NASCAR Cup

Michigan: AGR/Wheldon preview

Wheldon looking for a change of fortune in Colorado INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (June 10, 2003) -- Klein Tools/Jim Beam driver Dan Wheldon is looking to get things turned around this weekend in the Honda Indy 225 at Pikes Peak International Raceway (PPIR) ...

Published: Jun 11, 2003, 8:52 PM

Copy link

Share on Viber

Add as a preferred source

Wheldon looking for a change of fortune in Colorado

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (June 10, 2003) -- Klein Tools/Jim Beam driver Dan Wheldon is looking to get things turned around this weekend in the Honda Indy 225 at Pikes Peak International Raceway (PPIR) after suffering through disappointment in the last two Indy Racing League (IRL) IndyCar^Ù Series races.

After a seventh place finish in Motegi, Japan on April 13, Wheldon has run competitively, but failed to finish in his last two starts and is looking to get back in a groove heading into a stretch of summer events.

With the competition so close in the IRL's IndyCar^Ù Series, an extra importance has been put on qualifying. With all of the cars running so close together, any advantage in track position is a premium the team will take. The 24- year-old rookie tested at PPIR in mid-May, logging Andretti Green Racing's first laps around the one-mile oval. The Klein Tools/Jim Beam team was able to collect a lot of data, and while Wheldon learned a lot, he knows he will have his work cut out for him this weekend.

"It has been disappointing the last couple of races," said Wheldon. "I'm looking forward to having a strong weekend where we can qualify well, run up front and not get involved in all the trouble that goes on when you qualify in the middle of the field. Our test went well at Pikes Peak and the Klein Tools/Jim Beam crew will stand me in good stead for a good result."

Though the team is disappointed in its last two finishes, team manager Tony Cotman is confident things will get turned around.

"Dan is doing a great job for us," said Cotman. "Even though he is a rookie, he has provided great feedback for the engineers and he is working well with his teammates. Right now we have hit a stretch of bad luck that we need to turn around and I'm sure we can get back on track this weekend."

- AGR -

We want your opinion!

What would you like to see on Motorsport.com?

Take our 5 minute survey.

- The Motorsport.com Team

Read and post comments

Share Or Save This Story

Copy link

Share on Viber

Previous article Michigan: Jamie McMurray preview

Next article Zipadelli comments regarding car release

Top Comments

There are no comments at the moment. Would you like to write one?

View More & Comment

Latest news

Sergio Perez to skip F1 Mexico GP fan forum due to illness

Formula 1

F1 Formula 1

Mexican GP

37 min

Sergio Perez to skip F1 Mexico GP fan forum due to illness

Lewis Hamilton on why he is “built differently” to stay in F1 for the “foreseeable future”

Formula 1

F1 Formula 1

Mexican GP

1 h

Lewis Hamilton on why he is “built differently” to stay in F1 for the “foreseeable future”

"Slippery as hell" – Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar explain the "extreme" challenge of Mexico

Formula 1

F1 Formula 1

Mexican GP

2 h

"Slippery as hell" – Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar explain the "extreme" challenge of Mexico

Pato O'Ward questions promoters in Mexico after IndyCar Barcelona race confirmation

IndyCar

Indy IndyCar 2 h

Pato O'Ward questions promoters in Mexico after IndyCar Barcelona race confirmation

Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.

From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.

You have 2 options:

Become a subscriber.
Disable your adblocker.

Subscribe now Already subscribed? Sign in here

Already disabled your adblocker?
Reload page

Manage Alerts