The Verizon IndyCar Series open test went well earlier this week. It was a little unfortunate about the weather being damp and cool and to not get as much running as we would have liked, but we still made the most of it and definitely took some steps forward.
We'll get four Chevy V6 twin turbos to use all season. Race engine number one was in the car at the open test and it ran great (more about their 2014 engines here). We are really excited to be a part of Team Chevy. While at Barber, I got a chance to hear a little about what Chevy Performance has coming down the pipeline in the coming years, both in their street cars and their race programs. We're enjoying working with Ilmor, Pratt and Miller as well as Chevrolet Racing.
We may have missed getting the best lap time when the track was at its best, as it was cool and damp toward the end of the day, but overall the No. 83 NovoLog FlexPen team is excited about heading into St. Pete... I know the whole Chip Ganassi Racing team is ready to go!
The season opener is coming up quickly and I'm not complaining one bit! To hear more about the upcoming season, listen to last night's interview with Drafting the Circuits here.
Practice at Barber on Tuesday - Photo via INDYCAR
Testing at Barber Motorsports Park - Photo via INDYCAR
No. 83 team prepping the car on Tuesday - Photo via @CGRteams
Happy Monday! We're fresh off a test day at Sebring on Friday, our first as a four car team. It went pretty well for the Novo Nordisk Chip Ganassi Racing team, as well as the Chip Ganassi Racing teams as a whole. I think we really fed off each other, and the day went reasonably flawlessly as far as on-track mechanical stuff. It’s nice to really get into the meat of it with the Chevy. The little bit of running we did before Christmas was an introduction and now we can dig our teeth into it, start to work on the car and get a direction to head before we get towards any more serious pre-season stuff. I’m pretty happy with the day. I’m really happy with how we worked as a team. I think that bodes well for us as the season gets going!
I can’t go without saying how much we appreciated having Dario around actually for additional perspective. He is very good at that, and it was super helpful.
This week I'm back in the gym before heading off to Phoenix for an appearance with Novo Nordisk, then I'm up to Detroit for a couple of appearances with Team Chevy on Friday! Looking forward to it!
It's only December 5th, but it's been quite an exciting month already!
Yesterday all four Chip Ganassi Racing Team cars spent a day testing at Sebring, the first time running our new Chevy engines. Like I've said before, the 2014 season really started as soon as the checkered flag flew at Fontana in October. Since then, the whole Novo Nordisk Chip Ganassi Racing team has been working hard at the shop, at the gym, and in the engineering office to make improvements before we even got some track time.
Wednesday was spent getting a good baseline for the rest of the off-season and gathering some data before the end of the year. It was definitely good to be back in the No. 83 NovoLog FlexPen car. It's nice to be back at the race track and focusing on 2014. Moving to Team Chevy has given us the opportunity to try some different things, learn from their engineers, as well as bring our strengths to the table. It was also a lot of fun to have TK and Tag at Sebring for the first time. I'm enjoying getting to know Tony better and develop a relationship at the track as a teammate.
Tonight I'm getting together with the whole No. 83 team for a post-season celebration. Looking forward to spending some time with them and their families away from the track!
Nice bowtie!
Chatting with Tony during the lunch break (photo via @IndyCar).
What if I said you can get a sneak-peek of the 2013 IndyCar Series' season finale? If you're in the LA area, come out and watch the test day at Auto Club Speedway tomorrow, Tuesday, Sept. 24! The test day is free and open to the public. It looks like we'll have great weather for the test... I'm not exactly endorsing a work "skip day" but if you happen to call in sick, sunshine and the roar of engines might do you some good! Click here for details.
I'm really looking forward to getting back in the No. 83 NovoLog FlexPen car for some left turns on the track, especially after the recent break and a month or so since our last oval. We had a really fast car in Fontana last year so I think with a year of development and this testing under our belts, we'll be in good shape when we return again next month.
Check out a virtual lap of Auto Club Speedway below, and be sure to follow @ACSupdates, @IndyCar and @RaceWithInsulin on Twitter for updates!
After a two week break, I am more than ready to be back at a race track! I had a great vacation on the lake, getting a lot of use out of my Axis A22 boat, relaxing and spending time with friends. This past weekend I went out to California for the Citrus Classic Balloon Festival, an annual event near my hometown. I helped judge the car show, but I also got to see the balloons go up... so cool! Yesterday I spent the day at an American Diabetes Association camp in Illinois on behalf of Novo Nordisk. I always have a blast at these events. It's a great chance to meet kids with diabetes who are just looking to have fun like everyone else, without having to worry about any of the challenges associated with the condition. Hopefully I'm able to help them out a bit. Plus, I'm still a big kid at heart so I try to join in on the camp fun too!
My A22 and the pups!
Citrus Classic... what a view!
The balloons are almost up & away!
Later today I'll leave for Mid-Ohio and the Honda Indy 200. We've got a lot going on this week before we even officially start the race weekend, so I hope you can join us for a few of the events! The IndyCar test day is open to race ticket holders tomorrow, Wednesday, July 31 from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. Bring a picnic, invite a few friends and watch from the Keyhole or the infield!
After the test, meet me at the start/finish line for the American Diabetes Association Community Walk to Stop Diabetes at 7 p.m. I'm really excited to participate on behalf of Drive4Diabetes.com, along with their developmental drivers who I'll help coach this season. After the lap around the track (sorry, just walking--no driving!), you'll have the opportunity to get a behind-the-scenes guided tour of Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. They are also offering special race ticket discounts to walk participants so come out early for good deals!
What a whirlwind of a week! I’m finally back home after some
globetrotting. I’ll do my best to catch you up.
Madrid was a lot of fun! On behalf of Novo Nordisk, I went
overseas for a presentation to doctors from all over the world. It was neat to
tell my story because all of the other presenters were people who had letters
after their names—M.D., Ph.D., that sort of thing—so I was the only non-doctor
and only patient perspective. I was able to give them an idea of not only how I
manage my diabetes but also I integrate diabetes management with physical prep
and race prep.
I went straight from Madrid to Birmingham for IndyCar’s
annual “spring training” of media day and open testing. On Monday we shot a lot
of cool promos you’ll start to see soon on NBC Sports Network. The test went
well. The Novo Nordisk Chip Ganassi Racing team made some progress and did a
lot of development with the 83 car. We made a step up over the winter and made
some progress competition-wise and just continued that throughout the open test
last week. To finish off the second afternoon in sixth was pretty good. We’ve
got a little ways to go, but we know where that time needs to come from and
we’re working hard to make gains.
Dario and I went from the test to New York City for media
day for the Race With Insulin Unites program. It was a fun day—busy and long,
but fun! I appreciate the TODAY Show having us on, and talking to BrianSullivan on CNBC’s Street Signs was cool. As cheesy as it was, Dario and I
agreed with Brian… racing drivers may be fast on track but can be slow and safe
on investments! I filmed a segment with NBC Sports Network’s The Crossover,
which was a little edgier than I’m used to but a great experience. There are
still some pieces in the works so I can’t wait to see how it all ends up. Plus,
I applied to NBC’s page program so hopefully I’ll make it and they let me come
back and wear my firesuit under the page jacket!
Outside 30 Rock with Dario (via @CGRTeams)
Now it’s back to training at PitFit for a couple of days
before heading down to St. Pete for the first race of the season. I hope you’re
as excited as I am to get started! Thanks for the support!
Yes, it's time to play that game... 'Where in the world is Charlie Kimball?' I'll be on the road for the next week or so which means some strategic packing is necessary.
Tomorrow I'll head overseas to Madrid, Spain for a speaking engagement with Novo Nordisk. I'm always humbled to have the opportunity to represent Novo Nordisk, and to be in front of an international audience is really cool. I'll do my best to brush up on my Spanish on the plane!
I'll go straight from Madrid to Birmingham for the media day and open test at Barber Motorsports Park. I'm really looking forward to two full days of testing in the No. 83 NovoLog FlexPen car. I think the whole Novo Nordisk Chip Ganassi Racing team is syncing very well--from the engineers, to the crew, to team managers and beyond. We have high expectations going into the 2013 season, and I think with consistent, hard work, we'll be successful.
After we wrap up testing on Wednesday, I'll head out of town again for a couple of media opportunities. Stay tuned and I'll let you know when you can catch me live!
If the non-stop travel doesn't signify the beginning of the IndyCar season, than the last episode of #TheOffseason definitely does! Enjoy.
Sure, February is the shortest month out of the year, but I've packed in a lot of fun in that short time! Appearances, photo and video shoots, testing, birthdays, a mini-vacation, a major press announcement... phew, it's definitely been a quick yet busy month.
Yesterday I spent some time at the Ganassi shop shooting some video with the Novo Nordisk team. They're always a great group to work with, and they make the process easy and painless for me!
The Sebring test last week went really well. We were very quick in the morning session and had a few mechanical things to work on in the afternoon. Overall I was really pleased with the progress we made. We did a lot of work with Honda and Honda HPD, developing some adjustments and tunability as we get ready for the open test and first race. We ran a lot of miles during the last off-season, and with the decrease of testing time this year we just have to be more efficient and make the most of our on-track time. Big credit to the whole Novo Nordisk Chip Ganassi Racing team. The engineers and mechanics have worked really hard over the winter, and we had some great directions to try at Sebring. I can’t wait to get back in the car for the open test in a couple of weeks… the first race is less than a month away now!
It’s always great to go out to an event here in Indianapolis. So many people here in town love IndyCar racing, so to go to the fairgrounds for the Indianapolis Boat, Sport and Travel Show with Mid-Indiana Marine and meet IndyCar fans was really neat. I’m an avid boater and I love my Axis Wake. It was great to hang out with the dealer and talk to prospective buyers and other Axis owners about my boat, and how I use it to relax and slow down a bit from the racing world. I had the chance to share with them the quality that I enjoy in my boat and how I spend my free time out on the water. Fortunately the days are getting a bit longer here in Indy, so there’s hope for warm weather soon. Most importantly that means the start of the race season, but also that it’ll be time to get back out on the water before I know it!
My new friend Luke at the boat show!
Oh yeah, I did some "racing" recently too... Enjoy.
Happy New Year! Hope you've all had a great holiday season and enjoyed some time with family and friends.
I just finished up a couple of days at the "Roar Before the 24"--testing at Daytona for the Rolex 24 Hours. This has really been a great experience. Chip has put together a great group of individuals from four different series and I’m learning a lot from all of them. I’ve gotten quite a bit of time in the car and I’ve had to get use to a lot of things; like getting used to a roof, driving at a new track and even driving at night. I haven’t driven at night since my go-karting days. The guys (Memo, Scott and Juan) have been great in helping me and it’s a testament to the group of drivers Chip has put together. I’m really looking forward to being a part of and contributing to the Rolex 24 At Daytona!
Heading back to the Best Coast tomorrow morning for a couple of days. If you're not already, make sure you're following me on Twitter @RaceWithInsulin!
As you may have heard yesterday, I will be competing in the 2013 Rolex 24 at Daytona! I watched from the Ganassi pit stand last year and saw first-hand how much work and team effort it takes to have a good race, and I know I have great teammates in Scott Pruett, Memo Rojas and Juan Pablo Montoya. I'm looking forward to getting down there for a test in a few weeks and take my first laps in the No. 01 TELMEX/Target car. I have to thank Chip Ganassi, Felix Sabates and the whole team for this opportunity. I'll be sure to make the most of it in January!
The test at Sebring on Thursday went pretty well. With it being a Honda engine day, they had a few development pieces to test and we ran through a bunch of stuff. The No. 83 car ended up doing a lot of miles—close to 300 I think. We weren’t quite as fast on the outright pace, but we did have a red flag on our best new tire run. We made a lot of changes and learned a ton, so overall a good day. A lot of credit goes to the guys because they were really on top of things. The whole Novo Nordisk Chip Ganassi Racing crew has been great all year, and hopefully they get to enjoy some downtime over the holidays as we get ready for 2013!
Working hard at Texas A&M's lab!
After the test, I spent a day at the Huffines Institute for Sports Medicine and Human Performance at Texas A&M University. I’ve been working with David, one of their Ph.D. candidates, for about a year now to do some physical fitness evaluations. Basically, they try to simulate the stress my body goes through during a race at the lab, then figure out how to make my body perform better while in the car. Honestly, I was exhausted by the end of the day! But it was really cool to get some feedback and suggestions that could help me next season. A big thanks to Dr. Tim Lightfoot, David and everyone at the Huffines Institute for spending the day with me.
Today I’m headed down to Loudon, Tennessee to take a tour of the Malibu/Axis boat factory tomorrow. I’m pretty excited… they’ve really thought of everything for these boats; the attention to detail is like none other! It’ll be cool to see how it all comes together at the shop. I’ll also get to meet their employees and give away some cool IndyCar prizes. The only downside is that it will make me want to get out on the water even more! If only it was a bit warmer in Indy…
OK, I apologize for the bad pun in the title, but I just couldn't help myself! It's almost December... which means I'm another month closer to the start of the 2013 season and being in a race car every weekend! While I'm counting down the days until St. Pete (113 days, if you were wondering), I'm staying busy with appearances, training and testing.
As I mentioned earlier this week, I was the keynote speaker for the "Stop Diabetes @ Work" event on Tuesday hosted by the Indiana-area chapter of the American Diabetes Association. It was really cool opportunity to be in the company of Mayor Greg Ballard, Dr. Joan Duwve (Chief Medical Officer for the Indiana State Department of Health) and Gerry Dick (host of Inside INdiana Business) while sharing my story on behalf of Novo Nordisk.
If you're in Indy, come by the Big Ten Fan Fest today from 6-8 p.m. I'll be on Georgia Street downtown for a Q&A and autograph session (at the Pan Am Plaza). Hope to see you there!
Tomorrow morning I'm heading to Phoenix for an event with Novo Nordisk. It's about 30 degrees warmer in AZ than here in Indy... no complaints from me! Make sure to follow me on Twitter @racewithinsulin for updates from the road.
P.S. If you missed my interview on WPIX, you can check it out here or below!
It's been a busy week or so since I last posted. We had a great time at the Ganassi holiday party. Turns out, the guys clean up nicely! It was fun to spend some time with everyone while not talking about race setups or looking at race data (OK, maybe there was a bit of setup talk...).
With artist Jeff Moses at the gala
After the party, it was time to pack for a five-day trip around the East Coast. I started in Boston for the Joslin Diabetes Center's High Hopes Gala. It was a ton of fun to be around people who all share such enthusiasm for the same cause. But to be honest, I'll take wearing a firesuit and helmet over wearing a tux and bow tie any day!
Following the gala it was on to Princeton, NJ, home of Novo Nordisk, for our annual media training sessions. I'm always humbled to be a part of that group... chatting with legends like Will Cross, Jay Hewitt, Kendall Simmons, Marcus Dupree, Lou Brock and Rosa Rosen is pretty cool! I stayed an extra day and met local high school students in Princeton.
On Wednesday I was in the Big Apple and put that media training to good use right away, filming segments for the WPIX morning show and the Dr. Steve Show. If you're in the NYC area, be sure to tune in this week!
I traveled back to Indy and spent my Thanksgiving here with good friends who are like family to me. I'm very thankful to be able to do what I love and have the support to do so! I even got a head start on working off those calories on Thanksgiving morning by running the Drumstick Dash with some fellow IndyCar drivers and PitFit owner/trainer Jim Leo. Thanks to Jim for getting me the No. 83 bib number!
I hope you all had a happy Thanksgiving! For me, it's back to work now... daily PitFit training sessions, a presentation at an ADA event tomorrow, an autograph session at the Big Ten Fan Fest on Friday, and another presentation in Phoenix on Saturday.
Happy Halloween everyone! Check this ESPN Playbook article to find my favorite Halloween candy and costume... and a pretty sweet pic of Josef. Nice.
On Monday, I tested at Barber Motorsports Park with Novo Nordisk Chip Ganassi Racing and teammates Dario and Scott. It turned out to be a chilly and windy morning, so we had to wait a bit until we could warm up the Firestone tires on the track. Fortunately the sun was out so we got some good laps in throughout the day. We didn't have the best luck at Barber this past season, but we've turned the page to 2013 and I think we made some progress. I look forward to going back to Barber in the spring for the open test and race with the No. 83 team and showing what we can do!
Tomorrow I'm headed to the Best Coast (that's the West Coast, in case you didn't already know) for a few days in California. After that, I'm in for a busy November with lots of traveling and speaking engagements. Thanksgiving (and all of the delicious holiday food...) will be here before we know it!
Happy Friday, everyone! The Novo Nordisk Chip Ganassi Racing team had a good day of testing yesterday at The Mile. Fortunately, the rain held off until we were done for the day so we got some good miles in the No. 83 NovoLog FlexPen car.
After a late flight home last night, it was back to work at the gym with Pit Fit this morning. With it being the off-season, it's nice to be able to have more consistent training throughout the week. But believe me--they don't take it easy on us during our "off-season!"
On Monday, I'll be back on a plane headed to Boston for a presentation to new Novo Nordisk employees. The new hires are always a fun group--so enthusiastic and excited about their work! It's contagious.
Yep, it's that time of the off-season! And I'm more than ready to be back in the No. 83 NovoLog FlexPen car! Later today I head up to Milwaukee for a test at The Mile tomorrow with the Novo Nordisk Chip Ganassi Racing team. After a few weeks out of the car, it'll be great to dust off the cobwebs and get back on track.
I've been a bit quiet the past week or so as I've just moved to a new place here in Indy! Very exciting, but lots of work too. I can finally see around all of the boxes! But don't worry--I've been keeping an eye on your Facebook "CK's Fan of the Week" pics! Don't forget that you can still add them all month long. I'll choose the next winner on Friday.
Since I know you guys are going through IndyCar withdraw too, here's the 2012 Milwaukee IndyFest race to hold you through the end of the week. Enjoy my onboard camera!
...when you're having fun. I can't believe in one week, the 2012 season will be behind us already. I feel like we just got started! However, I'm really excited to be going back to California to finish out the season. We've had a really good year and it'd be nice to finish on a high note at Auto Club Speedway. I think the No. 83 NovoLog FlexPen car has come along really well, especially the second half of the season. The whole Novo Nordisk Chip Ganassi Racing team--from the crew to the strategists--has been working really well together. With a 500-mile race, we'll have to make sure we keep making smart decisions, move forward from where we start, and finish up toward the front at the end of the race.
I leave Indy tomorrow for the test session in Fontana on Wednesday. It will be nice to have that extra practice day at the track before the race this weekend. Hope to see you there for the INDYCAR World Championships!
On the grid at St. Pete in March... we've come a long way!
Well, it's been a few days since I've been in a race car and I already can't wait to get back on track! After getting back home from Edmonton late on Sunday night, I've been recuperating and training with PitFit.
Later today I'll make the drive to Mid-Ohio for a test tomorrow with the Novo Nordisk Chip Ganassi Racing team. We had one of our best races of the 2011 season there, so I'm looking forward to getting back and finding out what we can do with the No. 83 NovoLog FlexPen car.
If you're in the Lexington, Ohio area, be sure to come out to the Mid-Ohio course tomorrow! Testing will be open to the public from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. More information is available here. Bring a blanket and picnic basket... and enjoy a bit of IndyCar before the race!
Good morning, everyone! After getting back to Indy late on Saturday (or perhaps I should say very early on Sunday), I spent yesterday relaxing on my Axis boat. Nothing like some sunshine and water to recharge before getting back on the race track! Later today I'm headed to Iowa Speedway to test the No. 83 NovoLog FlexPen car tomorrow. The test is free and open to the public (info here), so come on out if you're in Iowa.
After testing, we'll head to Milwaukee for the Milwaukee IndyFest. And I'm giving away four grandstand tickets so you can join me there! Just head on over to my Facebook page and, in honor of Father's Day weekend, share your favorite memory of time spent with your dad (racing-related or otherwise). I'll randomly select a winner on Wednesday at noon ET. Good luck!
It’s May—the greatest time of year. I couldn’t be more
excited and anxious to get on track at Indianapolis Motor Speedway! No matter
how many times I drive into the Speedway, or take a walk down Gasoline Alley,
it never gets old. And to have the opportunity to take a shot at winning the
Greatest Spectacle in Racing is priceless.
It’s only the first week of May, but things are already
ramping up. Yesterday I went up to Ft. Wayne, Indiana to visit a group of
families at Lutheran Hospital. I had the chance to share my story, talk about racing,
and hopefully give the kids motivation to chase their own dreams. Click here to watch a quick video, and click here to see a couple of pics. Tomorrow I head to Memorial Hospital in South
Bend and St. Joseph’s Medical Center in Mishawaka to meet more fellow type 1
diabetics.
On the agenda for today is a seat belt fitting at the Novo
Nordisk Chip Ganassi Racing shop, then later this evening I’m going to a
concert with friends. Should be a fun time! This Sunday I’ll fly down to Texas
for the open test on Monday… a little bit of seat time is always a good thing! After I
get back, it’s full-speed ahead (pun intended!) for the Month of May!
Yes, I know I'm here early. I flew out from Indy on Sunday for a test at Sonoma yesterday, and I'm happy to say it went really well. I ended up P2 on the charts, just behind my teammate Dario. A good start to my stint here in California!
Later today I'm heading out to two appearances with Novo Nordisk, in Newport Beach and Long Beach. Always fun to interact with the (usually very entertaining and enthusiastic) children at these events and relax a bit before the race weekend hits.
Come Thursday, it's back to business! I always look forward to going to Long Beach because it's my hometown race, and I have tons of family and supporters who come out (almost 70 total this weekend!). We didn't have the best of luck there last year, but I think with a little hard work we'll have a good result on Sunday. The top-ten at the season opener really gave me and the Novo Nordisk Chip Ganassi Racing team a lot of confidence for this season, and hopefully that translates to the street course here in Long Beach as well!
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