GUSTAVO YACAMAN of Colombia/Team Moore Racing has the pole position for Friday’s Firestone Freedom 100 Indy Lights Race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. His lap was 01:35.9913/187.517 mph. This Yacaman’s first pole position. He currently is fifth in the standings, of 18 drivers.
Yacaman said “I’m really pleased. It’s pretty windy out there, for sure. We have a really good race car.”
Second was VICTOR CARBONE of Brazil/Sam Schmidt Motorsports – his best starting position. Rookie CARLOS MUNOZ from Colombia/Andretti Autosport qualified third.
The track record is 01:34.6485 seconds/190.177 mph set by WADE CUNNINGHAM in 2009. Cunningham, an Indianapolis 500 Rookie this year, is racing for A.J. Foyt Racing this weekend, and will start twenty-sixth.
The 40-lap Indy Lights race starts at 12:30 pm ET. Among the ‘talent’ for the TV broadcast will be two-time Indy 500 Champion, DARIO FRANCHITTI/Target Chip Ganassi Racing Honda; Indy 500 veteran ARIE LUYENDYK. They will be Driver Analysts for the live TV broadcast, airing on NBC Sports Network. MIKE KING is the play-by-play announcer.
Indycar has announced that the Firestone Indy Lights Series would like to have new car for 2014. Requests for proposals have already been given to prospective manufacturers, with 30 June 2012 as the due date. WILL PHILLIPS, INDYCAR Vice President of Technology, and VINCE KREMER, Firestone Indy Lights Technical Director will be supervising the project.
Kremer said “It is our intent to remain a spec series, as it creates the right platform to identify driver talent and contain costs. We want to make sure it is done in the right economic structure for our teams.”
The series would like the new chassis to be of contemporary, sophisticated and forward thinking race design.
Paddle shifting, data systems and sensors are among the looked for technology improvements.
Meeting or surpassing current FIA static and impact regulations but also considering the wide variety of driver frames and seating positions.
Keeping a good business model in mind, the hoped for aero package should include increased real estate for sponsorship placement on the car.
The new car should also greener – ability to integrate alternative fuel sources.
The Lights series has lived up to its name as third run in the Mazda Road to Indy driver development series. Recent Indy Lights champions now racing the IZOD IndyCar Series are JOSEF NEWGARDEN/2011; JR HILDEBRAND/2009; and WADE CUNNINGHAM/2005.