| Date/Time: | 2006-08-01 14:57:00 |
| Race: | Firestone 400 |
Jeff Bucknum Impressive in Superspeedway DebutThe ABC Supply/AJ Foyt #14 Dallara Honda entry was introducing Jeff Bucknum to a whole new world of racing Sunday for the Firestone 400 at Michigan International Speedway. Jeff would be following in the shoes of his father, Ronnie Bucknum, who won the inaugural event at the track in 1968. Jeff would also be competing in his first high banked superspeedway event, the kind of track that creates near non-stop side by side racing that makes the IndyCar product so terrific. The total result far outstrips the box score. Jeff qualified 18th and thus had his work cut out for him at the start. The strategy was to keep in contact with the lead pack and gain racing experience. Jeff gained a quick position on the first lap and started chasing down former Indy 500 winner Buddy Lazier. That effort took a few laps and caused both drivers to lose the draft of the leaders. Once past Lazier he pulled away until the first round of pit stops where Lazier gained the advantage on pit lane. Again Jeff chased Lazier down and held the advantage till the only full course yellow ensued. On the restart Jeff passed Kosuke Matsuura and challenged Dario Franchitti for several laps. He maintained the fifteenth position and continued through another pit stop cycle. The second half of the race saw Jeff begin to put some of his newly found experience to good use. Team Owner AJ Foyt kept challenging and coaching Bucknum and Jeff responded by keeping his mount on the lead lap deep into the second half of the 200 lap event, only falling a lap down at lap 134. This was a blessing in disguise as it allowed Jeff to immerse himself in tight pack racing with the leaders. He learned a lot and impressed fellow competitors and Foyt with his prowess. Indeed during the course of the event Jeff is credited with the 9th fastest lap of any competitor, a speed of over 215 mph (5mph faster than his qualifying result). As the checker fell on a super fast event, (193.972 average, and the third fastest IRL event on record), Jeff gained a hard earned 14th place and tons of newly acquired experience. “I would normally not be excited about a 14th place finish but I am very pleased with the day,” stated Bucknum. “We came here to learn; me to learn driving on a superspeedway track and the entire team to learn more about working together. We achieved those goals and more. We showed a lot of potential today and are very candid about the areas in which we look to improve.” “This is a totally different kind of racing than anything I have experienced, but once I got into some close pack racing I learned on each lap how to do it better. It is so intense. I did not lift my foot from the accelerator for the two hours plus it took to cover 400 miles.” “I have to thank AJ for his continual coaching throughout the event. He is amazing. Just from his stop watch he could tell when I varied my line and would give me instant feedback; sometimes positive and sometime corrective. AJ never minces his words!” “I am glad to get this under my belt. We are using the remaining races this year to prepare for next year and I know I will face superspeedways with confidence in coming seasons.” This weekend also marked the signing of several associate sponsors for the Foyt entry. Investment Properties of America, and affiliate companies Montauk Financial Group, Crossroads Transportation and Logistics, Securities 1031 Services and BarterOne were each featured on the #14 Foyt entry and will be present to support the Foyt/Bucknum effort through the end of the 2006 season. “The added sponsorships just show how much AJ is stepping up to the plate in order to return Foyt Enterprises to excellence,” added Bucknum. “It also shows how attractive the Foyt team is to bring sponsor value. It is a terrific time for a driver to be sitting in the cockpit of the most revered IndyCar in history. I am glad that driver is me.” The season now moves to Kentucky Speedway for another totally different type of track. The facility is a 1.5 mile high banked tri-oval with a different style of driving required when compared to Michigan International. The Meijer Indy 300 Presented by Coca-Cola and Secret will be staged Sunday, August 13 at 3:30 pm and will be televised live on the ABC network. |
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