Race car drivers around the world dream of driving on the famous 2.5-mile oval at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. On April 27, at least 14 drivers will get their first opportunity on the track that has created numerous legends when the Indy Pro Series conducts an Open Test at the facility.
Twenty-five cars, with 22 drivers named to date, will participate in the test, which will help the teams prepare for the 40-lap Freedom 100 on May 25, two days before the Indianapolis 500.
Logan Gomez, an 18-year-old who grew up just hours away from the Speedway in Crown Point, Ind., is among the drivers who will be on the oval for the first time.
“I hear it’s a hard track, so I’ll be spending a good part of the day just working up the courage to go flat out throughout the track,” said Gomez, who drives the No. 23 Sam Schmidt Motorsports entry. “The team is always quick at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, so I’m looking forward to experiencing a quick car there. My expectations are pretty much the same as when we tested in Homestead. We were really quick in Homestead with the Isilon Systems/FlaCondos.net car, and to have such a bad race like we did, I feel I really need to redeem myself. Once I get comfortable, I’ll be helping my teammates fine tune on our setup.
“I feel like I’m a good representative of the state and the series. I’m really looking forward to racing on the home track, and hopefully there will be some fans in the stands rooting us on during the race.”
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