Kansas Speedway
Kansas Indy 300

Race Report: Kansas

The Foyt Racing Team appeared to have a great shot at repeating their doubleheader victories at Kansas Speedway Sunday.

 In the morning's Infiniti Pro Series race, Ed Carpenter started on the pole in the No. 14 Futaba Dallara and led three times for 46 of the 67 laps. However, Mark Taylor was able to slip under Carpenter and take the lead on lap 49. Carpenter took the lead back briefly on lap 65 but Taylor took it back moments later to win his third race of the year. He currently leads Carpenter by 61 points in the standings.

 In the Indy Racing League IndyCar Series, the Foyt team drivers' hopes for victory were dashed when they had contact with cars they were lapping in separate incidents. The accidents didn't bring out the yellows but they damaged the front wings on their cars.

 Bryan Herta won the Kansas Indy 300 when his fuel strategy allowed him to take the lead just five laps from the end. It was the first IRL victory for Herta who is replacing injured Dario Franchitti.

 Jaques Lazier, who was quickest in final practice, felt sure his No. 5 Dallara/Toyota was the car to beat at the start of the race. However, he finished 10^th, trying to salvage what he could after his team replaced the front wings and nose on his car.

Rookie A.J. Foyt IV drove a strong race in the No. 14 Conseco G-Force/Toyota on a hot sunny afternoon but fell out with a blown engine after 168 laps. He started 16^th and was credited with a 15^th place finish.

 Unfortunately both drivers had contact with cars they were lapping in separate incidents which damaged their front wings and required replacement of the front wing and nose assemblies.

 "I have incredibly mixed emotions," Lazier said afterwards. "The top-10 finish was good after we lost the front wing. But I am very disappointed because I was chopped four laps in a row by a slow car, and then he got me and wrecked my front wing. We had a top-five car, and I feel we had a shot to win. I'm crushed for myself and the whole team, but the good news is that we're making gains and getting faster and faster." 

 Foyt IV drove well in spite of numerous problems that plagued him during the 200-lapper. His first incident occurred early when Greg Ray made contact with Foyt as Foyt passed him on the backstretch. The contact affected the car's alignment slightly but not enough to cause Foyt to pit.

 Fortunately a caution came out for debris several laps later allowing Foyt to pit. His right rear tire's sidewall had been slashed in the incident with Ray but the inner tire had maintained air.

 A.J. Foyt radioed to his grandson, "We were real lucky to have that caution because that tire wouldn't have lasted much longer."

 Foyt returned to the field in 17^th position and had gotten as high as 13^th when the yellow came out for a serious accident involving rookie Dan Wheldon and Felipe Giaffone. Giaffone sustained a fractured right femur and pelvis; Wheldon walked away.

 Foyt IV was running ninth when his team owner decided to pit him under the lengthy caution. He emerged in 14^th place. Two laps into green flag racing Foyt was lapping Buddy Lazier when Lazier's car got loose and he lost control directly in front of Foyt. Foyt went low to avoid Lazier but ultimately hit him and straightened Lazier out. Unfortunately, Foyt's right front wing was severely bent and torn. He had to pit twice during a short caution period (for debris) to straighten it out.

 Team Conseco determined the front wing and nose assembly would have to be replaced but they were waiting for another caution to make the switch.

 Foyt drove the next 50 laps just a second or so off the pace despite the ill-handling car. "The car was real darty when I entered the turns," Foyt said. "I was never sure where it was going to go but I did the best job I could to just hold on until we could replace the wing."

 He eventually had to pit under green to fix the car and he lost several laps during the minute-long stop. The hasty repair compromised his car radio making it difficult for him to hear his crew and spotter. He pitted again under green trying to correct the problem but to no avail. However, he was able to keep pace with the leaders with the new nose assembly. He forged on until the motor blew forcing him out after 168 laps.

 "We were going pretty good in the beginning of the race even after Greg Ray came down on me and knocked the toe out of line," Foyt said.  "I was lapping a slower car just after a restart and he came down on me and bent and tore my right front wing. I pitted and we tried to fix it but we knew we'd have to replace it. I nursed it along but it cost us a lot of time and eventually we had to pit and change it under green. When we did, it messed up my radio--I could barely hear my spotter. Then at the end the motor blew up. It was a long day."

 "I was really proud of the way he drove today," said A.J. Foyt. "I took a gamble on pitting him when the leaders did not pit and it bit us because it put him in the back with the slower cars. I wish I hadn't done that because he would have been better off running with the faster guys. But he did a heckuva job running the car when it was handling so bad. He is getting better and better with each race he runs."

 Team Conseco is testing at Nashville Speedway this Wednesday in preparation for the Nashville Indy 200 on Saturday night July 18^th. The race will be broadcast live at 8 pm eastern on ESPN 2.

NOTES & QUOTES: Kansas Indy 300 at Kansas

A.J. Foyt IV: Conseco No. 14 G-Force/Toyota/Firestone
Jaques Lazier: No. 5 Dallara/Toyota/Firestone

Aventis Racing for Kids 100
Ed Carpenter: No. 14 Futaba/Delphi Dallara

A.J. Foyt returns to Kansas Speedway with good memories: "Last year at Kansas was very special to me, a day I will never forget. It was wonderful seeing my grandson win his first major race and then for us to go on and win the Indy car race with Airton Dare getting his first win, well it was unbelievable. It's a different ballgame this year but I think both of our guys will have good races there."

A.J. Foyt won his first USAC race at Kansas in May, 1957 at Olympic Stadium in Kansas City. He started 10th in Al Willey's No. 64 midget and won the 100-lapper at the quarter-mile dirt bullring.

A.J. Foyt IV on Kansas: "I left Richmond with a lot of confidence even though we have a wrecked car. The Conseco car was working good, I was able to run with those guys and it was a lot of fun. Going into Kansas, I'm excited because it's where I won my first race in the Infiniti Pro Series and where Airton Dare won his first Indy car race driving for Foyt Racing. I don't see any reason why I can't keep this trend going and win my first Indy car race there. I told my grandfather that and he said, ‘Just aim to have a good finish.' Hopefully, we'll do well."

Jaques Lazier: "I am very excited about racing at Kansas for Foyt Racing. We learned a lot at the IRL Open Test in Kentucky which will help us with our set-ups at Kansas. With A.J.'s past experience and the overall package we have with the Dallara and the Toyota, I think we'll be competitive right out of the box. I really like Kansas Speedway which is very similar to Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet where I won my first Indy Car race. I think we have a good shot at repeating the trip Foyt Racing made to Victory Lane last year."

Past performance for Foyt Racing at Kansas Speedway: Last year Airton Dare won after starting 6th while Greg Ray dropped out with oil pressure problems after starting 12th. Dare led twice, leading for five laps midway through the race and then he took the lead on the final restart and led the last three laps to beat Sam Hornish. In 2001, Donnie Beechler finished 3rd after starting 11th and leading 3 laps; Eliseo Salazar started 3rd and took the lead at the start, leading for the first 32 laps and finished 7th.

Ed Carpenter on Kansas: "We are coming into the part of the season where we are repeating the tracks that we ran last year. I think myself and some of the other guys that ran in last year's inaugural season are going to have somewhat of an advantage on some of the new guys. It has been great because some of us will already have 100 miles at Kansas. I'm looking forward to getting back on a big track after how we ran at the Indianapolis Freedom 100."

The Kansas Indy 300 will be televised live Sunday at 1 pm Eastern on ABC.