By Paul Kelly
allstate400atthebrickyard.com
Wednesday, July 30, 2003
True Value International Race of Champions test drivers started final tuning to the series’ identically prepared stock cars July 29 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the series finale IROC at Indy race Saturday, Aug. 2.
Test drivers Dave Marcis, Jim Sauter, Jay Sauter and Dick Trickle discovered that the track conditions Tuesday were different from those found in testing during June, forcing the IROC technical team to tweak the car setups for the race, which starts at 1 p.m. (EST, Indy time).
The True Value IROC series is racing’s “all-star game,” as 12 top drivers from various series compete in a four-race oval series in identically prepared stock cars.
“We seem to be struggling a little bit with the cars today,” Marcis said. “It’s been some time since we tested here, which was right after the Indianapolis 500. The track was in great shape then. It had a lot of rubber in it, and it's been a little while since a lot of cars ran here, plus we had rain all day yesterday, so we’re a bit disappointed this morning with how the cars felt.
“By this afternoon we started getting some rubber back into the track, which immediately improved the car, but we still have our work cut out for us. We don't want to get to crazy right now because once the Winston Cup cars get here and put down a lot of rubber, which is all I think we really need, we be in back good shape.”
Said Trickle: “Track conditions change so much here, and this morning the track didn’t like the setup. But like Dave said, by the time the weekend comes we’ll have something all the racers will be happy with. This is a tough job for us because you have to remember we’re working with one car that has to run the high-banks of Daytona and Talladega, the short ovals like Chicagoland and the big, flat ovals like Indy.
“All of the Winston Cup teams have different cars built specifically for different types of tracks, so Dave, Jim, Jay and I really have our work cut out for us. But in the end, the cars are adjustable enough to work with.”
O’Reilly World of Outlaws veterans Steve Kinser and Danny Lasoski, who will compete in IROC at Indy, also tested Tuesday.
Lasoski raced in True Value IROC in 2002 but didn’t compete at Indianapolis due to an injury in a WoO race a week before the IROC at Indy event. So he is more excited than ever to finally race on the historic, 2.5-mile oval.
“Last year when I came here injured to watch the race. I was here in body, but I can’t say that I remember much,” Lasoski said. “But this year I get to live out my lifelong dream of coming to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and participating.
“I’m double proud to be doing it as a competitor in the IROC series, which I want to continue to compete in year after year. I just love this series. I grew up in the Midwest, and it’s all about being a part of this great heritage and all the history.”
Kinser raced in the 1997 Indianapolis 500, but this will be his first race at the track in a stock car. He raced in IROC from 1994-96, before the series visited Indianapolis.
“This is my first time here in a stock car, and I’ve got a long way to go, I can tell you that,” Kinser said. “I’ve been very comfortable in these cars on a high-bank superspeedway, but the flat tracks are a whole other deal. You’ve got to roll in and out of the throttle a lot and know when and how much to brake, and I get a little lost with that on the flat tracks.
“It’s hard to come out here and get it down with only a few days of practice, but we’ll do the best we can come race day. But like I said, as of now, I’ve got a long way to go.”
True Value IROC testing and practice resume Wednesday at Indianapolis.
Tickets: Reserved-seat Race Day tickets for the Brickyard 400 remain available. Tickets and parking can be purchased on the World Wide Web via www.imstix.com or by calling the IMS Ticket Office at (800) 822-INDY or (317) 492-6700.
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