Saturday, July 30, 2011
Dodge Motorsports PR
Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Brickyard 400
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
KEYS FOR SUCCESS: Brickyard 400
SPEEDWAY, Ind. (Saturday, July 30, 2011) – Each race weekend, selected Dodge Motorsports engineers, Penske Racing engineers and crew chiefs, drivers or engine specialists give their insight on the ‘Keys for Success’ for the upcoming race. This week, Howard Comstock, Dodge Motorsports Engineering, provides the keys for Sunday’s Sprint Cup race.
Track: Indianapolis Motor Speedway (Race 20 of 36 in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series)
Race: Brickyard 400 (160 laps / 400 miles)
Trivia Question: The first race in Indiana in what is now the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series was in 1950 at what track?
HOWARD COMSTOCK (Dodge Motorsports Engineering)
Track Position: “There are three keys for success at Indianapolis, track position, track position and track position. We’ve seen the No. 42 team have the dominant car the last two years. A pit road infraction likely cost them the race in 2009 and a four-tire pit call at the end of last year’s race likely cost them a chance at a win. It’s hard to pass at Indianapolis. It’s especially hard to pass in the closing stages of the race because of the track’s heat and the amount of oil and rubber built up on the racing surface. Teams will have to think long and hard about their pit strategy at the end of this race. It will determine their success.”
Late Green Flag Pit Stops: “While we’re talking about track position, the one thing that teams will be considering is that the lap times here are lengthy. If you’re close enough to the leader, you can duck into the pits under green, make the stop, return to the track and still be on the lead lap. That’s going to be an important element for teams to consider if the field is bunched up toward the end of the race and you need one more pit stop. If you’re close enough to the leader late in the race, you’re going to be able to treat this like a road course, stop under green and if the caution comes out, other cars will have to pit and you will be able to skip that stop and gain all that track position.”
Trivia Question Answer: Winchester Speedway, a .5-mile dirt track. The race, a 200-lap event, was won by Lloyd Moore. His winnings, $1,000.
