Look at these faces and remember their names. They are the drivers of the future.
Rookie MATTHEW BRABHAM/No.33 Andretti Autosport took his first pole position for the Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires race Saturday afternoon. The third-generation racer turned a lap of 1:18.4256/111.958. He came to the series courtesy of the scholarship he earned from winning the 2013 Pro Mazda championship.
GABBY CHAVES/No.5 Belardi Auto Racing will join him on the front row.
Brabham said taking pole “was a confidence builder after the less than stellar start to his Lights season. We kept moving forward with the car during the weekend getting faster and faster.”
Both Brabham and Chaves lauded the IMS road course. Brabs said it was a nice change from other street and road courses, nice and smooth, like Circuit of the Americas, where I drove last year in the Pro Mazda race. This track is like a European track.”
Chaves said “I’ve won races from second position (and lost races from the pole). The Lights competition is the highest it’s ever been, so we have to keep pushing ourselves.”
SPENCER PIGOT/No.7 Juncos Racing has the pole position for Pro Mazda Powered by Mazda series, with a lap of 1:22.9623/105.836 mph, the only driver to drop down into the 22’s. All nineteen drivers were on track. SCOTT HARGROVE/No.3 Cape Motorsports w /WTR, who had been fastest overall this weekend will start the race on the front row with Pigot.
Four of the 20 drivers are in the Expert Class and nine are Rookies.
HENRIK FURUSETH/No.96 JAY Motorsports took the pole for the Cooper Tires USF2000 group, with a lap of 1:31.9800/95.460 mph. Up until qualifying, the fastest Furuseth went this weekend was P5. The top Rookie was TIM HOLLOWELL/No.12 GBI Racing, in fourth place. All 22 drivers were on track, and half the field are Rookies.