Firestone Grand Prix of St Petersburg

LOSS OF TYRE PRESSURE CAUSES BRITISH RACING DRIVER JACK HARVEY TO RETIRE FROM FIFTH POSITION IN ST PETE. INDYCAR RACE

March 11, 2018

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The opening race of the 2018 Verizon IndyCar Series season ended in disappointment for British racing driver Jack Harvey, when a sudden loss of tyre pressure in his right rear tyre resulted in him losing the back end of the car and caused him to collide with a wall.

The Michael Shank Racing with Schmidt Peterson Motorsports driver was running in fifth place and was targeting a podium finish when he was forced to retire on lap 38.

Harvey’s race weekend had run solidly, having posted quick lap times during the practice sessions, building the pace to occasionally sit within the top ten and then at one time setting times just four tenths off of the leader during the final hour long practice session on Saturday morning.

Qualifying saw him alternate between two sets of Firestone reds during the ten-minute session. Harvey pushed to get the most out of the tyres throughout the session, but was only able to extract a lap time of 01:01.0270, which placed him 19th.

Commenting on qualifying, Jack Harvey said; “our first set on Firestone reds went pretty well. We just couldn’t improve the right amount on the second set to progress. Where we are starting will give us the opportunity to move up which is great. Now we will just look at strategy and try to see what we can do to have a good race.”

On Sunday afternoon, Harvey lined up on the tenth row of the grid for the 111 lap race. Making a textbook start, he was up four places by the end of the opening lap. Opting for an alternate strategy, Harvey pitted on lap four. After the frantic race action saw a series of full course cautions, Harvey kept a cool head at the restarts and after less than one quarter race distance, was up to fifth place.

On lap 38 an unexpected rear tyre issue forced Harvey into a spin and after making contact with the wall on a high speed section of the circuit, he was forced to retire.

“We had a strong start and gained a few positions before the first corner,” said Jack Harvey. “We aren’t exactly sure what happened just yet. I was in the middle of Turns 11 and 12 and the tyre just went and then I had contact with the wall. Up until that point we were having a pretty good weekend and running really well in the race. We’re pretty confident that we were running the same strategy as Bourdais and Rahal, so could have been challenging for a podium finish. It’s really disappointing that we didn’t see the checkered flag today, but the guys have done a really great job and we will just keep moving forward. I have a great team of people behind me and we will come back strong at Long Beach.”

“We were on an alternative strategy along with I think three or four other cars and it was playing out very well for us,” said team owner, Mike Shank. “Jack was able to run in the top six pretty easily. We are not sure what caused the problem. The right rear tyre was down.  I just don’t know how or why it was down but when he went to go back to the left, the tyre was gone-it was off the rim and that spun us and put us in the wall. It is really too bad. Everyone involved with this program-AutoNation and SiriusXM- they are going to support us through bad times and good times but they are there for us. We’ll just go back and regroup and fix the car. We’ve got the test for the Indianapolis 500 coming up and then on to Long Beach.”

Next up for Harvey is the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach on April 15th.

Notes to Editors

Background information on Jack and the associated companies involved may be found in our For Press section.

Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach

TWELTH PLACE FINISH FOR BRITISH RACING DRIVER JACK HARVEY AT LONG BEACH INDYCAR RACE

April 15, 2018

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

British racing driver Jack Harvey recorded his best IndyCar finish to date at the Grand Prix of Long Beach. Making his fifth IndyCar series start, the Meyer Shank Racing with Schmidt Peterson Motorsports driver took the checkered flag in twelfth position after 85 laps of close racing.

Qualifying for Sunday’s race had been frustrating for Harvey and the team. After making progress in practice, the team was hoping to continue that momentum through qualifying, but were unsuccessful as the balance of the car did not match the afternoon track conditions. Harvey ended the session around the 11-turn, 1.9-mile temporary street circuit setting the seventeenth quickest time with a lap time of 1:08.8207 seconds.

Jack Harvey commented; “qualifying didn’t go as great as we had hoped. We weren’t sure what the track balance was going to be so we didn’t make too many changes, but with hindsight, maybe we didn’t make enough. The balance of the car in the end was similar to what it was in practice, which was on the free side. It’s just tough to drive when the car is like that. We have had good pace this weekend, the times just didn’t come together in that session when we needed it.”

On Sunday afternoon, Harvey lined up on the ninth row of the grid for the 85 lap race. Almost immediately, a full course caution was brought out and the team pitted Harvey. Their strategy paid off, and Harvey steadily moved through the field to P7 before pitting for the second time on lap 31.

By lap 61 he was running in P4 and looking strong for a top five finish. He was about to come in for his third and final pitstop when the yellow flags were brought out and the pitlane was closed, forcing Harvey to stay out on track as the field was slowed. This compromised his race strategy and meant that when the pitlane was reopened two laps later, he had dropped down the field. Despite this curveball, Harvey continued to fight on and after 85 laps of racing, he crossed the finish line in P12.

“We moved forward and that was the goal,” said Harvey. “We ran well all day, but that yellow came out at the absolute wrong time. But you can’t predict those kinds of things happening. We had a good race and we showed what we can do and that we deserve to be here. It’s also a great result for the team and my birthday today. Obviously it’s Jim’s (Meyer) first race as an official team owner this weekend and I’m really excited for everyone at Meyer Shank Racing. It’s not too often that you can really show your true potential and I think this weekend was a good step in that direction.”

“It was a great job by everybody, the engineers really had a great strategy in that first run which really helped us,” commented Mike Shank. “We were a legitimate top six or seven car today. Unfortunately it just didn’t happen because we just missed that yellow. It’s a strategy call that is always tough to make. All I asked these guys is to get better every time and we certainly did that this weekend.”

Next up for Harvey is the 102nd running of the Indianapolis 500 on May 27th.

Notes to Editors

Background information on Jack and the associated companies involved may be found in our For Press section.

102ND RUNNING OF THE INDIANAPOLIS 500

BRITISH RACING DRIVER JACK HARVEY SECURES 16TH PLACE FINISH IN INDIANAPOLIS 500

May 27, 2018

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

British racing driver Jack Harvey today finished P16 in the 102nd running of the Indianapolis 500 in the Meyer Shank Racing with SPM No. 60 AutoNation / SiriusXM Honda.

Having started 31st on the grid, Harvey’s race strategy meant he had climbed through the field and was running third by lap 95 and returned to the top three once again on lap 130. In the closing laps of the iconic race a four-lap caution was thrown 11 laps from the end, but unfortunately the caution period wasn’t long enough for the Lincolnshire-born driver to conserve fuel and tyres and he was forced to make a final pitstop on lap 197 of the 200-lap race, eventually crossing the Indianapolis Motor Speedway ‘Yard of Bricks’ finish line 16th.

Qualifying for the iconic race took place on Sunday May 20th with Harvey posting a four-lap average qualifying speed of 225.254-mph around the 2.5-mile oval at Indianapolis Motor Speedway to secure a 31st-place start.

One week later, race day on Sunday May 27th proved to be unseasonably hot for the Indianapolis 500, with ambient temperatures hitting 33 degrees Celsius, while a downpour overnight had washed away rubber on the track, making it more slippery than sessions in the lead-up to the iconic event.

With the green flag waved for the 500-mile race, Harvey maintained position in the early laps and climbed as high as P24 before his first pitstop on lap 33. A quick stop meant he rejoined the field P26 before the first caution of the race was thrown for a collision between James Davison and last year’s race winner Takuma Sato on lap 48.

Harvey pitted towards the end of the caution period and was running P26 when he rejoined the field. Two further caution periods came in quick succession with Harvey’s pit strategy allowing him to climb to P16 by lap 77 as the race restarted and approached the 200-mile mark.

For the remainder of the race, Harvey’s pit strategy meant he and the Meyer Shank Racing with SPM No. 60 AutoNation / SiriusXM Honda would run as high as third. Four further cautions ensued in the second half of the race, with Harvey climbing to P3 again on lap 130. A pitstop behind rivals Will Power and Scott Dixon, who were running in P4 and P5 respectively, the team was hoping for a caution to help save Harvey’s tyres and fuel to get him to the end of the race.

On lap 189, the yellow flag was waved for a final time. However, it was a short five-lap caution meaning that the race resumed on lap 193. Harvey made a dramatic move on the inside of turn one on the restart, snagging second place with less than five minutes remaining in the race. But the numbers didn’t all add up, and Harvey was forced to make a trip to pit lane for a lightning-quick stop for fuel. He pitted on lap 197 and reemerged to finish the race P16.

“It’s the Indy 500, the biggest one of the year, so the team didn’t have to apologise to me for going for it!” said Harvey of the fuel strategy. “We nearly made the strategy work, but there were a few bits where we just couldn’t hit the numbers. We ran up to the front at the end and went three-wide into turn one on the last restart. I tried to drive the best race I could and we finished 16th, which is a pretty good day considering where we started. Looking at where we were last year and where we are today, it’s a night and day difference. Thank you to AutoNation and SiriusXM and all of the supporters and sponsors that we have and to Michael (Shank) for believing in me. This is a good program that’s getting off the ground and this is good momentum to keep going.”

“Jack just drove a hell of a race, he did us proud today,” said Mike Shank. “I’m super pleased with our whole team effort today, we executed really well as a team. Our stops were strong and we picked up some positions on pit lane early in the race. The way the race was going, we pitted earlier in that window. We were in a great position late in the race and then Jack had an outstanding restart. We were committed to that strategy, but it just didn’t work out in the end. But it is great momentum for the team and all of our partners to have a strong finish in this race. We will continue to build this program, and I’m really proud of our month. Now we are really looking forward to racing IndyCar at Mid-Ohio in July.”

Harvey next races in the 2018 Verizon IndyCar Series at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course for the Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio on July 29, 2018.

British racing driver Jack Harvey qualifies for the Indianapolis 500

British racing driver Jack Harvey today qualified for the 102nd running of the iconic Indianapolis 500. At the wheel of the Meyer Shank Racing with SPM No. 60 AutoNation / SiriusXM Honda, Harvey posted a four-lap average qualifying speed of 225.254-mph to place him 31st for next weekend’s race.

Sunday’s Pole Day came after Harvey successfully navigated a pressure-packed “Bump Day” on Saturday. Harvey was drawn third and posted an initial four lap average speed of 225.233-mph. Looking to improve on that speed, the team headed back to the garage to continue to adjust the car for the changing conditions and to prepare for the second qualifying attempt later in the afternoon.

Two heavy rain showers soaked the track which caused significant rain delays and narrowed the window for a second qualifying attempt. The skies parted and the sun showed enough to dry the track for the last hour of qualifying activities. Right on cue, Harvey delivered a strong second qualifying run to ensure the car would not be bumped from the field with an average speed of 225.720-mph - the 27th quickest lap of the 33-car field.

After solidifying his qualifying set up during Saturday’s “Bump Day”, Harvey and the Meyer Shank Racing/SPM team were feeling optimistic about the continued progress heading into official Pole Day qualifying. Going out seventh in the order as the track temperatures climbed with bright and sunny skies, Harvey posted a four-lap average of 225.254-mph.

“I don’t have any big issues with the track it just comes down to not having a ton of qualifying speed this weekend,” said Harvey of his qualifying run. “We are in the race and yesterday proved anything can happen. Obviously, the important thing is qualifying for the 500, and we did. We were definitely hoping for a much better session than today, but I think we have a good car for the race, so I’m looking forward to next week and battling the field.”

The Verizon IndyCar Series field will see two more days of practice – Monday 21st and Friday 25th – ahead of the 102nd running of the Indianapolis 500, which will go green at 12:20 p.m. ET on Sunday, May 27th.

Notes to Editors

Background information on Jack and the associated companies involved may be found in our For Press section.