KVSH & KVSH/JBR Indianapolis 500 Race Reports

SEBASTIEN BOURDAIS
NO. 11 HYDROXYCUT/HAUS VAPORIZER KV RACING TECHNOLOGY CHEVROLET/DALLARA/FIRESTONE
Qualified: 7th
Finished: 11th

“It was a tough day for the Hydroxycut Haus Vaporizer team. I was dreading these conditions because on Monday and Carb Day we saw that we were not on the money when the track temperature went up. Unfortunately, it was 85 degrees and windy today. The track temp got up to 125 degrees, so I just did the best I could. I really struggled on restarts and lost a bunch of positions. That is something I am going to have to work on. The balance wasn’t an issue we just lacked overall grip. I was hoping I could stay at the front and make up a couple of positions at the start of the race, but instead I lost a couple straightaway. However, we stuck it out and almost finished in the top-10, so we will move on from there. Overall, I feel kind of lucky and happy to finish 11th.”

Fast Facts:
* This was Bourdais’ fifth Indianapolis 500 race. He earned his best qualifying position, seventh, and his second best finish (placed seventh last year).
* Bourdais has finished in the top-10 in four of the first six races of the 2015 Verizon IndyCar Series season (St. Petersburg, sixth; Long Beach, sixth, Alabama, eighth and the GP of Indy, fourth). He was also running sixth before a late pit stop at NOLA dropped him out of the top-10. He was then collected in an incident and finished 21st.
* Bourdais now sits seventh in the championship standings with 161 points, 43 out of fifth place.
* The 2015 Indianapolis 500 was Bourdais’ 137th Verizon IndyCar Series start, 22nd on an oval, 24th with KVSH Racing and fifth at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
* Of Bourdais’ 22 career oval starts, 13 have come in the last two years.
* Bourdais has made 15 IndyCar oval starts with a best qualifying of fourth at Fontana in 2013 and a best finish of seventh at the Indianapolis 500 last year.
* Bourdais made seven oval starts in Champ Cars earning four victories: Lausitz in 2003, Las Vegas in 2004, 2005, and Milwaukee 2006.

 

Stefano Coletti
No. 4 KV Racing Technology Chevrolet/Dallara/Firestone

Qualified: 32nd
Started: 29th
Finished: 25th

“We had a pretty difficult start to the race. The No. 4 KVRT car had a lot of under steer in traffic but with each pit stop we were able to make changes and in the end the car started to feel good in the last stint. We were finally able to run in the tow and attempt some passes. With about 25 laps to go, I was coming into turn 4 and the two guys in front of me crashed and hit the wall and I was able to avoid the first one, but not the second. Its unfortunate because I think I could of had a top-15, but that’s the way it ended. I just wanted to finish my first Indy 500 and I didn’t so hopefully I can do better next year.”

Fast Facts:
* Coletti not only made his Indianapolis 500 today, this was also Coletti’s first oval race.
* Coletti is the first native of Monaco to run in an IndyCar race since Louis Chiron participated in the 1929 Indianapolis 500.
* Coletti ran as high as 16th in his first oval race today
* He picked up 10 points today and now sits 20th in the championship standings, with 75 points, 31 out of 15th.
* Coletti, 26, still resides in Monaco

 

BRYAN CLAUSON
NO. 88 JONATHAN BYRD’S RACING/ CANCER TREATMENT CENTERS OF AMERICA CHEVROLET/DALLARA/FIRESTONE

Qualified: 33rd
Started: 30th
Finished: 31st

Fast Facts:
* The 2015 Indianapolis 500 was Clauson’s second Verizon IndyCar Series start, first with KVSH/Jonathan Byrd’s Racing and second at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
* In his previous Indy 500 start, Clauson qualified 31st and finished 30th with Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing in 2012
* Clauson competes full-time in the National Sprint League in Winged Sprint cars. He currently sits third in the championship standings with 829 points, 156 out of first.
* In 2011, Clauson ran six Indy Lights races for Sam Schmidt Motorsports earning five top-10 finishes including four top-five showings, a podium (third) at Iowa and took the pole for the Freedom 100 at IMS. In 2012, he ran two Indy Lights events for Fan Force United placing 10th at both Milwaukee and Iowa.