It is not often that belief in a driver overcomes a lack of funding in motorsports. However, events like the Indianapolis 500 transcend business and take on an emotional aspect that demands going with what you know will get results. PDM Racing owner Paul Diatlovich (Indianapolis, Ind. ) made just such a decision today by announcing veteran IndyCar Series racer Jimmy Kite (a native of Missouri who grew-up in Stockbridge, Ga. ) as driver of his No. 18 PDM Racing Panoz/Honda/Firestone entry for the 91st Running of the Indianapolis 500. It will be the five-time Indy 500 starter’s third visit to the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway with PDM Racing.
The pair first joined together in 2002 in an attempt to make the “500”. That May, Kite had his qualifying run washed-out by a late afternoon rain that soaked “The Brickyard” on the final day of Time Trials. As the six o’clock gun rang-out calling an end to qualifying, Kite sat next in line to make an attempt, his chance of making the 33-car field for PDM Racing over for one more year. The combination of the grassroots team and the grassroots driver had better results in 2003 when Kite was again called-upon by Diatlovich to wheel his race car. Kite qualified 32nd, the middle of the three-person final row, but fought his way up to finish 13th, his second highest career finish in the “500” and the most positions gained in that year’s event.
Kite has made his other Indy appearances in 1998 (where he qualified as the fastest rookie and finished 11th, his highest career “500” finish), 1999, 2000 and 2005. He also narrowly missed making the show in 2001. PDM Racing, which dates back to 1996, is one of the few original IndyCar Series teams still in operation. The team has entered the Indy 500 every year since its inception. Kite’s No. 18, a number long associated with the team, will be overseen by veteran chief mechanic Rob Stark (Cucamonga, Calif. ) and a crew of experienced PDM mechanics. The car is maintained in Indianapolis at the famous Leader Card Racers’ shop owned by the legendary A. J. Watson.
The financial realities of the sport will limit the amount of time that Kite and PDM have together on the track. The Panoz chassis, currently being upgraded to 2007 specifications, will not roll onto the famous 2.5-mile oval known the world-round as “The Speedway” until the second week of practice. The 34-time IndyCar Series race starter will slip back behind the wheel of an IndyCar for the first time since 2005 on Wednesday, May 16. Kite will get his chance to qualify the PDM entry on Saturday, May 19. The final day of Time Trials, “Bubble Day”, is Sunday, May 20. The first weekend of qualifications for the “Greatest Spectacle in Racing” is scheduled for May 12-13. The 91st Running of the Indianapolis 500 will take place on Sunday, May 27 with live television coverage by ABC.
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