Justin Wilson: A Fast Fifth Surprises … Again
By Daryle Hier
Spanish philosopher Baltasar Gracian once said, ‘Don’t show off every day, or you’ll stop surprising people.” Well, Justin Wilson of Dale Coyne Racing better be careful because if he shows off anymore, it won’t be a surprise.
May 2013; Indianapolis, IN, USA: IndyCar driver Justin Wilson at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Wilson in the #19 Boy Scouts of America Honda qualified 14th for the ‘Greatest Spectacle in Racing’ and by the time the 500 mile race was over, he had worked his car up into a top five spot, marking the best result of any of the Honda-powered entries. Wilson finished a somewhat surprising fifth place at Indianapolis on Sunday … but was it surprising?
Blazing race
First off, as far as the Indy 500 was concerned, it wasn’t easy to finish near the front in this race. With over 300,000 fans, there were a record 68 lead changes amongst 14 drivers, which was another record. The average speed was 187.433 mph – a blazing average and also a record. The finish was somewhat anti-climatic as the checkered flag flew under caution due to a crash by last year’s winner, Dario Franchitti, with three laps to go. Tony Kanaan was leading at the yellow and won a very popular victory. Rookie Carlos Munoz finished an astounding second with reigning IndyCar champion Ryan Hunter-Reay earning a third. Marco Andretti, who had a strong car all day, was fourth with Wilson’s Dale Coyne-prepared car fifth.
Wilson, who struggled near the middle of the race, was fast at the beginning and end of the long but speedy event. He started in the middle of row five and worked his way into the Top 10 early before bad tires caused handling problems, setting him back.
Wilson fastest
Wilson’s excellent speed while advancing through the field was no fluke. Other than the stint with the poor tires, the #19 car was fast. So fast that Wilson recorded the fastest lap of the race (source: Dale Coyne Racing), late in the going, turning in a speed of nearly 227 mph – faster than he qualified at.
Wilson’s charge to the front through the pack wasn’t easy and he said as much afterwards:
"“It was tough. I was trying to attack and not to lose places at the same time. I was nearly crashing the whole way.”"
The 34 year old 6’4” Wilson is originally from England but now resides in Colorado and many in the paddock regard as him one of the best in the business. He was twice a championship runner-up in ChampCar but the merger left him to battle and bounce around for whatever seat he could find. However, Wilson and the underfunded Dale Coyne owned operation teamed up last year and have worked hard so far this season. Except for running into a tire barrier in Brazil, Wilson has had an exceptional year that has him sixth in points after Indy with four Top 10s and a podium in 2013.
By the way, while people talk about former Formula One (F1) drivers like Takuma Sato and Sebastien Bourdais who now race in IndyCar, folks may have forgotten that Wilson drove
an entire season in F1 10 years ago. He even garnered a point for Jaguar at, where else, Indianapolis (road course).
Busy stretch
There’s no rest for the weary as IndyCar heads to Detroit this week for a rare double-header that will be part of four races in a 13 day stretch (see related articles). This period could tax this little team but then again, Dale Coyne Racing is used to the little things to keep them moving forward.
Well-known Honda-powered teams owned by the likes of Chip Ganassi, A.J. Foyt, Bobby Rahal, Sarah Hartman and Sam Schmidt may get more of the publicity, but when it came to performing at the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway, one car out of the Honda stable was the best: Justin Wilson and Dale Coyne Racing. Should this be a surprise anymore?
Additional sources: IndyCar
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