Friday at Edmonton

Here is a quick practice results update with a little more detail than my twitter. I ended the session in P3 and was bouncing around the top 3 all session. I am really happy with the car and got out with a huge smile on my face. Edmonton is an airport circuit so it is pretty wide open, with some really tight twisty sections. Also, with the harsh northern Alberta winters, the track is a bit rougher than last year. And it was bumpy then! With a rough track like this, a bad car can make for a long weekend. But with a good car, it sure makes it fun! I finished just 0.04 off of Hinch in second and about 0.2 off of my teammate, Plowey, who was quickest. Plowey ran a set of new tires though and I have some things to work on- both in driving and with my engineer. There is definitely more to come. I can't wait until tomorrow morning's practice and then qualifying in the early afternoon.

As a quick side note (really quickly, otherwise I will be late to dinner!), the Canadian fans are awesome. Today was Friday, just practice and the stands were pretty full. There were a lot of really knowledgeable people walking around and the Indy Lights autograph session was well subscribed. It probably didn't hurt that today's weather was nearly perfect. Bring on the race weekend!

Where did 2 months go?!?!

May 25th. That was my last blog. Hmmm. Nearly two months ago..... Wait!?!?! What? 2 months? Time has just blitzed past. I am used to things moving at a high rate of speed, but these last two months have been crazy fast and busy. Well I guess that's why they have gone by quickly is because I have been crazy busy. Let's see if I can write an update on all that has gone on without having to classify it as a novel....

Freedom 100
I wanted the Win, but came away with a solid second place. I had an incredible race with Wade Cunningham and he just beat me to the win. He has raced in the Freedom 5 times and that definitely helped him. I fought as hard as I could, used all the racetrack (and then some at times) and was very happy with how my Indy weekend turned out. Plus with Wade not being a full time driver this season, it was a moral win. It also put me within 7 points of points leader JK Vernay.

Testing
After Indy, we had a test day at Mid Ohio in preparation for our race there in August. It has never been my strongest track and when I tested with Andretti there last fall, I really struggled to get the car where I wanted it. This time though, we made big strides in the car set up. Because it was a 'private' test, there wasn't official timing, but I ended up within 0.05 of the quickest car at the test, Stefan Wilson. With the a string of street and road course races coming up after the Iowas Speedway event, we were very happy to be quick on the road course test.

Iowa Speedway
Before my race in Iowa, I had a great event for my sponsor, Novo Nordisk. I went to a Minor League Baseball game to talk about diabetes, racing, and throw out the first pitch. The Clinton Lumberkings were great hosts and I managed to make the ball to home plate. I will admit I resorted to the 'skyball' to make sure I didn't one-hop it to home. It is quite a lot of pressure standing out there on the field. I guess it would be like a baseball player strapping into a race car...
Well onto the race at Iowa Speedway. And to be honest, I would rather just forget the whole weekend. In the two practice sessions, where the results don't matter at all, I was quickest and second quickest. In the two sessions that mattered: qualifying and the race, I was last! The car had a fuel pump fail in qualifying so I had to start at the back. Then in the race, I went into turn 1 on the first lap and the back of the car stepped out on me. I caught it the first time, but it stepped out again and I spun into the wall. I think it was a combination of being at the back of the pack and in dirty air and having cold tires. I was definitely trying hard to get past a couple of drivers that were a long ways of the pace before settling down to pick off the rest as I could. It was something I will definitely learn from. The next race was Watkins Glen and one of my favorite racetracks in the world!

ADA and CWD
But before I could get to the Glen for the race, I went to San Antonio TX for an ADA Expo. I was very impressed with the size of the turnout for the Expo as well as the city itself. I really enjoyed myself wandering around the Riverwalk and the older parts of town. Not to mention seeing the Alamo. (On a side not, I got my iPhone 4 that same weekend and the excitement of that might have colored my view- but only a little! And yes I love it. And no I don't have signal problems.)
After San Antonio, I flew down to Orlando for the ADA National conference and the Children with Diabetes Friends for Life conference. I really like both of these events because it gives me a good chance to catch up with friends from the diabetes community at the ADA. Then CWD is such an amazing conference with so many great stories and people! I had a great time at both and still managed to train almost every day to prepare for the Glen, Toronto and Edmonton.

The Glen
Watkins Glen is one of my favorite racetracks and one of my favorite places in the world. The whole of the Finger Lake district is great, the city of Corning is a lot of fun, and the racetrack itself is very special. The length, the speed, the elevation changes all combine to create a challenge for the driver, a challenge for the engineer and a great spectacle. However, once again bad luck would wreak havoc with my race. I had been in the top 5 in practice and was ready to go for qualifying. However, in qualifying I made a mistake and while trying to overtake another driver, I spun across a curb. This stalled the engine and meant I would lose my fastest lap. I still managed to put myself into the top 6. Until we looked at the bottom of the car from when I ran across the curb. The impact had broken the bottom of the engine and would mean it would have to be changed. This also meant I would have to start from the back. Because three other drivers had to do the same, I wouldn't be dead last! Then disaster struck again and half way around the parade lap for the race, the engine shut off. The safety crew towed me back to the pits and after changing the ECU, I rejoined the race- but I was 4 laps down. Because of a full course yellow, I caught the back of the field. Because I was a lapped car, I was cautious to stay out of other people's races. Halfway through the race, there was another yellow flag and the team and I decided to pit to make changes to the car and treat the race like a practice session. As the line of cars ahead of me strung out, I passed people when I was sure it wouldn't impact their race. I moved all the way up to what was 5th place on the road (even though I was 11th because of being laps down). I also posted the 4th quickest lap time, 0.2 off of the 3rd quickest time. While the result was extremely disappointing, the speed of the car was very encouraging. The two bad races in a row had dropped me from 2nd in points to 5th.

Mental Health
Because I had been on the go so much since the beginning of May really, I was looking forward to a weekend off! I was still training very intensely in the week leading up to the weekend and my body was looking forward to some time to recover as well. I went to a BBQ with some friends on Saturday and had a great time relaxing poolside. While there were a lot of racing people at the BBQ, it was definitely a mental health break. Then on the Sunday, I slept in, did some DIY, cleaned my room, watched some of the ALMS race, and then watched the Dodgers destroy the Cubs on Sunday Night Baseball. A perfect Sunday that really rejuvenated me for the Canadian leg of my season- Toronto and Edmonton.

Toronto
The streets of Toronto race is one of the hardest on our calendar. Especially if the weather plays a role. Last year, we had to start the race in the wet, do a pit stop and finish it in the dry. This year, the weather was extremely hot! And with how bumpy, technical and physical the track is, high heat and high humidity just make it more challenging. We had a good car in both practices and were 5th quickest in both before qualifying. Then in qualifying a bit of bad luck struck again. I was having major gearbox problems and didn't really know what gear I was going to be in going into a corner. This makes it really tough! But I told the team that I would do my best and see how we came out. I ended up doing a lap that was good for 7th, only 0.2 off of 3rd! While the result wasn't fantastic, I was extremely how well I had handled the problematic gearbox. And my last lap was going to be quicker until the gearbox auto-magically shifted for me and nearly put me into the wall! Going into the race though, I was confident I would be able to move up through the field. On the start, I passed Adrian Campos Jr. into turn 1 to move up to 6th and set off after the top 5. While I was quicker than Sebastian Saavedra ahead of me, I couldn't find a way past until a mid race yellow flag. On the restart, I set up Seb and passed him into the hard braking of turn 3. Then it was about biding my time and chasing the pack of 2-4th ahead of me. As the race moved towards it's 50 lap conclusion, James Hinchcliffe in 2nd started to struggle with his car's handling. On the last lap, he made a braking mistake into turn 3 and slid wide, Dan Clarke moved past into 2nd and Gustavo Yacaman passed him for 3rd. Then into the next braking zone, turn 5, I moved up the inside of Hinch and made the pass to come home 4th! Unfortunately, Hinch ended his race in the tires in turn 5, but after the race we both agreed it was a racing incident with no hard feelings. Which is a good thing when it comes time for our next boxing workout together!!! The 4th place finish moved me back into 3rd in points, only 7 behind Hinch. JK Vernay is still leading, 75 points ahead. But with 53 points available per weekend, and just after halfway through the season, everything is still to play for!

Edmonton
I am really looking forward to this weekend's race in Edmonton. I thoroughly enjoy the wide open airport track here and the fans always come out and support the race well. I got into town last night and have media commitments today and tomorrow morning before getting on track for practice Friday afternoon. Here's the weekend schedule:
Friday July 23rd- Practice 1; 1:30-2:30 PM (Mountain Time)
Saturday July 24th- Practice 2; 9:15-10:00 AM
Qualifying; 2:15-3:15 PM
Sunday July 25th- Warm-up; 9:20-9:40AM
Race (50 Laps!) 1PM (Streamed live on indycar.com)


I still can't believe it has been two months since my last blog. And if you have gotten this far through what has ended up being a short novel, the next ones won't be so long! I hope. :)

Getting Ready for the Freedom

This Friday is my race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Wow. As a kid, I never thought I would get to race at the Speedway. But this time is my second year in a row. And I know I'm not in the 'big' show, but still. Unlike last year, I am not going to be happy with a good result, or a solid race. I want to win. And win BIG. We had a good test a couple of weeks ago and I have sooooo much confidence in the Andretti Autosport/ AFS Racing team that I know we can do it. While I have been busy bouncing around to appearances in LA, Raleigh, Chicago, and all around Indianapolis, the guys have been getting the car prepped and pretty. And man does she look good! I can't wait until first practice on Thursday! And this race will be the only televised Lights race this season. It will be shown live at 12:15 ET on Versus TV as part of the Carb Day coverageRoll on Indy, Roll on the Firestone Freedom 100, and (hopefully) Roll on the W!

Schedule for the Freedom 100:
Thursday, May 27th:
Practice 1- 9AM-9:45AM
Practice 2- 11:45AM-12:30PM
Qualifying- 3PM-4PM

Friday, May 28th Carb Day (Carburetor Day, not Carbohydrate! :) )
Pre-Race 12:15PM
Firestone Freedom 100- 12:30PM (100 Miles, 40 Laps)

Centennial Blog

So this is my 100th blog and I was trying to come up with a good topic to discuss. When I was looking back through my early blogs, I reread my community blog (my first one). Now more than ever, it is true that I am part of a lot of different communities. I really enjoy the different roles that I am getting to play both at and away from the race track.

Away from the race track this year, I have been enjoying going to ADA Expos and sharing my story. Before a couple of those Expos, I got to go to local hospitals and talk to patients with diabetes. That is a really special feeling because most people don’t expect to see a professional racing driver with firesuit and helmet walking around the hospital. Especially not one with diabetes! I have also been to a couple of Taking Control of Your Diabetes conferences. They are great events because the main message of the day is to really Control Your Diabetes rather than let it control you. I have been the closing presentation at both days and always get a great reaction from the crowd. I also get to see and interact with everyone during the day at the health fair. I have met some really great people and always enjoy hearing everyone’s stories. The truth is that I learn and take encouragement from everyone I meet at the Expos and TCOYD. The fact that they come out and spend a full day on their health reminds me to make sure I am being proactive enough about my own healthcare.

At the racetrack, I have gotten extremely busy! Alongside the full time job of racing, I have been doing a lot of media outreach to try and get my story about diabetes out there. I have had some great coverage and gotten to meet some cool reporters. As the son of an engineer, I like getting to see behind the scenes of the TV studios. The first time I went into a studio that had mechanical cameras that move auto-magically, I was blown away. It is amazing how technology has changed the way TV is made. As well as the racing and the media, I am lucky to be a part of the Indy Car Series Pace Car Team. The PCT is comprised of 4 Firestone Indy Lights drivers (myself, Martin Plowman, Stefan Wilson and James Hinchcliffe). While the main duties of the PCT are giving VIP’s, Media and Sponsors rides around the race tracks we visit, we also get to make PCT specific appearances at different events. We just finished a road trip to and from Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Illinois where we appeared on behalf of the Indy Car Series in promotion of our race, August 28th. It was a night open to people who had bought tickets for the season’s races at Chicagoland. The fans got a chance to interact with Kyle Busch, Jamie McMurray, Scott Dixon, Sam Hornish, Chip Ganassi, Alex Lloyd and the Pace Car Team. We answered questions, signed autographs and had a bull riding competition. There was a mechanical bull and as good upstanding members of the PCT, we each threw the challenge at each other. The resulting video is quite amusing and can be found on my YouTube channel soon. We have a lot of fun on the PCT and we are going to be announcing a cool charity program soon! If you are going to be at an Indy Car race this year and are interested in buying a ride in a Pace Car with a PCT driver, leave me a comment and I will let you know who to talk to. So between PCT, media and driving, my race weekends are flat out....so to speak!

Kimball Races to Second in front of Home Town Crowd

Charlie Kimball competed this weekend, April 17 and 18, in the Firestone Indy Lights Grand Prix of Long Beach in front of an enthusiastic crowd of sponsors, friends and family. Kimball put on a great show, qualifying third and racing to a second place finish on Sunday. Balancing responsibilities on and off the track kept the young driver busy, but he continued to impress and share his story across southern California.

Kimball’s race weekend began two weeks ago as he joined the IRL team at the Long Beach media day to promote the race. He coached celebrities competing in the Celebrity Pro race, gave Pace Car rides to members of the media and was the featured Indy Lights driver for the Grand Prix weekend. When he finally got into the #26 Levemir® Flexpen® car at the race weekend on Friday morning, Kimball was ready to go to work. He worked with his AFS Racing/ Andretti Autosport team throughout the two free practice sessions, developing the car and sneaking up on race pace. Kimball’s times in the sessions were never outside the top 5.

‘When we first got on track on Friday, we were a ways off with the car set up but my engineer and I went to work. We worked through a lot of changes and produced a very competitive car,’ remarked Kimball of the practice sessions. ‘We chose to play a conservative strategy in practice and now I’m exceptionally well placed for qualifying.’

Qualifying was run under the midday sun through the streets of Long Beach and was marred by two late yellow flags. Kimball started the session on new tires and immediately posted quick times. By the time he had put on his third set of new tires, Kimball was ready to post a blistering time. As he headed towards the final few corners of the circuit, the Camarillo native was preparing to record the pole time. However, yellow flags were out and Kimball reduced his speed to ensure the safety of the stricken car and on-track officials. Because the yellow flags came out so close to the end of the session, the checkered flag was thrown meaning Kimball ended up third on the grid.

‘I’m really disappointed by this session. We had the car and the pace for pole position, but for the third race in a row, we got caught by yellow flags,’ explained Kimball after qualifying. ‘But I love this track for passing – last year, I passed at least 6 cars so I’m sure I can make something happen from third.’

Kimball spent the rest of Saturday and early Sunday morning hosting his many supporters, fans, friends and family at the track and showing them around his racing world.

‘It’s such a great opportunity to be able to thank everyone who has supported me throughout my career by hosting them here at Long Beach,’ said the Camarillo, California native. ‘I’m honored that nearly 70 people are here to support me in today’s race!’

As the Indy Lights field headed for the green flag, Kimball made sure he was tucked up close behind pole-sitter James Hinchcliffe. The field poured into Turn one and Kimball maintained his position behind Hinchcliffe, boxing out second place starter JK Vernay. The 25-year-old then held station behind Hinchcliffe, pacing himself as the tires and cars fell off the pace. Two yellow flags and restarts offered Kimball small opportunities to grab the race lead however it wasn’t to be. Kimball crossed the line in touch with the leader but in second position.

‘I’m pleased with second place. I gain championship points on points leader Vernay,’ said Kimball at the podium ceremony. ‘I had the pace there at the end to catch Hinch. I was hoping for lots of yellows or green running the whole way but neither worked out. On the parade lap, I saw of sea of red in my grandstand and I’m glad I could honor my fans with a good result this year.’

Kimball consolidated his second place points position by gaining 5 championship points on leader JK Vernay and extending his lead over third place. His next race will be the Freedom 100 run on the legendary Indianapolis Motor Speedway, May 27th and 28th. Kimball will fill the time until then appearing for Novo Nordisk at American Diabetes Association Expos in Phoenix, AZ and Seattle, WA as well as a Taking Control of Your Diabetes conference in Raleigh, NC.

Hollywood Boulevard, SHUT DOWN!

Tonight, IZOD took over Hollywood Boulevard and gave it to the Indy Car and Indy Lights guys. They put on a pit stop competition, did an autograph signing, even had Mark Wahlberg and Diddy show up. The event was crazy. There were so many people and it was unreal hearing the engines fire up and reverberate off the Kodak theater. It was really encouraging to see such an amazing event put on by the people at Izod. It bodes well for the future.

But now it’s race weekend. Not just any race weekend, but the Grand Prix of Long Beach. Bring it!

Racing at home!

This weekend is the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach and I am super pumped! Long Beach is one of the more special races on the calendar this year for me. Mainly because the pits are only 75 miles from my house. And when I am racing all over the country (and Canada), 75 miles is practically next door! Long Beach also holds a special place in my heart because I remember coming to this race for years with my dad when he was doing consulting. I would get a ticket and then get to hang around the race track all day and inevitably get sunburned. But I still got to soak in the great atmosphere, the race track, the cars, the drivers and everything else that makes the Grand Prix here such a jewel. Now after years of racing in Europe, being as close to home as Long Beach is means that everyone who supported me abroad can come support me in person. The drive down the 405 is a lot easier (some of the time) than flying across the Atlantic! At the moment, we have about 60 people in the Charlie Kimball Cheering Section of the grandstand. There are a few tickets left if you want to come join us! Message me on Twitter with an email address, or comment here with an email and I will send over some information.

The track itself is pretty special. It is one of the longest straights (Shoreline Drive) we will run on all year and yet it also has the slowest corner (the hairpin) we see as well. Put those things together and it makes for a great racetrack. I come into the weekend sitting second in points behind the Frenchman JK Vernay. I am still confident in the long haul to the Championship because Vernay hasn't been to many of the rest of the tracks this year and has never raced on an oval. Plus, I plan on building on last weekend's second place finish from Barber and working on cutting his points lead!

Time to go racing at the Roar by the Shore!

Podium in the Park!

Sunday was race day at Barber Motorsports Park and I had high hopes going into the day. I qualified second on Saturday morning and then had a nice relaxing afternoon. The car had been really good since I was quickest in the first practice and while we had to make changes for the heat of the day in practice 2, we still had a really good race car. Race day started very early on Sunday morning with a warm up at 8AM! The track was very cold and even though the Grand-Am cars had run all afternoon on Saturday, the grip was really good. We were consistently quick throughout warm up and at the end of the session, I was happy with the car for the race.

The key to the race was always going to be the start. With a short start/finish straight and a fast blind turn 1, getting a good start would be important. Couple that with the very limited passing opportunities at Barber and the start would be crucial. I had talked through strategies for the race with my race engineer and we believed that tire management would be key for the race. As hot as the track temperatures were and with the sun beating down, the Firestone Firehawks would be consistent as long as you didn't overdrive the car early. And overdriving the car early would be easy to do being second on the grid and shooting for a race win. I had a couple of pace car rides just before my race to scare a couple of my guests from Alabama. Those laps gave me an idea of how much rubber had accumulated offline and would make the start even more difficult.

And then it was race time. And I was ready. My blood sugar numbers were just where I wanted them to be, I was relaxed, confident in my race pace, knew my fitness wouldn't be an issue and ready to fight for the victory. I knew I might be able to get a good start because the pole sitter, JK Vernay, would only be doing his second ever rolling start. He had admitted in the qualifying press conference that he didn't have a good start at the first race and was nervous about the start. We lined up side by side as we came around the last corner to take the green flag. I was waiting for him to 'punch off' before hitting the gas. 'Punching off' is a racing term for when the pole sitter hits the gas and starts accelerating for the start. As the pole sitter, he has the right to set the pace and decide when to 'punch off'. The only rule is that when you do go to throttle, you commit and stay on power.

I was ready for JK to go and when he did, I reacted well and got a good start. We were wheel to wheel when we both went to power. Then JK slid back. After the race I found out row 2, consisting of my teammate, Martin Plowman, and Sebastien Saavedra, had gone to power with the front row. Then as JK either made a mistake, lifted, braked or had a problem, Plowman ran into the back of him. Once I had gone to throttle though, I was committed. When the green flag flew, I was in front and led into turn 1. Halfway around lap 2, my engineer radioed me that the officials had said I jumped the start. The penalty for that would not be a complete restart and give me the opportunity to make a good start again, but to give up the lead of the race. At any other racetrack, it would not have been as big a penalty as I would have the speed to take the position back. However, at Barber the track offers slim to no passing chances. As a result, I shadowed JK all race, never more than 2 seconds behind but unable to mount a challenge for the win. To his credit, he never made a mistake large enough for me to capitalize on. The second place finish moves me up to second in the championship and is my first podium in the Firestone Indy Lights. Still it leaves me wanting for more. We had the speed all weekend and the crew did a great job with not making any mistakes. I did all the right things and I can't wait to get to home turf next weekend. Roll on Long Beach and another chance for Victory Lane!

One last comment on the race weekend. It was the first Indy Car race held at Barber Motorsports Park and I could not have been more impressed. The grounds are immaculate, the facilities are incredible and the people couldn't have been friendlier. I was blown away by the crowd (someone said over 100,000 for the weekend) and am sure this is going to be a crown jewel event on the IRL calendar. George Barber has and continues to do an amazing job. Well done to him and his staff and thanks for letting us come race around your park!

Friday night in 'Bama

A quick update since I really want to get a good night's sleep. Today went really well at the Barber Motorsports Park. I was quickest in this morning's session but just a small margin over James Hinchcliffe. Then in Practice 2, I was 3rd for most of the session until Niall Quinn put new tires on right at the end. Since we wanted to save everything for qualifying, we stayed on old tires. Still, looking through the data and analyzing the split reports, my engineer and I are happy going into tomorrow. I really think we are good on fast time pace and really good on consistent race pace.

Qualifying is at 8:15 AM CDT. You can watch live timing here.

Barber Preview

Back at a racetrack and none too soon! I got a taste of racing in St. Pete and am just itching to get back in the car. Not to say that I haven't been busy. I have been in 4 states, 5 airports, 3 hotels and even at home since the race. I got a chance to go back to California to see my family for Easter, rest and beat the cold I picked up in Florida and go cycling for a couple hours with my friends. Then on Tuesday, I got to drive a pace car for media at the Long Beach Grand Prix circuit. It was a blast and I even got to meet a couple of the celebrities and pros driving in the Toyota Pro Celebrity race at the Long Beach Grand Prix. I got to have a cool conversation with Zachary Levi who plays Chuck on TV and even got a photo (I look terribly star struck....And I am so glad he is repping a Dodger hat....Go Blue!).

But now it is back to business. I am down in Birmingham Alabama for the Indy Grand Prix of Alabama at the Barber Motorsports Park. We had a good test here back in February and I can't wait to see how tomorrow shakes out. At the open test, I was third quickest, just 0.2sec off the quickest time (even with an engine problem that cost us 2 hours of track time!). My engineer and I have a few good ideas about how to improve from the test and I hope we can be setting the pace from the outset. I can't wait. I hope I can sleep tonight!

Also, here is a great article from the AP as it was posted on SportsIllustrated.com and CBSSports.com.