Newman Haas’ Oriol Servia started 10th and still scored his best finish result of the 2011 IZOD IndyCar 2011 season with a third place finish Sunday at the historic Milwaukee Mile.
"It’s awesome," said Oriol Servia. "We’ve been close to the podium so many times. Things just don’t come easy, we just have to work at it and I guess that is our life. And today was the same."
Servia was running sixth with 35 laps left and moved to fourth on Lap 200. He overtook Will Power for third on Lap 205. It was his third podium in eight races at the Mile, and he's now third in the championship standings.
"When I had my first podium with the team, it was here in 2005 in our first race together and we started from the fifth row then, too. It all came together again," he said.
Even though she had been cleared to drive in Sunday’s race, Simona De Silvestro had to retire early in the race after feeling that it would be better to recuperate more before tackling another race.
The HVM Racing crew was at the Milwaukee Mile until 2 a.m. -- 13 hours before the green flag -- checking and reassembling the No. 78 Nuclear Air Clean Energy car after the car made rear end contact with the SAFER Barrier in Turn 4 during the second warm-up lap of de Silvestro's qualifying run.
But it just wasn't right for the tight oval and de Silvestro retired after 11 laps. She started 26th (last) in the field.
It was the second on-track incident in five weeks for de Silvestro, who suffered first- and second-degree burns to her hands in a practice day crash at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
"It’s awesome," said Oriol Servia. "We’ve been close to the podium so many times. Things just don’t come easy, we just have to work at it and I guess that is our life. And today was the same."
Servia was running sixth with 35 laps left and moved to fourth on Lap 200. He overtook Will Power for third on Lap 205. It was his third podium in eight races at the Mile, and he's now third in the championship standings.
"When I had my first podium with the team, it was here in 2005 in our first race together and we started from the fifth row then, too. It all came together again," he said.
Even though she had been cleared to drive in Sunday’s race, Simona De Silvestro had to retire early in the race after feeling that it would be better to recuperate more before tackling another race.
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| Simona de Silvestro - Photo: indycar.com |
The HVM Racing crew was at the Milwaukee Mile until 2 a.m. -- 13 hours before the green flag -- checking and reassembling the No. 78 Nuclear Air Clean Energy car after the car made rear end contact with the SAFER Barrier in Turn 4 during the second warm-up lap of de Silvestro's qualifying run.
But it just wasn't right for the tight oval and de Silvestro retired after 11 laps. She started 26th (last) in the field.
It was the second on-track incident in five weeks for de Silvestro, who suffered first- and second-degree burns to her hands in a practice day crash at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.