Chaves Finishes 10th in Firestone 600
Tire Preservation Still Key to Winning in Texas
Tire Preservation Still Key to Winning in Texas
Dallas, TX –After last night’s final practice, Gabby Chaves said he wished that was the race. The BHA team was third fastest, and Chaves was passing cars like he was driving in a video game. Twenty-four hours later, the Bowers & Wilkins car was good, but minor changes in track conditions, weather, or by competitors evened the playing field. Still, it was an impressive weekend for the rookie driver at the most daunting track on the Indycar circuit…Chaves had qualified 20th, and moved us steadily throughout the 600k race. As car owner Bryan Herta put it, “we played Russian Roulette” on the second pitstop by leaving Chaves on track until it was absolutely necessary to pit. The gamble paid off as the #98 caught the only yellow flag of the event and was able to rejoin the lead lap.
Consistent pit work and driving plus adjusting the front wing and tire pressures allowed the #98 team to advance a number of positions as other teams earned penalties and mis-managed tire wear. In the end, BHA earned their second straight top-ten finish.
Gabby Chaves on his first race at Texas Motor Speedway:
“We constantly improved the car throughout the race, and made our way through the field pretty well. We had a couple of slower stops, but all my crew and everyone on the team did a fantastic job to improve the car and give me a car I was comfortable racing with. Two top tens in a row is really good progress, and we’re just looking forward to continuing to improve on this momentum going onto the next few races.”
