Robert looks forward to Meijer Indy 300 at Kentucky Speedway
Robert Doornbos and teammate Rahal are hoping to repeat their strong qualifying performance on this type of track at Kentucky Speedway, site of Saturday night’s Meijer Indy 300.
Kansas marked Robert Doornbos’ oval debut. After starting second, he took the lead after the first round of pit stops but was penalized for hitting Rahal’s tire while leaving his pit box and had to drop to the back of the field. He learned a lot from that experience as well as in other oval races this season and is looking forward to his seventh race on an oval in Kentucky.
“The last time I was on a 1.5 mile oval it was in Kansas and it was my first ever oval race weekend,” said Doornbos, whose highest finish on an oval is ninth place in Texas and Richmond. “Obviously the car was working well and I qualified on the front row in second place which was very motivating for everybody on the team. I learned a lot in that race because I was in all different positions from leading until getting a penalty and driving in last place. I now look forward to going back to a similar track even though I’ve never been to Kentucky.”
Like Kansas Speedway, Kentucky Speedway is a tri oval with similar banking. The Kentucky track is bumpier than the Kansas track but that isn’t the only change the team is anticipating. Beginning in Kentucky, IndyCar Series teams will have the option of adding aerodynamic pieces to their cars as well as bursts of additional horsepower in an effort to increase passing opportunities. Rear tire ramps, sidepod extensions and wheel backing plates used together, or in any combination will be optional items for the 1.5-mile ovals.
“We shall see if some of the technical changes will have an influence on the racing,” said Doornbos, who with Mike Conway are the only two ICS drivers who will race here for the first time. “We all have a fresh approach and we all need a good result! The target is to get more side by side racing with more downforce available for the teams to run and this should make things better for the racing show. All my experience in racing has been on road or street courses so it’s obvious that I feel more comfortable on those types of tracks but I’m open to learning the tricks of oval racing and that will take time but it’s a great challenge. I’m looking forward to working with the engineers to setup a good car as that would make life a little easier!”
Doornbos leads the Rookie of the Year battle with 197 points, three more than second place Raphael Matos, and is ranked 12th in series standings.
-NHLR-
Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing – PREVIEW
Meijer Indy 300
Kentucky Speedway – Sparta, Kentucky
Round 12 of 17 – The IndyCar Series
DATE: Friday - Saturday, July 31-August 1, 2009
TRACK LAYOUT: 1.5-mile tri oval
RACE LENGTH: 200 laps (300 miles)
2008 WINNER: Scott Dixon
2008 POLESITTER: Scott Dixon
NHLR Racing Stats – Kentucky Speedway (2nd event here; 10th for ICS, 2000-present)
WINS/POLES HERE: n/a
NHLR WINS &
POLES ON OVALS: 27 of their 107 wins and 19 of their 109 poles have come on ovals
NHLR’S PREVIOUS
OVAL POLE / WIN: Kansas 2009 by Rahal / Milwaukee 2006 – Bourdais won from pole
DOORNBOS’ BEST
START/FINISH HERE: First time to compete here
DOORNBOS’ BEST OVAL
START/FINISH: 2nd in Kansas ’09 (led 2 laps before pit penalty) / 9th in Richmond ‘09
Driver Stats and Quotes:
ROBERT DOORNBOS, driver of the #06 Dallara / Honda / Firestone:
- AT KENTUCKY: Will be his first race here and only SEVENTH oval race ever. The track is similar to Kansas where he qualified second in his oval debut.
- FRONT ROW START IN 2009 INDYCAR ROOKIE YEAR: Worked to adapt to the different driving style needed to drive an Indy car’s in St. Pete opener. Qualified 13th, ran as high as fifth place but finished 11th after having to pit to repair damage from contact while alongside Wheldon for a pass. Race had seven caution periods for a total of 28 of the 100-laps…Started 15th in Long Beach and ran as high as third place but the timing of two caution periods negated the team’s pit strategy and he had to settle for a ninth place finish…Qualified second for his oval racing debut in Kansas to make up a 1-2 start for the team and took the lead after the first pit stop for two laps before he was penalized for hitting Rahal’s just-removed tire while leaving his pit. Dropped to rear of field but came back to finish 12th…Practice times prior to Indy 500 qualifying could have earned him a top-11 start on Pole Day but he crashed his race car on Friday and back-up car on Saturday/Pole Day and was not able to attempt to qualifying until Day 3 (23rd-33) and was the fastest that day in 23rd. Charged to 16th place in the first 50/200 laps before he brushed the wall after Scheckter abruptly passed him in Turn 1 and disrupted his air flow. The team repaired the car and he got returned to the track but retired in 28th place after a brake leak…Qualified 12th in Milwaukee and finished 15th in his third oval race…Qualified ninth in Texas and finished 11th…Started 14th in Iowa based on entrant points after qualifying was cancelled due to water seepage on track. Got sideways on the opening lap and was collected by Ryan Hunter-Reay. The team repaired his left front suspension and he returned to the track to move up three places and finished 15th…Started 12th in Richmond and earned his top oval finish of 9th place…Started 17th in the two-day event at Watkins Glen after mechanical problems on Saturday. Matched his top finish of ninth place…Started seventh and moved to third on L1 in Toronto but an electrical failure in gear shift system forced him to retire in 23rd place after 26 laps…Started 10th and finished ninth at Edmonton...Is ranked 12th with 197 points and regained the lead in the Rookie of the Year standings (197-194) to Matos.
For more information, please contact GR8 Industries, Sanne Hoogeveen M: sanne@gr8industries.com
