JGR driver: 'It's always been a tough place to pass'
SPEEDWAY, Ind. – NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers don’t run wide-open around Indianapolis Motor Speedway, but there’s very little "off-throttle" time, according to Carl Edwards.
That makes passing difficult. The 2015 rules package (lower horsepower, less downforce) thus far hasn't helped.
Edwards was one of 12 drivers taking part in an open test at the legendary 2.5-mile speedway Wednesday. The series returns to Indianapolis July 24-26 for the annual Crown Royal Presents the 'Your Hero's Name Here' 400 at the Brickyard.
"We haven't figured out exactly where we’re going to set up the car so that we can pass," the Joe Gibbs Racing driver said during a break at IMS. "There is a lot of on-throttle time. We're very fast through the middle of the corner; we're coming off the corner at 190 mph earlier today … now it’s 183-184.
"When you're literally coming on to the straightaway at 185 or 190 mph, there's just not a lot of change between your high speed and your low speed, there's not a lot of off-throttle time. So it becomes very important to find the places on the track where you can gain an advantage and it gets really tough."
NASCAR’s Sprint Cup Series teams have been racing at Indy since 1994, and drivers have always had a tough time finding passing opportunities on the fast, flat track. The annual Brickyard 400 has seen as many as 26 lead changes (due to tire problems in 2008) and as few as nine (on three occasions).
There's yet to be a last-lap pass in the 400, although five times the race winner has taken the lead with 10 or fewer laps remaining.
"Because of the speeds here and the way the track's laid out, it's always been a tough place to pass," Edwards said. "I think that's one of the challenges … you have to come here and you have to deal with it.
"But really, the short chutes (between Turns 1-2 and 3-4) are really interesting. The way you drive into those corners, the way you set your car up into (Turn) 1 and into 3 so that you can run to that short chute and set up your exit onto the long straightaways, if you can beat a guy there and get to him and force the issue, that's where I've done the little bit of passing that I've done; that's where the guys that have passed me have passed me."
Edwards has 10 career starts at Indy, with a best finish of second in 2008.
"Once you get on these long straightaways (and) you're wide open, it becomes a dyno race, whose got the most power," he said. "If you can handle well through that sharp, quick corner, and you can carry and extra mile an hour or two onto the straightaway, that's golden. …
"The mid-corner speed, middle of the race when it’s hot, having that car handle well I think is the most important thing. And it's the only thing that can change during the event so that's what we focus on."
Four teams, those for drivers Jeff Gordon (Hendrick Motorsports), Sam Hornish Jr. (Richard Petty Motorsports), J.J. Yeley (BK Racing) and Martin Truex Jr. (Furniture Row Racing) took part in a Goodyear tire test at IMS Monday and Tuesday.
The Furniture Row team departed after Tuesday's session. In addition to Edwards, joining Gordon, Hornish and Yeley for Wednesday's test were the teams of Brad Keselowski (Team Penske), Casey Mears (Germain Racing), Kyle Larson (Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates), defending Sprint Cup champion Kevin Harvick (Stewart-Haas Racing), Ryan Blaney (Wood Brothers Racing), Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (Roush Fenway Racing), Paul Menard (Richard Childress Racing) and Clint Bowyer (Michael Waltrip Racing).
NASCAR's Sprint Cup Series travels to Talladega Superspeedway this weekend for Sunday's GEICO 500 (FOX, 1 p.m. ET).