Foyt Racing Loudon test day report

Foyt Racing Notes - New Hampshire
Vitor Meira: ABC Supply No. 14 Dallara/Honda/Firestone

· Meira on New Hampshire Motor Speedway: “It’s a very different type of track because it is a paperclip shape with low progressive banking in the turns which makes it very different from anything we run out there. By progressive banking I mean that the first lane is 2 degrees, then it goes to 4 in the next lane and then to 6 or 7 degrees in the third lane. In that way it is the same as Iowa or Homestead but we haven’t had a paperclip shape since St. Louis I think. Comparing it to the other short tracks we run, New Hampshire has more grooves than Milwaukee but it’s not as easy to pass as Iowa. I would say it is in between Iowa and Milwaukee.”

Vitor Meira, A.J. Foyt Enterprises

Photo by: Eric Gilbert

· Meira on the key to success at New Hampshire this weekend: “I believe the key will be having a solid car all race long because things are going to change so much and there is not a lot that we know about this track. With a solid car, we can do better when things do change because a solid car will be more consistent throughout the run. It may not be the fastest car at the beginning of a stint but it won’t drop off that much at the end of a stint. It’s very hard to say for sure how the race will turn out. The track has more grooves than Milwaukee but it’s not as easy to pass as Iowa. I would say it is in between Iowa and Milwaukee.”

· Meira on his first time to New England: “So far so good. We are staying in Concord which is the state capital so you have the Capitol building with the beautiful gold dome. It’s nice but I haven’t had a lot of time for sightseeing. I haven’t seen that much -- mostly highways and trees.” Note: According to Wikipedia, Concord’s 1819 State House is the oldest capitol in which legislative branches meet in their original chambers.

· Meira on his first time to Boston: “Boston seems pretty cool—in fact it has the biggest Brazilian community here in America, even bigger than Miami. I have no clue why. In Miami I watch a Brazilian TV station and the commercials are from all over America and there are a lot of commercials about Brazilian stuff in Boston. Then I asked about it when I was having dinner with one of my friends from the embassy and he told me Boston has the biggest Brazilian community. So weird.”

· Vitor Meira on testing Thursday in New Hampshire: “It was a test day and you have to try things. It was a brand new track for us and we did a lot of things that were right and we did a lot of things that weren’t right but those things were all crossed off the list.”

· Past performance at New Hampshire: The Foyt team’s best finish came in 1996 with Scott Sharp who won the inaugural Indy Racing League race at the one mile speedway. Foyt’s Chief Engineer Jeff Britton, who worked with another team in the late 90s, said the NHMS track is now completely different from what it was back then. The track’s turns were reconfigured in 2002 and the track was repaved in 2003.

· ABC Supply roofing customer, JP Carroll Construction, Inc. located in West Hartford, CT, won the ‘Your Name Here’ contest for the MoveThatBlock.com Indy 225. The company name will be atop the sidepods of the No. 14 ABC Supply Dallara/Honda. Owner Jim Carroll will receive selected merchandise, race tickets, hospitality and garage passes, plus a Meet and Greet with A.J. Foyt and Vitor Meira.

· Mike Keidel will be the ABC Supply Honorary Crew Member of the race. Keidel, 45, has worked for ABC Supply for four years and is a Material Handler in their Sudbury, Mass. branch. He lives in Cherry Valley, Mass.