LONG POND, Pa. – Verizon IndyCar Series driver Charlie Kimball checked out a special Indy car on display in the paddock of Pocono Raceway as part of the vintage race car event to complement the Pocono INDYCAR 500 fueled by Sunoco.
The 1983 Patrick Wildcat chassis, which was driven that season by Chip Ganassi, Gordon Johncock and Johnny Rutherford, was designed and engineered by his father Gordon Kimball. Wildcat was chosen as the name of the series of chassis because team owner Pat Patrick’s business, Patrick Petroleum, was a wildcat drilling company.
Gordon Kimball designed Indy cars for Parnelli Jones, Chaparral and the Patrick Racing teams from 1976-83, and designed Formula One cars for McLaren, Ferrari and Benetton Racing from 1984-92.
Charlie Kimball, who scored a then-career-best runner-up finish at Pocono Raceway in July 2013, was born in England when his father worked with McLaren.
Kimball, driving the No. 83 Levemir FlexTouch car for Novo Nordisk Chip Ganassi Racing, started and finished 17th in the 200-lap race at Pocono in Round 11 of 18 of the season.
"I think the first half (of the season) has been kind of a tale of two stories," he said. "When we’ve finished, we’ve been inside the top 10. We had a really good battle to claim a top-five in the second race at Houston last weekend and the second race in Detroit to get that podium. But we’ve also fought a few DNFs. A couple of mechanical challenges, and then getting caught up in incidents both during the (Indianapolis) 500 as well as Race 1 at Houston.
"For the second half of the season, I think we are trying to solidify that consistency, and continue to get to the end of races, and keep our streak going of getting to the end, and finishing well when we do.”
Bob Harkey, 84, who made six Indianapolis 500 starts among 85 Indy car races overall, was the grand marshal for the vintage event.
Hawksworth released from hospital, No. 98 backup being prepared for Iowa Speedway
Verizon IndyCar Series rookie Jack Hawksworth, who was not cleared to drive in the 200-lap race because of a myocardial contusion suffered in a practice crash July 5, was released from Lehigh Valley Health Network in Allentown, Pa., where he was held overnight for observation.
Hawksworth will be re-evaluated July 8 by the INDYCAR medical team before being cleared to drive July 11-12 at Iowa Speedway. The crew was making initial preparations to the backup chassis in the garage at Pocono Raceway during the race and will complete the process at its Indianapolis shop this week. The driver and entrant earned half points (8) for the race weekend.
Of note
The average speed of the race at the halfway point (100 laps) was 209.1 mph. ... The race was Ed Carpenter’s 150th Verizon IndyCar Series start. … The No. 27 United Fiber & Data Andretti Autosport crew and the No. 12 Verizon Team Penske crew earned Firestone Pit Stop Performance Awards for the Shell and Pennzoil Grand Prix of Houston presented by the Greater Houston Honda Dealers doubleheader. They were presented $5,000 checks during pre-race festivities. … Pocono Raceway announced a multi-year partnership with Bernard Richards Manufacture as its Official Timekeeper. ... A group of U.S. Joint Services servicemen gave the command to start engines for the three-wide start.