Northern Light IRL: Jeff Ward rolls to Miami Pole
Posted By Terry CallahanMotorsports Editor, The Auto Channel
April 8, 2001
MIAMI - Jeff Ward, driving in only his second race for a new team co-owned by Jim Rathmann Jr. and John Mecom III, stormed to his second career MBNA Pole on Saturday for the Infiniti Grand Prix of Miami presented by 123.com Americatel.
The California driver who was born in Scotland swooped around the 1.5-mile Homestead-Miami Speedway oval in the No. 35 Heritage Motorsports/Firestone/Menards G Force/Oldsmobile/Firestone at an overwhelming speed of 201.551 mph. That was 1.658 mph faster than Greg Ray, who will start second at 199.893 in the Johns Manville/Menards Dallara/Oldsmobile/Firestone.
Ward's quick lap came on his second qualifying lap. His only previous pole came in March 1998 at Phoenix.
The irony of Ward's run was that he used a Team Menard-prepared engine. Ward's team manager, Mitch Davis, worked for Team Menard and Ray during the second half of last season.
"When I saw Buddy (Lazier) and Greg left the door open," Ward said, "you hope if everything goes right when you get out there, you can get the pole. If Greg had gone out there and got a 201 or 202, then it would have been a little more 'what if?'
"We had the gearing right, which allowed me to hustle it through (turns) 3 and 4. We've got unbelievable motors. It feels really great to have two Menards motors on the front row."
Rounding out the top five were defending Northern Light Cup champion Lazier at 199.432 in the No. 91 Tae-Bo/Coors Light/Delta Faucet Dallara/Oldsmobile/Firestone, rookie Felipe Giaffone of Brazil at 199.211 in the No. 21 Hollywood G Force/Oldsmobile/Firestone and Northern Light Cup points leader Sam Hornish Jr., winner of the season-opener at Phoenix, at 199.172 in the No. 4 Pennzoil Panther Racing Dallara/Oldsmobile/Firestone.
The race starts at 2 p.m. (EDT) Sunday and will be televised live by ABC.
Ward and Davis worked together in the past. They became driver and team manager again when Rathmann, son of 1960 Indianapolis 500 champion Jim Rathmann, and Mecom, son of John Mecom Jr., decided to form Heritage Motorsports for 2001. The elder Mecom's driver, Graham Hill, won the 1966 Indianapolis 500.
"I'm so happy to give them a pole so early in the season," Ward said. "Our next goal is a win and then to concentrate on the championship. We are a competitive team. I knew it from the beginning."
Ward has driven in 34 Indy Racing events and still seeks his first victory. He has finished second four times. Ray, the third driver in the qualifying line, clung to the pole until Ward rolled away as the 22nd of 26 drivers to make an attempt.
Text provided by Paul Kelly
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