Road to Indy

[jurykovalev]

Автоспорт о переезде за океан Харви

The next Brit to chase the Indy dream

He's not the first Brit to do it, but he's the first Racing Steps Foundation driver to target the US. Jack Harvey speaks to MARK GLENDENNING about his switch from the European scene to IndyCar's main feeder class

By Mark Glendenning AUTOSPORT US editor

This started 300 years ago with a bunch of fur trappers and a settlement called Fall Creek, and has continued right through to Dario Franchitti and Dan Wheldon, and beyond.

When it comes to Brits making the trip across the Atlantic to seek good things in the Indianapolis area, Jack Harvey isn't exactly blazing a new trail.

But in racing terms, it remains a path less trodden than the morass of European single-seater categories that all offer the same fragment of hope of a Formula 1 opportunity somewhere in the distance; an opportunity that, for most, never develops into much beyond an abstract concept.

This year, Harvey will become the latest Brit to set up base in Indiana with the hope of creating a career for himself in IndyCar. The first step comes at St Petersburg in March when he makes his Indy Lights debut with the crack Schmidt Peterson Motorsports team.

IndyCar's stock among European drivers has grown in recent years, although for now it still remains a trend rather than a boom.

The upswing can be jointly credited to the successes of Franchitti and Wheldon, and to the unquestionable quality of the on-track product. The fact that it's generally cheaper doesn't hurt either.

Harvey follows in the footsteps of the likes of Wheldon and Franchitti © LAT

But evidence of the growing appeal of racing in the US can be found by taking a peek at Harvey's CV: he won the British Formula 3 title with Carlin in 2012, and earned two race wins for ART in GP3 last year.

Lesser-credentialed drivers have stuck it out in Europe for far longer, but Harvey believes the US represents his best opportunity to move forward.

"Together with the Racing Steps Foundation [Harvey's backer since his first season in cars, in Formula BMW], we thought it was a good time to go and explore other options," he explains.

"The goal for us is to try to win the Lights championship and then progress into IndyCar.

"We're at a point where Europe is in a tough situation, and I thought the time was right to have a look [at the States]."

Lower cost aside, Harvey admits that a big part of the appeal is the relatively linear development ladder in the US, and the Road To Indy programme in particular, under which winners of each championship receive funding to progress to the next level.

The effectiveness of the system, which has no real European equivalent, is plain to see - since the programme was introduced in 2010, virtually all winners of the lower categories were promoted to the next tier the following season, and only one Lights champion (JK Vernay) has failed to secure an IndyCar ride. (It should be noted that 2013 champion Sage Karam is yet to confirm his plans for this year).

"From US2000 to Pro Mazda to Indy Lights to IndyCar, there is a real ladder there," adds Harvey.

"While there are some good categories in Europe, there is not really one route to F1. Fair enough, there's not really one route to IndyCar, but certainly there's a good ladder system in place where if you do a good job and win the championship, it almost promotes you into the next category.

"So I think that's one thing they've definitely got right."

Josef Newgarden (left) and Tristan Vautier both graduated to IndyCar after triumphing in Lights © LAT

Everyone who arrives in the States from elsewhere finds themselves needing to do a bit of adapting; a process that, for most, begins with learning to deal with the enormous portion sizes in restaurants.

It won't take Harvey long to figure out that most mortals in this part of the world can't finish a starter and a main, but getting a handle on the intricacies of the Lights car could take a bit more time.

Working with a team that's going for its fifth successive title will help smooth the transition, but only to a point: the switch from Firestone to Cooper tyres this year means that simply leaning on old data will not be enough.

"There will be some adaptation, but I think that's normal for any driver moving between championships," says Harvey. "I'm not too worried about that.

"There are definitely different things that I need to prioritise in order to be fast. At the minute I'm using the team to tell me, 'Well, this is what you need to do with the tyre', and the team have been really good; they're really helpful.

"I'm moving there in a couple of weeks, for a year. Everything is flowing along really well."

Harvey's first experience with the Lights car came last November, when conversations with Schmidt Peterson culminated in an invitation to test the car at Sebring.

"Having spent a few years enjoying the relative sophistication of current F3 and GP3 machinery, he admits that the current Lights car, which is entering its 12th and final season of action, felt a little... agricultural.

"Obviously the Indy Lights car is quite old now," he says. "I think that's fair to say. And for sure, I think the new car they'll have next year will be a big step forward.

Harvey is aware European success is no guarantee of adapting Stateside © LAT

"It's a racing car at the end of the day, but compared to what I've driven before it's heavier, especially in the rear. But I still enjoyed driving it.

"It's still got four wheels and an engine, and it's good to drive. I've probably been a little bit spoiled - Formula 3 is obviously a really good category, and in GP3 we had a new car last year."

The other thing he'll need to wrap his head around is learning about ovals, a prospect that he had his first taste of at the end of last week when he spent a day testing at Homestead.

Rain caused the test to be delayed by a day, and continued to compromise his running time even after he was able to take to the track, but Harvey says the experience still gave him a good idea of what lies ahead.

"I loved it," he says. "It was seriously different, as you can imagine. I didn't really know what to expect.

"The first time I went around the whole lap flat, I thought I was on the limit. But once you go around two or three times flat, you do kind of slow everything down and it becomes easier.

"It's quite tricky, I would say. A lot of people who haven't driven ovals assume that it's easy, but I think it's probably more challenging.

"You need the precision, your car placement, your feedback and all of these things are actually taken a step further, because the details make such a big difference.

"If everyone is going flat-out then it comes down to who can sort it out the most in terms of taking the most downforce off, who can keep it smoothest. I loved it.

"My feeling was one of the best I've ever had driving a racecar."

Wheldon, along with Franchitti, remains the gold standard © LAT

While Franchitti and Wheldon remain the gold standard for what Brits can achieve in IndyCar, there have been other examples of the US move paying off.

Another McLaren AUTOSPORT BRDC Award finalist, Jack Hawksworth, dominated the Star Mazda series (as it was then called) in 2012 and progressed to Lights in '13 with Schmidt Peterson, where he won first time out at St Pete and added another two wins during the year.

A couple of patches of inconsistency left him fourth in the championship, but he still had the opportunity to test IndyCars for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing and Dale Coyne Racing late last year.

"Seeing what those guys have done gives us some positive feeling that we can do it too," Harvey says.

"We're hoping that, having looked at what other people have achieved, we can do the same thing. At the same time, we know it's going to be a big challenge for us, and that we have to work hard.

"That was the message I got from testing - it's not something we're just going to waltz into and dominate without putting any effort in."

If there's a downside to being a Brit racing in the US, it's the eternal question of whether the door is closed to F1. Harvey has been around long enough to keep an open mind, but he's adamant that IndyCar is his primary focus for now.

"Will this lead to IndyCar? Hope so. F1? To be honest we have to wait and see what opportunities arise," he says.

"But if we have a good year and IndyCar is an option, then for sure we'd take it.

"There's no need to forward-plan to that extreme [of ruling anything out]. We've just got to focus on what we're doing now, and see what opportunities become available at the end of the year.

"I'm enjoying what I'm doing, and I feel like we made the right decision at the right time. Now, we're just trying to, as the Americans would say, live the dream."

[Spa84]

Юный Брэбем ужев Indy Lights, а его недавний соперник по US F2000 Спенсер Пиго(т) ещё на год остаётся в Pro Mazda - http://www.eformulacarnews.com/news_info.php?n=13343

[Spa84]

Кому не хватает колумбийцев ? В Indy Lights подтвердили первого - http://www.elespectador.com/deportes/automovilismo/colombiano-juan-diego-piedrahita-firmo-el-equipo-campeo-articulo-474794

( в прошлом году персонаж был худшим пилотом в Pro Mazda из числа тех, кто провёл все гонки, под конец сезона, правда, несколько раз доехав до подиумных позиций )

[Spa84]

В Pro Mazda в этом году опробуют зимнюю серию ( на два этапа - в Луизиане и на Барбере ). Первый этап проходит в эти выходные.

Пока статус фаворита сезона подтверждает Спенсер, выигравший квалификацию и первую гонку уик-энда.

[Spa84]

[Spa84]

Аналогично закончился и второй уик-энд в Барбере на прошлой неделе:

[Spa84]

Вроде как все эти люди поедут в Сент-Питерберге на стартовом этапе Indy Lights

[jurykovalev]

Вроде как все эти люди поедут в Сент-Питерберге на стартовом этапе Indy Lights

ну, больше 10 уже неплохо.

[Spa84]

четверо за Шмидта заявлены :)

[jurykovalev]

Чемпион АвтоГП 19-летний Итальянец Витторио Гирелли поедет в ИндиЛайтс за Team Moore Racing

http://indylights2014.com/2014/vittorio-ghirelli-to-pilot-22-for-tmr-in-2014/

[Spa84]

Чемпион АвтоГП

прогнозы ? Судя по его результатам в нормальных сериях особого ждать не стоит.

[jurykovalev]

прогнозы ? Судя по его результатам в нормальных сериях особого ждать не стоит.

А кто его знает, других достижений нет, да, но молод, непонятно, в общем, но вряд ли будет откровенным балластом.

Вообще, не должен быть хуже Чавеса, так по ощущениям, но у того опыт уже есть.

[jurykovalev]

USF2000. Первый этап. Сент-Петерзберг. Практика 1

Pro Mazda Championship. Первый этап. Сент-Петерзберг. Практика 1

[Spa84]

Заявка Лайтс на Сент-Питерсберг

Первая тренировка

[Spa84]

В Pro Mazda Пигот выиграл и вторую практику

[Spa84]

2-я тренировка Лайтс

[Spa84]

Квалификация

[Spa84]

Квалификация Pro Mazda

Гонка1

Гонка1 US F2000

[Spa84]

Гонка Лайтс

[Spa84]

Гонка2 Pro Mazda

[AP-Racing]

А что, Пирия теперь сюда подалась? Думал Вики надоело все

[Spa84]

Гонка2 US F2000

[AP-Racing]

Как Разия смотрелся?

[Spa84]

Лонг-Бич. Квалификация Лайтс

[jals]

Лонг-Бич. Квалификация Лайтс

Мэтью молодец-смотрится лучше Гирелли, Харви, Рации