Notes & Quotes: Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix presented by Lear
Thomas Semik II, (pictured above left) is originally from Detroit. He joined AJ Foyt Racing in 2009 as a mechanic. He was named crew chief of the No. 4 ABC Supply Chevrolet (based in Texas) in the middle of the 2017 season. We asked him a few questions… How did you get involved in racing? Where did it start for you? I was first exposed to racing as a fan watching the Formula 1 Detroit Grand Prix in the '80s. After graduating from high school, I enrolled in the Jim Russell Br
Race Report: Indianapolis 500
INDIANAPOLIS-It wasn’t pretty but Tony Kanaan and the No. 14 ABC Supply team fought adversity to claim their first top-10 finish of the year when they finished ninth in the 103rd Running of the Indianapolis 500 Sunday afternoon. Kanaan’s teammate Matheus Leist also had to battle through some tough times finishing 15th after starting 24th at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the 2.5 mile speedway dubbed “The Brickyard.” At the start of the 200-lap race, Kanaan gained two spots to m
Practice Report: Carb Day at Indy
INDIANAPOLIS – Déjà vu. In a repeat of last year’s Carb Day performance, Tony Kanaan topped the speed chart today in the final practice before the Indianapolis 500. Posting a speed of 225.517mph, Kanaan ran 40 laps with the No. 14 ABC Supply Chevrolet in race trim. There were no incidents in the 90-minute session which saw all 33 starters on track under hot and humid conditions. “Yeah, a good day for us,” Kanaan said in the post-practice press conference. “Obviously, conditio
Meet the crew chief of No. 14: Mark Sampson
Mark Sampson, (above right), joined AJ Foyt Racing in 2018, becoming crew chief of Tony Kanaan's car this year. We asked him a few questions... Q: How did you get involved in racing? “My father worked at General Motors and my brothers had muscle cars so I was always interested in cars. I went to vocational school to learn about machine work and after I worked in a Speed shop building engines. The owner Ray Smith ran Sprint cars and I got involved with helping him out on the w
INDIANAPOLIS 500: Practice Report
INDIANAPOLIS-Cooler temperatures provided better track conditions for the 33 NTT IndyCar Series drivers who took to the 2.5-mile oval for the penultimate practice before the Indianapolis 500. Despite those improved conditions and topping the charts in the first 15 minutes of today’s two-hour session, the A.J. Foyt Racing drivers had tempered expectations knowing that Carb Day and Race Day are projected to be much hotter.
“We just tried to figure out what we need for the rac
Qualifying Report: Indianapolis 500
INDIANAPOLIS--Qualifying for the Indianapolis 500 can be the most terrifying or rewarding four laps in racing—and sometimes it can be both in the same day. For Tony Kanaan, the 2005 pole winner who will start his 18th Indianapolis 500 in 16th inside the sixth row, the tricky conditions were ones he had faced before. “That makes it worse because you know what to expect and how difficult it is,” he said laughing. “We expected a little bit quicker, but I don’t know, I mean the c
Practice Report: Fast Friday
INDIANAPOLIS -- "Turn up the boost and turn 'em loose!" So it went on Fast Friday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway today as teams spent the last full day of practice trimming out their cars in search of speed. The engine manufacturers gave the teams a slight increase in boost which saw 12 cars top 230 mph including Tony Kanaan in the No. 14 ABC Supply Chevrolet. Tony Kanaan: “It was an okay day, this day is always nerve-wracking. You try to judge what you’re going to have for
Interview with an AJFR twentysomething: C.J. Nielsen
C.J. NIELSEN, 26, joined AJ Foyt Racing in 2016 as a data acquisition engineer. This is the last of the series of interviews with our twentysomethings. We asked him a few questions... Q: What is your job at AJ Foyt Racing? Do you have an additional role on race weekends? “My Job at AJ Foyt racing is the data acquisition guy/engineer (DAG) for the 4 car. This means maintaining and help developing the electronics of the car and also the electronic setups of the car. On race w
Interview with an AJFR twentysomething: Tim Trowbridge
TIM TROWBRIDGE, 24, joined AJ Foyt Racing two years ago as a data acquisition engineer. This interview is the third in a series of four interviews with our twentysomethings. We asked him a few questions... Q: What is your job at AJ Foyt Racing? Do you have an additional role on race weekends? “My job is the data acquisition guy (DAG), which means I handle the data acquisition system and electronics of the Indy car. During a race weekend I also perform the "Dead-Man" duties,
Interview with an AJFR twentysomething: Nate Boysen
Nate Boysen, 23, joined AJ Foyt Racing mid-season last year after earning his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering at Hope College. This is the second in a series of four interviews with our twentysomethings. We asked him a few questions… Q: What is your job at AJ Foyt Racing? “I work alongside Warren Wilson in the Damper Department where I build and prepare each shock that goes out on the cars. I work with the engineers to develop damper curves and act as a historian for all the s
