A.J. Foyt’s ABC Supply team switched to Chevrolet this season with 25-year-old drivers Carlos Munoz (No. 14) and Conor Daly (No. 4). Munoz placed 15th and Daly 17th in the Honda Indy Toronto.
Carlos Munoz On:
Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course: “Mid-Ohio is a track that everyone likes, it is for sure a tricky track, a really fast track and really physical with the g-force loads. It is one of the toughest ones we run but I enjoy it a lot. Last year I finished third and in my rookie year I finished fourth (2014). It is really hard to overtake so you have to do a good qualifying session or have a lucky yellow but there aren’t many yellows at this track. Looking forward to Mid-Ohio where we can show our performance gain.”
Testing at Mid-Ohio: “I think the test was really helpful; it was a long time since our last test. We needed this test to try big steps and different options and I think we gained a lot from where we started to where we finished. We didn’t end up 100% where we needed to be, maybe need another 30% to be in the front. The car was much more competitive from where we started so we closed the gap but we need a little bit more to compete with the top guys. But the information that we gathered will help us to show up stronger than we did at the test so I’m looking forward to going back.”
Conor Daly On:
Testing at Mid-Ohio: “It was nice to be able to test at Mid-Ohio last week as we haven’t had a test day in a while it feels like. It was a really productive day for us. Every day with this car and aero package we are learning more. I feel like I came quite close to winning the race last year so I’m hoping to have another strong result this year.”
The 2018 universal aero kit: "I'm very excited for the future of INDYCAR. The 2018 car looks awesome and I can't wait to get behind the wheel of one. The team behind the design has done their research and I think it'll result in a great on-track product."
Technical Director Will Phillips On:
The test at Mid-Ohio: “The test went very well, despite the track being quite slippery to start. The initial lap times were well shy of what is expected for the race w/e but the track slowly cleaned up during the day and was representative by the end of the afternoon. We did shine a light on one area that has been bothering us so we are excited to go back for the race and continue to bring that performance with us.”
The approach to the test: “Our approach was specific to the road courses as we have three remaining this season, but it did then narrow in to what we need for Mid-Ohio itself, and confirm the start settings for the weekend ahead.”
How Mid-Ohio compares to the other permanent road courses you’ve run this season and upcoming ones: “We certainly believe that the area we made an improvement in will help us at all the road courses to come – we have been slow to extract performance from the tires at times and it was in this area that some changes we made had a very positive response. We will keep our feet on the ground but are optimistic that we can carry the gains through for the remainder of the year, not just for Mid-Ohio.”
Past Performance: Carlos Munoz’s best start at Mid-Ohio was 4th (2014) and best finish was 3rd (2016). In Conor Daly’s only race at Mid-Ohio, he started 22nd and finished 6th after leading 22 laps. The Foyt team’s best start is 7th and best finish is 4th -- both with Ryan Hunter-Reay in 2009. In the CART Series (1987-1995), the team’s best start was 12th (1988-A.J. Foyt, 53) and best finish was 2nd (1993-Robby Gordon, 24).
ABC Supply roofing customer Pride One Construction, will be featured on Carlos Munoz’s No. 14 ABC Supply Chevrolet. Guests will receive the VIP treatment this weekend along with a Meet and Greet with Munoz.
ABC Supply celebrates its 35th anniversary this year. The company was founded in 1982 by Ken and Diane Hendricks with just three stores. The company now has over 700 stores and topped $7 billion in sales in 2016. ABC Supply began sponsoring the AJ Foyt Racing team with the 2005 Indianapolis 500. The company has leveraged its involvement by entertaining over 84,000 associates and customers over the past 12 racing seasons. The company will entertain nearly 900 guests this weekend.
A.J. Foyt’s iconic career is honored in an extraordinary exhibit at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum. A.J. Foyt: A Legendary Exhibition presented by ABC Supply Co., Inc. runs through October 31. With additional support from Alfe Heat Treating and Chevrolet, the exhibit features nearly three dozen race cars that Foyt drove plus rare memorabilia from his personal collection.
The Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio will be televised live on CNBC Sports Network Sunday, July 30, starting at 3:00 pm EDT. The race will re-air on NBCSN at 7pm Sunday. Qualifying will be broadcast on NBCSN on Saturday, July 29 starting at 2:00 pm EDT. The race will be broadcast live on Sirius XM radio on the following channels: Sirius 212, XM 209, SXM 970.