Camping World Grand Prix at The Glen notebook
Ruzewski’s year features some twists and turns
WATKINS GLEN—When a new season begins and a team is not exactly sure who their driver will be . . . and then a few months later that same team reaches Victory Lane in the biggest event in their sport, one could say that the group has had a very interesting and challenging year.
Such has been the case for Elma native Ron Ruzewski.
Ruzewski was promoted this year to technical director for Penske Racing and also serves on race weekends as engineer for Team Penske’s No. 3 IndyCar Series entry driven by Helio Castroneves. Ruzewski is hoping for success as Castroneves starts 13th in today’s Camping World Indy Car Grand Prix.
Earlier this spring, while Castroneves was in court fighting tax evasion charges, the team placed Will Power in the No. 3 car for the April 5 season opener in St. Petersburg, Fla. Power finished sixth.
At the next event at Long Beach, Calf., the team initially had Power in the No. 3 car for a Friday practice session. Later that same afternoon, Castroneves was cleared of the charges against him and flew to Long Beach to take over the wheel of No. 3.
Upon his arrival in Long Beach, Castroneves qualified eighth and finished seventh. Power moved to the team’s No. 12 car, winning the pole and placing second.
“Obviously Helio’s situation was unique,” said Ruzewski. “The team always said we were going to stick by him and we did regardless of the outcome. As a team we had to move forward and go ahead with testing. Roger [Penske] and Tim Cindric [President of Penske Performance Inc.] decided that Will was a good candidate.
“Will and I started working together and developed some good rapport. He brought a little bit different perspective to the table. I think ultimately he helped a bit. It wasn’t bad or good. It was just different.
“It was certainly a learning curve for me. Long Beach was very unique. Will ran first in every practice session. Ultimately I had to hand off a car that I knew was capable of the pole. I was happy to have Helio back but I knew it would take a little bit of time for Helio to get back up to speed.”
Ruzewski received the ultimate reward in his profession in May when Castroneves won his third Indianapolis 500—but the first with Ruzewski on his pit box.
It was a day Ruzewski will never forget.
“It was our second Indy pole together but my first victory there,” said Ruzewski. “It’s a pretty special place. It’s a cool thing when you see the hundreds of thousands of people there and I’m standing in Victory Lane.”
Ruzewski will be keeping his fingers crossed today, as Castroneves has never finished in the top five in his four previous races at The Glen.
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There is a saying in racing that in order to finish first, one must first finish the race. Scott Dixon is proof of that. Since the IndyCar Series first came here in 2005, Dixon has won three of the four races held.
In the previous four races at The Glen, Dixon is the only driver to have completed all combined 235 laps. Next on the list is Tony Kanaan at 234, followed by Danica Patrick and Ed Carpenter at 233. Kanaan’s best finish in the event is second, with Patrick’s best eighth and Carpenter’s sixth.
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The late Cameron Argetsinger and his wife Jean were inducted into “The Legends of The Glen” Saturday.
The Argetsingers were the organizers of the first-ever street race held in Watkins Glen in 1948. They brought Formula One racing to The Glen for the first time in 1961.
Newly appointed WGI president Michael Printup presented a glass trophy to Jean. Cameron died last year at age 88.
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Mike Paz, a veteran WGI and Western New York race announcer, suffered a serious stroke this spring but was able to attend Saturday’s activity here. He currently is undergoing rehabilitation in Rochester. Saturday’s visit was his first to a race track since he was stricken.
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University at Buffalo head football coach Turner Gill will serve as the Grand Marshal for today’s IndyCar Series race while New York State Governor David A. Paterson will throw the green flag as honorary starter.
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J. R. Hildebrand of Sausalito, Calf., was victorious in the Firestone Indy Lights Corning 100 Saturday afternoon.
Winners Saturday in the SCCA Pro Racing SPEED World Challenge Grand Touring and Touring Car races, respectively, were: Dino Crescentini, Manhattan Beach, Calif., and Seth Thomas of Cumming, Ga.
On Friday, Chris Miller of Edina, Minn., won the first of two Sports Car Club of America F2000 Championship Series races to be held here this weekend. Matthew Inge of Ft. Myers, Fla., took the pole position Saturday for the second F2000 race, scheduled to get the green flag at 10:30 this morning.
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