Mechanical Difficulties Strike Andersen Racing

INDIANAPOLIS - After the Andersen Racing IZOD No. 4 lost fuel pressure, Arie Luyendyk Jr. was forced to bring the car into the Indianapolis Motor Speedway's pits and retire from Friday's Firestone Freedom 100 with 24 of 40 laps complete in Firestone Indy Lights' biggest race of the year.

Crowd for the Freedom 100 Credit: Ron McQueeny/Indy Lights

The popular driver from Scottsdale, Ariz., started 15th and was credited with a 14th place finish, just behind the series' point leader, J.K. Vernay.

The race was broadcast on VERSUS.

Before the trouble struck Luyendyk ran a lap in 47.9747 seconds (187.599 miles per hour), which was more than a second faster than his two qualifying laps on Thursday thanks to a multi-car draft. His fastest lap occurred on lap 14.

Luyendyk's car, which advertised IZOD, Mo'sGold Advantage and the team's primary sponsor, Allied Building Products Corp., had moved up to 12th by lap three after Vernay's car didn't start and Jeff Simmons crashed in Turn 1, collecting Sunoco polesitter Pippa Mann in the process.

He advanced to 11th after Adrian Campos Jr. made a quick pit stop under yellow on lap six, and set his fastest lap while he was trying to catch Stefan Wilson while holding off Campos. Campos got by him with 18 laps down to push him back to 12th, which was where he was running when he pitted with the mechanical difficulties.

"We were plagued all weekend with the overall speed of the car," Luyendyk said. "The fuel pressure alarm came on, and then it just stopped running. It was a bad end to the week.

"At the start of the race I got held up by [Rodrigo] Barbosa, and then I lost the draft. There isn't too much to say. Maybe we've been struggling with the engine all along; I don't know."

"We struggled both days with set-up and speed and it was frustrating for all of us," said team co-owner John Andersen. "It was a pleasure working with Arie. I just wish we had some more time with him to get the set-up the way he liked it. I'm sorry that we couldn't give him a better car, but we just didn't have enough track time."

Wade Cunningham won the race over Charlie Kimball and James Hinchcliffe.

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