Jay Howard repeated with Schmidt to compete in the Indy 500

In the absence of more than two months to the start of the race, the Indianapolis 500 has already reached the magic number of 33 pilots confirmed in an official manner for the dispute of the test, something absolutely unheard of in the last decade. All this, we are still missing two or three riders to reaffirm his presence. So soon, the 33 is Jay Howard, which will be repeated for the second consecutive year in the third car for Schmidt Peterson Motorsports.

The british pilot, 37-year-old, will share the campus with canadians James Hinchcliffe and Robert Wickens, one of the four novices of the test, in addition to sharing resources with Jack Harvey, a pilot who enjoys a technical partnership with Schmidt through your team, Michael Shank Racing. Your adventure will be, again, supported by Team One Cure, an initiative of the Tony Stewart Foundation, with which the former champion of NASCAR and IndyCar seeks to raise funds to fight cancer animal and improve treatment and early detection, as well as the awareness of the population about this type of tumors.

“to Say that I’m excited would be an understatement”, says Howard. “there are No words to describe how happy I am to represent this initiative. The goal is to raise attention and funds to continue this fight against cancer, animal; on the day of the race, we will fight for something more than the trophy. I also want to agradecir to Schmidt and Honda the opportunity, will be great to be back with the team,”, concluded the british, alluding to his third participation with the team of Sam Schmidt in Indy 500.

After a late start in single-seaters, Howard has developed almost all his career in the united States. In 2005 he took the title in the Formula Ford u.s. (precedesora of the US F2000) with authority, winning 9 of 12 races, and he repeated the following year in the Indy Pro Series (IPS, current Indy Lights). His promising career came to a halt at dry there for lack of patronage, and their first chance didn’t arrive until 2008 with Roth Racing, a team with very few resources created to pilotase their reviled owner Marty Roth, a real estate developer canadian for 50 years. Howard could barely play five races, although he achieved his best results in IndyCar, two decimoterceros positions at Motegi and Kansas.

Howard had more opportunities in 2010 with another team controlled by his driver, Sarah Fisher, racking up four drop-outs and a failed first attempt in Indianapolis. The following year yes achieved their goal, qualifying for the Indy 500 with Schmidt a beginner by then. Failed to finish because of a loose wheel, but he managed to complete the two quotes Texas. He returned to the grill with Rahal for the fateful final round of Las Vegas, being one of the first pilots to be involved in the multi-vehicle accident of 15 cars in which Dan Wheldon lost his life. The following year, an agreement for the Indy 500 with Michael Shank Racing would come down to not having the equipment of a motor.

The british departed from the world to devote himself to the training of young pilots, creating a race team that competes in the Formula 4 us, but always intended to return to Indianapolis, and what you achieved last year. However, the woes continued accompanying him: fulfilled a quarter of the race, hit slightly the wall after, according to him, be driven by Ryan Hunter-Reay, and Scott Dixon was found, after which it flew several meters until impact with violence in the protections interior, going for a short of hitting the fence. Howard was heavily criticised afterwards for his lack of speed and the time that had passed since his last race, arriving to be considered “a danger”, something against which he must fight this year.

grid of the Indy 500, 2018, to march 23,

( in parentheses, drivers or cars not confirmed oficialmente)

(R): Rookies in the 500 miles of Indianapolis

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