FORT WORTH, Texas – For nearly 15 years, the Verizon IndyCar Series action at Texas Motor Speedway was thrilling and at times death defying, with open-wheel IndyCars racing at speeds over 220 miles per hour on the high-banked speedway under the lights with wheel-to-wheel action often separated by mere inches.
But after popular two-time Indianapolis 500 winner and 2005 IndyCar Series champion Dan Wheldon was killed in a horrific crash at a track similar to TMS – Las Vegas Motor Speedway – in Oct. 2011, INDYCAR decided it was time to break up the pack in the interest of safety.
Since 2012, the races at Texas Motor Speedway have been much more spread out and at times, which has created a philosophical difference between INDYCAR officials and TMS President and General Manager Eddie Gossage, who has seen ticket sales fall flat for what used to be the second-biggest race on the Verizon IndyCar Series schedule.
“Part of the problem for Texas is Eddie Gossage would like to see us run like we did prior to the Las Vegas crash when Dan Wheldon was killed and that means wide-open pack racing,” said INDYCAR President Derrick Walker. “After Wheldon’s crash we all agreed we can’t produce that kind of racing safely. It’s a dangerous position.”
The downforce level this year will be slightly more than last year, so Walker is hoping it will improve the racing in Saturday night’s Firestone 600 at Texas Motor Speedway. Tire degradation should also play a role in making it a livelier race.
Teams will also use a bigger rear wing at Texas than what was used at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
“The total package of the Aero Kit at the bigger wing will give us the level of downforce that we want,” Walker said. “This wing is not different than what we have run in the past. It’s what we had last year at Texas. But what we have different is an Aero Kit so there is more downforce on the body. This wing at minus-6 degrees will be more downforce and make it more raceable as we have seen every place we have been.
“We have had some great racing and hopefully that repeats itself at Texas Motor Speedway. It might not but we think it should. That is what we are hoping.”
Walker and Gossage both want good racing but they differ in what it takes to do that. Gossage prefers pack racing and Walker believes there are better ways to produce good racing.
“We are definitely not going down the road of pack racing but the end result is we both want good racing,” Walker said. “Safety is an issue when you go pack racing and we won’t compromise safety for the desire to go pack racing.”
On the track, the drivers are prepared for another Saturday Night under the lights race at Texas.
Team Penske driver Helio Castroneves is the only four-time IndyCar Series race winner at Texas Motor Speedway.
"If you look around the track at Texas Motor Speedway, you notice there are streets that are named after several drivers,” Castroneves said. “There isn't one named after me, though. I told Eddie Gossage (track president) last year that I want to have my own street at Texas. I mean, I am the only four-time Verizon IndyCar Series winner at the track. He assured me that if I make it five wins there will be a 'Helio Castroneves Boulevard' at Texas Motor Speedway. I love racing at Texas. It's just super fast. You don't get the sensation of speed anywhere like you do there. I'm confident we can get the AAA Chevrolet into Victory Lane and, hopefully, gain a lot of points this weekend."
Team Penske teammate Will Power set the two-lap qualifying record at TMS in 2013 with an average speed of 219.182 miles per hour. Single-lap qualification speeds, however, have been faster: Gil de Ferran ran a single lap at 23.5031 seconds, 222.864 mph, on Oct.10, 2003.
Juan Pablo Montoya enters the weekend as the Verizon IndyCar Series points lead by 21 points over teammate Power.
"I am as confident as I have ever been heading into Texas this weekend,” said Montoya, who captured his second Indy 500 victory on May 24. “I told someone the other day that I really feel like we should win the race. The No. 2 Verizon Chevy team is hitting its stride at the moment. We have speed in the car every weekend. If we can just minimize our mistakes and execute properly I don't think there is anything we can't accomplish. There are two goals every year for Team Penske in the Verizon IndyCar Series. One is to win the Indianapolis 500, which we were fortunate enough to do. The second is to keep the Verizon IndyCar Series championship within the team.
“We are halfway through the season with a lot of racing left to go, but I like our chances to do both for Roger (Penske) and everyone that works so hard in this organization."
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