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Rookie Diary: The New Zealand - IMS Connection |
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May 7. Wade Cunningham again made headlines in the lead article on the IRL Pro Series web site (www.indycar.com/pro).
The last time was about his speed on the streets of St.
Petersburg. This time it was about Wade on an oval – the big
one. On May 3, Wade and Jaime Camara were the two drivers that
broke the 190 mph barrier in the first 2005 Pro car open testing on the
Indianapolis Motor Speedway 2.5 mile track.
We are not sure, yet, if this was the first time ever that Pro cars
broke the 190, or which driver was the first over. We do
know that at last year’s IMS Pro race Thiago Medeiros was on the pole
with a 189.274. He also had the fastest race lap, 188.304.
In 2003, Ed Carpenter was on the pole with a 188. 348 mph. Bobby
Unser broke the 190 mph barrier for Indy Cars in 1972, when he
qualified for the 500. His nephew’s (Al Unser, Jr.) son, Al
Unser, is Wade’s teammate.
Once again, a New Zealander was making news at the IMS. The first
Kiwi driver, Denny Hulme, made IMS news back in 1967. In his
first 500 race he was the Rookie of the Year, and finished
fourth. He ran four times in the 500, and recorded his second
fourth place finish in 1968.
Hulme also won the FIA Formula One World Championship in 1967.
There are a couple more links between Denny and Wade. Both are
the only two New Zealanders who have ever won an FIA World
Championship. Wade’s was in karting. The next link, though, is
much less known. Mo Larson, who is the Chief Mechanic for Al
Unser on the Brian Stewart Racing team, is also from New Zealand.
Mo grew up with the late Denny Hulme and was a life long friend.
Since the IMS dates back to the first 500 race in 1911 it is hard to
discuss today’s drivers without paying a little respect to the history
and legends of the past.
The most famous New Zealand racing name, the late Bruce McLaren, was on
the 500 entry list in 1967, but did not qualify. Bruce’s name
did, however, become part of the IMS history in 1971 when the team he
started, Team McLaren, put Denny Hulme’s teammate, Peter Revson, on the
pole for that race. Peter finished second to Al Unser (Big Al).
In 1972 Roger Penske and his driver, Mark Donohue, took the McLaren
name to victory circle. Mark’s car had a McLaren chassis.
Bruce McLaren was a two time Can-Am Champion, winner of the 24 Hours of
LeMans, the Monoco Grand Prix, and other GPs. Denny Hulme also
won two Can-Am Championships.
In 1973, Graham McRae, another New Zealander, in his only 500 won
Rookie of the Year. McRae was the winner of four Tasman
Championships and six Formula 5000 Championships.
In 1974 Johnny Rutherford won the Indy 500 for Team McLaren.
You have to fast forward 29 years to 2003 before there was another New
Zealander in the 500. That, of course, was Scott Dixon.
Although the race didn’t go as well as Scott would have liked, he did
win the IndyCar Championship that year. 2004 was also not the
best for Dixon at the 500. Keep your eyes on Scott this year at
the 500. He would like to write some better IMS history.
Scott also won an Indy Lights Championship.
Let’s get back to Wade. He will be starting a new line of New
Zealand history in May and June at the IMS. Cunningham will be
the first New Zealand driver to ever race on both the IMS IndyCar track
and the IMS Formula One road circuit. Wade’s entries into the IMS
history book should prove interesting also.
In our next issue of the Diary we will discuss Wade’s day at the IMS test on May 3.
For more information about Wade see his official web site: www.cunninghammotorsport.com.
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