Kimball connects with ’83 Patrick Wildcat

Via IndyCar.com
July 6, 2014

LONG POND, Pa. – Verizon IndyCar Series driver Charlie Kimball checked out a special Indy car on display in the paddock of Pocono Raceway as part of the vintage race car event to complement the Pocono INDYCAR 500 fueled by Sunoco.

The 1983 Patrick Wildcat chassis, which was driven that season by Chip Ganassi, Gordon Johncock and Johnny Rutherford, was designed and engineered by his father Gordon Kimball. Wildcat was chosen as the name of the series of chassis because team owner Pat Patrick’s business, Patrick Petroleum, was a wildcat drilling company.

Gordon Kimball designed Indy cars for Parnelli Jones, Chaparral and the Patrick Racing teams from 1976-83, and designed Formula One cars for McLaren, Ferrari and Benetton Racing from 1984-92.

Charlie Kimball, who scored a then-career-best runner-up finish at Pocono Raceway in July 2013, was born in England when his father worked with McLaren.

Kimball, driving the No. 83 Levemir FlexTouch car for Novo Nordisk Chip Ganassi Racing, started and finished 17th in the 200-lap race at Pocono in Round 11 of 18 of the season.

“I think the first half (of the season) has been kind of a tale of two stories,” he said. “When we’ve finished, we’ve been inside the top 10. We had a really good battle to claim a top-five in the second race at Houston last weekend and the second race in Detroit to get that podium. But we’ve also fought a few DNFs. A couple of mechanical challenges, and then getting caught up in incidents both during the (Indianapolis) 500 as well as Race 1 at Houston.

“For the second half of the season, I think we are trying to solidify that consistency, and continue to get to the end of races, and keep our streak going of getting to the end, and finishing well when we do.”

Bob Harkey, 84, who made six Indianapolis 500 starts among 85 Indy car races overall, was the grand marshal for the vintage event.

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