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CONWAY COMES BACK FROM SATURDAY'S MISHAP WITH SOLID 4TH SPOT IN QUALIFYING FOR "DUAL IN DETROIT" RACE 2

Topics:  Mike Conway, Chevrolet Indy Dual in Detroit

CONWAY COMES BACK FROM SATURDAY'S MISHAP WITH SOLID 4TH SPOT IN QUALIFYING FOR "DUAL IN DETROIT" RACE 2

Tom Blattler
Ed Carpenter Racing
June 1, 2014

Also released as: Conway Comes Back From Saturday's Mishap, Takes 4th in Sunday's Qualifying

Long Beach Winner Sets His Sights for Victory Lane Again

June 1st 2014 - DETROIT, Mich. (June 1, 2014) – Mike Conway came back strong Sunday morning at the Chevrolet Indy "Dual in Detroit” doubleheader after a tough Saturday race at the 2.36-mile, 13-turn temporary circuit on Belle Isle. He will start fourth in Sunday’s main event.

After a wall-banging hit that knocked the No. 20 Fuzzy’s Ultra Premium Vodka Chevrolet out of Saturday’s feature, Conway returned to action Sunday for the 30-minute qualifying round. Conway finished 21st in Saturday’s 70-lap race one after a lap 14 incident.

In Sunday’s qualifying, the field of 22 was split into two groups for a 12-minute session for each. Mike immediately jumped to the top of the timing charts on his third lap in the first group with a one minute, 18.060 second run. He continued to improve with clockings of 1.17.249 and 1:16.858 (110.073 miles per hour) in his seven laps on track. At the end of the first group’s runs, Conway had to settle for second to James Hinchcliffe.

The second group saw quicker times with the track surface gaining more grip and Takuma Sato won the pole with a 111.115 m.p.h. lap. With Conway’s second spot in Group One, the 30-year-old Brit will start on the outside of row two in the 22-driver grid when the green flag drops at 3:45 p.m. EDT Sunday. The race will be televised at 3:30 p.m. on ABC-TV.

The top three rows for Sunday’s event will consist of Sato, Hinchcliffe, Helio Castroneves, Conway, Ryan Briscoe and rookie Carlos Munoz. Conway will be the only driver to start the race on the primary "black” Firestone tires Sunday.

"My arm is fine after banging it in the wall hit,” said Conway. "The car was good again but we need to work on it a bit after the runs in qualifying. The second group was faster. The grip level on the track surface improves with each session. Strategy will be a key again in the race. It was big in Saturday's race. We will see how things play out early in the race."