Columnist Davey Hamilton: Indy experiences can be overwhelming

DAVEY HAMILTON of Las Vegas will start his third Indianapolis 500 from the middle of the third row in a G Force/Oldsmobile Aurora V8 fielded by Nienhouse Motorsports of Albuquerque, N.M. This is the third of four columns he will write for the Sun during the two weeks of practice, qualifying and the race.

The Indianapolis 500 is an overwhelming event. I have to be prepared, mentally and physically, for racing 500 miles. Most of my preparation comes from all the races I have raced, from the short tracks, to the mile ovals, to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. I am in good company, in that regard, with Billy Boat in the front row and Tony Stewart on the inside of the second row. The total of their racing experience makes them well prepared for race day.

Likewise, my experiences from every race I have ever driven prepares me for the Indianapolis 500 -- for the start, my actions during the race, my ability to translate what the race car tells me, and, of course, getting to the finish.

All the pre-race activity of the morning of the Indianapolis 500 can be distracting. Again, the experience of having been here (twice) before is very valuable.

There actually is a calm in the garage, especially after the race car has been pushed from the garage to its starting position. Only when I finally walk from the garage, through Gasoline Alley, to the pit area and to my race car on the front stretch do I fully realize what an awesome crowd is attracted to the Indianapolis 500. I lose a little bit of my focus at that time.

Once I am in the car, I look at all my surroundings in the cockpit -- the dash, the instruments, everything around me -- to see they are in their proper place. I make sure all my safety belts are snug and secure.

I am anxious, but only until the command to start engines is given. Then I know it's time. I calm down once the engine is fired. And when I put the car in gear, it's business as usual. I am totally focused on the race from that moment on. The warm-up laps give me time to make sure all the gauges (temperature, fuel, rpm, etc.) read properly.

I am relieved to be among the first three rows for the start. I have never started worse than the fourth row, and, Sunday morning when the race begins, I only have two rows of cars in front of me. I will have a lot of clean air, so I will be able to tell how my car is handling.

The drivers who start in the back will have to contend with a lot of dirty air and (methanol) fumes. The turbulence and dirty air greatly upsets the downforce on the race cars and can become very alarming.

When the race starts, I only have to race nose-to-tail with the six drivers in front of me. I am only concerned with the two drivers beside me in the third row, Scott Sharp to my left and Roberto Guerrero to my right, when I try to pick my position in the first and second turns. Last year's start was very easy because we were already spread out. I even had to get off the throttle (slow down) and lost a few spots before I found a hole.

Race day strategy is in the hands of the Nienhouse Motorsports team. Of course, the strategy is to win, but there are so many things that can happen in the Indianapolis 500. I have seen drivers forced to pit early and out of sequence with the leaders, but they find a way to get back in sequence so they have a shot at winning.

Last year all the pre-race strategy did not prevent me from running out of fuel before my first and second pit stops which put me a lap down. And that's where we finished, the lead car with 199 laps completed.

I have the utmost confidence in the new Nienhouse Motorsports team because Rick Galles (general manager) and Jamie Galles (team manager) have been here so many times. They will guide me as I race to win.

For the first 400 miles, I will be constantly trying to get into a position to win the race by staying on the lead lap, racing with the leaders and making good pit stops. Only during the final 100 miles will I put everything together and go all out.

I know that I must finish the Indianapolis 500 before I can win it.

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