Townsend Bell says he hopes the bold Robert Graham-designed livery for the No. 6 KV Racing Technology entry in the 98th Indianapolis 500 Mile Race “is as fast as it looks.”
Bell, 39, who will seek to make his eighth start in the “500” on May 25, unveiled the paint scheme and firesuit before the Grand Prix of Indianapolis. His best finish of fourth came with the team co-owned by Jimmy Vasser and Kevin Kalkhoven in 2009.
“Hopefully, this car is going to be as fast as it was last year with (race winner) Tony Kanaan,” Bell said. “I’m looking forward to a great month. I’m working with one of my favorite engineers, Gerald Tyler, so it’s like slipping into old shoes in a way.”
The chassis features a solid black paint scheme juxtaposed with a dominant color splash and the brand's logo. The interior of the cockpit features a multi-color paint scheme.
“You can’t do this without great sponsors, and when you have fun, cool, hip, passionate sponsors it makes it really fun added Bell, who is an NBCSN analyst on Verizon IndyCar Series race telecasts and competes in sports car racing. “Robert Graham is all about out with the old and in with the bold, and I think we have something that is pretty bold this year. All the fans seem to love it."
Road race 'shows the diversity' of teams
Lyn St. James, a former Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year and the second female driver to compete on the oval, will drive on the road course in June in the Vintage Pro-Am race.
“I’m a road racer first; that’s how I came up through racing," she said. "The Indianapolis 500 was my first oval race. It’s fabulous to see it (road race) here at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. It shows the diversity of these teams. Also, the '500' may be the only race fans go to and they maybe don’t understand what they see when they watch a road race on TV. To see it here is phenomenal."
He said it
Celebrity chef Vic Vegas, who participated in the Rev charity event May 9 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, took a ride on the road course in a two-seat Indy car.
"I forgot about the word 'job' for some reason in this equation. This is called living life. From helicopter rides to 'Hey, Mario Andretti. I always wanted to meet you. You mean I'm getting in a car with you? Wait a minute, you're going 200 miles per hour?' It's a dream. I don't want to wake up right now."
Of note
Integrity Energee Drink will be the primary sponsor of the No. 98 BHA/BBM with Curb-Agajanian car driven by Verizon IndyCar Series rookie Jack Hawksworth, starting with the Grand Prix of Indianapolis. … Schmidt Peterson Motorsports has re-signed long-time team sponsor KECO Coatings, which supplies coating processes to high-performance industries. ... Simon Pagenaud earned his third Verizon IndyCar Series victory and first since September 2013 at Baltimore. ... Pagenaud has finished in the top five in all four races this season. ... Ryan Hunter-Reay earned his third podium this season (victory and two runner-up finishes). ... Jack Hawksworth, who earned his first front-row start, led his first laps (31), which was most laps led in race. ... About 18 hours after the checkered flag flies on the Grand Prix, the 2.5-mile oval opens for the initial practice session for the 98th Indianapolis 500. Verizon IndyCar Series team owner and Indianapolis 500 veteran Sarah Fisher will be the honorary starter for the noon-6 p.m. (ET) session Mother's Day. Fisher and husband Andy O'Gara are expecting their second child June 19.