Chapter 8

The first day of qualifying for the 2012 Indianapolis 500 mile race.  We would get on the track today, but we didn’t have any plans to qualify.  The plan was to skip the morning warm-up, as running between 8am and 10am, at least for today, accomplishes nothing for us.  We’re not going to find that last little bit of speed to contend for the fast 9 or even the top 24, and we’re not going to learn anything that could apply to what is looking to be an extremely warm race day next weekend, so there’s not much point in using up a set of tires, putting miles on our engine, or tweaking the car at all.

So we knew we would eventually get on track, during the hot part of the day after the initial break in the qualifying line, allowing us to run in the hot part of the day.  This actually would let us learn about our race car in a way that would be useful for both qualifying and the race itself, though time would be short.  Track time for us came at 2:30pm.  We started with some used tires, just to check the balance after some moderate overnight changes geared towards increasing mechanical grip.  Plus, the guys put a little downforce back into it, just to compensate for a track that was going to be the hottest that this car was yet to see – 127 degrees when Jean wheeled the #64 FP Journe Watches machine on to the racing surface.  Just four laps are sufficient (a bit of a mock simulated qualifying run), and Jean and the Fan Force United engineering staff gets a quick read on the car.  Top speed on that run was 211.5mph.

We’ve been steadily adding names to the Lotus Fan Force United car.  We’ve previously announced the inclusion of long-time IndyCar supporter Jonathan Byrd’s as a sponsor of our Indy 500 effort (www.jonathanbyrds.com, www.facebook.com/jonathanbyrdscafeteria).  Naturally, Jonathan Byrd’s, so famous for its fried chicken, graces the front wings of the car.  So many people have responded to having them on board, and it’s been pretty great tapping into a little bit of Indy nostalgia.  AMG (Automotive Management Group www.youramg.com) has also come on board with our Indy 500 program, and you’ll find AMG on the top of the nose.  Yesterday, we had another group sign on, as Breeden Legal (www.breedenlegal.com, www.facebook.com/breedenlegal, @BreedenLegal) makes its 2012 Indy 500 debut, landing a spot on the side of the nose, ahead of the front tires.  Finally, on the “shark fin” ahead of the sidepods, you’ll find that Keco Coatings has joined the campaign (www.kecocoatings.com). You can check our twitter feed (@LotusFanForce) for pictures.  The chance to be a part of what we are doing, both on and off the track, appears to be appealing.  I’m sure that the chance to have a hand in the Indy 500 debut of a legendary racer like Jean Alesi has quite a bit to do with the rush to sign on as well.  As we head into race week, who else will join up with the Fan Force United team?  To get in on the action, email us at lotusfanforceunited@gmail.com, and we can start a conversation.  It might be easier than you think! 

By the way, we want to thank each of these groups (Jonathan Byrd’s, AMG, Breeden Legal, and Keco Coatings), as all of them are on board as sponsors of our Indy Lights team (drivers Armaan Ebrahim and Emerson Newton-John) as well, and will be adorning our two cars that will be competing in the Freedom 100 later this week. 

Getting back to the track action, 2:57pm sees Jean’s second and final visit to the racing circuit.  There is a brief reprieve from the heat, as the sun temporarily ducks behind some clouds.  However, it is soon burning down again, increasing the misery index on what feels like the most humid day to date this month.  This run will be a simulated qualifying run, so sticker tires are placed on the car.  Jean posts four laps all in excess of 211mph and brings the car to pit lane.  Considering the heat and humidity, that was just about what was expected after the speeds that Jean posted Friday.  There’s no point in chasing the track, and making changes that will not be helpful for qualifying, as different track conditions will be expected in the morning practice and in the first half of qualifying, so Jean hops out of the car, that portion of his work for the day complete.  The team feels confident that Jean will put up his best speeds of the month on Sunday, get himself qualified for the “greatest spectacle in racing,” and will be taking advantage of every last minute of practice to continue preparing their car for the race.    

Team co-owner and Indy 500 veteran, Tyce Carlson summed up the team’s approach to the day: “Everybody on this team has been around the Speedway for a long time.  They know what the day is like and the amount of momentum that goes into it, along with the risks that other people out on the track are taking looking for that last bit of speed to make a run for the pole.  So we didn’t want to be out on the track this morning and possibly be in somebody’s way when they are making a simulated qualifying run.  So we let that go and we went out this afternoon, just making sure that our balance is the same and to see what the car would do in the heat of the day, because that’s how race day is going to be.  We knew that we weren’t going to be in the top twenty-four today.  We’re realists here, and we didn’t want to waste a set of tires.  We’re going to go out first thing in the morning, make sure the balance is there, take the first opportunity to qualify that we can, put the car in the show, and keep working towards the race.”   

Don’t forget, to
Join the Fan Force by liking us at www.facebook.com/fanforceunited

Visit our website and sign the contract at www.fanforceunited.com
Follow us on twitter @LotusFanForce & @FanForceUnited
Reach us at lotusfanforceunited@gmail.com
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