“Captain America” returns for his 15th Indy 500 start. (Photo: Luis Torres | The Podium Finish)
SPEEDWAY, Ind. – After being away from competing in INDYCAR a year ago, 2014 Indianapolis 500 champion Ryan Hunter-Reay is behind the wheel for the 107th Indianapolis 500.
Over the past year being away from full-time INDYCAR, Hunter-Reay has kept himself busy as a driver consultant at Juncos Hollinger Racing to competing in IMSA and SRX. At one point, Hunter-Reay was in position of taking over pole sitter Alex Palou’s No. 10 Chip Ganassi Racing Honda should the contract controversy ended in a rough spot.
This month, Hunter-Reay’s No. 23 Root Insurance Chevrolet has shown speed in the practice sessions as the case has been for the Dreyer & Reinbold Racing organization, including Hunter-Reay’s teammate, Stefan Wilson, before being ruled out from racing this weekend due to injuries sustained from a practice crash on Monday.
After qualifying 18th, Hunter-Reay has his work cut out for him on race day. Mainly, he will need to work through traffic although this has been DRR’s better traits as proven by Sage Karam over the years.
In 2021, Karam took the green flag from the 31st position. Through strategy and raw pace, Karam was able to bring home a superb seventh-place finish. While it can be done despite knowing how tough Chip Ganassi Racing and Arrow McLaren have been, Hunter-Reay knows the task of getting a second Indy 500 win will be tough.
“We’re kind of David versus Goliath. We’re fighting the heavyweights here,” Hunter-Reay said. “It’s one thing to have a fast race car in practice. It’s another thing to go out and pass a McLaren, pass a Ganassi, pass a Penske and lead out in front of those cars. It’s a tall order and we’re up for it for sure. I think it’s capable of happening. It’s gonna be tough, and we’ll see what we have.”
Hunter-Reay is prepared for the upcoming challenge this Sunday. (Photo: Wayne Riegle | The Podium Finish)
Following Wilson’s practice crash, Hunter-Reay will have Graham Rahal as a teammate for the 500. In all his years in open wheel racing, Hunter-Reay was never a teammate of Graham. He drove for his father, Bobby, from 2007-08, including his first Indy 500 in the latter season.
Knowing that Rahal is a Honda driver, he is aware that the team can only give out so much information as Detroit follows after the 500, most notably with the engine mapping.
“(Graham’s) not getting a lot of information,” he said. “It’s a different map based on fuel, maybe drivability, all this other stuff. The extent of the information that he’s being given is – we are going to tell you which map to go into and that’s all the information you’re getting. And I get it.
“He’s coming over for one weekend and next weekend, he’s going to be back with the competition again, which is Honda. I get it – it’s a sensitive situation and big props to both manufacturers for making it happen because quite honestly, that seems like that might have been the biggest hurdle.”
Hunter-Reay also understands the situation of going from not making the Indy 500 to running it. In 2011, he failed to qualify for Andretti Autosport. Due to this, then brand new sponsor DHL threatened to leave the sport.
Eventually, Hunter-Reay ended up in Bruno Junqueira’s AJ Foyt Racing ride and finished 23rd although it consequently marked the end of Junqueira’s career after being replaced twice in three years. This decision led to DHL staying loyal to Andretti Autosport that remains active to this day.
“It’s tough because you’re basically going to another garage,” said Hunter-Reay. “In that scenario in ’11, I was on my way home. The team called up and basically the partners said, ‘Why are we in INDYCAR if we’re not going to be in the biggest race?’ So I certainly understood that. But it wasn’t straightforward. You have to go into another team’s garage – get in there and meet all new people.
“Everything is new – a different car, different steering wheel. It’s a lot to get done within a short amount of time. It’s anything but straightforward.”
Hunter-Reay at Long Beach in 2021 as DHL currently remains one of INDYCAR’s long-lasting sponsors. (Photo: Luis Torres | The Podium Finish)
With years of experience, Hunter-Reay is at the point of his career where he is having fun being just an Indy 500 racer. He no longer has to endure the hardships of flying Southwest Airlines.
Instead, he can explore different ventures and has a new perspective in life, especially after not competing in the 500 a year ago.
“It was nice to take a step back for a moment and try some new things. I raced in IMSA and I did SRX, as well. To be at this event last year, from the outside looking in so to speak, I think it was good for me in a lot of ways,” he said. “It allowed me to come back a bit re-energized and focused. Getting some perspective is sometimes important on that. We’re so deep in the trenches at times when you go from year-to-year-to-year, especially for me in the same program for 12 years and more than half of my career.
“It was good to take a step back for a second and just kind of look at everything. I got to do a lot of things with my kids that I would have never had the opportunity to do, like coaching their sports teams and things like that. Being there for them – they’re at such an impressionable age, so that’s very important. I wouldn’t have done anything different.”
Another aspect of Hunter-Reay that has changed is going from a powerhouse team like Andretti Autosport from 2010-2021, to an organization that focuses solely on the Indy 500. In addition of being back at Indy as a driver, he has embraced being with a unique squad like Dreyer & Reinbold.
“It’s great to be back – it’s awesome, love it. Loving every day on track. It’s been a lot of fun with the team and I really enjoy it,” Hunter-Reay said. “It’s a smaller program than I’m used to; a smaller effort than I’m used to. It’s really interesting to see the difference with a team that focuses just on Indy, as opposed to the other programs that are really in the midst of a grind – a full season grind.
“It’s a quite a bit different atmosphere. Everybody has big smiles on their faces when they show up to work in the morning and that’s important.”
