Klein Tools/Jim Beam Driver Dan Wheldon to Start 4th at
Calif.
FONTANA, Calif. (Sept. 20, 2003) ? Dan Wheldon will start from the
fourth position tomorrow at California Speedway. Wheldon put the Klein
Tools/Jim Beam Dallara/Honda/Firestone on the outside of the second row after
qualifying at a speed of 225.695 miles per hour.
Wheldon and the Klein Tools/Jim Beam team have been quick all
weekend and the speed carried into today?s qualifying session where he earned
his best starting spot of the year.
Helio Castroneves took the MBNA pole with a speed of 226.757 miles per
hour. Kenny Brack was second quickest at 226.280 miles per hour. Scott Dixon
will start inside of Wheldon after qualifying at 226.219 miles per hour. Wheldon?s
teammate Tony Kanaan will start fifth with a speed of 225.198 miles per hour.
Bryan Herta will start from the 14th position after qualifying at 223.306 miles per
hour.
The green flag will fly at 3:30 p.m. EDT tomorrow with live coverage on
ABC Sports.
Dan Wheldon #26 Klein Tools/Jim Beam Dallara/Honda/Firestone
"I think that was a good lap. The Klein Tools/Jim Beam team has been
working hard and so has Honda and we?ve both been improving as the year
progresses. I?d say we?re happy; it certainly is nice to be at the sharper end of
the field. I think we will be competitive in the race.?
Qualifying Final Practice
Position 4th Position 4th
Speed 225.695 mph Speed 221.323 mph
Time 31.9014 seconds Time 32.5317 seconds
Total Laps 34
Tony Cotman, Klein Tools/Jim Beam, Team Manager
?We had a pretty good car in qualifying and we?re happy with our top-five
starting position. It is going to be good to start up front because I think it is going
to be difficult to pass tomorrow. We worked on our race setup in the warm-up so
we should be pretty good.?
