How is Justin Wilson celebrating a podium finish in the season opener?
By spending a few extra days soaking up the sun in St. Petersburg with wife Julia and daughter Jane before heading home to Colorado, where they’ll celebrate Jane’s first birthday April 12. It’s a welcome spring break after a winter of discontent.
Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing didn’t renew the contract of Wilson, who won on the temporary Belle Isle street course last August, because of a lack of sponsorship. He went shopping for a ride and finally struck a deal with Dale Coyne Racing before the first Open Test in late February.
“This is a great place for me after a long, tough winter,” said Wilson, who started an unexpected second for the 100-lap Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on the 1.8-mile, 14-turn temporary street circuit.
Wilson was drenched from a champagne spray as he celebrated with race winner Ryan Briscoe and runner-up Ryan Hunter-Reay on the podium. The result still was a bit bittersweet. Wilson led a career-high 52 laps, including the initial 35, but was passed by Briscoe in Turn 1 following a Lap 86 restart. Hunter-Reay also slipped by in Turn 4 of Lap 87.
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“That last restart the two cars behind got a very good run off Turn 14 and I didn’t,” he said. “Having led the most laps all race and been so strong and been so fast, I’m disappointed not to get the win,” he said. “But, under the circumstances, I’m very pleased with third result for Dale Coyne Racing. We’ve got some good people and pulled a team together, and that’s what allows you to compete. That’s the great thing about this series.
“I’m just very pleased that the whole Dale Coyne Racing team has done a great job, and I’ve just got to be very thankful for them to choose me to drive their car and get a strong first weekend in.”
Similar sentiments were shared by the team owner.
“I never thought I would be disappointed with a podium finish,” Coyne said. “But we truly had the best car of the weekend and certainly had a well-deserved win in our sights. The team is coming together very nicely and we certainly look forward to the next IndyCar Series race in Long Beach.”
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