Team Chevy drivers William Byron* in the NASCAR Cup Series and Rinus Veekay in the NTT INDYCAR Series met at the Chevrolet Simulator ahead of the NASCAR / INDYCAR weekend on the road course at Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS). Chevrolet is the only manufacturer that will compete in both series. This week, Veekay and Byron met at the SIM DIL to share a ‘driver swap” and trade information.
Chevrolet claims it was a logical step toward successful finishes in both INDYCAR on Saturday, and NASCAR Cup on Sunday. Sunday’s VERIZON 200 at the Brickyard is Byron’s first look at the technical 2.439-mile, 14-turn road course that incorporates Turns 1 and 2 and the front stretch of the famed 2.5-mile oval, it will be like going home for Veekay, who won the INDYGP in May 2021.
Byron drove first, with Veekay delivering information on braking zones, corner entry, corner exit, and several other nuances of the Road Course at IMS. Veekay then jumped in Byron’s NASCAR SIM seat and was coached on driving a much bigger and heavier race car than he is used to. As Veekay got more comfortable, he was able to show Byron some tricks around the track, Chevy claims.***
“In the end, both Chevy drivers found the experience to be beneficial in their preparation for this weekend’s road course doubleheader at IMS,” claimed Chevy. However, AutoInformed notes that they haven’t run the races yet.
Footnotes
- *No. 24 Axalta Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
- **No.21 Sonax Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet in the NTT INDYCAR Series
- ***See them at https://youtu.be/P7MwOnFATRE
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn.
He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe.
Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap.
AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks.
Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.
Chevrolet Runs IndyCar and NASCAR at the Brickyard
Team Chevy drivers William Byron* in the NASCAR Cup Series and Rinus Veekay in the NTT INDYCAR Series met at the Chevrolet Simulator ahead of the NASCAR / INDYCAR weekend on the road course at Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS). Chevrolet is the only manufacturer that will compete in both series. This week, Veekay and Byron met at the SIM DIL to share a ‘driver swap” and trade information.
Chevrolet claims it was a logical step toward successful finishes in both INDYCAR on Saturday, and NASCAR Cup on Sunday. Sunday’s VERIZON 200 at the Brickyard is Byron’s first look at the technical 2.439-mile, 14-turn road course that incorporates Turns 1 and 2 and the front stretch of the famed 2.5-mile oval, it will be like going home for Veekay, who won the INDYGP in May 2021.
Byron drove first, with Veekay delivering information on braking zones, corner entry, corner exit, and several other nuances of the Road Course at IMS. Veekay then jumped in Byron’s NASCAR SIM seat and was coached on driving a much bigger and heavier race car than he is used to. As Veekay got more comfortable, he was able to show Byron some tricks around the track, Chevy claims.***
“In the end, both Chevy drivers found the experience to be beneficial in their preparation for this weekend’s road course doubleheader at IMS,” claimed Chevy. However, AutoInformed notes that they haven’t run the races yet.
Footnotes
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn. He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe. Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap. AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks. Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.