you’ll have people saying, ‘He’s got someone
else in there to qualify, and then he gets back in it to race.’
I want to prove the point that I can do it, for one. The only
way I can do that, is to do it. And it’s not a nice situation,
but I’ve got to work out that scenario."
Saturday,
11th May: Johnny Herbert and the Western Union Duesenberg
Brothers Racing team utilized the traditional Pole Day at Indianapolis
Motor Speedway to conduct more practice in preparation for the
86th Indianapolis 500.
In
quest of additional speed before making a qualifying attempt
for the May 26th classic, Herbert completed 49 laps with a top
speed of just over 227 mph in his Dallara/Chevrolet/Firestone
entry which is prepared by Beck Motorsports.
Weather
permitting, practice and qualifying continues at the 'Speedway'
on Sunday, May12, when the Western Union Speed Team is prepared
to make its qualification run for the field of 33.
Practice
Friday,
10th May: Lap
times
Johnny's
comments:
"Being
the day before qualifications for the Indy 500, I feel very
comfortable with the car and was flat out the whole way around
which is good to be able to do. We just need to gather a little
bit more speed at the moment.
"My
main challenge has been turn one for most of the time we've
been testing, but we seem to have settled that today and gained
several mile-an-hour through that section. Unfortunately,
we didn't seem to be able to carry that speed gain around
the rest of the track, so we have to figure out why we're
not carrying that speed the full way around. When we find
those additional couple miles-an-hour it will be very useful.
"In
thinking about the race itself you realise that's the easy
part of it all as I know the car is performing well enough
to turn 222s (mph) all day long, so I'm very confident about
that aspect of things.
The
personal challenge of being here at Indy and away from my
family for a length of time is just something we deal with.
My family is very much used to since my two girls were born
in the early 1990s, so they've basically grown up with me
being in and out all the time. Same with my wife Rebecca.
"We
were involved early on when I raced Formula 3 and then Formula
3000 and I was always away during those times - then again
of course during my Formula 1 years. So they're all used to
it and even though I'd love for us to have more time together,
we all know this is my job and that whatever I choose to do
is for the benefit and security of our whole family now and
into the future."
Thursday,
9th May: Lap
times
Johnny's
comments on the first few days:
It's
been really exciting for me to come back to Indianapolis after
competing in the Formula One race here (in 2000)but it's been
maddening because I was in Le Mans (for pre-testing) last
weekend and obviously the Speedway opened on Sunday.
I
flew here Monday and we've had all this rainy weather the
past few days. There is a lot of ravelling involved because
I have Sears Point (American Le Mans Series race) on the last
day of qualifying here.
I
want to qualify Saturday and get it over with. I don't want
to be involved in this 'bump day' scenario anyway. I'll let
everybody else bite their nails and have heart attacks. The
whole thing is to get everything all together this Saturday
by the end of the day. I don't foresee any problems.
I
look at it like there are other guys who are able to do it
so I sure as hell can do the same thing. So far, we've only
really done race setups. We did 221-222 (miles per hour) all
day long when we tested here a couple weeks back. That's nice
for the race, because that's a quick pace to be at.
My
American Le Mans Series experience driving the Audi will work
to my advantage here, as will my years of karting and running
Formula Ford. They are all similar to what it will be like
here.
You're
coming up against cars that are much slower than yourself,
and you have to slot your way past them as quickly as you
possibly can. That's
really all this race is; picking where you overtake them,
and overtaking them in a sensible manner.
As
yet, we haven't had time to back off the wing and put it into
qualifying specifications, and again, I don't see that as
being a big problem. I need to get the feel of the car, for
sure. That's why we're here this week, to be able to do that
before we go into Saturday.
I
probably haven't lost that much track time, but it's nice
to get. I have less experience than anybody here. I need to
be able to get on the track to get the feel of the car in
the qualifying mode.
I
see the list of speeds that have been going on with other
drivers this week, and I'm sure they are partly due to drafting.
Come Saturday, unfortunately for those guys, you don't actually
get that. From that point of view, the track time would be
very useful for me just to get that feeling.
But
we have a day left and I'm sure that the weather, from the
sound of it, is going to get better.
Wednesday,
8th May: Lap
times
Johnny
Herbert and the Western Union Speed Team logged 25 practice
laps on Wednesday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Losing track
time to continuing rainy weather conditions and taking time
to make some lengthy chassis adjustments, the Indy 500 hopeful
is looking forward to strides in both lap count and lap speeds
over the next couple of days.
"I'd
love to have had a little bit more track time," said Herbert.
"We've only really had a couple of decent runs so far but
unfortunately that's just the way it's been with the weather
and we made some changes to the chassis that took a bit of
time.
"It
would have been nice to finish our last run just before the
track closed as we had new tires on the car but we noticed
some overheating we wanted to check out. Overall though, the
car felt a lot better even than yesterday, especially in turn
three.
"I'm
really quite confident that we're going to be in very good
shape for qualifying. Ideally I'd like to be able to run 50
or 60 real strong laps on each of the next couple days to
put us in good shape for pole day."
More
rain is expected in the Indianapolis area on Thursday so it
remains to be seen if Herbert will see the track time he's hoping
for in preparation for Pole Day qualifying on Saturday. .
Indianapolis,
7th May: Taking to the track one day sooner than expected
following testing at Le Mans, Johnny Herbert logged seven practice
laps toward qualifying for the 86th Indianapolis 500.
Johnny
posted a top single lap speed of 218.9 mph during the brief
stint which was halted when P.J. Jones made strong contact with
the Turn 1 wall and effectively ended the day's practice session.
"At
least we got out briefly for a bit of a reminder of the track
following testing in April," Herbert said. "It would have been
nice to put in more laps right there before the track closed,
but that wasn't to be - so we'll just pick up from this point
as soon as the weather allows more practice in the coming days."
Herbert
and the Western Union/Duesenberg Brothers Racing team expect
to conduct significant practice efforts tomorrow (8th May) in
preparation for the May 26th running of the Indy 500.
Previews
Soft
walls at the IMS improve safety
AP,
1st May: Jeff Ward hopes he'll be too busy racing to notice
the Indianapolis Motor Speedway's new "soft walls."
"As
a driver, we probably won't even know they're there," said
the 1999 Indy 500 runner-up. "There's probably a certain comfort
level knowing that they're out there."
On
Wednesday, four days before practice opens for the Indianapolis
500, speedway officials released details about the new energy-absorbing
walls in the four corners on the 2½-mile oval.
"I
think it's another step in the progression of race-car safety,"
said Ward, who has three top-four finishes in five Indy 500
starts. "You look back at the helmet, at seat belts, and I
think soft walls are another step in that progression."
The
Indy Racing League and NASCAR have spent four years working
with researchers at the University of Nebraska to create a wall
that helps reduce the impact of a crash.
The
wall comprises four steel tubes welded together in 20-foot sections.
Bolts in the concrete wall and on the back of the new device
hold the wall in place. Between the concrete and steel are 16
inches of hard, pink foam, spaced 10 feet apart. The foam acts
as a shock absorber, allowing the wall to bend, thereby reducing
the force. The soft walls extend 20½ inches from the concrete
walls but are out of the racing line.
"Obviously,
this is a very exciting time," said Brian Barnhart, IRL vice-president
for operations. "But there is some sense of uneasiness or
nervousness because we're entering some unknowns."
The
"soft walls" are the third such device tried at Indianapolis.
The PEDS system was used on the inside wall of Turn 4 in 1998,
but it was taken down after Arie Luyendyk caromed back into
traffic and scattered debris across the track during an IROC
race.
A
second PEDS system was used the next year, and it worked better
when Hideshi Matsuta tapped the wall. Researchers, though, still
detected flaws. Now, after three more years of development and
18 crash tests, the Steel and Foam Energy Reduction (SAFER)
wall will be tested live for the first time.
"We
expect to learn a lot more in the next three weeks than we
have the last three years," said Dean Sicking, who works at
Nebraska and helped design the wall. "Our hope is that within
the next three to four weeks, we'll understand the performance
of this barrier much better."
The
crash tests were conducted with cars that were towed by a pulley
at speeds between 100 and 153 miles per hour and at angles of
20 to 25.5 degrees.
The
question is whether the new walls will hold up. If successful,
developers expect the walls will become one of the most significant
safety devices in racing. Other
IRL venues and those on the NASCAR circuit may install their
own versions, which would have to be customised to each track.
"The
results have been very positive, but the next step is to see
what happens on the race track," said Gary Nelson, managing
director of NASCAR competition.
Speedway
officials said they would defer decisions about using the walls
for the Brickyard 400 or the US Grand Prix to officials from
NASCAR and FIA. But Indy 500 drivers are pleased with what they've
heard.
"I
don't think it's going to make anyone any braver than they
were yesterday," said Ward, who also drives for Chip Ganassi.
"I'm not sure what it cuts it down by, but any reduction is
a plus."
Press
Release, 1st May: Britain’s Johnny Herbert will soon be
bidding to claim a place on the Indianapolis 500 race grid.
The 37-year-old three-time Formula One Grand Prix winner will
attempt to qualify his Western Union Dallara for the 86th running
of the world famous event on 11 May.
Herbert,
who warms up for the Le Mans 24 Hour race by driving an Audi
in France this Sunday (5 May), is looking to make his Indy race
debut on the infamous 2.5-mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval
in the 500 mile event on 26 May.
Herbert
recently completed almost 200 miles at Indy in his Dallara Chevrolet
setting a best lap at an average speed of 221.300mph.
"I
wanted to get into a comfortable mode in setting consistent,"
said Johnny. "I could lap between 220-221mph all day.
The Duesenberg Brothers Racing team made a few mechanical
and aerodynamic changes to the car as the days progressed."
Johnny,
who will be looking for a second Le Mans career win in June
at the wheel of a "factory" entered Audi R8, added:
"We
can now go away and think about it and know we have a good
baseline from which to start when we come back in May. Overall,
I’m quite happy with how things have gone."
Official
Press Release, 25th April: Having set the goal of winning
the Indianapolis 500 when just a young boy, three-time Formula
One grand prix winner Johnny Herbert came one step closer to
realising that dream by successfully testing at the famed 2.5-mile
Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval.
A
veteran of several racing disciplines, Herbert completed 71
laps in the No. 32 Western Union Speed Team/Duesenberg Brothers
Racing Dallara/Chevrolet/Firestone entry with a top single lap
speed of 221.300 miles-per-hour. Having also claimed victory
at Le Mans and Sebring, Herbert was quite pleased with the team’s
progress toward qualifying for the 86th Indy 500.
"The
whole purpose of this test was to just get into a comfortable
mode where we’re very consistent on times, and we achieved
that this afternoon," Herbert said.
"I
could do 220s and 221s all day long, which is nice to be able
to do on a 40-lap set of tires. We worked in a very nice steady
way including a few mechanical changes to learn a little bit
about the car for one, but also to see how I would react to
certain changes."
As
the day progressed, Herbert and chief engineer Greg Beck focused
on changes to the car’s aerodynamic set-up.
"We
did a bit of aero work to try and get better balance as we
had a lot of push," recalled Herbert. "We still
do have some push but we cut it down a lot and the car feels
very stable in the corners, which is quite good. So now we’re
in the stage where we can go away and think about it and know
we have a good baseline from which to start when we come back
in May."
Technically
a rookie at the Brickyard, Herbert finds the steady conservative
approach, as well as the team, very much to his liking.
"Overall,
I’m quite happy with how things have gone," he emphasised.
"It was very nice how we progressed and how we got consistent
toward the end of the test. This is a great little team to
work with and there’s a good little rapport with everybody
involved."
Follow
Johnny and the Western Union Speed Team as practice for this
year’s Indianapolis 500 officially begins on Sunday, May 5th,
with the first of three qualification days scheduled for Saturday,
May 11th.
AP,
24th April: The last time Johnny Herbert raced at the Indianapolis
Motor Speedway he was going in the opposite direction. The former
Formula One driver from England competed two years ago in the
inaugural US Grand Prix, where the reconfigured track took traffic
clockwise around a 2.6-mile, 13-turn road course. The Indianapolis
500 next month will be on the normal 2 1/2 -mile oval. Herbert
would join former Indy 500 winners Juan Montoya and Jacques
Villeneuve as the only drivers to have raced on both layouts.
"The
only thing that you normally feel as a similarity, I suppose,
was coming off the last two turns, which was really Turn 1
backward. That was really the only time we felt any high speed
here [in F1],'' Herbert said on Tuesday after his first test
with the Beck Motorsports entry for Duesenberg Brothers Racing.
Herbert,
then driving for Jaguar, was 11th in the 2000 US Grand Prix.
He was a test driver for Arrows last year and tested an Indy
Racing League car for the first time last summer. Because of
his extensive driving experience, he was not required to take
the IRL's Rookie Orientation Program two weeks ago.
"Obviously,
we're not travelling near as quick as when you do in an IRL
car,'' he said of his 12-year career in Formula One, where
he won three races. "It's just very difficult because
it's a completely different kind of driving here.''
Herbert
turned 28 laps during tests Tuesday. No speeds were recorded
for him.
"The
main thing was just having a good shakedown with the car,''
Herbert said. "We went through the normal stuff, and
that's working OK at the moment. It's good for the team. It's
a great little team to work with. It's got a good little rapport
with everybody.''
The
track opens for full practice May 5.
It's
official - Johnny will contest the 2002 Indy 500
Official
Press Release, 8th April: Indianapolis, IN - One of the
most illustrious names in Indianapolis Motor Speedway history
returns to competition as Duesenberg Brothers Racing will field
a car for next month's running of the 86th Indianapolis 500.
Celebrating
the 75th anniversary since the family marque last visited victory
lane at the Brickyard, both the team name and '32' car number
have been replicated from that last winning effort in 1927.
Duesenberg
Brothers Racing has named three-time Formula One and Le Mans
winner Johnny Herbert as driver and announced primary sponsorship
by Western Union. Though technically a rookie on the Speedway's
oval, the much sought-after Herbert brings a wealth of experience
from his 12 seasons in F1 where he amassed 161 starts, including
Stewart's first F1 victory. He also claimed victory at the recent
Sebring 12 Hours as part of the factory Audi squad.
"This
is a dream I've been pursuing since my family introduced me
to my first Indy 500 when I was seven," said team owner Keith
Duesenberg. "To be able to return to the Speedway with Johnny
Herbert as our driver and with our partner Western Union supporting
us is really a dream come true," he added.
Herbert
too, has dreamed of the Indianapolis 500.
"Since
I was 10 years old I wanted to win Formula 1 - which I've
done, Le Mans - which I've done, and the Indy 500 - it was
those three that I wanted to win," said Herbert. "I am very
pleased to be given this wonderful opportunity by Western
Union and Duesenberg Brothers Racing to complete my dream
and race in this year's Indy 500 - especially with an experienced
team and a strong Chevy/Dallara/Firestone equipment package,"
he added.
Western
Union President Mike Yerington, stated:
"We
are looking forward to participating in this year's Indy 500,
and realise it will be very competitive. With Johnny Herbert
driving the Western Union car and the team of Duesenberg Brothers
Racing, we have a good chance in fielding a front-running
car."
Known
as the Western Union Speed Team, sponsor Western Union is the
worldwide leader in money transfers services and has been a
supporter of Duesenberg Brothers Racing in past years.
Duesenberg
is hoping to continue the winning ways of Fred and August (Augie)
Duesenberg who's race cars dominated the Indy 500 in the 1920s
with four wins, including 1922 when all but two cars in the
top-10 were Duesenberg-built racers. Both brothers are members
of the Racing Hall of Fame.
Duesenberg
has also joined forces with long-time Indy 500 team owner Greg
Beck and Beck Motorsports who will provide engineering and mechanical
expertise. Beck-prepared machines have posted four top-10 finishes
at Indy since 1996.
Every
effort is made to ensure factual accuracy but no
responsibility is accepted for the information on these pages.
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