THE NEWSLETTER OF Honda INDYCAR RACING VOL. 10 NO. 2 Racing Line Amazing: Kanaan propels Honda's Indy blast His left wrist wrapped in a cast, Tony Kanaan was surrounded by reporters who peppered him with questions. For anyone else, this might have been an uncomfortable situation. For Tony Kanaan, it was a dream come true. On Sunday, May 11, Kanaan led a contingent of eight Honda drivers to a successful performance during qualifying for the 87th Indianapolis 500. Four Hondapowered cars led by Kanaan s secured starting positions in the first two rows, and among the top six qualifiers, for the race, Honda s first Indy 500 since 1995. "This is really amazing," Kanaan said. "I m so happy for my team and Honda. Everyone worked so hard to make this happen. It s very special for me." Kanaan s four-lap average of 231.006 miles per hour put his Andretti Green Racing/Team 7-Eleven Honda/Dallara/Firestone in the middle of the front row. Only two-time defending Indy 500 champion Helio Castroneves topped Kanaan s average to win the pole position. Honda drivers Robby Gordon, Dan Wheldon and Kenny Brack also qualified in the first two rows, with Gordon alongside Kanaan in the front row after qualifying third. The dominating performance was made even more remarkable by the conditions. A wicked crosswind gusting at times to more than 30 miles per hour gave teams trouble throughout the day. Kanaan and Andretti Green teammates Gordon and Wheldon changed their setups to accommodate for the gusts. All three held the No. 1 position for a time Sunday with the Honda HI3R Indy V-8. "I went out in the morning and couldn t make any corner flat-out," Kanaan said. "In my qualfying run, I made all four corners flat. I wasn t happy after the morning practice, so I waited for my teammates and got their setups. Give Robby the credit. It was exactly his setup." All eight Hondas landed among the top 15 of Sunday s 24 qualifiers. Another day of qualifying was held May 18 to fill the 33-car field for the famous race. Roger Yasukawa put his Honda on the fourth row, while Hondas driven by Michael Andretti, Greg Ray and Shinji Nakano filled the fifth row. All eight drivers expressed their satisfaction with the Honda engine, which won the pole for two of the first three Indy Racing League events this season and won the IRL race at Phoenix International Raceway. Perhaps Wheldon, a rookie who topped the speed charts throughout practice leading up to Sunday s qualifying, put it best: "It s just been a pleasure to drive this car," Wheldon said. "It s always been fast no matter what the conditions. It s been very, very competitive. It s a joy to drive." WHAT: 87th Indianapolis 500. WHEN: Sunday, May 25th, noon EDT. WHERE: Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Indianapolis, Indiana AUDIENCE: 400,000 attend the race, tens of millions watch it live on TV. CARS: Single-seat, open-wheel, rear-engine vehicles capable of speeds in excess of 240 mph HISTORY: The first Indy 500 was held on a brick surface in 1911. Except for a break during World War II, cars have raced every year on the same track since then. INDIANAPOLIS 500 FAST FACTS TRADITIONS: Held annually on Memorial Day weekend; 33 cars line up three abreast for a flying start; the winner drinks a glass of milk. CONTRIBUTIONS: Many developments in passenger automobiles like the rear-view mirror and seat belts were first used in the Indy 500. HONDA NOTES: This is Honda's first Indy 500 since 1995; Honda has four starters in the first two rows, including Tony Kanaan and Robby Gordon on the front row.
The human story behind Honda's Indy engine The effort that put nine cars in the Indianapolis 500 belongs to more than 150 people. Honda Performance Development (HPD) and technical partner Ilmor Engineering, working through a unique, yet very coordinated effort, have designed and produced Honda s first normally aspirated IndyCar engine. The results have been impressive. Honda engines are now in perfect position to win the 87th Indianapolis 500. When the race begins May 25, four Honda-powered cars will start in the first two rows, among the six fastest cars in the field. "There s only one result in racing that s acceptable, and that s winning," said Robert Clarke, Vice President and General Manager of HPD. "Obviously, we ve put Honda in a great position to win this race." Both companies worked closely to build the brand-new 3.5-liter V-8 engine the HI3R Series Indy V-8 to meet Indy Racing League specifications for the 2003 season, Honda s first in the IRL. "We all worked together as a team to put this engine on the track," Clarke said. "Between the two companies, it s probably 150 people. We re all looking for the winning edge." The highlight of the IRL season, of course, is the world s most famous motor race. Four Honda drivers Tony Kanaan, Robby Gordon and Dan Wheldon, all of Andretti Green Racing, and Kenny Brack of Rahal- Letterman Racing put themselves in the first two rows with strong qualifying efforts May 11. Behind those four drivers and their speed are 60 people in HPD s California headquarters, led by Clarke. Thousands of hours of testing the HI3R went into developing the engine to reach its current success. Both HPD and Ilmor tested the engine relentlessly on the dynamometer and the track. "Its not just the performance, but the reliability issue," Clarke said. "We ve done hours and hours of endurance testing with this engine. We knew the first thing it had to do was last the race distance you have to finish the race before you can win it." Excelling at motorsports is nothing new to Honda. In 1928, at the age of 22, Soichiro Honda adapted a V-8 engine to a Ford chassis and set a Japanese speed record 75 mph. That ingenuity remains the foundation of Honda s modern efforts. "It s amazing to me how fast this program got up and running," Clarke said. "That s a credit to those involved in the program and their commitment." Prior to joining the IRL IndyCar Series, Honda competed with Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART), where Honda won four manufacturers championships and six drivers titles from 1994 to 2002. Other drivers using the Honda engine in the Indy 500 are Michael Andretti of Andretti Green Racing, Roger Yasukawa of Super Aguri Fernandez Racing, Greg Ray of Access Motorsports, Shinji Nakano of Beck Motorsports and Jimmy Vasser of Rahal- Letterman Racing.
Honda s Indy 500 starters Tony Kanaan Following the death of his father when he was 12 years old, Tony Kanaan was supporting his mother and sister by racing go-karts professionally in Brazil. He eventually ended up with Andretti Green Racing and became one of the top drivers in open-wheel racing. "I think I would describe myself as determined, " Kanaan said. "That carries over from my youth. I don t give up on anything." Robby Gordon Chosen to replace injured Dario Franchitti, NASCAR Winston Cup driver Robby Gordon is an eight-time veteran of the Indianapolis 500. He is perhaps best-known for his duel with Kenny Brack in the 1999 Indy 500. "My wideopen is just a little more wide-open than everybody else," Gordon said. "So when I come back conservative, that s like everybody else s wide-open." Kenny Brack The Swede burst onto the American racing scene by winning the IRL championship in 1998 and the Indy 500 in 1999. From there, he moved to CART before returning to the IRL with Team Rahal for the 2003 season. "I won from eighth in 1999, so starting up front is good," he said. "If you can t get the pole, it doesn t really matter, as long as you re close to the front." Dan Wheldon A 24-year-old British road racer, Dan Wheldon was the surprise of the opening week of practice and qualifying at Indy, taking to the historic speedway like a seasoned veteran. He topped the speed charts in three practice sessions leading up to qualifying. "My dad called after every practice session to see what my average speed was," said Wheldon, who topped out over 232 mph in practice. "Then he d tell my mom, just to wind her up."
Roger Yasukawa A 25-year-old veteran of karting and smaller open-wheel racing series, Roger Yasukawa won a Formula Atlantic race at The Milwaukee Mile in just his second race. After that, he joined Super Aguri Fernandez Racing for the 2003 IRL season. "It comes down to the driver being able to feel the car and the conditions," Yasukawa said. "A driver has to have enough experience to know how to react." Michael Andretti One of the legends of motorsports with a career spanning three decades, Michael Andretti will retire from driving after the Indy 500. The wind during pole qualifying almost proved too much for Andretti, who nearly made contact with the Turn Two wall during his qualifying run. "I could feel it this morning in the motor home," he said. "I was like, Man, I don t even want to get out of bed. It s going to be a long day, a long four laps. " Greg Ray After inventing a remote-control device for miniblinds and becoming a successful entrepreneur in his 20s, Greg Ray began focusing on his love motorsports. He eventually found himself at Indy, where he started on the front row four consecutive times. "This place is very special to me," Ray said. "There s something about Indy that s magical." Shinji Nakano He d never driven at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, missed the first three days of practice, and he couldn t have picked worse conditions for qualifying. With a howling wind making driving difficult, Shinji Nakano put the Beck Motorsports No. 54 Honda-powered Dallara on the outside of the fifth row. "I ve never run this track before, so I don t know the normal track conditions," he said.
Kiss and yell: Keeping Dario in the loop Before Tony Kanaan went out for his qualifying attempt at Indy, teammate Dario Franchitti promised to kiss him if he went faster than anyone else. "I said, OK, but you have to do it in front of everyone else, " Kanaan said. When Kanaan came back in after a run of 231.006 mph, he was on top for the moment. With the cameras rolling, Franchitti jokingly kissed Kanaan on the forehead. "This has been so hard for him," Kanaan said. "We just want him to know he s still a part of this team a big part of this team." Franchitti is sitting out the Indy 500 while recovering from serious spinal injuries sustained in a motorcycle crash in April in Scotland. He s expected to return to the cockpit later in June at Richmond International Raceway. In the meantime, Robby Gordon will drive the No. 27 Andretti Green Racing Honda at Indianapolis. Bryan Herta will drive the car in IRL IndyCar Series races next month at Texas Motor Speedway outside of Fort Worth and Pikes Peak International Raceway in Colorado. "If I injure it again, then I have a problem," Franchitti said. "If it heals properly, it ll be as good as ever. There s not much I can do. I m frustrated, and the team is frustrated. It s just one of those things." In the meantime, AGR teammates are keeping Franchitti in their thoughts and in the mix. "I told him, I m going to put it up front for you. " Kanaan said. "He s not a happy guy right now, but this makes it better. We re a big team and a big family." Michael the Racer? Meet Michael the Businessman A legend is about to bid farewell to racing while saying hello to the racing business. Michael Andretti will retire as a driver after the 87th Indianapolis 500, ending a 21-year career that included a record 42 CART wins. He ll start his last race from the fifth row of the Indy 500 in a Honda-powered Dallara. "People were asking me, What s it like to go out for qualifying for the last time? " Andretti said. "I was just as nervous as I ve ever been. There s something about this place in qualifying that s different. All week long, everything is fine. Then it comes to qualifying, and Mother Nature does something weird to make you wonder what the car is going to be like. You get all excited and nervous. This year is no different." Andretti is already spending a great deal of effort on directing his team, Andretti Green Racing. The Indianapolis-based organization, formerly known as Team Green, put three Honda-powered cars in the first five positions for the start of the Indy 500 on May 25. Tony Kanaan will start second, Robby Gordon third and rookie Dan Wheldon fifth. While disappointed in his qualifying effort, which was affected by a strong wind, Andretti has already begun making the transition from driver to owner. "I have to look at the big picture," Andretti said. "I m really happy with the other three cars. I just wanted to do a more respectable job. I knew I wasn t going to get the pole, but I was hoping I d be in the top six or seven. It was more about pride, though. It s not going to affect me in the race." Andretti Green Racing is one of the top teams in the Indy Racing League, winning the first two pole positions this season and capturing a victory at Phoenix International Raceway in March. After racing in the 500 for the 14th time, Andretti the racer will become Andretti the businessman. After the qualifying run, Andretti indicated he has the maturity to make the transition. "If I were two or three years into this, I would have been throwing things and pounding the wall," Andretti said with a smile. "Now we ll start focusing on the race, and that s why I m here. To win this race."
2003 IRL IndyCar Series Championship Standings 1. Scott Sharp 106 2. Tony Kanaan 102 3. Felipe Giaffone 92 4. Kenny Brack 89 5. Helio Castroneves 83 6. Al Unser Jr. 79 7. Michael Andretti 77 8. Scott Dixon 75 9. Gil de Ferran 58 10. Sam Hornish Jr. 57 2003 F-1 Driver s Championship Standings 1. Kimi Raikkonen 32 2. Michael Schumacher 28 3. Fernando Alonso 25 4. Rubens Barrichello 20 5. David Coulthard 19 6. Ralf Schumacher 17 7. Juan Pablo Montoya 15 8. Giancarlo Fisichella 10 9. Jarno Trulli 9 10. Heinz-Harald Frentzen 7 Racing Line We welcome your comments, questions and suggestions. Send them to: Editor, Honda Racing Line American Honda Motor Co., Inc. Mail Stop 100-3C-2A Torrance, CA 90501 Rockin' Robby does his double duty Michael Andretti smiled at the notion. A reporter asked about Robby Gordon s reaction when Andretti called him to ask about driving the Andretti Green Racing No. 27 Honda in the Indianapolis 500. "We didn t call him," Andretti grinned. "He called us." Gordon found himself in the AGR car for the May 25 race, then found himself on the front row. "We re not going to count our chickens before they hatch," Gordon said. "But we ll get them lined up, at least." Gordon, a regular competitor in the NASCAR Winston Cup Series, will compete in both the Indy 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 on the same day, a feat he s accomplished twice before. Immediately after the Indy 500, Gordon will fly from Indianapolis to Charlotte, N.C., where he ll race his stock car. "I think we ve got it down to a science," Gordon said. In retrospect, Andretti said he was more than happy to take Gordon s call. "We answered and we were happy to answer," Andretti said. "We just felt like, Well, he s a guy who stands on the gas and can win the race for us. It just all seemed to work for us." Back behind the wheel: Mario returns As one racing legend prepares to retire, another racing legend is playing a major role in his team s success. Mario Andretti, 63, has been a fixture in the Andretti Green Racing garages as the Honda-powered team prepares for the 87th Indianapolis 500. In a test in late April, Mario ran the No. 11 7-Eleven Dallara/Honda driven by Tony Kanaan. "Mario is a big part of us starting up front," said Kanaan, one of three AGR cars among the top five starters. "He s been with me all weekend, giving me tips. Having him around has meant everything to me." Wearing a broad smile and his son s racing suit, Mario Andretti tested Kanaan s car at Indy for much of April 23. In his first full-speed run in an Indy car in nine years, Mario went as fast as 224 mph. "This was a huge thrill," Mario said. "It s something that certainly wasn t planned and certainly doesn t carry any further than this. For me, it s dealing with a challenge. I usually don t back away from a challenge, so here we are." The day ended with a spectacular crash, but Andretti was not injured. "I m very blessed," Andretti said. "The man upstairs has been taking care of me for so many years, I can t see him giving up now." Kanaan gave much of the credit for the team s success to Mario, who tutored Kanaan in the days leading up to the front-row qualifying run. "He called me champ in Italian," Kanaan said. "I don t think he calls anybody else that. It gave me an extra boost to go and do well."