Date: Sunday, July 12, 2015
Track: The Milwaukee Mile, a 1.015-mile oval in West Allis, Wis.
Entry List: ABC Supply Co. Inc. Wisconsin 250 at Milwaukee IndyFest
Race distance: 250 laps / 253.75 miles
Firestone tire allotment: Nine sets for use through the weekend
Twitter: @MKE_IndyFest @IndyCar, #IndyFest, #IndyCar
Event website: http://milwaukeeindyfest.com/
INDYCAR website: www.IndyCar.com
2014 race winner: Will Power
2014 Verizon P1 Award winner: Will Power, 43.1757 seconds, 169.262 mph (two laps)
One-lap qualifying record: Patrick Carpentier, 20.028 seconds, 185.500 mph, May 30, 1998
Two-lap qualifying record: Dario Franchitti, 42.7766 seconds, 170.841 mph, June 18, 2011
NBCSN television broadcasts: Qualifying, 4 p.m. ET Sunday, July 12 (tape delay); Race, 5 p.m. ET Sunday, July 12 (live). Leigh Diffey is the lead announcer, alongside analysts Townsend Bell, David Hobbs and Paul Tracy. Pit reporters are Jon Beekhuis, Kevin Lee, Katie Hargitt and Robin Miller.
Advance Auto Parts INDYCAR Radio Network broadcasts: Paul Page is chief announcer with analyst Davey Hamilton. Pit reporters are Rob Howden, Nick Yeoman and Michael Young, with Mark Jaynes in the turns. Verizon IndyCar Series qualifying and races air live on network affiliates, Sirius 212, XM 209, IndyCar.com, indycarradio.comand the INDYCAR 15 app. Practice sessions are available on IndyCar.com,indycarradio.com and the INDYCAR 15 app.
Video streaming: All practice sessions for the 2015 Verizon IndyCar Series season and this weekend’s qualifying session are available live on RaceControl.IndyCar.com.
INDYCAR 15 app: The Verizon INDYCAR 15 app has exclusive features for Verizon Wireless customers, including interactive 3D Live View with real-time leaderboard and car telemetry to see where drivers are positioned, a leaderboard with enhanced 2D “marching ants” and car telemetry, in-car camera video streams from cameras that move 360 degrees and driver-pit crew chatter during the race.
At-track schedule (all times local):
Saturday, July 11
5-6:15 p.m. – Verizon IndyCar Series practice
Sunday, July 12
9:15-10 a.m. – Verizon IndyCar Series practice
12:30-1:30 p.m. – Verizon IndyCar Series qualifying (single-car format, two laps each), NBCSN (taped, 3 p.m.)
4 p.m. – NBCSN on air
4:35 p.m. – ABC Supply Co. Inc. Wisconsin 250 at Milwaukee IndyFest (250 laps/253.75 miles), NBCSN (live)
Race notes:
* There have been eight different winners in 11 Verizon IndyCar Series races in 2015: Juan Pablo Montoya (Streets of St. Petersburg and Indianapolis 500), James Hinchcliffe (NOLA Motorsports Park), Scott Dixon (Streets of Long Beach and Texas Motor Speedway), Josef Newgarden (Barber Motorsports Park and Streets of Toronto), Will Power (Grand Prix of Indianapolis), Carlos Munoz (Raceway at Belle Isle-1), Sebastien Bourdais (Raceway at Belle Isle-2) and Graham Rahal (Auto Club Speedway). In 2014, there were a record-tying 11 different race winners.
* The ABC Supply Co. Inc. Wisconsin 250 at Milwaukee IndyFest Presented by the Metro Milwaukee Honda Dealers will be the fourth of six oval races on the 2015 Verizon IndyCar Series schedule. Montoya won the Indianapolis 500 on May 24, Dixon won the Firestone 600 at Texas Motor Speedway on June 6 and Rahal won the MAVTV 500 at Auto Club Speedway on June 27.
* Ryan Hunter-Reay and Tony Kanaan are the only active drivers to win at The Milwaukee Mile more than once. Hunter-Reay has three wins (2004 Champ Car, 2012 and 2013). Kanaan won back-to-back races in 2006-2007. Past winners Power (2014), Dixon (2009), Ryan Briscoe (2008), Bourdais (2006 Champ Car) and Montoya (2000) are also entered in the event. Rodger Ward won at Milwaukee a record seven times from 1957-1963.
* Team Penske has eight Indy car wins at Milwaukee, including last year with Power. Andretti Autosport has five wins. Chip Ganassi Racing has four wins, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing and AJ Foyt Racing each have two wins.
* Helio Castroneves has won three poles at Milwaukee (1999, 2006 INDYCAR and 2007). Marco Andretti has won two poles (2008 and 2013). Other past pole winners entered are: Briscoe (2009), Bourdais (2006 Champ Car), Hunter-Reay (2004 Champ Car) and Montoya (2000).
* Castroneves has nine top-five starts in 14 races at Milwaukee. Andretti has three top-five starts in eight races. Dixon has nine top-10 finishes in 11 races. Kanaan has finished in the top 10 in 10 of his last 13 starts at Milwaukee.
* Since the first Indy car race at Milwaukee in 1939, 19 drivers have won at Milwaukee in their Indy car championship-winning seasons: Power (2014), Hunter-Reay (2012), Dario Franchitti (2011), Bourdais (2006), Al Unser Jr. (1994 and 1990), Nigel Mansell (1993), Michael Andretti (1991), Johnny Rutherford (1980), A.J. Foyt (1975 and 1964), Joe Leonard (1972), Al Unser (1970), Mario Andretti (1966), Rodger Ward (1962 and 1959), Jimmy Bryan (1956), Chuck Stevenson (1952), Tony Bettenhausen (1951), Johnnie Parsons (1949), Ted Horn (1947) and Rex Mays (1941).
* Since 1993, three drivers scored their first career win at Milwaukee: Briscoe (2008), Michel Jourdain (2003) and Greg Moore (1997).
* Twenty drivers entered in this year’s event have competed in past Indy car races at The Milwaukee Mile. Kanaan (15) has the most starts among the entered drivers. Twelve of those drivers have led laps at the track (Kanaan 415, Hunter-Reay 399, Castroneves 281, Montoya 267, Power 233, Dixon 202, Briscoe 190, Andretti 140, Bourdais 117, Takuma Sato 109, Justin Wilson 62 and Ed Carpenter 3).
* Kanaan seeks to start his 245th consecutive race this weekend, which would extend his Indy car-record streak that began in June 2001 at Portland. Teammate Dixon looks to make his 187th consecutive start this weekend.
* The 2015 Verizon IndyCar Series season marked the competition debut of aerodynamic bodywork kits designed, manufactured and supplied by Chevrolet and Honda that attach to the Dallara IR-12 chassis used by all entrants. Cars are differentiated by their shape as the manufacturers have designed a separate aero kit specification for road and street course/short ovals and another for superspeedways. References to the cars incorporate the name of the corresponding kit manufacturer.
* The No. 2 Team Penske crew of Montoya claimed the Firestone Pit Stop Performance Award at the MAVTV 500 on June 27 with a total pit-lane time of 3 minutes, 28.28 seconds. This is Team Penske’s third Pit Stop Performance win in the last five races. The No. 2 Team Penske crew will receive its $10,000 award during pre-race festivities for the ABC Supply Co. Inc. Wisconsin 250 at Milwaukee IndyFest at The Milwaukee Mile.
ABC SUPPLY CO. INC. WISCONSIN 250 AT MILWAUKEE INDYFEST PRE-RACE QUOTES:
WILL POWER (No. 1 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet): “Milwaukee could not be coming at a better time for the Verizon Chevy team. We need a race to really jumpstart the rest of our season and Milwaukee did that for us last year. The win there kind of cemented our spot as the championship frontrunner, even though we still had to take care of business the rest of the year. When you have a race like we did last year at Milwaukee, it can’t help but give you supreme confidence heading into this year’s event. I had a great feeling about that race at the start of 2014 – it was one that I circled on the calendar – and I feel the same this year. It really comes down to qualifying at Milwaukee because passing can be difficult there. If we can win another Verizon P1 Pole Award, I’m confident we can keep our Verizon Chevy at the front of the field and contend for another Milwaukee win. If we do, hopefully we keep (Juan Pablo) Montoya and (Tony) Kanaan away from the cream puffs (given to the podium finishers). I don’t need them stuffed in my ears again!”
JUAN PABLO MONTOYA (No. 2 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet): “I have never been more upset with a second-place finish than I was last year at Milwaukee. We had such a good car that it was a shame that we couldn’t win the race, but Will (Power) was just that dominant that day. If I have a Verizon Chevrolet that is even close to how good that car was, I will feel really good about our chances this weekend. I enjoy racing at Milwaukee a lot. It’s a different feel than anywhere else we go because it’s a fairgrounds track. It’s just a cool place with a lot of history. I’m glad I have been able to win there at least once in my career (2000). Unfortunately, last year there wasn’t a lot of passing and, as a result, Will was able to lead so many laps. I’m very anxious to see what the new aero package and downforce levels do to the racing when we get back.”
HELIO CASTRONEVES (No. 3 Hitachi Team Penske Chevrolet): “I’m proud of everyone on this Hitachi Chevy team for how consistent we have been this year. We are still in the hunt for the championship as the season is winding down and that’s all you can ask for as a driver. With the way Juan Pablo (Montoya) and Will (Power) are running right now, we are going to need to get a win here over the next couple of races to put us in the best position for the title. We saw last year how the win at Milwaukee jumpstarted Will’s push toward his championship. On the flip side, we didn’t have a very good race last year at The Mile. The handling on the No. 3 Chevy just wasn’t where we needed it to be, but I’m confident that the team will bring a car this weekend that will run up front. Milwaukee has been such an important track for the Verizon IndyCar Series for a long time and I would love to win there. We’ve been close with a lot of Verizon P1 (pole) Awards. This weekend would be an ideal time to get that first Milwaukee win.”
STEFANO COLETTI (No. 4 KV Racing Technology Chevrolet): “I’m excited to go to Milwaukee and race on another oval. We had a good result in Fontana two weeks ago, and I am getting used to ovals with every lap I do. It’s a big learning curve, and we are doing it step by step so that I feel more comfortable. I have watched some past races and Milwaukee looks like a tough oval, very small and again something very new, so I just need to be patient and hopefully we can get another good result.”
RYAN BRISCOE (No. 5 Arrow/Lucas Oil Schmidt Peterson Honda): “It’s always great to race at The Milwaukee Mile. It’s where I got my first Indy car win and it’s also my ‘home’ race. My wife, Nicole, is from Wisconsin so I always have a ton of family at the race. It makes for an extra fun weekend. We’re aiming to get the No. 5 Arrow Electronics car up front again like we did in Fontana, but with a much different finish.”
JAMES JAKES (No. 7 Schmidt Peterson Motorsports Honda): “I’m really excited to return to Milwaukee. It’s going to be a very busy day with practice, qualifying and the race all on Sunday. It will be very important to start the first session well in the No. 7 MediaTech Oculus car, since everything is so tightly packed into the one day. The SPM team has had good oval cars so far this season so I’m looking forward to continuing that trend.”
SAGE KARAM (No. 8 Comfort Revolution/Big Machine Records Chevrolet): “I feel more confident than ever heading in to the race in Milwaukee this weekend. We got a great result of fifth under our belt at Auto Club Speedway in the last race. It was a career best for me in the series and it felt good. We’ve been in a position to run at the front a few times this season and to get it done was a big relief. I know what this team is capable of and I’ve had some success at Milwaukee in the ladder series, so I can’t wait to get back at it.”
SCOTT DIXON (No. 9 Target Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet): “Milwaukee might be the only place that is older than the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Nothing has really changed over those hundred-plus years it’s been in existence. It has a lot of character and the track is definitely the toughest short track we go to – maybe even one of the toughest tracks that we’ve ever been to as a series, in my opinion. I was fortunate enough to win there in 2009 and had some great battles there with some podiums. But I’ve also had some dreadful days there, crashing two cars in four laps once in practice and qualifying and then going home before the race. I’ve had many highs and lows there, but as a city with the fans it’s definitely one of the top spots on the schedule.”
TONY KANAAN (No. 10 NTT Data Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet): “I think it was a good thing we had a weekend off after such an intense race in Fontana to regroup and put our focus back into the remainder of the season, especially Milwaukee. Over the years, I’ve had some strong finishes in Milwaukee and NTT Data Chip Ganassi Racing has a lot of momentum coming off the last few races. This year’s race weekend schedule will be challenging with us practicing, qualifying and racing all in the same day. We’ll need to be on top of our game to make sure we have a good finish, hopefully another win, on the historic short track.”
SEBASTIEN BOURDAIS (No. 11 Team Hydroxycut-KVSH Racing Chevrolet):“Milwaukee is one oval that I am pretty familiar with. I raced there several times in Champ Car and had a couple of good results, including a pole and a win in 2006. It is a different kind of oval because it doesn’t have the high banking like most of the ovals we race on, so it drives a little more like a road course. We have worked hard all year and have made progress with the setup up every oval race. Chevy has also given us good, reliable power and a strong aero package. There aren’t a lot of races left, so if we are going to have a chance to finish in the top five in the championship, the Hydroxycut-KVSH Racing team will have to have a good result in Milwaukee.”
TAKUMA SATO (No. 14 ABC Supply AJ Foyt Racing Honda): “I like Milwaukee because you really have to ‘drive’ the car. It demands a lot of mechanical grip, as does everywhere, but it is important to have a stable car and good drivability. The driver has to (have) a lot of control with the throttle pedal and the steering wheel because this flat oval doesn’t have banking support. So the car is always very grip limited and it’s easy to slide or snap around.”
GRAHAM RAHAL (No. 15 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda): “Obviously it was good to win in Fontana and get that off my back. It certainly helps just to relieve some pressure and to not have to answer those questions any more, which is nice. It’s been busy and it probably hasn’t really hit me yet exactly what happened at Fontana, but it’s been fun to just get that behind us and move forward. I’m excited for Milwaukee ahead and the chance to put ourselves in a good place in this championship going forward as well. With Courtney’s race (fiancée Courtney Force was runner-up in the NHRA funny car event July 2-5 at Norwalk, Ohio) and everything else, it’s been pretty busy since the win. I haven’t really focused much on the win as much as I have been thinking about going forward and doing well at Milwaukee because this is a big part of our season right now. It’s a big turning point for us as we need to do everything that we can to maximize our points, so really I haven’t thought about it too much. I have just been focused on what’s ahead of us. I have always loved The Milwaukee Mile. It’s a pretty tricky flat track. It has a lot of history in its own right and that’s what makes it special to go there and get to race at that track. I have had up and downs at Milwaukee. The last couple of years have been tough for me there and my first few years were really good to me. With the pressure of the championship putting weight on our shoulders a little bit, this is going to be an even bigger weekend than I’ve ever had there. It’s going to be mainly a one-day event and that’s also pretty tricky, but I’m looking forward to it. Frankly, I’m just thrilled we are going back to such a historic venue. It should be a lot of fun. I think we will be pretty competitive. The aero kit is the biggest question right now and I don’t think we have a great answer as to what that is going to do or bring to us. But for sure I think we should be pretty solid. The team has done an excellent job. Eddie (Jones, race engineer) and I have spent a lot of time focused on what we need to do to improve this one. We recognize the mistakes that we’ve made this season and we recognize the mistakes we made last year as well and what we need to do going forward. Hopefully the team’s performance will be significantly better than it has been in the past there. There is a lot of weight on our shoulders at this point just simply because we have to perform well. We can’t make a mistake. We have to be on top of our game each and every weekend and with the condensed schedule at Milwaukee it’s going to make it even more difficult.”
PIPPA MANN (No. 18 Dale Coyne Racing Honda): “Milwaukee will mark a completely new challenge for me, it’s a very different track from the other starts I have had with Dale Coyne Racing. I enjoyed racing Indy Lights there in 2009, but that was the last time I raced there and this will mark my first Verizon IndyCar series start at this track. I’m expecting a steep learning curve, but I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to be back in an Indy car this weekend and to go INDYCAR short-track racing.”
ED CARPENTER (No. 20 Fuzzy’s Vodka CFH Racing Chevrolet): “I’m very excited to be coming back to Milwaukee for IndyFest. Milwaukee is one of the most fun and challenging tracks on the circuit and it’s always a driver favorite. We had a strong car last year, so I’m even more excited to be coming back with the new Chevy aero kit.”
SIMON PAGENAUD (No. 22 Penske Truck Rental Chevrolet): “I really love the challenge of racing at Milwaukee. It’s a very tough, flat track that is unlike anywhere else we go all year. You need to have good stability on corner entry and exit because there is no banking to help you out. I’ve had some solid runs there in my few Milwaukee starts. Through history, Milwaukee has meant a lot to our sport over the years. The Penske Truck Rental Chevy team is building fantastic race cars for me. Our goal is to finish the season strong, get a win and continue building our program into one that will be a contender in the Verizon IndyCar Series for many years to come.”
JUSTIN WILSON (No. 25 Andretti Autosport Honda): “I love racing at Milwaukee, it was my first-ever oval race back in 2004 – just had a lot of fun. I’ve had some great times there, I’ve had some terrible times there. It doesn’t take much to swing the setup from being a race winner to being 10 laps down at the end. It’s very critical and very tough to race at, but one of the most rewarding tracks I’ve ever come across. Hopefully we can hit it just right, have a good strong race weekend and try and build from there.”
CARLOS MUNOZ (No. 26 AndrettiTV/Cinsay Honda): “We’re heading to Milwaukee IndyFest this weekend, a short oval. We’ll see how everything is with the aero kits on the short oval track since this is the first of the season. Milwaukee hasn’t been a friend of mine in the past, but I’m looking forward to getting back on track and seeing what we can do this year.”
MARCO ANDRETTI (No. 27 Snapple Honda): “Milwaukee has a ton of history – both as the oldest track in the U.S. and for my family (which has nine wins at the track). It’s a challenging short oval, but we need to crack the top five in points for the Snapple car. I’m aiming for a third pole there and would love a win at The Mile.”
RYAN HUNTER-REAY (No. 28 DHL Honda): “We were just one lap away from a breakthrough result in Fontana, so hopefully we can put it all together this weekend at one of my favorite tracks, The Milwaukee Mile. We’ve had success at this track in the past and it would be a huge achievement to join the short list of four-time winners at the famed 1-mile oval.”
JACK HAWKSWORTH (No. 41 ABC Supply AJ Foyt Racing Honda): “I’m really looking forward to the race this weekend. Milwaukee is one of the most unique circuits on the calendar and is the oldest track we visit all season. The flat but fast nature of the circuit means finding the right balance is absolutely critical. Hopefully we can have a good weekend, especially since this is ABC Supply’s home race. I know (ABC Supply) will have upwards of 1,800 guests at the circuit cheering us on and it would be fantastic to reward them with a great finish for both cars.”
JOSEF NEWGARDEN (No. 67 Hartman Oil CFH Racing Chevrolet): “I’m excited to get to Milwaukee. It’s one of the best tracks we go to all year and it’s one of my favorites. It’s really unique as it’s the only flat 1-mile oval we race on. To me, it almost drives more like a road course than an oval. As a guy with a road racing background, I’ve always loved going to that place. This race is also extra special because we have (Milwaukee-based) Direct Supply on the car there. With their headquarters nearby and their support all year long, it’s important for us to put on a good show and enjoy the weekend with them.”
CHARLIE KIMBALL (No. 83 Novo Nordisk Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet): “After a weekend off to relax and recharge, I’m really looking forward to getting up to Milwaukee’s short track with the Novo Nordisk Chip Ganassi Racing team. Last year we worked hard on qualifying and it paid off, but we struggled in traffic during the race. With the unusual race schedule, we’ll be working to max that practice time with the No. 83 NovoLog FlexPen Chevrolet to make sure we’re racing up front this Sunday.”
GABBY CHAVES (No. 98 Bowers & Wilkins/Curb Honda): “Coming off of a tough weekend at Fontana, I’m pretty excited to get things going once again after a short break here and can focus on Milwaukee and getting back on track to the results we want to see. Coming on to the final stretch of the championship, we’re definitely wanting to break into the top five, challenging for a podium position before the year is over. So we will be working very hard this weekend to take the steps into that direction.”
