INDIANAPOLIS, June 30 - Matt Lee of Syosset, N.Y. earned the pole position for both Saturday and Sunday's 14-lap Formula BMW USA races at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway during a qualifying session at the famed speedway Friday afternoon.
The 16-year-old Team Autotecnica driver will start first in Saturday's race at 4:40 p.m. and Sunday's race at 9:30 a.m. Both events on IMS's 2.605-mile road course support the United States Grand Prix.
The qualifying session was extremely dramatic for Lee, whose fastest lap in the morning practice session was just 15th-fastest in the field of 29. That session was held in dry conditions, but due to an afternoon shower the track was wet for the start of the 30-minute qualifying session Friday afternoon.
Lee and his Twin tooth Racing teammate, Robert Thorne of Sherman, Conn., were first and second at one point early in the qualifying session while on rain tires, but as the track started to dry some of their rivals pitted and moved ahead of them.
With just a few minutes left in the session, the team brought Lee into the pits for slick tires. He only got two laps at speed with the slick Michelins, clocked at 1:38.981 and 1:39.393, respectively, but they were good enough for both poles.
It was the second and third pole position of the year for Lee, who is tied for the lead in the Formula BMW USA point standings with Robert Wickens, who will start second in both races.
"In the last four minutes of qualifying, we put slicks on," Lee explained. "My fastest lap was my second-to-last one. The last one would have been faster but I got held up in traffic on my last lap.
"The Team Autotecnica crew made a rush effort to get the dry set-up on the car, and it paid off," he elaborated. "The grip level was even better than in practice because of all the rubber the Formula 1 cars put down. We're all on Michelin tires; even the Porsche Supercup cars are on Michelins. The only ones that aren't are the Indy Pro Series cars.
"Wickens was second, and Coletti [Stefano Coletti, who won the last two races last weekend at the Canadian Grand Prix was seventh."
Lee said he hopes it won't rain on Saturday and Sunday, but no matter what the weather is, he has high hopes.
"Hopefully our races will be in the dry, but no matter what, I think we have a good car," he concluded.
Both Lee and Thorne's Autotecnica cars are sponsored in part by Bumper to Bumper, Autoparts Warehouse, the Francis A. Lee Company, Matt-Con Services Corp. and Integrated Structures. Both drivers are also looking for additional marketing partners to join their program.
More information is available on the Internet at twintooth.com, autotecnicagroup.com and formulabmwusa.com.
Friday's results:
First Practice:
1. Stefano Coletti, 1:37.997 (95.697 mph)
15. Matt Lee, 1:39.726 (94.038 mph)
23. Robert Thorne, 1:41.152 (92.712 mph)
Qualifying for Race 1:
1. Matt Lee, 1:38.981 (94.742 mph)
22. Robert Thorne, 1:46.134 (88.357 mph)
Qualifying for Race 2:
1. Matt Lee, 1:39.393 (94.365 mph)
19. Robert Thorne, 1:46.215 (88.304 mph)
Lee Finishes a Solid Fourth In First Half of Formula BMW Doubleheader Saturday at IMS
INDIANAPOLIS, July 1 - Although his car developed an oversteering condition, Matt Lee of Syosset, N.Y. finished a solid fourth in Saturday's Formula BMW USA race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The support race for the United States Grand Prix was held in 90-degree temperatures.
Lee's Team Autotecnica/Twin tooth Racing teammate, Robert Thorne of Sherman, Conn., was 19th in the 29-car field.
Lee started on the pole for this event, as he will in the second half of the doubleheader here Sunday morning. Thorne started 22nd Saturday.
Robert Wickens, who started second, led every lap of the race, which was slowed by one yellow on lap two. The green waved again on lap three and it stayed out the rest of the way.
Lee remained in second place until the halfway point. He was about 2.022 seconds behind Wickens when Stefano Coletti passed him for that spot with seven laps down.
Simona de Silvestro pushed him to fourth on the tenth circuit around the 2.605-mile road course. Then Tobias Hegewald wiggled by on the next-to-last lap, but Lee got back around him on the last lap to regain fourth before the checkered.
Tomorrow morning's race is slated to start at 9:30 a.m. before the United States Grand Prix begins at 1 p.m.
Both Lee and Thorne's Autotecnica cars are sponsored in part by Bumper to Bumper, Autoparts Warehouse, the Francis A. Lee Company, Matt-Con Services Corp. and Integrated Structures. Both drivers are also looking for additional marketing partners to join their program.
On Thursday Lee and Thorne visited the pediatric ward of Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis in an appearance organized by Nena Ray of the Think First Foundation. They visited about 15 young patients and stressed the importance of wearing seat belts and helmets. FOX 59 Television and 1070 WIBC Radio covered the appearance.
More information is available on the Internet at twintooth.com, autotecnicagroup.com and formulabmwusa.com.
Saturday's stats:
Race 1 (Round 7 of 14):
1. Robert Wickens
4. Matt Lee
19. Robert Thorne
Lee Finishes Fourth Again on Sunday In Formula BMW USA Action At the Indianapolis Motor Speedway
INDIANAPOLIS, July 2 - Matt Lee led Sunday morning's Formula BMW USA race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway at one point and he made a gutsy move to regain the lead at another point. Although no one can dispute that he tried his best, in the end the 16-year-old star went home with fourth-place points for the second time in less than 24 hours.
Lee, of Syosset, N.Y., is one of the main contenders for the championship, and collecting as many points as possible is crucial. He is now third in the series point standings with six races remaining, but the driver who is second will now concentrate on a European series and doesn't plan on competing in any more Formula BMW USA events this year.
Lee started on the pole. Robert Wickens out-dragged him into Turn One on the first lap but Lee was able to stay close to him. Stefano Coletti got into third place on lap four and the battle headed up even more. On lap five Coletti set the fastest lap of the race while Lee recorded the second-fastest lap of the race, just 0.043 of a second apart.
Despite the pressure from Coletti, Lee passed Wickens for the lead going into Turn One working lap six. He led for almost a lap, but before the lap was over he was pushed to third when both Wickens and Coletti got around him.
Lee was still able to stay close, however, and when he saw a possible opportunity to regain the lead in Turn One on lap 10 he went for it. It almost worked, but unfortunately room ran out and he ran over a curb, which caused his car to go off course. Coletti passed Wickens for the lead in the melee and Simona de Silvestro and Tobias Hegewald both got by Lee while he was in the grass to push him to fifth.
Lee passed Hegewald on lap 12 to regain fourth, and he stayed in that spot until the checkered on lap 15. Coletti, Wickens and de Silvestro took the podium spots in that order, while Hegewald finished behind Lee to round out the top five.
Lee's Team Autotecnica teammate, Robert Thorne of Sherman, Conn., had an action-packed race on Sunday too. Another competitor who was rejoining the field after going off course did so right where Thorne was running in Turn Four on lap five. The pair made contact, and Thorne spun. He regrouped immediately but his car's handling was compromised due to the contact so it was an accomplishment for him to even finish the 15-lap race, but he did so and was scored in 23rd position after starting 19th. After his spin he battled Adrian Herberts, Doug Boyer, Marco Santos and Jule Duc the rest of the way.
Both of the IMS races supported the United States Grand Prix. The next Formula BMW USA doubleheader is July 29-30 in support of Champ Car's San Jose Grand Prix in San Jose, Calif. The last two doubleheaders of the year are slated for Denver Aug. 11-12 and Canada's Mosport International Raceway Sept. 1-3.
Lee and Thorne's Autotecnica cars are sponsored in part by Bumper to Bumper, Autoparts Warehouse, the Francis A. Lee Company, Matt-Con Services Corp. and Integrated Structures. Both drivers are also looking for additional marketing partners to join their program.
More information is available on the Internet at twintooth.com, autotecnicagroup.com and formulabmwusa.com.
Sunday's stats:
Race 1 (Round 8 of 14)
1. Stefano Coletti
4. Matt Lee
23. Robert Thorne
Points After Round 8
1. Robert Wickens, 90
2. Stefano Coletti, 77
3. Matt Lee, 76
4. Simona de Silvestro, 71
5. Daniel Morad, 41
21. Robert Thorne, 4
Rookie of the Year Points After Round 8
1. Sebastian Savedra, 113
2. Maxime Pelletier, 97
3. Daniel Morad, 95
4. David Garza, 94
5. Jordan Dick, 66
6. Robert Thorne, 63
Source: Restart Communications, Inc.
(http://www.restartcommunications.com)
Press: U.S. Grand Prix
