 
Milka Duno,
Young, Pleasant, Educated, and Now in the Race.
©Suburban Journals of
Chicago Inc. photo by Dan Peters
Milka Duno
Makes Indy history…. Becomes Third Woman to Qualify for 500.
by Dan Peters
Saturday, May 19, 2007. Milka Duno was the first car to qualify
on another nearly cloud less day at the famed Brickyard. She ran four
solid laps, with a four lap average of 219.228 mph, to become the
third female to qualify for an Indianapolis 500… a feat that never has
happened before.
Milka could hardly hold back her excitement, after a rocky start the
past two weeks. “I kiss all my guys,” the Venezuelan born sports car
driver said in broken English. “Because (the car) was great: it was
fantastic. This is not a win, but it is a good, good moment.”
Duno’s 29th place spot was never in doubt, even after a handful of
drivers attempted to make the show on the traditional “Bump Day’ on
Sunday.
Milka Duno, Leaves the Pit to Sign
a Shirt.
©Suburban Journals of
Chicago Inc. photo by Dan Peters
Strapped in her race car on the garage area, Duno’s Motor sport’s
Engineer, Steve Challis informed her “Your in the Indy 500.” Her crew
then held back no emotions as Jimmy Kite failed to get his
car up to speed on his qualifying attempt, the last of the day.
But her crew was prepared. The team would have had to scramble the car
to pit lane had she been bumped.
“There was a lot of tension, but I got my place,” Duno said. “You’re
never sure of anything in racing. Anything can happen.
We were ready to go back out there.”
Milka Duno now officially joins Sarah Fisher and Danica Patrick
on the entry list of 33 drivers for Sunday’s 91st Indy 500…. The first
time three women will be among the starters. She also became the first
Hispanic woman to race in the 500.
“I know now that nothing comes easy at Indy,” Duno said. “Stress and
tension are normal here.”
Milka Duno made her Indy Car debut last month at Kansas Speedway
where she started 21st and finished 14th. Like her Kansas start,
Challis said the team will take a “Conservative” approach to the big
race.
“She is a rookie, and we aren’t going to race anybody,” Challis
said. “We are just going to give it our best effort and see what
happens.”
Duno comes to Indy with strong roots in sports car racing, finishing
second in the Rolex Sports Car Series at Daytona in February of this
year. She has been involved in professional racing since 1999 where she
placed third in the Women’s Global GT Championship.
Her month of May has been filled with plenty of emotions and tension.
On May 11, she crashed during practice, forcing her crew to frantically
rebuild her race car.
“Milka didn’t have a lot of practice time because we didn’t have
(a backup) car,” Challis said. “We were being very cautious about it,
because if we crashed it again, we wouldn’t make the Indy 500.”
How did Milka’s female counterparts react? Sarah Fisher, who qualified
21st said. “ I feel great about it.”
Milka Duno, is ready to go, with
class all the way.
©Suburban Journals of
Chicago Inc. photo by Dan Peters
On the other hand, Danica Patrick showed little interest in the
matter, saying she “hasn’t taken much notice. For me, it doesn’t make
any difference. I don’t look back, I don’t think about anybody else, ….
While I’m honored to be a part of it, I don’t really think about it.”
The only other rookie in the field, Phil Giebler followed the same path
as Duno, to make the field. On Saturday, near the end of the day,
Giebler crashed on his fourth lap of his qualification run. His team
worked well past midnight rebuilding his car. He did not let them down.
His four lap average of 219.637 mph bumped Jimmy Kite from the field.
He earned the 33rd and final starting spot.
“I didn’t want to disappoint them. They (his team) worked their butts
off.” Giebler said.
Richie Hearn also made the field, after signing a deal just the day
before. He was roving the garage area all week looking for a ride. His
best finish here was way back in 1996 when he finished 3rd. For Hearn,
this is his first real racing effort since staring 25th hear two years
ago.
“I try not to think about that. This is the greatest race in the world.
Once you do it once, you want it again. I was not happy watching the
race on TV last year. I knew if I could get here, people would look at
me since I have had success here.” Said Hearn.
Indy can be a place of emotions, and no driver shown more emotion this
Sunday than Roberto Moreno. The 48 year old Brazilian who has been
dubbed “The super sub” by many in open wheel racing, was hired by
Chastain Motor sports after Stephan Gregoire injured his back in a
practice crash last Thursday. He
was the fastest qualifier on “Bump Day” at 220.299 mph, putting him in
the show in 31st spot.
Fighting back tears, Moreno said “It’s an honor. One day you are nobody
sitting at home. Some people think I am too old and I don’t have
anymore left. But do not forget my spirit. It is so young.”
The 2007 field will also feature 2-time winner Al Unser Jr and John
Andretti. Andretti is returning to Indy after 13 years. He last raced
in the 500 in 1994. He will start 24th. With a speed of 221.756 mph.
“My path kind of goes where the wind blows,” said Andretti. When he
raced last here in 1994, he finished 10th. More important about that
year, he became the first driver in history to compete in the Indy 500
and the NASCAR Coca Cola 600 on the same day.
“I am just glad the wind got strong enough to blow me back to
Indianapolis. It’s a great opportunity for me.”
Interesting
tidbits from this years 500…
•
There are six former Indianapolis 500 winners in the starting field: Al
Unser Jr. (1992 and 1994), Buddy Lazier (1996), Helio Castroneves
(2001-02), Buddy Rice (2004), Dan Wheldon (2005) and Sam Hornish Jr.
(2006). Between them, they have eight victories. The record for former
winners in the field is 10, in 1992. The fewest, other than the
inaugural race in 1911, is zero in
1912.
•
There are two rookies in the field, the fewest since 1979, when Howdy
Holmes was the only rookie in the field. This year’s rookies: Phil
Giebler and Milka Duno.
• Al
Unser Jr. is the most experienced driver in the field, with 18 previous
Indianapolis 500 starts. The record is 35, set in consecutive years
from 1958-92 by A.J. Foyt.
•
Michael Andretti has led 430 career laps in the Indianapolis 500, more
than any other driver in this year’s field.
•
There are a combined 160 previous Indianapolis 500 starts among the 33
drivers in this year’s field. The record is 260 years of experience,
set in 1987 and 1992. There were 138 years of combined experience in
last year’s field.
•
The oldest qualifier is Marty Roth, 48. The youngest qualifier is Marco
Andretti, 20.
•
There are 30 Dallara chassis and 3 Panoz chassis in the field
•
There are seven graduates of the Indy Pro Series in the field, the most
graduates in the field ever. The seven graduates are: Marco Andretti,
Ed Carpenter, A.J. Foyt IV, Phil Giebler, Jon Herb, Marty Roth, Jeff
Simmons.
•
This is the seventh-closest matched field by time Indianapolis 500
history as 5.0207 seconds separate fastest qualifier Helio Castroneves
and slowest qualifier Marty Roth. The record is 3.2422 seconds in 2001.
•
Thirteen drivers who were not in the 90th Indianapolis 500 qualified
for the 91st Indianapolis 500.
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