Drama and recovery for Harvey, Shank

The cartoon anvil knows precisely where to find Jack Harvey's No. 50 Michael Shank Racing with Andretti Autosport at all times.

A pair of problems on Monday, which served as the first day in the Verizon IndyCar Series for Shank and Harvey, kept the rookie off the track when he wanted to run and put him in the wall when he finally got out.

Once the fuel pressure issues that made Harvey's No. 50 Honda stall every time he tried to leave his pit box were resolved, a steering malfunction disconnected the Briton's steering rack from turning the front wheels and he met the Turn 2 wall while trying to navigate the warmup lane.

And with a third anvil strike this week – courtesy of a Honda engine failure during the brief dry session early Thursday – their resolve was tested yet again. Thanks to the rainfall that kept teams off the track until 4 p.m. ET, the MSR team was able to perform its first engine change under pressure and had Harvey's car almost ready to leave Gasoline Alley to make the last hour of Fast Friday running. Mechanics from Andretti Autosport's other five entries took part in the speedy motor swap and Harvey rolled out with 45 minutes before the checkered flag.

"We know that we are rookies and we just have to push through these things; there is no other choice for us but to keep moving ahead," Shank said. "We never give up and I have some of the best guys in the business working for me. Thank you to Andretti Autosport, who sent some of their guys over to assist us on some of the issues we've had. We're keeping our heads up and we're focused forward."

If the Ohio-based team is granted a reprieve, maybe they'll be spared a fourth visit by adversity.