Andretti Autosport

May 18th, 2013

5.18.13 – Pole Day at Indianapolis Motor Speedway was a fantastic one for Andretti Autosport’s fantastic five. The Indianapolis-based team will have drivers on the first, second and third row for the 97th Running of the Indianapolis 500 to take place on Sunday, May 26.

Muñoz qualified the No. 26 Unistraw Chevy in P2 during today's Fast Nine Shootout recording an average speed of 228.342mph. His run proved to be the second fastest qualifying speed from a rookie at Indy, trailing only Tony Stewart’s 233.100mph in 1996. The 97th Running of the Indianapolis 500 is a dream come true for the 21-year-old Colombian, who will start on the front row next to teammate Marco Andretti. “I don't have too many words to describe how happy I am,” said an ecstatic Muñoz, “just to be a rookie on the front row is a dream come true.” Looking forward to the race, Carlos was excited, but knew he had a big challenge ahead of him. “The front row is just perfect for the race. It's a 500-mile race, and I'm in a part of the field with few problems at the start. Right now I have to focus on the race; I have to finish this month off just the way I started it.” Only nine rookies in the history of IndyCar racing have won the famed 500-mile race. The last driver to win his first Indianapolis 500 was Helio Castroneves in 2001. The year prior to Helio’s win, Juan Pablo Montoya, also a Colombian, started second for Chip Ganassi and led 167 laps on his way to winning his only Indy 500. Muñoz will look to replicate Montoya’s feat next Sunday.

Third-generation racer Marco Andretti showed he’s not scared of the “Andretti Curse” at the Speedway by placing the RC Cola Chevy solidly on the outside of the front row. Now in his eighth year of IndyCar competition, Marco’s 2013 season start has been the best of his career. Sitting second in the IZOD IndyCar Series points chase, today’s qualifying points narrows the gap leaving Marco only five points out of the lead (unofficial). “Definitely pleased,” said Marco. “If we're not going to be on pole, it's an incredible honor to be on the front row at Indianapolis. Extremely proud of Andretti Autosport. Five out of the top nine is just an incredible achievement. Chevrolet, what a statement. I'm definitely proud of them. But as for the RC Cola car, after my first run this afternoon, I wouldn't say my pole hopes were totally dashed but they diminished a little bit, and I knew if we just went the conservative route that we'd be on the first two rows anyway."

Venezuelan E.J. Viso will make his career-best Indy 500 start on the outside of the second row in fourth after securing a place in the Fast Nine Shootout alongside his four Andretti Autosport teammates. Putting down a four-lap average speed of 228.150mph, the 28-year-old held provisional pole through Penske’s AJ Allmendinger’s run and relinquished the provisional pole to teammate Marco Andretti. All-in-all it was a great day for the 28-year-old from Caracas, however, who will make his sixth Indianapolis 500 start and first with Andretti Autosport. "Starting my sixth Indy 500 in the second row is a great accomplishment. I'm very proud to be in the team I'm racing with this year – with a group of incredible professionals that I'm surrounded by. I believe my crew did a great j

ob; we've been working very hard here every single day we've been at the track. It's not only a job that has been done this week – it took all the winter for the team to figure out many of things that we were able to put on the car. To put five cars in the top nine, it means a lot. I'm starting next to my teammates, and at this point I'm just looking forward to having a great race.”

Ryan Hunter-Reay ended the day in seventh after the Fast Nine Shootout, his second and final four-lap average standing at 227.904mph. A disappointed Hunter-Reay will start from the inside of row three on race day. “We’re disappointed with the end result, but to get five Andretti Autosport cars in the Fast Nine is massive for this team,” said the defending series champion. “We went for it, we really went for it, and we just overshot it a little bit.Five hundred miles next week is all that counts. We’ll work together up there as a team, too, that’s the good bit.”

Sao Paulo, Brazil race winner James Hinchcliffe was able to pilot the No. 27 GoDaddy car into the Fast Nine, but just barely. His Chevrolet was ninth out of nine when the shootout started at 6:30 this evening (an earlier rain shower postponed qualifications by about 2 hours), and ended up ninth with a four-lap average of 227.070mph. “At the end of the day, I think it’s right where we should have been. It was a good effort to get into the fast nine.” Hinchcliffe will roll off from the outside of row three in his third Indy 500. “We sat on the bubble all day, which was tough, very stressful, but ultimately that was enough to get in.” A brief issue with gearing hurt the Canuck’s first lap of his second run, “we caught some hard limiter on a shift coming to the green – and when you get the limiter it just kills your speed – so our first lap speed was atrocious.” The Mayor of Hinchtown’s first lap was more than two miles per hour slower than his other three, relegating him to ninth overall at the end of the Shootout. Still, James was more than pleased with the team’s overall performance. “So proud of the team and for how much work we put into our race cars. For us to qualify where we did, I’m really excited.”

That's all from the Speedway for today, be sure to follow the official Andretti Autosport Twitter feed (@FollowAndretti) for live twitter coverage and a behind-the-scenes look at all of the festivities and preparations leading up to race day.

If you find yourself in Speedway, Indiana on Wednesday, May 22, be sure to stop by the Indianapolis Motor Speedway to say hello to the "Andretti 5" during the public autograph session at 4:30 p.m. You can also catch Marco Andretti on May 23 at 6 p.m. at the local Marsh Supermarket on 38th Street.

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Rain stops Fast Friday, but not Viso and Andretti’s latest fastest lap in Indy

May 18th, 2013

5.17.13 (via MotorSportsTalk) – Rain stopped play on “Fast Friday” at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the last day of practice before qualifying for this year’s Indianapolis 500.

Before the torrential downpour, which began at 3:19 p.m. local time, E.J. Viso set the fastest lap of the week – and for that matter, fastest lap in a decade – at IMS. Viso, driver of the No. 5 Team Venezuela/Andretti Autosport/HVM Chevrolet was the latest Andretti Autosport driver to top the timesheets at 229.537 mph.

Viso’s best lap was set in a tow, like all others this week. But throughout Friday, some single-car runs crested the 228 or 227 mph plateau. A four-lap qualifying average sets the grid beginning on Saturday; Pole Day qualifying will be live on NBC Sports Network and live streamed on NBC Sports Live Extra.

“We went little by little, step by step, trimming the car one step at a time,” said Viso. “Until that point, I believe our realistic time was in the high 227s or low 228s. There are so many factors in play when we were running that we really won’t know until all of the factors are the same for everyone. I think that we have evolved as a team and heading into the right direction.”

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Trackside Update: Fast Friday

May 18th, 2013

5.17.13 – After an afternoon of high speeds and roaring engines filling the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the remainder of "Fast Friday" was canceled due to heavy thunderstorms. The Andretti Autosport drivers all showed their muscle as they finished in the top-four fastest overall. E.J. Viso was fastest, followed by Marco Andretti second, Carlos Munoz third, James Hinchcliffe 12th and Ryan Hunter-Reay 13th. As the crews continue to work hard to find the perfect setup for their cars, the focus now rests on tomorrow's Pole Day qualifications.

Team owner Michael Andretti was pleased with his team's performance this week, but hopes to see them improve as the cars go out for qualifying on Saturday. "Well I think we're in it. I think we're not as quick as we'd like to be," said Andretti. "We still got a little bit of work to do, and hopefully we'll be able to improve the cars that little bit that we need to get the pole tomorrow."

On Fast Friday, E.J. Viso piloted the No. 5 Team Venezuela PDVSA CITGO Chevy to the top of the speed charts – posting a lap at 229.537mph – the fastest overall lap of the month and the fastest practice lap since 2003 (unofficial). "Today has been a pretty fun day trimming the car," said a pleased Viso after the day came to an end due to heavy rain in the afternoon. "I'm confident with the car we've been developing all week long. We achieved a lap of almost 230 miles per hour – that's something fantastic. Hopefully in qualifying we can go as fast." E.J.'s best starting position was last year when he started from the outside of Row 3 in ninth. His lap today was the first to reach 229mph this May. Team Venezuela picked the perfect time to lead the field as the teams head into Pole Day.

Living up to the expectations of 'Fast Friday', Marco Andretti had another successful practice in Indianapolis today. Marco was able to put the RC Cola machine through its paces and turn in his fastest lap of the month at 228.754mph. Finishing the day second fastest overall, Marco made final adjustments to fine-tune his car for tomorrow's first day of qualifying. "I think we would have been over 230 if we had a full day. Obviously those were tow laps but I think as a team I think we're quite comfortable with our speeds. Obviously tomorrow is another day, and it's just going to come down to having a good balance."

Colombian Carlos Muñoz continued to impress today, recording his fastest lap of the month, and the third fastest lap of the day, at 228.520mph. "I think we have a strong car going into qualifying tomorrow," Muñoz – easily the fastest rookie of the month – commented. "The No. 26 Unistraw Chevy has been running well all week, so I'm looking forward to doing well." Carlos will make his first four lap qualifying attempt at IMS tomorrow, a challenge many drivers call one of the most difficult in the world. However, the rookie is excited to get his first shot at pole for the Greatest Spectacle in Racing. "I'm really excited going into my first qualifying run for the Indy 500; it's a dream come true. Ever since I was small, I wanted to be in this race. I remember watching (fellow Colombian) Juan Pablo Montoya win the Indianapolis 500 in 2000. This is a special race for me; I'm going to give everything I have tomorrow." Carlos has consistently been one of the fastest drivers in the field this month, and after Sebastian Saavedra in 2012, he will try to become the second Colombian to drive for Andretti Autosport in the Indy 500 when he makes his qualifying run on Saturday.

James Hinchcliffe ended the day 12th fastest with a top lap of 226.983mph. The Toronto native's fastest lap of the day was almost exactly half a mile per hour faster than his four-lap average of 226.481mph on Pole Day last year. "Trimming out and obviously getting the extra boost from Chevy was fun," said Hinchcliffe, whose previous fastest lap of the month was 224.210mph. "You feel like a hero, you feel like Superman, even though everybody else is doing the same thing, it's just nice seeing those numbers on the dash after looking at 218s and 220s all week." Hinch's No. 27 GoDaddy car wound up in the middle of row one in 2012 after missing the pole by just 0.0023 seconds over four laps, on his way to finishing sixth in the Indy 500. When asked about Pole Day, James sounded like a veteran. "It comes so much down to conditions," the Mayor said. "When you draw for qualifying is going to be important, and how the wind is blowing is going be a big deal. It was a lot calmer today on that front, which was good. Hopefully we get conditions like that tomorrow. Now we have a nice, green race track after some rain, so we will see."

Ryan Hunter-Reay's is entering his sixth year competing in the Indianapolis 500, where he received Rookie of the Year honors in 2008. He started the 2012 running from the third position, this qualifying attempt marked his career best start at the 2.5-mile oval. "We feel pretty good overall – still have some work to do," Ryan said, "but hopefully the rain will hold off tomorrow and we'll get a shot at showing what we have. Andretti Autosport as a whole is competing for the front row again. But the race is really what counts, we need to be in the right position for the last 50 laps… and leading on (lap) 200."

Don't miss a minute of qualifying action at IMS tomorrow, tune into NBC Sports Network (Verizon FiOS 90/590, DirecTV 220, DISH 159 and AT&T UVerse 640) for live coverage from at 11 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. and continuing at 4:30 p.m. Eastern. You can also following along on Twitter (@FollowAndretti) for updates from pit lane throughout the day.

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Fan of the Week – Caryn Sappelli

May 17th, 2013

Congratulations to Caryn Sappelli, who is this week’s Andretti Autosport Fan of the Week! Caryn lists IZOD IndyCar Series driver and the Mayor of Hinchtown, James Hinchcliffe, as her favorite Andretti Autosport driver for his positive attitude and sense of humor.

Growing up around racing enthusiasts, Sappelli instantly started following the IZOD IndyCar Series, Formula 1 and vintage racing. Sappelli has had many racing memories, but her fondest memory was when she attended her first Indianapolis 500. “The excitement of attending my first Indy 500 race was incredible and it was such a thrilling experience,” said Sappelli.

Sappelli has been a fan of the Andrettis ever since she started following racing. “Andretti is a legend in racing; I’m inspired by Mario’s life story,” said Sappelli. “I love that there are three generations involved and that they maintain a stable of top drivers.”

As the team prepares for the 97^th running of the Indianapolis 500, Sappelli is anxious to watch all five Andretti drivers take to the famed 2.5-mile oval. Live qualifying coverage starts Saturday, May 18 on NBC Sports Network at 11 a.m.

Thank you to everyone who submitted a form to become the Andretti Autosport Fan of the Week. Please check back next Friday as we select another winner!

As always, thanks for your amazing support.

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Race Review Online: Exclusive interview with E.J. Viso

May 17th, 2013

5.17.13 (via Race Review Online) – To really make your mark on history in the Izod IndyCar Series or racing in general, an Indianapolis 500 victory on a drivers resume will forever make him a champion and a legend.

Not just anyone can win at the famed 2.5-mile oval. It takes a great amount of skill as drivers are pulling 3-4 g-forces in each of the four corners 200 times on race day. Most people are picking drivers like Helio Castroneves, Dario Franchitti and Scott Dixon as favorites to win this year’s 97th Running of the 500.

I say watch out for E.J. Viso.

Viso is off to the best start of his career and coming to Indianapolis with a lot of momentum. The 28-year old is in his first season with Andretti Autosport and has finishes of seventh, 12th, 22nd and sixth to start the season off. He earned his first career front row start in the last race at Brazil and has shown flashes of brilliance.

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Carlos Munoz runs fastest Indy lap

May 17th, 2013

5.16.13 (via ESPN) – Rookie Carlos Munoz shot to the top of the speed chart in Indianapolis 500 practice Thursday with a lap at 225.163 mph, the fastest through the first six days of practice.

The Andretti Autosport driver turned the fast lap in the final 10 minutes of practice.

"I think everyone has been impressed with Carlos and his speeds so far," teammate E.J. Viso said.

Defending series champion Ryan Hunter-Reay was second in 225.006.

Munoz and Hunter-Reay joined teammate Marco Andretti (225.100), and Helio Castroneves (225.075) as the only drivers to top the 225 mark.

Three of the top four practice speeds have been recorded by Andretti Autosport drivers.

"I have a great team behind me," Munoz said. "I knew that we were going to be competitive. I really didn't expect to be this comfortable in the car as I am right now."

"Wait until qualifying," Viso interrupted, smiling.

"Yeah, we have to focus on qualifying for sure," Munoz said. "Every team is going to be a whole lot quicker."

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Carlos Munoz returns Andretti Autosport to top of Indy 500 practice

May 16th, 2013

5.16.13 (via MotorSportsTalk) – After a day where Dario Franchitti interrupted, the Andretti Autosport contingent returned to the top of the timesheets in Thursday’s practice for the Indianapolis 500. Temperatures were cooler than Wednesday, in the 70s (ambient) and 100s (track) throughout the day.

Carlos Munoz, the rookie in the No. 26 Electric Energy Straws Chevrolet, put in the month’s fastest lap of 225.163 on his 60th of 70 laps turned. Ryan Hunter-Reay was second in the No. 1 DHL Chevrolet, at 225.006. Both laps came during the final hour of the day when the track was at its busiest and tows were frequent.

Marco Andretti (Andretti), Scott Dixon (Target Ganassi), Helio Castroneves (Penske) and E.J. Viso (Andretti) made it a “power team” dominated top six on the last day of running before IndyCar increases the boost pressure from 130 kPa to 140 kPA.

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Don’t Miss Out! – May 18 – 24, 2013

May 16th, 2013

5.16.13 – Want in on the action? This is the place to find where you can see the Andretti Autosport drivers in action OFF the track. Be sure to show us your photos by sending them to our Twitter – @FollowAndretti or Facebook.
(ALL TIMES ARE EASTERN)

TUESDAY, MAY 21

Don Kay Radio Show with Carlos Munoz
McGilvery's Tavern
3009 High School Rd, Speedway
@ 7:30pm

WEDNESDAY, MAY 22

Ryan Hunter-Reay on the SMILEY Radio Show
WZPL 99.5 (Indy)
@ 8:15am

Mazda Road to Indy Autographs
with Garett Grist, Matthew Brabham,
Carlos Munoz, Zach Veach
Plaza Pavilion
@ 11am – 12pm

Q&A with Zach Veach
Coke Zero Stage
@ 12pm

Q&A with Carlos Munoz & Matthew Brabham
Coke Zero Stage
@ 1pm

IndyCar Autographs
with Ryan Hunter-Reay, E.J. Viso, Marco Andretti,
Carlos Munoz, James Hinchcliffe
Plaza Pavilion
@ 4:30 – 5:30pm

THURSDAY, MAY 23

Marco Andretti at MARSH Supermarket
6965 W. 38th St, 46254
@ 5 – 7pm

The Yellow Party
with Ryan Hunter-Reay, E.J. Viso, Marco Andretti,
Carlos Munoz, James Hinchcliffe
Crane Bay, 551 W. Merrill St, Indy
@ 6 – 8pm

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Hinch and Dr Pepper: A love story

May 16th, 2013

5.15.13 (via MotorSportsTalk) – James Hinchcliffe has put aside any notion that he’s just a quirky personality with two wins from the first four races this year in the No. 27 GoDaddy Chevrolet for Andretti Autosport.

Still, that doesn’t mean the colorful Canadian isn’t quick to illuminate a press room with humor describing one of his sponsors.

Before the formal press conference started on Tuesday – Hinchcliffe led the day’s Indianapolis 500 practice thanks to a tow – he had a Dr Pepper in hand to quench the day’s thirst.

What happened next doubled as an impromptu comedic tour de force and devout dedication to this product, one of the team sponsors.

“I just generally love Dr Pepper. No seriously, I actually love this stuff,” said Hinchcliffe. “It’s like the best liquid on the planet. I mean, water’s good and all, but Dr Pepper is like, 23 flavors. You can’t beat that. It’s a fact.

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Trackside Update – Practice at IMS

May 14th, 2013

5.14.13 – Day four of open practice for the 97th Running of the Indianapolis 500 showed well for Andretti Autosport, which saw all five of its drivers set a lap in the top eight. James Hinchcliffe was fastest, followed by Marco Andretti third, Ryan Hunter-Reay fifth, E.J. Viso sixth and Carlos Muñoz eighth.

During the afternoon, James and Marco switched rides where the mayor of Hinchtown ran a lap at 224.210mph, and Marco set a fast lap of 221.972 — good for 11th quick. "It's good to be up there," said Hinchcliffe, whose best lap in the No. 27 GoDaddy car was at 221. 781mph, "but at the end of the day, those numbers don't mean a lot right now." Hinch noted that the team still has work to do to make sure the GoDaddy car is strong in race trim.

Just slightly behind the Mayor of Hinchtown on the speed charts was Marco Andretti, who brought his No. 25 RC Cola Chevy up to third fastest on the day with a lap of 223.570mph. “I think today went well," said Andretti after getting out of the car. "I’m quite pleased with how things are going for us so far. Working with the car in the heat of the day can be challenging, but we made a lot of progress to get where we are." Keeping an eye on the weekend, it was evident that a front row starting spot is on his mind. "Everyone is getting faster out there, so I have to stay on my toes to stay ahead of the curve. Everyday I’m excited to get in the car and get to work — Pole Day is coming up and we need to be ready.” During yesterday’s practice, the third-generation driver managed to post the fastest speed of the month thus far after zipping around the 2.5-mile course at 225.100mph.

Rounding out the top five on Tuesday was 2012 IZOD IndyCar Series Champion Ryan Hunter-Reay, who set a fast time of 223.332mph in his No. 1 DHL machine. "It’s certainly getting interesting now with the heat and the wind. Conditions are changing every day so it’s keeping the team on our toes, and we’re just trying a lot of different settings now." The wind picked up on Tuesday to compliment a 15-degree increase in temperature. RHR was pleased with a strong result today, but looks to improve upon that as the week progresses. "We have five cars so we have a lot of options and, I think, as we work through the week we’ll work ourselves into a good car. But it’s a work in progress."

E.J. Viso ran the most laps out of anyone today, making 134 trips around the circuit in his No. 5 Team Venezuela PDVSA CITGO Chevy, and wound up eighth overall with a speed of 223.138mph. "It was a very good, productive day. We went through some tests…in which we found some good answers. Today was a little bit hotter than the other days, and the weather predictions say that race day is going to be even a bit hotter than today. So I think the running that we did today was pretty productive to gather some data." This will be E.J.'s sixth 500, his first with Andretti Autosport. The Venezuelan's best finish at Indianapolis was 18th in last year's event.

Carlos Muñoz continued to show well today for Andretti, posting a fast lap of 223.110mph, eighth fastest overall, and fastest among rookies. "It was another good day of practicing a few different race simulations," said Carlos, "I'm feeling more and more comfortable with the No. 26 Unistraw Chevy, and I think our team is doing a good job, but we need to take it day-by-day. Each time I go out on-track I'm gaining more confidence, especially on the race runs with my teammates and other drivers." Carlos finished second in last year's Firestone Indy Lights Freedom 100, and has won the last two events at Barber Motorsports Park and on the streets of Long Beach.

Team owner Michael Andretti had nothing but good things to say about the Colombian. "He’s been doing a great job; he’s on pace and one of our quickest cars every day. He’s put in a lot of good miles, and it’s been a lot of good experience." He also is pleased with the team's overall performance after four days, but knows everyone needs to keep looking to improve, "I think they’re going pretty good, but we still have a lot of work to do. I don’t think any of them are exactly where we want them to be, but I’m not sure a lot of people can say that yet, so overall we’re pretty happy."

Pole Day is Saturday, May 18, and the first car will go on track at 11 a.m. NBC Sports Network will broadcast all the action from 11a.m. – 2:30 p.m. ET, and will pick back up from 4:30-6:30p.m. ET. Of course, the 97th Running of the Indianapolis 500 will be Sunday, May 26th, with coverage from ABC starting at 11 a.m. Eastern. As always, you can follow our Twitter feed (@FollowAndretti) for everything Andretti Autosport - from track speeds to behind the scenes stories and photos.