In Kentucky, it's about Horsepower
Engine woes: Donnie Beechler's engine shut off just as he started his qualifying run. The crew tries to determine the problem in the pits and finally had to change motors for the race. Beechler started last. |
By A.J. Foyt
I've been to Kentucky many times. First it was because of racehorses and now it's because of racecars but one thing hasn't changed. It's all about horsepower. And we didn't have it this weekend at Kentucky Speedway.
Our problems showed up the first day of practice when both my drivers Eliseo Salazar and Donnie Beechler complained that the engines seemed flat. At first we chalked it up to the practice engines and being off on the gearing. After we changed the engines and the gears, and still had the problem, I knew this wasn't going to be fixed at the racetrack.
In spite of our troubles, Beechler drove a helluva race. He had to start last (22nd) because when he was coming down for the green flag in qualifying, the engine shut down. The cam trigger (which tells the motor when it's supposed to spark) broke. There wasn't enough time to change engines, which takes about two hours, so he didn't qualify which is why he started last.
Salazar started 14th because he was hitting the rev limiter during his qualifying run. Our engine department was getting an earful Saturday afternoon. We did make some changes that helped the Harrah's cars in the final practice but I still wasn't totally satisfied.
The Kentucky Indy 300 was an exciting race for the fans thanks to Buddy Lazier. He could put that car anywhere he wanted which was a good thing because there were times when the racing got pretty tight between him and Scott Sharp and later on, Robbie Buhl. Lazier won the race while Buhl ran out of fuel on the last lap. Sharp ended up second.
In our case, Salazar got running better as we adjusted the car during the race. He got as high as sixth but he had a problem when he came into the pits on lap 155. He came in too fast, jumped on the brakes and it came around on him. He spun out! I couldn't believe it. By the time they got him back to our pit, he lost three laps. He ended up 15th. But he still managed to hang onto fifth place in the IRL point standings.
Beechler drove a good race. At one point though, he got up high on the track and picked up some loose rubber, which made the car real loose. He wanted to pit for new tires but I told him to stay out and nurse it because we would lose a lap if he pitted just then. He did what I told him and eventually the rubber came off the tires and he began picking off cars. Sometimes it's just as important to engineer the drivers as it is to engineer the cars. He finished fifth and won the Firstar Star of the Race award, which goes to the guy who improves his position the most.
This week my grandson, A.J. Foyt IV, is going to make his U.S. Auto Club debut in the Conseco/Craftsman No. 14 dirt champ car at Springfield, Ill. When we planned this, I didn't realize that it was 44 years to the weekend that I made my debut in the same series at the same track.
A.J. IV has won in everything he's driven so far which has been mostly go-karts and more recently F-2000 cars. The USAC Silver Bullet Series will be a big step up because the cars are bigger with a lot more horsepower. But I think he can handle it. After all, he's a Foyt.
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