After they played major roles in the controversial finish of the 2002 Indianapolis 500, former Champ Car team owner Barry Green will be back in Paul Tracy’s corner for this year’s running.
Green will be Tracy’s race strategist as he drives the No. 15 GEICO-backed entry for KV Racing Technology on May 30. After he and Tracy’s unsuccessful protest about the ’02 finish — in which they said that Tracy (driving for Team KOOL Green) passed race winner Helio Castroneves before the caution lights came on for a crash with two laps to go involving Laurent Redon and Buddy Lazier — Green would eventually sell his squad to Michael Andretti, younger brother Kim Green and Kevin Savoree, who formed Andretti Green Racing (the predecessor to the current Andretti Autosport).
In a team release, Tracy stated that Green had “the same desire and commitment to winning” as he did.
“When [KVRT co-owner] Jimmy [Vasser] and I sat down at Long Beach to discuss our Indy 500 plans, Jimmy told me he couldn’t be as hands-on with my car as he was last year,” said Tracy in the release. “He asked me to explore the right person to help me at Indy. It didn’t take long to think of Barry…Obviously, he was my choice to work with me this year. I know we have some unfinished business at the Speedway.”
You can check out the full release here.
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A family affair for the Rahals at Indy
After running three events this year with Sarah Fisher Racing, American driver Graham Rahal will suit up for his father’s Rahal/Letterman Racing team at the Indy 500.
According to Gary Graves of USA Today, Graham will drive the No. 30 machine with a sponsor to be named before practice begins on May 16 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
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Weepers force cancellation of Kentucky test
Weekend and overnight rain left behind weepers on the 1.5-mile Kentucky Speedway oval, forcing the IRL to cancel a major test session there today. According to IndyCar.com, fourteen drivers were slated to log laps during the test, which will not be rescheduled.
“It’s a difficult decision to cancel the test,” said IRL president of competition Brian Barnhart in statements released by the league and Kentucky Speedway. “You have a beautiful day and it’s a shame we can’t be on track. It’s not worth the risk right now. There’s no upside to it at all. The conditions aren’t what they need to be to go out and run the race cars, and learn what the teams here need to learn.”
