RACE NOTES – Barber Motorsports Park

Source: Team PR

BARBER MOTORSPORT PARK RACE NOTES

16th: RINUS VEEKAY No. 21 BITNILE.COM Chevrolet

25th: CONOR DALY No. 20 BITNILE.COM Chevrolet

NEXT RACE: GMR Grand Prix at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course, May 13 (NBC, 3:30 p.m. ET)

CONOR DALY, No. 20 BITNILE.COM Chevrolet, Finished 20th: “We definitely had pace when we decided to switch to the three-stop strategy. Unfortunately, we got caught behind the 14 car and he decided to put me off the track. Not soon after, we got ran off by the 15 car and that one definitely sent us to the back. It was just too hard to recover from there.”

OF NOTE:

  • Conor Daly qualified 20th for today’s NTT INDYCAR SERIES race at Barber Motorsports Park. He fell to 27th during the opening laps, but began to make up ground as his black Firestone Firehawk tires came up to temperature. He made his first pit stop on Lap 14, switching to a three-stop strategy. 
  • For his second stint, Daly selected black Firehawks. He cycled forward, moving up to the 14th position. The No. 20 BITNILE.COMChevrolet crew was able to complete Daly’s second pit stop right before the first and only full-course caution on Lap 39.
  • Daly was bumped off the track on two different occasions during his next stint but continued to focus forward. Again he cycled through the field, this time up to 15th before his third and final stop. After pitting on Lap 65, he rejoined the race in the 25th position where he would remain until the conclusion of the 90 lap event. 

RINUS VEEKAY, No. 21 BITNILE.COM Chevrolet, Finished 16th: “This was a tough race! It started off pretty well even though I was saving tires and fuel pretty hard. It turned out not to be enough and at the end of my first stint, I was just too far off. We were committed to the two-stop strategy and we had to stay out. The next two stints on black tires were pretty good, but I think that yellow helped out some guys on the three-stopper. I did everything I could, but it’s really hard to get the tire deg right and save fuel at the same time.”

OF NOTE:

  • Rinus VeeKay’s 50th career NTT INDYCAR SERIES race was off to a fast start. After qualifying 9th, he gained four positions in the first 15 laps and was running 5th. Having started the race on alternate red Firestone Firehawks, he slid back several positions as cars on primary black tires made up ground near the end of the stint.
  • VeeKay stretched his red tires to Lap 28, when he made his first pit stop from the 10th position. After a switch to black tires and a full load of fuel, VeeKay re-entered the race in the 17th position. Committed to a two-stop strategy, the No. 21 BITNILE.COM Chevrolet did not pit under the full course caution on Lap 42 as it would have necessitated a third stop. 
  • On Lap 60, VeeKay made his second and final pit stop. Though he was tasked with hitting a specific fuel number and managing his tires, he only lost one position in the closing laps. VeeKay took the checkered flag in the 16th position.