Verizon IndyCar Series team Meyer Shank Racing and their driver Jack Harvey have left last weekend’s Grand Prix of Long Beach encouraged by the pace they showed despite the result at the chequered flag. The team, competing in their second-ever race with their own-run car, finished twelfth in yesterday’s race, but they had run so much better throughout the event.
After starting down in seventeenth, Harvey picked his way through the order whilst also avoiding incidents ahead of him in the early stages of the eighty-five lap race. The #60 AutoNation/SiriusXM Honda was soon up into the top ten, where it remained for much of the race. The team were even on course to get up into the top five in the closing stages, however, an ill-timed full-course caution put them off-strategy and outside of the top ten.
Despite the slightly disappointing race, Harvey – who also celebrated his twenty-fifth birthday on race day – left the event impressed with what he and the team had accomplished during the weekend.
“We moved forward and that was the goal,” said Harvey. “We ran well all day, but that yellow came out at the absolute wrong time. But you can’t predict those kinds of things happening. We had a good race and we showed what we can do and that we deserve to be here.
“It’s also a great result for the team and my birthday today. Obviously, it’s Jim’s [Meyer] first race as an official team owner this weekend and I’m really excited for everyone at Meyer Shank Racing. It’s not too often that you can really show your true potential and I think this weekend was a good step in that direction.”
Meyer Shank Racing’s co-owner, Michael Shank was similarly encouraged by the speed the team showed on Sunday, saying: “Great job by everybody, the engineers really had a great strategy in that first run which really helped us.”
“We were a legitimate top six or seven car today. Unfortunately, it just didn’t happen because we just missed that yellow. It’s a strategy call that is always tough to make. All I asked these guys is to get better every time and we certainly did that this weekend.”
Long Beach was the first race for the team under their new name. The week before, SiriusXM’s CEO, Jim Meyer, joined the team as a new co-owner; thus rebranding the team to Meyer Shank Racing. Jim echoed the sentiments of his fellow owner and his driver.
“Jack [Harvey] drove a great race and we are really pleased today,” said Meyer. “This sets us up for more success as the season goes on and gives our team and our driver a lot of confidence to move forward. Great job by everyone.”
Harvey and Meyer Shank Racing, who are competing on a part-time schedule for the 2018 Verizon IndyCar Series, will not be in action in this weekend’s Grand Prix of Alabama at Barber Motorsports Park. They will also miss the Grand Prix of Indianapolis on May 12.
The next race for the team will be the big one, the 2018 Indianapolis 500 on May 27. In preparation, the team will be in action at the official series test at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on April 30.
