IPS: Indianapolis: Guthrie Racing test wrap-up

SEAN GUTHRIE AND TOM WIERINGA COMPLETE SUCCESSFUL INDY PRO SERIES TEST AT THE INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY IN PREPARATION FOR THE UPCOMING "FREEDOM 100"

JIM GUTHRIE QUOTE ON INDY TEST:

"What do they say about failure? 'Sometimes failure is just another key step to the process of success.' Or didn't Thomas Edison say something like, 'I'll show you a thousand ways how not to make a light bulb and one way to make one.' That's how I feel right now. We did learn a lot during last weekend's test, and I hope the direction we headed in is the right one, because the direction we took at the test was definitely the wrong one. The drivers have done all that they can do. They were both consistent and made themselves non-variables, keeping the car as the variable. The team can't do any more. We haven't figured out what the car likes, but we know what it doesn't like, at least at Indy. Hopefully what we learned at the test will translate into a new direction for us when we go back to Indy at the end of May."

JIM GUTHRIE HISTORY AT THE INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY-OVAL:

Jim competed three times in the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race: 1996-(started 19th, finished 18th due to engine failure),1997-(started 6th, finished 26th due to engine failure, 1998-(started 20th, finished 29th due to big Turn 3 crash).

SEAN GUTHRIE QUOTE ON INDY TEST:

"Looking back at this past weekend's test, we were able to learn a lot, and headed off a lot of potential problems with the new car. We keep learning what not to do. Looking at the data from Tom (Wieringa, teammate) and I, it looked like I was a few miles an hour faster in the corners, but by the end of the straights, he was going faster than I was. So, between now and the race, we are going to be analyzing the differences between the cars to see if we can't get the speed we need down the straights while also maintaining our corner speed. If we can do that, we should easily take off a half of a second from our time and put us very close to the top five in speeds. I have to believe and hope that we are going in the right direction, and at least learning what not to do. Hopefully we'll also figure out what to do soon."

SEAN GUTHRIE HISTORY AT THE INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY-OVAL:

Guthrie started 12th and finished 11th in the 2006 "Freedom 100," his first race competing in the Indy Pro Series (he was too young to compete in the first Indy Pro Series events of 2006, turning 18 on April 18th of that year).

TOM WIERINGA QUOTE ON INDY TEST:

"Friday testing on the huge Indy oval was a bit unnerving, as the temperature hovered at about 50 degrees, and bits of rain and drizzle confounded any meaningful results. We didn't have any grip, and it was no fun washing out to the walls at more than 180 mph with little steering input. We only did a handful of parade laps around that day before the IRL postponed the rest of the test until Saturday between 10 am and 2 pm. It was still cool on Saturday morning, but it was at least sunny. Right out of the box, the car performed better, but it had a diabolical push, especially in turns one and two. Later, it was found that the tires from the day before didn't set properly with the extremely cold temps, so we put on new rubber, and the whole car came in fairly quickly to where we were finally going flat to the floor all the way around the track. We started out slower and got progressively faster after we sorted out the tires and chassis, and we ended up being one of the quicker cars in the afternoon. We were pretty happy with the setup and, aside from some minor tweaks, are planning on running the same car at during the Indy Pro Series practice and qualifying sessions on Thursday, May 24th. We only have one 45-minute practice before we qualify, so I'm pleased we have sorted out a good race car."

TOM WIERINGA HISTORY AT THE INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY-OVAL:

Tom competed in the 2006 "Freedom 100"

NOTES OF INTEREST:

* The Guthrie Racing Team is blogging on a regular basis on www.IndyProRacer.com, a new website dedicated solely to news surrounding the Indy Pro Series. Check out Tom Wieringa's latest entry that explains in more detail how his test at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway went this past weekend. Sean Guthrie also has posted an entertaining and informative blog entry recapping the first part of his 2007 season. Look for more blog entries from the Guthrie Racing drivers, as well as entries from owner Jim Guthrie, on a regular basis throughout the Indy Pro Series season.

* The Guthrie Racing drivers paid tribute to the families of the Virginia Tech victims shot and killed in the massacre on their campus a few weeks ago. Both drivers ran a ribbon decal on their car that stated, "We Will Recover But Never Forget -- 4/16/2007." The ribbon was orange and burgundy, and included the Virginia Tech logo.

* The Guthrie Racing Team, normally based out of Albuquerque, NM, where the Guthrie's reside, left their transporter, cars and all equipment at a rented shop in Brownsburg, Ind., where the team will work out of between May and the middle of August, when the series moves away from Midwest venues to Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, Calif.

* A total of 1663 laps were completed on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway 2.5-mile oval on April 27-28 between 24 Indy Pro Series drivers.

* Last year, nine drivers combined to make 18 starts for the Guthrie Racing Team. This year, the team plans to campaign Guthrie and Wieringa for the full season. That continuity should breed familiarity among the team and lead to stronger results on the track on a more consistent basis.

* Watch For A Young Winner: Jim Guthrie hoisted an IndyCar Series trophy at Phoenix International Raceway in 1997, and he was also named IRL "Rookie of the Year" during that season. This year, the team hopes Sean Guthrie will hoist an Indy Pro Series trophy. While the series has had younger winners, such as Marco Andretti, a win by Guthrie would make him one of the youngest in series history (Guthrie will turn 19 years old on April 18th).

* The Guthrie Racing team can not only claim one of the youngest racers in the IRL Indy Pro Series with 18-year-old Sean Guthrie, but also the oldest competitor in Tom Wieringa, who will be 55 years old in June. * Record-setting season unfolding: The 2007 season will be one of records for the Indy Pro Series. The season features a series-record 16 races on nine road courses and seven ovals, competitors will vie for a record amount of prize money -- almost $4 million.

-credit: gr