Patrón Highcroft Racing’s Scott Sharp will return to the Indianapolis 500 this year aboard a Patrón-sponsored entry run by Panther Racing.
The winner of the most of recent round of the American Le Mans Series with David Brabham at St Petersburg, Sharp will combine his ALMS and Indy duties during the month of May - aiming to qualify during the first weekend, race for Patrón Highcroft Racing in Salt Lake City at Miller Motorsports Park the following week, then contest the 500 on the Memorial Day weekend.
Question: How excited are you to return to the Indy 500 with Panther Racing?
Scott Sharp: “The Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the Indy 500 are easily my favorite track and favorite race. It is the one race you think about every day of the year. It is just an incredible experience every time you are involved with it. For me every lap around that track is pretty sacred. Indy is a track that I have always been totally comfortable on and at some time during the month I’ve always gone really well there - whether it be practice, qualifying or part of the race itself. I’ve never been able to put it all together to get the race finish I am after but hopefully this new deal with Panther will give me the best chance to do that.”
Question: For a driver from a road racing background, what makes the Indy 500 so special?
Scott Sharp: “The first time I ever drove at Indy I remember coming out of the pit lane in turn two and looking at the back straight which looked like it would never end. You are dealing with sustained high speeds at Indy for such a long period of time - no other race in the world is like this. To be 225-235mph constantly for three hours plus is incredibly exhilarating. All the aura, the build up and the excitement - it really is second to none. The race itself is such a chess game and the draft plays a bigger role there than any other race. There are 33 very evenly matched cars, pit stops are critical - everything that goes into that race is really exciting.”
Question: Having competed with Patrón Highcroft Racing in the American Le Mans Series for the past two seasons, how do you think you will find the transition back into IndyCars?
Scott Sharp: “I’ve done a lot of laps at Indy and run a lot of laps in the Dallara so hopefully after a year and a half out of those cars it will be a bit like getting back on an old bike and it will all come back to me pretty quickly. Being away for a while and getting the chance to work with such a high technology car like the Acura ARX-02a I think has really fine-tuned my development skills as a driver. It will be very interesting to get back into the Indy car and see if I subconsciously start to approach it a little bit differently as a driver. I think every time you step aboard a race car you learn something. I’ve learned quite a lot in the past year and a half. A lot of that pertains to road courses, but I am sure it has sharpened my game quite a bit. I’m sure I will be able to apply what I have learned - particularly in regards to my focus and approach to the Indy car.
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