LEEDS, Alabama – Ryan Hunter-Reay started last Sunday’s Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama realizing he had plenty of work to do because he was starting way back in 18th place on the 23-car grid. He arrived at Barber Motorsports Park with a bit of a sour look on his face because he was still upset over the INDYCAR penalty from his role in the crash at the end of the race at NOLA Motorsports Park on April 12.
Hunter-Reay simply couldn’t get his car to work in Saturday’s qualifications and believed his team was going to have to get creative in the race.
Andretti Autosport must have found something because the 2012 Verizon IndyCar Series champion and 2014 Indianapolis 500 winner raced hard and fast – all the way to a top-five finish in a race where Josef Newgarden captured his first career victory.
“We got away out of here with a decent result but we have a mountain of work in front of us,” Hunter-Reay said after finishing fifth. “Really, it’s making the balance of the car work and making the Aero Kit work for us the right way.
“It’s a bit of a relief. I don’t feel good – but it’s a bit of a relief to get out of here with a top five. It’s getting there but we are still at a big deficit on overall pace.”
Team owner Michael Andretti believed the team used good strategy for all three drivers and Hunter-Reay did a great job of saving fuel and still racing fast.
“Not bad – three cars in the top 10,” Andretti said. “It was good racing because of the strategies and the way the yellows came out. Ryan had a chip on his shoulder and that’s not bad – that’s the way it should be. Those yellows came out at the perfect times to mix strategies and that is when it became fun.”
Hunter-Reay was involved in one issue on the track when rookie driver Sage Karam of Chip Ganassi Racing ran into the side of him at high speed. That still burned the IndyCar champion afterwards and he decided to take it up with Karam.
“He threw me right off the track,” Hunter-Reay said. “Where is that little squirrel?”
With that he approached Karam on pit lane and said, “That was pretty stupid. You’re going to be on probation, I hope.”
“Why?” Karam asked.
“You drove me off the track,” Hunter-Reay said. “You’re going to be on probation with me.”
“I didn’t mean to,” Karam said. “Where did it happen?”
“At the exit of Turn 2. You hit me hard,” Hunter-Reay said. “Don’t worry, I’ll keep the probation room ready for you.”
Whether or not Karam is penalized remains to be seen but there is a fire of intensity burning inside of Hunter-Reay at the moment as he heads to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway where he will defend his Indianapolis 500 victory on May 24.