Tom Reck
INDIANAPOLIS — Another IndyCar Series season begins March 24 with the XM Satellite Radio Indy 300 to be run at night at Homestead-Miami Speedway in Florida.
It’ll be the first of four events slated before the Indianapolis 500 starting with the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, Fla., on a street course set for April 1, followed by the Indy Japan 300 on April 21 and action at Kansas City, Mo., on April 29.
This year will be the second for all cars to be powered by Honda engines. Sam Hornish Jr. claimed his third series championship last year, his first with Team Penske. Penske and Ganassi Racing drivers dominated the season as Tony Kanaan and Marco Andretti of Andretti Green Racing were the only drivers not from the two top teams to win races.
Kanaan and Andretti are back with AG Racing and have a new teammate in Danica Patrick.
She is one of the veterans in the Indy Racing League series and made 30 starts with Rahal Letterman Racing in her first two seasons with 15 Top-10 finishes. She will be looking for her first victory this year.
Patrick came closest to winning a race her first year when she took the lead in the Indy 500 late in the race. It followed a top finish in Japan.
She says she feels more pressure to get that first-place finish.
“I will honestly say that I feel as the races [and seasons] go on, I feel more pressure to do well. I also know circumstances enter into it,” she said on a teleconference this week.
She noted her team had an engine advantage with the Honda her first year in the league. “While I drove better and more flawlessly and more aggressively and with more knowledge last year, it did not translate as much because of circumstances,” said the driver.
“I know when everything is right, when the season comes together with a good car, a good engine, a good team, good everything, success will come. But there are so many moving parts in auto racing,” said Patrick.
She said she has already learned from Kanaan, in particular, in the time she has spent with her new team. “They want to win as badly as I do,” she said. She said the main difference she has noted so far between this team and her old team is the eagerness to keep learning, developing and research.
She says she feels more confident as a driver. “I have learned what a car is supposed to feel like … and what I need in a car,” she noted.
Off the track, she says she would prefer to fix dinner for her husband and spend a night at home. “Life is more involved now and different,” she said.
Kevin Savoree of Paris, Ill., is one of the owners of her team. He says a lot of work has been done in the offseason and thinks it will pay dividends in the season to come.
“We’ve seen some big changes as an organization with Danica being added to the lineup. We’re really looking forward to going racing,” he said.
Kanaan echoes that feeling.
“We spent a lot of time … working very hard to close the gap,” said the 2004 series champ.
• Party time — Two preview parties are scheduled at Indianapolis Motor Speedway this month to kick off the Summer of Speed at the facility.
Both events will be in the Plaza Pavilion and will be free with a cash bar and cash buffet available at both.
The first is March 24 in connection with the IndyCar Series action and starts at 7 p.m.
Donald Davidson will sign copies of a new 500 history book he has written with Rick Shaffer and current 500 princesses, including Paige Williams of Terre Haute, will be in attendance.
The second party will be March 25 in connection with the Ford City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway. It begins at 11:30 a.m.
Tickets to the 2007 races and IMS merchandise will be on sale at both sessions.
