IndyCar – Consistency must pay off for Kimball in 2017

Charlie Kimball has never finished on the podium in theIndyCar in 2016, but the Chip Ganassi Racing driver was a model of consistency for his opponents. The driver of the No. 83 finished 9th in the Championship with 11 finishes in the top ten, with two 5th places as his best result of the year in the two events held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, with the Grand Prix on the road circuit and the 500 Miles.

“We improved greatly on consistency last year, recognized Charlie Kimball who only gave up once in 2016. We also made progress in qualifying but we still need to do a little better. Once you're consistently in the top five, the podiums and victories come by themselves. »

Success is lacking for the 31-year-old Californian whose only success in IndyCar dates back to Mid-Ohio in 2013.

“We need to find Victory Lane, Charlie Kimball insisted. With one victory in 100 races, this ratio of 1% is not enough for me, nor for the team, nor for the No. 83. The goal is always to aim for pole, lead every lap, set the fastest lap in the race and win. Everyone is aiming for that on the grid, but the Championship is so competitive that we have to remain realistic in our approach. »

Charlie Kimball will notably have to adapt to the engine and aero packages of Honda which replaces Chevrolet at Chip Ganassi Racing in 2017 for his 7th season in the discipline where he has always evolved in the same structure. The American was only able to set the 19th time in pre-season testing at the Phoenix International Raceway.

“It will be crucial to optimize the Honda package and we should be consistently strong if we achieve this, he added. We would then manage to regularly enter the top five and achieve one or two victories would then be within our reach. »

Jacques-Armand Dupuis