Live from Trackside – MAVTV500

Saturday, June 27
6:30 p.m.
Overall it was a good finish for Chip Ganassi Racing having all four cars in the top 8. I think the Levemir FlexTouch Chevy ran pretty well. We just never quite got inside the top five where there was cleaner air. We need to go back and look at the data from our teammates and see where we go from here.

I don’t know that we’ll see this type of track until we come back here next year, but I’m looking forward to heading to the oval challenges at Milwaukee, Iowa and Pocono.

Thanks for watching today… it was quite a show from my seat for sure!

Photo via INDYCAR

9:50 a.m.
Good morning… it’s RACE DAY! We just finished up our systems check (one lap) after our engine change last night, and we’re all set to go. While we’re not starting as high up in the field as I would have liked, it is a long race (500 miles!) and with our fast car we can make a lot of moves from 13th.

I’m off to the autograph session, then I’ll have a couple of meet-and-greets and engineering meetings before the green flag this afternoon. Tune in to the MAVTV500 at 4 p.m. Eastern on NBC Sports Network, and follow my Pit Lane Reporter on Twitter @RaceWithInsulin for on-track updates!

Kimball_Twitter
Friday, June 26
6:45 p.m.
Obviously the Chip Ganassi Racing Teams cars are fast here with how we’ve all practiced and with three qualifying in the top 10. I have a lot of confidence in the No. 83 Levemir FlexTouch Chevrolet in race trim. We were really racy during the first practice, especially when we were running on older tires and running sets longer than most people would.

I’m definitely disappointed that we weren’t able to stay in the top-10 for qualifying but starting P13, I think we have a really good chance to move quickly to the front and finish strong tomorrow in the race.

We’ve hit the max milage on our current Chevrolet engine, so the guys will be working hard to switch it out for a new one this evening. We’ll do the system check tomorrow morning to make sure we’re all ready for the green flag.

I’m off to dinner with some of the on-air talent and producers from NBC Sports Network this evening, then it’s an early bedtime for the race tomorrow! Thanks for following along.

Photo via INDYCAR

11:30 a.m.
We had a pretty good first practice session earlier today. It’s definitely hot… the track temperature was 106 degrees at the start of practice. Luckily we have a built-in convertible top to have a bit of air flowing!

We finished up P4, after working on some understeer early on. Toward the end, there was definitely a lot more traffic so we were just working through how that could go during the race. It’s just about finding your line here, while preserving tires in these conditions.

I’m going to have lunch, then we’re out on track for practice 2 at 12:45 p.m. Pacific. Check it out live via INDYCAR Race Control.

Ready to head out!

Making changes to the No. 83.

Thursday, June 25
11:45 a.m.
Hello from the Best Coast! OK, we’re actually inland a bit… but you get the idea. I’m really excited about being back in California and of course racing at Auto Club Speedway. The 83 car has been pretty quick the last couple of years here, and I’m looking forward to the Levemir FlexTouch Chevrolet being quick again this weekend. I think with the date change and it being a day race rather than a night race, it will bring some new challenges for all throughout the Verizon IndyCar Series field. I know everyone on the Novo Nordisk Chip Ganassi Racing team is ready to react to those challenges and excel under pressure.

I’m going to grab some lunch then head into engineering, but be sure to follow me on Twitter @RaceWithInsulin all weekend for more updates from the track and from my Pit Lane Reporter. Click here for the race weekend schedule. Thanks for reading!