MIKE CONWAY QUALIFIES FOURTH FOR SATURDAY'S CHEVY INDY DUAL IN DETROIT RACE 1, THE EVENT HE WON LAST YEAR

MIKE CONWAY QUALIFIES FOURTH FOR SATURDAY'S CHEVY INDY "DUAL IN DETROIT" RACE 1, THE EVENT HE WON LAST YEAR

Topics: Mike Conway, Chevrolet Indy Dual in Detroit

MIKE CONWAY QUALIFIES FOURTH FOR SATURDAY'S CHEVY INDY "DUAL IN DETROIT" RACE 1, THE EVENT HE WON LAST YEAR

Tom Blattler
Ed Carpenter Racing
May 31, 2014

Also released as: Conway Qualifies 4th Saturday at Belle Isle for Race 2

Fuzzy’s Vodka Chevy Racer Set to Challenge for 2nd 2014 Win

May 31st 2014 - DETROIT, Mich. – Last year’s Chevrolet Indy "Dual in Detroit” winner Mike Conway will seek to repeat that performance Saturday afternoon after qualifying fourth Saturday morning in the No. 20 Fuzzy’s Ultra Premium Vodka Chevrolet for the first race of the weekend at Belle Isle.

It was the best road racing qualifying performance for Ed Carpenter Racing.

Conway was second fastest Friday in two rounds of practice at the 2.36-mile, 13-turn temporary street circuit on the island northeast of downtown Detroit.

On Saturday, the 30-year-old Brit took the top spot in the opening round of qualifying, as he took the Fuzzy’s Vodka Chevy to a one minute, 17.371 seconds lap to advance to the second round. In round two, Conway secured another advancement position by clocking the third best time with a 1:17.688.

In the Firestone Fast Six qualifying session, Conway jumped to the second slot with his opening lap. But he had run several additional laps on the Firestone red tires earlier in qualifying and that might have hurt his chances for the coveted pole position. Mike won the pole last year at Belle Isle in Race 2. Helio Castroneves was the quickest at 1:17.536.

In the qualifying finale, Conway clocked a 1:18.301 lap to place fourth on the 22-driver starting grid for Saturday’s 70-lap main event set for a 3:50 p.m. EDT start. The "Dual in Detroit” will be televised at 3:30 p.m. on ABC-TV.

"We are glad to make the Firestone Fast Six today,” said Conway. "I thought we had a chance for the pole but we ran a couple of more laps on the red tires than Helio and that was the difference. We just ran out of rubber at that point. But overall the Fuzzy’s Vodka Chevy is very good. We felt the car was good in late practice Friday and the time of the day was similar to Saturday's race time. We will be ready to go at the green flag.”