The Flying Dutchman reached a fast lap of 221.735 mph around the famed 2 1/2-mile (4km) Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval and was among four rookies to complete their orientation program, enabling them to practice at top speed.
Also through the final phase for newcomers were Brazilian Raphael Matos, second on the rookie speed chart at 218.613 mph, plus Canada’s Alex Tagliani at a top speed of 218.333 mph and Englishman Mike Conway at 217.063 mph.
Yet to complete the rookie orientation program are Frenchman Nelson Phillippe and American Stanton Barrett. The Associated Press
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“It’s great to come here and drive the right way around the track after running here in 2005 and 2006 in Formula One,” Doornbos said.
“I definitely respect this place; the speeds are quite high, and it is definitely impressive here. I’m living it up at this moment.”
With a shortened first-week schedule from previous years and possible thunderstorms in the forecast for the rest of the week, the track should stay busy as teams work to get their cars up to speed for pole day Saturday. USA Today
Doornbos is being coached by fellow Dutchman Arie Luyendyk, a two-time Indianapolis 500 winner. The collaboration is working because they agree that too much advice is worse than too little.
“I’m at a point where I’ve got to feel it for myself, then we’ll talk again,” Doornbos said. “This is a place you have to experience for yourself.”
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Luyendyk took his pupil for a ride around the track Monday in a pace car—“He tried to scare me, but it didn’t work,” Doornbos said—to show the proper line through the turns and advise Doornbos to not try to do too much too soon.
“These rookies are getting it from all sides, so I just need to be a calming factor,” Luyendyk said. “He just needs that one guy he can ask, ‘What do I do here?’ We talk about the little things, not a lot about the big things. He’s got a lot of talent, but ovals are still new to him.”
Both are fluent in Dutch. INDYSTAR
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