Monthly Archives: May 2014

Swede Savage in his Patrick Petroleum Eagle-Offy during practice for the 1972 Indianapolis 500.  [Photo courtesy of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway]

by Paul Powell

Angela Savage has been to Indianapolis just once. Well, sort of. She was in her mother’s womb in the Tower Terrace grandstand when her father, Swede Savage, took the lead of the 1973 Indianapolis 500. At that time, Swede’s career was on a vertical trajectory.

In just his second Indy 500, he was already driving for one of the top teams, Patrick Racing, which was sponsored by the iconic STP brand. Swede had broken the track record in qualifying and in the early stages of the race was competing wheel-to-wheel with such Indy legends as Bobby Unser, Al Unser, Sr. and Johnny Rutherford. These three drivers alone would ultimately rack up a total of ten Indianapolis 500 victories. Heady company indeed.

Those who witnessed Swede’s rapid rise to the top of the racing world felt he was similarly destined for greatness. But fate had other plans. On the 58th lap of the race his day-glow red racecar inexplicably veered off the fourth turn racing surface and into the inside retaining wall. While Swede would initially survive the ferocious impact and the resulting fire, he would succumb to complications from his injuries thirty-three days later in an Indianapolis hospital.

Please join us the evening of Carb Day, Friday May 23 at 7:00 pm at the Indianapolis Museum of Art for one of the most memorable events likely to appear on this year’s Indy race weekend calendar, “An Evening with Angela Savage”.

Many special guests and surprises are scheduled. Spread the word and register here:
http://www.angelatoindy.com/event/2014/4/15/an-evening-with-angela-savage

The berms around the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course were packed with fans. [Joe Jennings Photo]

This wasn’t the Indianapolis race that fans have attended for ninety-seven times; but then it wasn’t supposed to be.

The inaugural Grand Prix of Indianapolis was designed to open what once was ‘The Month of May’, and it did so in spectacular fashion.

From the crowds assembled around the infield road course, some not quite sure where to go to get the best view, to the standing start that provided a scary beginning to the race, the newly- conceived event was definitely not the 500. And that was sort-of the idea.

Scheduling of the event occurred late in 2013 and brought howls of protest over the off-season from traditionalists who hated to give what has become a ‘Three Weeks of May’ over to another race; ANY other race.

But with the IndyCar schedule somewhat short of races this season, the G.P. fit-in nicely, what with all the teams, crews and equipment in place at 16th and Georgetown, it was a race that was bound to happen.

There was speculation over just how many fans would attend an event that was forced to live in the shadow of the 400-pound gorilla known as the 500. The race was promoted to a more local crowd-base than the 500, and attend they did on a spectacular weather day- in numbers that were much greater than had been hoped for.

The facilities at IMS are second to none for both fans and competitors and a $5million off-season construction project changed a sometimes uncompetitive road course into one that turned the open wheelers into what looked like NASCAR at Bristol on a good day.

Over 50 minutes of the two-hour event were run under four caution flags , as the field proved that racing down straightaways can sometimes involve more contact than going through corners.

Stalled pole-winner Sebastian Saavedra, aggressive Mikhail Aleshin, flying Martin Plowman and frustrated Graham Rahal can attest to how competitive (read combative) the race was. Even Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard wasn’t immune as he suffered a minor soft tissue injury after being struck by a piece of debris from the accident at the start.

Fans remained glued to the berms and bleachers as Ryan Hunter-Reay tried but failed to chase-down winner Simon Pagenaud as the Frenchman won for Sam Schmidt’s underdog team.

So, what do we think? Was the event a good start? Will it be treated with the esteem accorded to the 1911 500?

You’d have to say it was a good start as a large crowd, an exciting race and great weather combined to put a memorable Grand Prix of Indianapolis into the books.

Changes?

Get larger, more modern high-definition video screens and more visible score boards into the infield area. This is a road course race and as the event grows, more berm areas and more infield bleachers will be needed for fans who’d rather roam from corner to corner instead of sitting in a grandstand seat for the entire race.

The drivers say that the straightaway is wide enough for a standing start, but race-winner Pagenaud suggested that maybe the field needs more practice for that type of start to assure a smoother beginning.

Make sure each fan has a detailed course map so not only are fan areas shown, but routes to get to the berms and stands are clearly noted.

And a final, ironic pre-race word from pole-winner Sebastian Saavedra who stalled in front of the field which resulted in the scary beginning to the race.

“It (the standing start) is something I grew up with in Europe, so I do enjoy them. It’s a little more fun for the fans to watch. It’s a dynamic track and I love to drive it.” Too bad he didn’t get a chance to do it today.

NOTES of INTEREST:

• Former Milwaukee Brewers Hall of Famer Robin Yount was among the celebrities in attendance. Yount was once part owner of a Formula Atlantic team.
• Englishman Jack Hawksworth who created a loud roar from the Turn One crowd when he passed Ryan Hunter-Reay for the early lead, finished seventh and was the highest finishing rookie of the race and lead the most laps (31).
• Winner Simon Pagenaud compared the IMS road course to the  Magny-Cours Formula One track in his home country of France.
• Winner Pagenaud will turn 30 on May 18. Third-place finisher Helio Castroneves turned 39 today.
• The numbers game: In IndyCar’s first four races in 2014, they have had four winners, from four countries, from four different teams: St. Petersburg-Will Power-Australia-Penske/ Long Beach-Mike Conway-England-Carpenter/ Barber-Hunter-Reay-U.S.-Andretti/ Indy G.P.-Pagenaud-France-Schmidt.
• The Celebration of the Automobile proved popular with pre-race fans as the display of hundreds of vintage and historic cars drew thousands of fans to the Pagoda Plaza infield area. Three-time 500 winner  Al Unser was an Honorary Judge for the event and Indy car owner Bobby Rahal entered two vehicles (a 1961 E-Type Jaguar and a 1965 Shelby Mustang).

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Paul Gohde heard the sound of race cars early in his life. Growing up in suburban Milwaukee, just north of Wisconsin State Fair Park in the 1950’s, Paul had no idea what “that noise” was all about that he heard several times a year. Finally, through prodding by friends of his parents, he was taken to several Thursday night modified stock car races on the old quarter-mile dirt track that was in the infield of the one-mile oval -and he was hooked. The first Milwaukee Mile event that he attended was the 1959 Rex Mays Classic won by Johnny Thomson in the pink Racing Associates lay-down Offy built by the legendary Lujie Lesovsky. After the 100-miler Gohde got the winner’s autograph in the pits, something he couldn’t do when he saw Hank Aaron hit a home run at County Stadium, and, again, he was hooked. Paul began attending the Indianapolis 500 in 1961, and saw A. J. Foyt’s first Indy win. He began covering races in 1965 for Racing Wheels newspaper in Vancouver, WA as a reporter/photographer and his first credentialed race was Jim Clark’s historic Indy win.Paul has also done reporting, columns and photography for Midwest Racing News since the mid-sixties, with the 1967 Hoosier 100 being his first big race to report for them. He is a retired middle-grade teacher, an avid collector of vintage racing memorabilia, and a tour guide at Miller Park. Paul loves to explore abandoned race tracks both here and in Europe, with the Brooklands track in Weybridge England being his favorite. Married to Paula, they have three adult children and two cats. Paul loves the diversity of all types of racing, “a factor that got me hooked in the first place.”

Sebastian Saavedra bested the Verizon IndyCar Series field on a wet track at Indianapolis.  [John Wiedemann Photo]

Indianapolis, Ind. –Sebastian Saavedra drove through wet and soggy conditions to bag the pole position for the inaugural Grand Prix of Indianapolis.  It happened during an unforgettable qualifying session at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Friday afternoon.

For Saavedra, the 23-year old Colombia native scored his first career Verizon IndyCar Series pole and it came in his42nd attempt.

Sebastian Saavedra gets the P1 sticker after winning the pole for the inaugural Grand Prix of Indianapolis. [Russ Lake Photo]

Driving the KV AFS Racing Chevrolet, Saavedra splashed around the 2.349-mile road course at a speed of 104.675 miles per hour or a time of 1:23.8822 seconds.

Said Saavedra, “This is huge, and it is a great way to start the month of May.  We have been pushing ourselves to get this opportunity, and when we saw a great opportunity, we took it.  I am so proud of this team.

“This is the top level (of racing), and we have been leading laps and things, but our strategies have not been working out.  This is the point that makes you get addicted even more.  We are building something from scratch at KVS Racing and hopefully soon we can show more.”

Saavedra admitted he had hoped for a top-five time in dry conditions but when it rained, his hopes soared.  “When it started to rain, I got a big smile in my helmet as I enjoy rain very much.”

Regarding the race, he added, “To be honest, I feel old.  I am only 23-years old, but I’ve been here for a few years.  While others have more experience, it is a matter of showing yourself and keep on doing what you have been doing for last 15 years.  Every day you are learning something new and in every corner, but this is not the time to try something new.  Starting from the pole is huge and whoever gets the good jump or not and whatever happens with the weather and wind are all huge factors for the race.”

When the first of the three qualification segments started, the track was dry but light rain came in and ended just as abruptly.  Segment two had hard rain throughout, and the third  segment was delayed due to the weather.  When it was run, the track was wet and all six cars did well until Ryan Hunter-Reay crashed hard exiting the final turn, bringing out the red flag and ending the segment with about two minutes remaining.

Jack Hawksworth eyes turn two in the rain during qualifying for the Grand Prix of Indianapolis. [John Wiedemann Photo]

Rookie Jack Hawksworth put the BHA/BBM with Curb Agajanian Honda on the outside of the front row with a speed of 104.431 mph.

Addressing the shortened session, Hawksworth commented, “I think everybody had a lot more on the table.  I think the fastest lap was going to be the last one.  Everybody was pretty quick.”

He is guardedly optimistic about being in the front row.  “I’m actually quite excited, as we have a clear track ahead.  If we can get (Sebastian) Saavedra at the first corner, we’ll try and pull away and see what we can do,” he said.

Hunter-Reay will start third after losing his two fastest laps due to the crash with Simon Pagenaud fourth fastest.

Discussing his crash, Hunter-Reay said, “Every time through there (turn 14), I almost lost it.  I had a few big moments there.  In qualifying, you got to go for it and in the wet, you’re always going for it.  There’s a very fine line between stepping over in the wet and throwing it off.  Unfortunately, I dinged up the right rear but it will be fixed by tomorrow.”

Will Power and Scott Dixon recorded the fifth and sixth fastest speeds to round out the Firestone Fast Six qualifiers.

Sebastien Bourdais, Juan Pablo Montoya and Indy 500 winners Tony Kanaan and Helio Castroneves rounded out the top-10 qualifiers.

Rookie Mikhail Aleshin lost his two fastest laps due to qualifying interference with Bourdais.  The two had tangled at the recent Barber race.  He will start last in the race.

The Grand Prix of Indianapolis will be telecast by ABC live on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET.

Simon Pagenaud set the track record during the dry portion of the qualifying session. [John Wiedemann Photo]

James Hinchcliffe leads a group through the pond in turn one at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. [John Wiedemann Photo]

Ryan Hunter-Reay ahead of Helio Castroneves navigates the wet track. [John Wiedemann Photo]

Camping World’s Run as Series Entitlement Sponsor to Extend to 14-Consecutive Years

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (May 5, 2014) — NASCAR announced today it has reached a seven-year agreement with Camping World to remain the entitlement sponsor of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series through 2022. The new deal ensures that Camping World will own exclusive rights as title sponsor for a total of 14-consecutive years, equaling the longest entitlement sponsorship in the history of the national series, which is celebrating its 20th season.

The renewed partnership aligns two brands in the midst of significant growth. Since originally becoming series entitlement sponsor in 2009, Camping World has expanded its number of stores by 35 percent, resulting in the company eclipsing $3 billion in annual revenue.

“The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series has one of the most consistent and durable audiences in all of sports, averaging approximately 800,000 or more television viewers per event over the past six years,” said Steve Phelps, NASCAR chief marketing officer. “Camping World’s seven-year continued commitment to our sport demonstrates its confidence in our on-track product and strength of our brand loyal fan base.”

The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series features some of the toughest and most competitive racing in the sport. The series has helped catapult the careers of many of the sport’s most popular and successful drivers, such as Greg Biffle, Kyle Busch, Carl Edwards, Kevin Harvick and Brad Keselowski. Currently, the series houses a young crop of stars that are talented, dynamic and diverse including Ben Kennedy, German Quiroga Jr. and Darrell Wallace Jr.

“Camping World and NASCAR are mutually invested in the growth of a national series that is celebrated for its exciting brand of racing and the most loyal fan base in the country,” said Camping World and Good Sam Enterprises Chairman and CEO Marcus Lemonis. “Six years ago we felt strongly that the sponsorship would dramatically increase our customer base and it’s delivered. We expect to see continued success in the coming years.”

NASCAR fans are outdoors enthusiasts who enjoy a variety of activities. According to Experian Consumer Research, NASCAR fans are 40 percent more likely than non-fans to go camping. When it comes to camping gear, NASCAR fans are at least 50 percent more likely than non-fans to have tents, lanterns, and other camping equipment.

The new deal provides Camping World exclusive rights to market its Good Sam Roadside Assistance program as the Official Roadside Assistance of NASCAR. With a network that includes 40,000 tow and service providers in North America, Good Sam Roadside Assistance has provided roadside services to more than two million stranded motorists in the past 30 years.

Additionally, the new agreement provides official NASCAR status to two growing automobile companies; CarCash as the Official Auto Buying Service of NASCAR, and AutoMatch USA, as the Official Pre-owned Automobile Retailer of NASCAR. CarCash, featured on Season 1 of CNBC’s The Profit, purchases used cars from individuals in return for immediate cash. AutoMatch USA, featured on Season 2 of CNBC’s The Profit, specializes in the sale of foreign and domestic pre-owned cars of all makes and models.

The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series will make its return to Kansas Speedway with the running of the SFP 250 on May 9 and will air on FOX Sports 1.

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Simon Pagenaud (77) battled Ryan Hunter-Reay (28) all race long on his way to winning the Grand Prix of Indianapolis.  [John Wiedemann Photo]

Ryan Hunter-Reay surges to front on first lap of racing — after the crash. [Joe Jennings Photo]

Flyover prior to start of race. [Joe Jennings Photo]

Hunter-Reay leads Scott Dixon through infield portion of track. [Joe Jennings Photo]

Die-hard Indy fan flashes a smile. [Joe Jennings Photo]

Indianapolis, Ind. – Simon Pagenaud made history when he became the first winner of the Grand Prix of Indianapolis at the legendary Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Winning for the third time in his Verizon IndyCar Series career, Pagenaud drove the Schmidt Peterson Hamilton Racing Honda to the win, holding off Ryan Hunter-Reay by a scant  .8906 seconds.  Each driver was endeavoring to win the race, but each needed to save fuel to make it to the finish line.

Said the happy victor, “This is unbelievable but very nerve-wracking.  The fuel we saved was amazing.  I was worried about Helio (Castroneves) coming back.  I just kept working on my lap times.  I don’t like this fuel-saving thing, but I am glad it worked out.  My team gave me the fastest car out there, so I had no other choice other than winning.

“Going into the race, I thought we had a shot from the fourth spot but today was very stressful.  Around halfway, my team started telling me to save fuel, which I did.  My hat is off to Honda for giving me such a great engine.  The last 15 laps were very difficult trying to hold them off and save fuel, but it worked out.

“Two great things happened to me today – Mario Andretti gave me the winner’s trophy and I am very proud to be the second Frenchman to win at Indianapolis.”

Pagenaud led twice for a total of six laps.

Hunter-Reay held on for second with Castroneves 1.8 seconds off the pace.

Commented Hunter-Reay, who led 18 laps, “When the race started, the rhythm got crazy.  At times, we didn’t know who we were racing as the strategies were off.  It was a busy day and a lot of fun, but I did not like saving fuel at the end.  We (winner Pagenaud and Hunter-Reay) were saving the same amount of fuel, and then they gave me the green light to go.  I thought I had a shot at the end, but it didn’t work out.  We are saving that last step of the podium for the big race at the end of the month.”

He was nearly caught up in the starting line accident and felt lucky to have made a saving maneuver.

“For some reason, I told myself before the race, ‘Expect something strange to happen on that front row,’ and I was ready for it and managed to miss Saavedra,” he noted.  “I went to the inside and threaded the needle.”

Hunter-Reay drove the DHL Honda owned by Andretti Autosport.

Celebrating his 39^th birthday, Castroneves led 15 laps and credited his strong run to the strategy calls made by team owner Roger Penske.

He drove the Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet, giving the manufacturer its best finish.

“The car was very strong at the end and without a morning warm-up, we didn’t know what to expect,” said Castroneves.  “We got a good start from 10^th and moved to the front.  Roger (Penske) is one of the great strategists.  I didn’t know where I was, but he had me pushing, pushing and pushing.  I was so focused.  We have great momentum going for us, and although I wanted to win, I can’t underestimate the momentum we have.”

Sebastian Bourdais finished fourth followed by Charlie Kimball.

Sixth through 10^th were Ryan Briscoe, early leader Jack Hawksworth, Will Power, Takuma Sato and Tony Kanaan.

Hawksworth led the most laps, 31, but he got off-strategy after an impressive run.

James Hinchcliffe pulled off the course after something happened to him.   He was subsequently taken to a nearby hospital where he underwent a CT scan of his head and neck.  Medical officials diagnosed him with a concussion, and he will need further evaluation before being cleared to drive.

The race marked the fourth Verizon IndyCar Series race of the season, and all four have been on street and road courses.  Today’s 82-lap GP was staged on the 14-turn, 2.349-mile road course.

A major crash marred the start.  It started when pole-winner Sebastian Saavedra’s car wouldn’t start and the hapless driver was struck first by Carlos Munoz and then at speed by rookie Mikhail Aleshin, who had started last.  The latter’s car landed atop Saavedra’s, scattering parts in every direction.  Carlos Munoz was also involved.

The scary accident took place at the outset of the second standing start of the season.

“I don’t know if it was electrical or what.  As soon as I released the clutch, you went from 11,000 RPMs to zero,” Saavedra said.  “Very sad because we did an amazing job.  This should not have happened.”

Three other lesser incidents slowed the race without damage.  In total, there were 19 caution laps.

The 82-lap race took two hours and four minutes to complete.  The average speed was 96.462 miles per hour.

FeaturedGrand Prix of IndianapolisIndianapolis Motor SpeedwaySimon Pagenaud

Will Power.  [John Wiedemann Photo]

Will Power has been the most consistent Verizon IndyCar Series driver when it comes to racing at Barber Motorsports Park.

But when the series returns to Barber for the Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama on April 27, he plans to shed that mind-set and think about being more aggressive.

Power has won here twice and led 133 laps in the four previous events. He has finished 5^th, 1^st, 1^st and 4^th here, and leads the 2014 series’ standings by 27 points over road-course specialist Mike Conway. But the Australian vet sees that all of that success has failed to win him a championship or a victory at Indianapolis.

“Last year, not being in the points chase really opened my eyes that I was being way too conservative,” the Team Penske driver said. “(Now) I can race hard all the time; it doesn’t matter where I am in the points.

“In fact, the results came better when I did that. I think that’s the only way you’re going to win a championship.”

And with Power comfortably in the points lead after two events, the other drivers in Sunday’s 23-car field are hungry to make a dent into that lead; and in some cases get their early season struggles turned around.

Conway, who has won at Long Beach for owner Ed Carpenter, Simon Pagenaud (-33), Helio Castroneves (-38) and Ryan Hunter-Reay (-39) are behind Power in the point standings. Helio and RHR have each won here since the track’s first Indy Car race in 2010, and these five seem to have found the key to good finishes in the early-season stretch of road/street events.

Several drivers have, however, struggled in the season’s first two events at St. Petersburg and Long Beach, and they need to improve here and at the Grand Prix of Indianapolis before attention turns to the 98^th Indianapolis 500 next month.

Sebastien Bourdais (16^th), Graham Rahal (17^th), Marco Andretti (18^th), James Hinchcliffe (22^nd) and Charlie Kimball (23^rd) trail in points, and need to make significant progress on the tight Barber course before they move on to Indianapolis.

Juan Pablo Montoya, the 2000 500 champion and former Formula One winner, finished fourth at Long Beach after a disappointing fifteenth-place at St. Petersburg in his return from several years in NASCAR. He’s still working hard to get used to the Dallara/Chevrolet combination that his PPG Team Penske ride has to offer, and it’s likely that JPM will get the rust shaken off and be challenging for the lead sooner rather than later in the season.

So what about the 2.38-mile, 17-turn road course that will challenge the teams for 90 laps on Sunday?

It is believed to be the fastest cornering road course on the 2014 Verizon series schedule. With some of the corner speeds hovering around 160+ MPH, and with almost 20 percent of the circuit run under heavy braking, the challenge is to keep those brakes cool while saving your Firestone tires between pit stops. The team that can balance high-speed cornering with cool brakes and fresh tires will likely win.

Power will have to fight off Conway for the top step on the podium. Montoya likes anything high-speed and could break through with his first win since returning to the series.

NOTES:

• Ryan Hunter-Reay’s 2013 win at Barber also saw him capture the pole and lead 53 laps for Andretti Autosport. He took the lead from Castroneves and held off Scott Dixon for the victory. Will  Power slid off the track at the start, but recovered to finish fifth.
• Castroneves has been put on probation until June 30 for violating the series’ social media policy.
• French driver Frank Montagny will rejoin the Andretti team in time for the Grand Prix of Indianapolis on May 10. The #26 entry will be turned over to NASCAR’s Kurt Busch for the 500. The car will be the fifth AA entry.
• Two dates have been set aside for Rookie Orientation runs at Indianapolis. On April29 and May 5, the 2.5-mile rectangle will be open for runs by rookies such as Busch, Jacques Villeneuve, Jack Hawksworth, Martin Plowman and Mikhail Aleshin.
• Tony Kanaan will attempt to make his 218^th consecutive start, which would extend his all-time record.
• Nine drivers entered for Sunday’s Barber event have raced in all four previous races held there.
• An open test session at the Indianapolis Speedway has been scheduled on the reconfigured road course on April 30^th in preparation for the inaugural Indianapolis Grand Prix.
• Former New York Jets quarterback and U. of Alabama star Joe Namath will be the Grand Marshal for the Honda Indy race.
• The Barber race will be televised on NBC Sports Network at 2:30 p.m. (ET). The radio broadcast, on the IMS Radio Network will be on Sirius/XM Ch. 211.

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Alfe Racing Honors A.J. Foyt Legacy with Retro Look for Grand Prix of Indianapolis. [Bill Ray Photo]

INDIANAPOLIS May 1, 2014 (Throwback Thursday)—Something old and something new.

The vintage “Coyote Red” colored No. 41 Alfe Heat Treating Honda, piloted by rookie Martin Plowman, made its debut on a brand new road course as the Verizon IndyCar Series conducted its first test on the 2.439-mile infield circuit of the venerable Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

The retro-look was the brainchild of graphic designer Jason LaFrenais and Alfe Heat Treating’s Motorsports Manager Ryan Westman, who said, “The first time that Alfe got involved with IndyCar racing, it was on a Coyote orange colored car in 2011. We thought that it looked great and it worked well for us because it is the color of our corporate identity,” said Westman.

“It’s great to see my old colors come back,” said team owner A.J. Foyt. “I won a lot of races in cars with those colors, but I’m not putting pressure on Martin. He’s a rookie and we just want to get him comfortable in the car. I know he can do his job if we do ours.”

“I love the retro livery on the 41 Alfe Heat Treating car,” said Plowman, the 26-year-old Englishman who lives in Indianapolis. “It seems to have been very well received so far. It’s an honor to be able to drive the car in tribute to A.J.’s fourth Indy 500-winning car from ’77. Looking over the car for the first time, I noticed that the chassis number of the DW12 was #077. It’s a very cool coincidence and hopefully a good omen for the race!”

Not only the car, but the team will sport uniforms that evoke the design of the famed Gilmore checked shirts that Foyt’s crew wore in the ‘70s. The red and white checked shirts were created by Diane Gilmore, wife of sponsor Jim Gilmore. An orange and white checked pattern is featured on the sleeves of the predominantly white Alfe Heat Treating crew shirts.

“Throwback is in right now and it’s just a cool thing to do,” said Westman. “And most of all, we wanted to honor A.J.’s legacy because he won his last two Indy 500s as a driver in cars painted that color. We feel privileged to be able to incorporate these historic elements in the team’s overall look for the Grand Prix.”

Alfe Heat Treating was founded in 1979 by Kurt Westman, who derived the company’s name from the symbols in the periodic table for aluminum (Al) and iron (Fe), and combining them into Al-Fe. In fact, the symbols will be featured on the rear wing of the car when it takes to the track for practice on May 8th in preparation for Saturday’s race on May 10th.

Headquartered in Fort Wayne, Indiana, Alfe Heat Treating, Inc. is the largest commercial aluminum heat treating operation in the United States. The company operates plants throughout the Midwest and Southeast serving aerospace, automotive, military, and commercial customers with both ferrous and non-ferrous facilities.