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Author Topic: ANDRETTI AUTOSPORT 102nd INDIANAPOLIS 500-MILE RACE RACE REPORT 05.27.18  (Read 523 times)

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102nd INDIANAPOLIS 500-MILE RACE
RACE REPORT
05.27.18
ANDRETTI AUTOSPORT OF NOTE:

•When the green flag waved and Carlos Munoz crossed the starting line, Andretti Autosport earned its 1,000th Verizon IndyCar Series start.
•When Zach Veach drove his Relay / Group 1001 machine across the starting line, the team had recorded its 75th start at the Indianapolis 500-mile race.
•Four Andretti drivers (Hunter-Reay, Munoz, Rossi, Wilson) led at least one lap during the 200-lap event. Since 2003, Andretti Autosport has led laps at 15 of 16 Indy 500 race events, for a total of 808 laps led but the team.
•For the first time in team history, Andretti Autosport saw six cars running at the finish of the 500-mile race.
 
 No. 27 NAPA AUTO PARTS HONDA
•STARTED: 32nd // FINISHED: 4th
•CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS: 2nd (241 pts.)
•Alexander Rossi gained the most positions of any driver (28) from start to finish. This is the highest position improvement since 1992 runner-up Scott Goodyear improved 31 positions after starting 33rd.
•The 26-year old driver only sits two points behind Indy 500 winner and current points leader Will Power.
“I feel like we did what we could, and we maximized what we had. The NAPA Know How Andretti Honda team did everything right. I don’t look back on anything and wish we’d done anything different. Despite, it was a good day from a championship perspective. We didn’t have enough to win, but congrats to Will [Power].”
 
 No. 28 DHL HONDA
•STARTED: 14th // FINISHED: 5th
•CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS: 5th (186 pts.)
•Credited with leading one lap, the 2014 race winner has led laps at five of the last six Indianapolis 500s and has led laps at four of six events on the 2018 Verizon IndyCar Series schedule.
“It was a good race all day. When we were all mixed up in traffic, the 28 car was really strong – but once it started stringing out, we just didn’t have it. We really fought hard, but we just didn’t have the speed in the end. But the bigger problem was the lapped traffic. We really had a good race car until we had to deal with guys that were doing 200 mph out there, like Jay Howard. Then [Claman De Melo] came out right at the end in the mix of the top five – I don’t know what teams were thinking. The DHL boys did a great job today, just a little bit too short at the end. But, congrats to Will Power, he definitely has a well-rounded career now.”
 
 No. 29 RUOFF HOME MORTGAGE HONDA
•STARTED: 21st // FINISHED: 7th
•The Colombian driver has only finished out of the top 10 once at the Indianapolis 500 and has completed every lap in his six starts at the Greatest Spectacle in Racing.
•Credited with leading four laps and finished the highest Indy 500-only driver.

 
“It’s another top 10 for my career, I think I only have one outside the top 10 because of a penalty. I think what hurt me was the yellows towards the end. We had a really good strategy going on, same as Rahal, and we were in a really good place. I think I chickened out a little bit on the restarts because I wasn’t up to speed. That hurt me a little bit on the restarts. I was a little bit cautious, so some people overtook me but at the end of the day I think I gained back all the positions on track. It’s a top seven so... great!”
 
 No. 98 U.S. CONCRETE / CURB HONDA
•STARTED: 12th // FINISHED: 12th
•CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS: 11th (141 pts.)
•The third-generation driver has completed 93.5% of the 2,566 laps possible in his 13 starts at the Indianapolis 500.
•Ran consistently in the top 10 throughout 200-lap race.
 
“We seemed to be there in the beginning and then just lost something at the end. We were trying to figure out what it was, but I just lost pace in the end. We were sort of where we needed to be, not really to win the race but right up in the thick of things and we just slipped down. We think we know what it was, but knowing that now makes us a day late and a dollar short. Big thanks to my U.S. Concrete guys for the hard work all month long.”
 
 No. 25  DRIVEN2SAVELIVES HONDA
•STARTED: 23rd // FINISHED: 15th
•When Wilson led the 2018 Indianapolis 500, he and his late brother Justin Wilson – who led the race in 2010 and 2015 – became the fourth pair of brothers to have led the race. The other pairs of brothers to lead the Indianapolis 500 are Louis and Gaston Chevrolet, Al and Bobby Unser, Buddy and Jaques Lazier.
•Was one of 15 leaders in his second Indianapolis 500 start leading three laps.
 
“It was so close - a helluva strategy call by the team. The No. 25 Driven2SaveLives team did a great job all day. With that strategy call we knew we were gambling - we knew we were rolling the dice. We were just hoping for another yellow flag at the end. I was leading, and I knew we were strong enough and wouldn’t be able to be passed but the yellow just didn’t come. While I was out there leading, I was just out there thinking if it goes yellow now my dreams are made. It didn’t happen, but we led our first laps, we learned a helluva lot this month and it was mad fun, so I’m leaving here with a smile on my face and my head held high.”
 
 No. 26 RELAY / GROUP 1001 HONDA
•STARTED: 25th // FINISHED: 23rd
•CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS: 15th (98 pts.)
•Had a fueling issue which resulted in a fire in the No. 26 pit box. The fire damaged resulted in damage to the fuel probe sensor which then led to further issues for the remainder of the race.
“It was a long day in general for us to end up where we did – two pit fires and the balance of the car wasn’t where we would’ve liked it to be, so we had to work on it the entire time. We finally got it close the last couple stops but, just my mistake. I took us in a direction on a setup that I thought was going to be good, but I think that’s what hurt us come race day. Overall though, I’m just really grateful to have my first ‘500’ with the team under my belt and can’t thank my teammates and my Relay crew enough for all the hard work.”
 
 
MEDIA CONTACTS.

Ryann Weatherford
Vice President, Communications
ryann.rigsby@andrettiautosport.com
+ 610.909.7312

Britni Allen
Senior Manager, Communications, INDYCAR
britni.allen@andrettiautosport.com
+ 740.816.2748

Phil Zielinski
Manager, Communications, Formula E
phil.zielinski@andrettiautosport.com
+ 317.373.9549

Amber Stevenson
Associate, Communications, Indy Lights
amber.stevenson@andrettiautosport.com
+ 574.361.4325

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