Simply Perfect Pole Position for ESM

jjomalley

Extreme Speed Motorsports (ESM) threw down the gauntlet in practice and qualifying today at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. For the first time in ESM history, both of the Tequila Patrón-sponsored Honda Performance Development ARX-03b prototypes will start from the front row and side-by-side for Friday’s Brickyard Grand Prix.

It seems appropriate that the Tequila Patrón-sponsored race cars qualified 1-2, especially on National Patrón Tequila Day.

ESM finished Thursday’s on-track activity the same way they started it – from the top of the timing charts. The Florida-based team was quickest in opening practice and remained quickest at the end of qualifying.
 
Ryan Dalziel, co-driver of the No. 1 Tequila Patrón HPD set the qualifying track record with a 1:17.603 (113.145 mph) en route to the first pole position for the No. 1 team this year. Dalziel dominated in qualifying and led the entire 15-minute session. His closest competitor was teammate Johannes van Overbeek.
 
Scott Sharp, ESM owner/driver, will start the race in the No. 1 Tequila Patrón team. Sharp has 14 previous Indy 500 starts and two IROC starts at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
 
During his qualifying session, van Overbeek, co-driver of No. 2 Tequila Patrón, clocked a lap at 1:17.879 (112.744 mph), less than three-tenths of a second behind Dalziel. This marks the second front-row start for the No. 2 team. In May, van Overbeek was the pole winner at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca – the site of the No. 2 team’s first win.
 
Ed Brown is the starting driver for the No. 2 team for Friday’s race.
 
Friday’s two-hour, 45-minute Brickyard Grand Prix is the eighth race of 2014 TUDOR United SportsCar Championship. Green flag is 5:45 p.m. ET.  
 
Television coverage of the Brickyard Grand Prix starts at 5:30 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1.
 
Video: Johannes van Overbeek on-board turn-by-turn description of Brickyard Grand Prix.