“I came close to crashing six or seven times,” said Team Ethanol Driver Ryan Hunter-Reay. But, they key is he didn’t. More than a handful of IndyCar drivers had problems out on the track during the 92nd Indianopolis 500 with several drivers like rookie Graham Rahal and veteran Marty Roth sliding into the wall at turn four after being caught too high around the bend. But Ryan, who was the top finishing rookie at 6th place, said his crew’s strategy was to be patient and stay low, really low.
That strategy proved to be the best strategy for a team that, as Ryan explained it, “had no luck.”
“You know what was nice about today, is we didn’t have any luck,” said Ryan. “You know, we didn’t have bad luck, we didn’t have good luck, we just had no luck.”
He says that’s all his team needed in order to snag the best Indy 500 finish in Team Ethanol’s history. Ryan says his team is definitely “punching above [its] weight” as it competes with teams like Ganassi, Andretti Green and Penske, but he says “there’s going to be much better things to come this year.” And a win isn’t out of the question for Ryan. All his team needs, he says, is a bit of luck.
Ryan steadily picked off cars throughout the race, both out on the oval and in the pits. Ryan started in position 20, but successfully passed 15 drivers holding 5th place in the final quarter of the race, before dropping back to a 6th place finish.
“When that line gets shorter and shorter in front of you after each pit stop and after each time you pick off cars and you’re so busy in you’re own little world there as you’re going through a stint. All of a sudden you’re sitting there with fifty laps to go in the race and there’s only four cars in front of you. It was like ‘Okay, we’re in it now.'”
Ryan said he did his homework, watching videos of past races just like a quaterback watches videos of past football games. “I’ve learned a lot of lessons this month,” said Ryan.
As far as the Indy 500 goes, he says, “qualifying doesn’t matter that much unless you’re on the front row.”
You can listen to Ryan’s comments from just after the race here:
[audio:http://www.zimmcomm.biz/epic/indy-08-hunter-reay2.mp3]
In a race down to the pits, No. 9 Target Driver Scott Dixon with Chip Ganassi Racing sped past Vitor Meira during the final pit stop during a yellow to take the win at the Brickyard. Reporters commented on the look of shock on Scott’s face at winners circle and Scott confirmed that he was a bit shocked.
“This is much more sweeter because it comes, you know, you work three weeks solidly and it comes down to one day to get it and have everything fall into place. It’s quite special,” Scott said.
We’re well into the final quarter of the 2008 Indy 500. There’s been more than a handful of crashes. But, Ryan Hunter-Reay has been holding a top 10 position for much of the race and is just shy of a top 5 spot. He now holds the 6th position after starting 20th.
Members of the 
Ethanol isn’t just out on the track, but also in parking lots and parked in the infield at the Brickyard in Indianapolis, IN. And that’s something 
Team Ethanol Driver Ryan Hunter-Reay started the 92nd Indianapolis 500 in position 20, but the race rookie has already moved up to 11th. The drivers are cruising on a yellow flag right now. Keep checking back to see if Ryan can snag a top 10 spot.
Olympian figure skater Kristy Yamaguchi is the latest star to win the “Dancing with the Stars” competition. She’s also the latest star to signal that the race is on. Kristy flashed the green ethanol flag and the 33 competitors in the 92nd Indy 500 took off for their 200 lap run around the Brickyard. Just thirty-seven laps into the race, Graham Rahal got too high around turn 4 and smashed into the outer wall.
The Ethanol tent and mobile unit display at the 92nd Indianapolis 500 is a big hit with race fans. When I dropped by there was a large crowd lined up to sign up their email address and consumer information with ethanol. Those that stopped by could also jump in the seat of a Team Ethanol IndyCar replica, play some racing videogames and pick up a tiny replica of the No. 17 car.
He was named rookie of the year for the 2007 IRL season. Ryan is also in the running to be the Rookie of the Year for the 2008 Indy 500.
But, he was quick to point out that when the car’s dialed in and everything is running smoothly, “It actually does feel like you’re flying low… it’s amazing those cars can do that really. Cause you don’t believe in it. Until you’re actually in the corner with 4 Gs loaded up and you get out of it.”
Everybody Loves Raymond fans had an exciting morning at the IPL Festival Parade today. Patricia Heaton was one of more than a dozen celebrities that appeared before parade-goers. Jenna Elfman of Dharma and Greg also starred in the parade as did Dancing with the Stars‘ Julianne Hough, 98 Degrees singer Drew Lachey, soap-opera star Alison Sweeney, Indiana Pacers players Jeff Foster and Danny Granger, Indiana Fever players Tamika Catchings and Katie Douglas, Congressional Medal of Honor recipients Corporal Tibor Rubin and Retired Lt. Col. Bruce P. Crandall, and more. Even SLASH from Guns n’ Roses rode past.
But, of course ethanol fans were most excited to see Team Ethanol Driver Ryan Hunter-Reay. Ryan rode with his girlfriend in a 2008 Indy Pace Car corvette signed by racing legend Emerson Fittipaldi. He is starting 20th in tomorrow’s race.